and victory Have we made conscience to meditate upon our Wants what Graces we mostly need of their Wants what we are most defective in From this neglect we pray as if we did not pray without zeal earnestness and importunity Whereas had we viewed our Wants of God of his Grace Spirit Protection Mercy and Presence we should pray as for Life and those stragling vain thoughts would hereby have been suppressed When the Malefactour is begging his Life at the Barr his Soul is not running adrift after every Feather but he minds his business 't is Life and his Life that is endangered and therefore he gathers up all possible arguments that may induce the Judge to abate of the rigour of Justice towards him But how oft have we been on our knees and have been ignorant of what ailes us so that we might truly say we knew not what to ask When you goe to your Markets you consider what you and yours want but do we so when we goe to our Spiritual Markets Have not we neglected to meditate of the Mercies of God of Mercies received which we have received Hence we come either customarily before God or not with that holy boldness as we should One Mercy opens a door to another The Valley of Achor was given as a door of hope to Israel Hos 2. Forgetting the returns of Prayer makes our hearts ake and knees faint We should book the passages of Gods grace how he remembred us in our low condition how he hath visited us day by day when we have come in as the parched ground we have found God a dew to us and springs of water have appeared in the wilderness When we have come in before God with our Shackles on our Feet with Irons that have entred our Souls God hath made it a Jubilee he hath proclaimed the acceptable year he hath let us out of the Prison-house and hath set our feet in a large place When we have come in before God with guilt on our Souls and with fearful expectations how hath God given us the white stone and sent us away with his blessing and with gladness of heart The neglect of our Diaries of the Providences and Mercies of God the want of reflecting on all the Rings that God hath sent us makes us more like Slaves than Children Do we with David cry out Psa 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Have not we neglected to meditate on the great and wonderful things of the prevalency of Prayer that have been done upon the Prayers of Gods People We should have in everlasting remembrance what a powerful Engine Prayer is Gen. 32.28 Exod. 32.32 Jam. 5.17 18. It hath held the hands of the Almighty Jacob and Moses prevailed over God It hath been a Key to open and shut the Heavens Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months And he prayed again and the Heaven gave rain and the Earth brought forth her fruit And O what wonderful things hath God promised to a Praying People Jer. 33.3 Mat. 21.22 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Whatsoever ye ask in my Name c. Here is more than Herod offered that was but half the Kingdome here is a Whatsoever Did we appear before God with these instances of grace and promises fresh in our thoughts we should not say What a weariness is it Or that there is no profit in serving God and gallop through our duties as we are wont 2. Not stirring up Grace received Another neglect before Prayer is The not stirring up our Graces before we set upon the Duty We too much rest on habitual preparation whereas actual is necessary He that leaps immediately from the Shop to the Throne of Grace and labours not to quicken his dull Soul and to leave worldly businesses behind him as Abraham his Servants when he goeth to sacrifice no wonder if he lose the Duty and provoke the Lord rather than be accepted with him The Well is seldome so full but that you may nay you must throw in a little to fetch up the more It is thought by the redoubling of David's charge that he found not his heart in a good frame for the exalting of God and therefore cries out so vehemently Psa 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits 2ly When Praying How have we failed when we have entred upon the Duty And that in Invocation in Confession in Petition and in Thanksgiving 1. In our Invocations In Invocation We call God Father and yet how unlike are we unto him we resemble not him we call Father we reverence not him we call Father we trust not to him with that confidence we would to receive of our Fathers of the Flesh we fear when we ask Bread he will give us a Stone we have lower thoughts of Gods bowels than of our own we think our selves more pitiful better natur'd than God himself If I were a Mother and my Child in distress I should deny him nothing 2. In our Confession of Sin Confession Psa 119 26. We are not full and free and ingenious we sit with Rachel upon some Idols we do not declare our wayes unto him but rather cover our transgressions as Adam Few can clear themselves as Job did You will perhaps confess Job 31. We have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheep We have left undone c. Dolus in generalibus Psa 32.3 but still in generals David was in this gravelled When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long But you descend not to particulars or if to particulars yet the Benjamin is reserved loth to let Benjamin goe loth to confess envy pride breach of vowes want of love to Saints loving the rich only neglecting the poor You will confess what every man knows you are guilty of or what every man is addicted to but you shame not your selves by instancing in the particular neglects and commissions by which you chiefly provoke the Lord the Agags are not brought to execution the best of the Cattel are kept back one Wedge is hid in the Tent. Or if you confess most particularly yet it is without hatred of the sins confess'd You confess sin yet hugg it bosome it plead for it within one quarter of an hour You confess sin but without self-abhorrence 1 Kings 8.38 Job 42.6 you loath it not as the Plague
and yet you dare even then be vain and frothy you know the Lord is much grieved at the backslidings of his people and yet you have lost you antient faith love tenderness zeal publick-spiritedness and communion with God yea you have not only known these to be sins but you have spoken against them as evils you have told men how hainous a thing it is to sin against the Lord and yet you your selves have added iniquity unto iniquity What cloak have you for your sins And very impenitently Fourthly You have sinned impenitently notwithstanding all means for your repentance and reducement which God hath most wonderfully vouchsafed you The Lord hath for many years striven with you to put a stop to your sins and to reclaim you from your miscarriages Sometimes God hath gone up to Mount Ebal and threatned you with Sword Famine Fire and Pestilence and yet you have refused to hear from thence he hath leapt up to Mount Gerazim and allured you by all kind of blessings and yet you have carried your selves stoutly and impudently towards all the offers and tenders of grace for your recovery Jer. 3.4 7. God would have healed you he hath said wilt thou not from this time cry unto me my Father thou art the guide of my youth turn thou unto me yet you returned not You have had many of the Lords faithful Ambassadours who have laid siege at you hearts to engage them to the Lord and to take you off from your sinfull wayes but alas all the glad tidings of mercy have not affected you have not won you all the Ordinances of Jehovah have found little place in you have left no impre â—ion upon your Souls Ezek. 16.51 Hos 4.17 You have justified Judah and Samaria in all their stubborness and rebellion against the Lord. How righteous is it with the Lord to call upon the Ministers Let them alone threaten them no moâ—e promise them no more Rev. 22.11 Let him that is filthy he filthy still you have broken through Armies of Ordinances to commit sin therefore Gospel and Gospel-Ministers let them alone judgements overtake them my plagues my curses seize upon them Let them suddenly be destroyed Prov. 29.1 and that without remedy because they have hardned their necks though often reproved God hath waited more than three and three years on you expecting fruit but he sees little save the Clusters of Sodom upon you he hath born with you so long he hath held his tongue and said nothing so long that you have wickedly thought God to be such an one as you Psal 50.21 So that God must needs be a swift witness against you for the vindicating of his great and glorious Name unless you speedily repent and seek the Lord Zeph. 2.3 if perhaps he may be found O! how long hath God commanded you every where to repent not only by his threats but by his judgements which have begun at the House of God What lowd calls have we had Joel 2.11 1 Pet. 5.6 Turn to the Lord with weeping Let your laughter be turned into weeping Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and yet how stupid how insensible how impenitent have you remained to this very day though you have felt the Arrows of the Lord stying amongst you yea though you have been told Jer. 18.8 If you repent it shall repent the Lord of the evil he had thought either to continue upon you or to bring down on you yet alas where are the stirrings of your affections the soundings of your bowell the meltings and relentings of your repenting hearts O what marble breasts and hearts of Adamant have you How few are there mourning for all the wrongs they have done to the Majesty of God Evidenced in their being infensible of their own sins for all the abuses offered to the grace of God Perhaps the fear of Hell and so indeed self-love hath humbled some Ahabs and made them crouch because they would not be miserable But how few are humbled for their abuse of the love and grace of God by their great offences Whaâ— the Lord complains of by the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 3.8 of the house of Israel that they would not hearken to the Messengers be sent them but were impudent and hard hearted may be again renewed against England and all its dominions the heart of stone is not yet taken away where is the man almost that can say God hath made mâ— heart soft Job 2â— 16 Though you have born arms against God though you have sinned against the Lord with an high hand though upon self-tryal you may sind those very sins amâ—ngst you which brought Fire and Brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah Psal 42.3 and desolation on Israel yet alas when were tears thy drink When didst thou make thy Bed to swim Is thy beauty gone away for trouble Dost thou abhor thy self in dust and ashes before the Lord Know Reader that the Authors Pen had proceeded thus far before he heard of the late dreadful Burning of London the following lines shew thee what impressions it made on his thoughts and should on thy Soul Perhaps in Rama there is a voice heard Lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children that dye by the Sword or Pestilence or are burnt in their beds Perhaps in London and throughout the Land there are some tears shed for the Coals of fire that God hath scattered the last week over that famous and antient City But how few are mourning for their pride worldliness contempt of the Ministers and Apostasies for which God seems to be contending not only by the Sword and the Pestilence but by Fire with us where are the Dovâ—s of the Valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity A â—haraoh may so far repent as to say Take away the Plague but few cry out Take away iniquity Few detest their sins few loath them few are so burthened with them as that they desire heartily to have them taken away Possibly Sin in its effects in its sad consequences as it consines men to the Pest-house as it endangereth health and life as it is the founder of graves and hells as it burns up your houses and goods is someway burthensom but few are troubled with it Ezek. 10.2.7.16 Hos 14.2 as it grieves resisteth and quencheth the Spirit of God as it is a piece of the highest ingratitude and as it kicks against the breasts of mercy And therefore no wonder if Few are to be found mourning for other mens sinnes Though Jesus Christ be crucified afresh Of other mens sins and put to open shame though the blessed Spirit of our God be always vexed and resisted though there be so much Atheism Epicurism contempt of God and his Ambassadours and Gospel Blasphemy Violence Falshood Pride Adultery Sodomy though there be setting up the posts of men with an apparent contempt of Gods holy
work-house That he possesseth the heart of every unregenerate man The strong man keeps the house and so all is quiet It was a sad day when the abomination of desolation should be seen standing in the holy place but what are abominable Men to abominable Devils They did but exercise their cruelties on the bodies of the Jewes but how many Devils have their walks in the hearts of natural men and women If thou art in thy bloods the Devil hath entred into thee as sure as ever he entred into the heard of Swine and so hurrieth thee into base lasts as he carried them headlong into the Sea CHAP. III. Their want of Despair in Self IF Men are sensible of their sinne and miserie Few humbled Souls Rom. 10.3 yet how many are going about to establish their own righteousness Though some are convinced of the ugliness of sin of â—he miserie by sin yet they are not fully convinced that the covenant of works requires perfect personal and corstant obedience that it admits not of repentance that it accepts not of the will for the deed Gal. 3.10 but Curseth every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them so that if there be a failer by a vain thought the conditions of that covenant are broken and nothing save fearful expectations should seize on such a Soul Few I say believe this but though they are bankrupt Children of Adam yet they hope by their pedling Wares to set up again and maintain themselves without being beholden to any other for the procuring of their salvation hence they pray who were prayerless before hear and perhaps with much diligence who were wont to play away the Sabbath and Sermon time and reform in many things and now Soul take thine ease thou hast goâ—ds laid up for many years yea for eternity thou art converted sure and so think all the Neighbour-hood O! what a change is here The man was a Drunkard not so now an Adulterer a prophane Belial but now civilized yea a devout man Serious that was flashy before and touching the righteousness which is in the Law Phil. 3.6 blameless Now he is alive indeed his Conscience is pacified which before troubled him he can hear the Word gladly which before was burthensome to him he can pray with affection and with some delight when before all the Ordinances of Heaven were tedious and intollerable burthens to him Now he thinks Sure I have life within me I am not dead He sees not all this while that he must have life from without and ability from without He doth not yet say Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me Psa 40.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up No no he can look up with confidence and call God Father Job 12.6 and though sometimes he provokes God yet he is secure He doth not see that he is dead i. e. damned 2 Cor. 3.5 and insufficient as of himself to think any thing as of himself but all his sufficiency is of God He thinks he is not utterly unable to make amends for his sins not quite dead for he can pray c. He sees not that it is as easie to make new Worlds as to put up one acceptable Prayer to God He sees not that he needs an Almighty power to enable him to perform his duties and infinite satisfaction to discharge him of his debts He is somewhat sensible of his danger by sin Isa 63.1 but he eyes not him that is mighty to save He looks for help within but not without He sees no absolute necessity of Christ all this while He sees not that all his righteousnesses are as filthy raggs in Gods sight Isa 64.6 and that all his duties fill up the Catalogue of his sins He sees not that there is no Salvation in any other save Jesus Christ Acts 4.12 because there is no other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved He hopes to goe to Heaven through doors of his own the door of Repentance the door of Reformation the door of good Works c. hence he takes hold of the mercy of God and the promises of pardon Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him yea he will abundantly pardon Thus have I done saith this awakened person and now my Case is good O! I would not be in mine old myres for a World O! what a change is here I was a careless Wretch careless of God and my Soul careless of praying reading hearing c. not so now And now that the house Matth. 12.43 44 45. out of which the unclean Spirit is gone is swept and garnished he carrieth it high and little thinks he that seven worse Spirits are entring in This is the case of multitude of Professours whom Christ will never seek nor save Luke 19.10 for that they are not lost they are not succourless and helpless they think they may save themselves from wrath to come They see not that there is a Satisfaction to be made to Divine Justice which they cannot make wherefore their hopes are from their reformations not from Christ their peace is from their performances not from Christs blood of attonement All these have I kept from my youth up Luke 18.21 Hence he is consident not from Christs coming under the Law hence he is diligent in Prayer c. but careless of the way of Faith hence he blesseth himself in his own performances and is no way taken up with what Christ hath done and suffered for him Moses is magnifyed and Christ is slighted Duties are set up and Faith neglected Works advanced and cryed up and Faith is little heeded or look'd after How few are there who count themselves wholly destitute of every good thing that should make them acceptable unto God They lay not the weight of Salvation upon the grace of God by Jesus Christ but upon somewhat that comes from themselves they will have a Bridge of Duties that shall carry them over the Gulph of eternal miserie they hope to quench Hell Fire by their tears Alass some years agoe you might as well have drawn Water out of the Flint as tears from them but the case is altered I was blind but now I see the deserts of sin which I saw not before I see it is a fearful thing to sin against God and now I bewail my sins and am sorry at heart for them sure my condition is monded I thank God I am not as other men nor as once I was my self I hope by my tears to wash away my sins All the while Christ lieth without doors the Soul is a stranger to Faith in Christ he sees not his
insufficiencies he sees not his unworthiness to goe to Heaven and Glory he sees not his inability to think a good thought he hopes without a Christ he can do something If he did judge his condition hopeless he would tremble and have no rest in himself till God hath delivered him he would see an absolute necessity of obtaining Christ and his righteousness and he would be put off with nothing else But O! how hard a work do Ministers find it first to take off men from their sins and then from considence in their duties We tell men Christ will have no sharer in the glory of saving lost man but people will at least have their works and Christ to divide the spoyles to share in the glory of bringing back lost Souls to God We advise men to lay no weight on their duties bâ—t to lean alone on Christ's merits but in vain Christ saith If yee seek me let these go their way these duties as well as these sins but the deaf eare is turned and we find it much easier to perswade men their sins will damn them then their duties whilst Christ is thereby neglected CHAP. IV. Their miscarriages about their Soul-troubles IF the Spirit of the Lord have convinced men of their danger by their sins Miscarriages about Soul-troubles and their own righteousness that they still see God angry with them and if their Souls remain under trouble and disquiet yet are they not guilty of some if not all of the following miscarriages 1. Few iustifie God How few are there that justifie God Few accept of the punishment of their iniquities they do not clear God as they should from all unrighteousness Commonly proud hearts swell and fume against these methods of God Though the filthiness of their hearts be laid open before them yet they fall not down upon their faces in the acknowledgement of their unworthiness of mercy few charge themselves and acquit God They cannot be brought to give God the glory of his righteousness if he should condemn them to the pit of hell they do not willingly and uprightly own the desert of damnation and charge themselves with it as their due portion and most just inheritance Lam. 3.30 Mic. 7.9 Ezra 9.13 Dan. 9.7 8. Few give their cheeks to him that smiteth as the Church did they do not say I will bear the iudignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him or with Ezra thou hast punished us lesse than our iniquities have deserved or with Daniel O Lord Righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face How seldome do you hear Professours with this Confession in their mouths Lord I am thy creature and thou mayst do with thy creature what pleaseth thee It pleased thee to put thine image on me Eccl. 7.29 Isa 52.3 to create me upright but I have sought out many inventions I have sold my self for nought I have preferred the Devils work before thine and therefore thou mayst abhor me and give me my portion among the damned crew and if I feel some sparks of hell fire in thy wrathfull present frowns it is of thy rich patience and mercy that they are but sparks if thou cast me off for ever it is but what I have deserved long ago it is of the Lords mercy that I was not hurled from the womb or cradle to hell because of my native sinfulness but wo is me I have provoked the pure eyes of thy glorious Majesty dayes without number I have been a Rebel of a long standing against thee my will hath been justling and quarrelling with thine these many years and therefore if I be sent to hell thou art righteous and clear when thou judgest Psa 51.4 I can blame none save my self if I perish everlastingly though I have many fears and sorrows on me yet blessed be God they are not the sorrows of hell thanks be to the Lord that I am not yet among the damned ones roaring in the Pit of hell Few believe they deserve damnation hence Souls are murmuring at any affliction at the loss of an Husband Child Estate c. as if God had dealt hardly with them in depriving them thus How few Professours Few willingly under Soul-trouble Hos 2.6 Rom. 8.15 when under Soul-troubles are willingly under them They see not the advantage of having their way hedg'd up with these thorns They do not receive the Spirit of Bondage They do not accept this punishment They take it not kindly at Gods hands Their troubles are involuntary few kindly works that I meet with among awakened and startled Professours they are held in the chains against their will How many are afraid of sorrow for sin Some think it will spoyl good faces and their beauty may he lost through their troubles but others think it will bring them to despair and therefore farewell to such a Preacher he is too terrible for their Souls Hence Saul must have his harp to divert him the Cards must be taken up again some merry Books some Romances must be read perhaps a Play may be seen jovial frothy Company must be called in and all this to divert the Soul from minding its danger lest it be swallowed up of grief or some unskilfull and unfaithfull Emperick shall be sent for to sow pillows under him that he may sleep the quieter Few Daniel-like when their cogitations much trouble them Dan. 7.28 so that their countenances are changed in them keep notwithstanding the matter in their hearts How few are active in their Soul-troubles Retire and go alone that they may search the Scriptures and ransack their hearts in order to contrition and humiliation of their hearts How few are gladded by any portion of Gods word that brings their sinfulness and self-fulness to remembrance and causeth any meltings of heart and humblings of Souls under it How do some Professours quarrel with their Ministers and snarl at the Books that give them trouble of Spirit 3. Few mourn on spiritual accounts How few mourn for Sin upon Spiritual accounts That their God is dishonoured their good and gracious God who hath done so much for them c. doth not chiefly cut their hearts Against thee Psal 51.4 thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight but perhaps they are troubled for wronging themselves endangering themselves c. They cry as dogs when they have done a fault they fear the whip and so they houle 4. Few reforming and believing mourners How many Professors mourn for their sins yet live in the continued practise of them Notwithstanding their tears yet their hearts are in league with their lusts Thus like the Scolds at Billingsgate they are soon out soon in again with their lusts but few whilst mourning for their sins are sollicitous and carefull which way God may have satisfaction for the injuries that have been done unto him The mourning of many Professours last no longer than the trouble of
in Christ Jesus our Lord Whilst the Candle of the Lord shines on thy Tabernacle whilst thy bones are full of marrow whilst thou washest thy feet in butter whilst every Mordechai boweth in the gates whilst thou hast dews on thy heart meltings and enlargements in Ordinances so long thou canst keep up good thoughts of God and his love but let the Scene be altered let the Sun wrap up it self in a Cloud of darkness let the rod lie on the back and the Arrows of the Almighty pierce the heart and then not only grace within is questioned but the love of God without I am cast out from before thine eyes his mercy is clean gone Then all men are lyars even Samuel himself But alas how ignorant art thou of the methods of God Heb. 12.6 7 8. Doth not he chasten every son that he receiveth Should not he have liberty to use what rod he pleaseth whilst all are for thy Profit that thou mayst partake of his Holinesse Rom. 8.29 Phil. 3.20 Matth. 20.23 Col. 1.24 Might not Christ have had ill surmises of his Father upon higher grounds than any thou canst name Who art thou to hope for milder usage from God than he shew'd to his own Natural Son If thou art predestinated to be conformable to Christ to be partaker of his sufferings to drink of his cup wilt thou doubt thy filiation from thy filling up the sufferings of Christ 3. Concluding thence sadly of Gods intentions How do some draw sad conclusions from Gods Providentiall dispensations concerning his intentions for the future When they lose dear Relations an Husband or the Wife of the bosome gone a sweet Child snatcht away and perhaps by inadvertency O then no sooner can we enter into the house of mourning but we hear cries from you O my hypocrisie O my formality O this is one of Gods Arrows of Vengeance O! God is beginning his Controversie which will never end till it laies me as low as Hell Whereas you should entertain other thoughts of God viz. That now he is removing the Idols of jealousie now he is weaning your hearts from Creatures that he may have all your love he knew how much Spiritual Communion you have lost by the company of your Relations and now he himself would have more of your company now he would have you to delight your selves more in himself now he hath but dryed the stream a weak unsatisfying stream that you may drink and drink abundantly of the purest Chrystal waters that drop from the blessed Fountain immediately now God hath a blessed design of grace to prepare you for glory he is now making the earth an howling Wilderness that you may long for Canaan he is now leaving you to naked walls that he himself may fill them he is now turning all out of doors that you may have the more liberty to treat with his Majesty with the less disturbance without interruption Alas you know not how unkind and burdensome yea treacherous your Friend your Relation might have been if continued longer to you you know not what a dishonour to God and to your selves he might have been if longer continued in the land of the living and therefore to preserve him from scandal and your selves from heart-breakings thereby God hath in mercy pity and faithfulness removed him taking him away it may be from the evil to come Few put these Comments upon Gods Providences towards them but commonly take all in the worst sense they can 4. Calling Gods love in question for want of Evidences How do some instantly call in question Gods love if Evidences be not seen if they be not fairly writ so as the Soul can read them But may not the money be in the Saeks mouth though the Brethren see it not for a while Yea though the Soul hath had a welcome from God yea many a welcome yet how soon is the Soul so crest-fall'n that it is afraid to go into Gods presence and through the power of Satan and Melancholy duty yea many duties have hereby been intermitted This provokes God exceedingly What When you have had his Stâ—ffe and his Bracelets when you have had such admirable proofs of his Love in sending his Son and Holy Spirit after you to work so great and glorious a change in you coming in the still voice and whispering Love unto you dandling you as on the knee welcoming you again and again to the Throne of Grace oft filling your empty Bottles answering your thousand Doubts sealing the Covenant of Grace and granting and confirming to you all the Patents of Love And yet at every turn have you doubted whether God loves you or no God chides Zion for this Isai 49.14 Let not Zion say the Lord hath forsaken c. 5. Concluding God no Friend because Satan is an Enemy and doth tempt them Are there not some good Souls though their goodness lies not in this that are apt to question the Love of God to them from the blasphemous thoughts and injections that they are harrazed with But what because Satan is your Adversary must God therefore not be your Friend Because Satan doth tempt you will it therefore follow that God doth not love you Were we not wonderfully prone to evil surmises and distrusts of God we would not make Satans Malice a ground sufficient to doubt of the Love of God Doth the Husband love his Wife the less for that she is tempted whilst she defies the Tempter and is burthened with his foul and daring sollicitations O how is Satan gratified hereby Considerations against evil surmises of God He is the great Accuser the great Tale-bearer that seperateth choice Friends He goeth betwixt God and Saints as a Mediatour of Differences to accuse Saints to God and God to Saints and will you any longer be Tale-hearers against God Believe it the false witness which he brings is against him who hath given you wonderful proofs of his everlasting Love towards you When O! when will you complain of Satan in the words of the Psalmist The Enemy hath persecuted my Soul Psal 143.3 he hath made me to dwell in darkness like those that have been long dead It is the Enemy that vails and obscures the work of the Spirit what he can that you shall see it no more than a dead man can behold any company that is in the Room Vault or Grave with him When Satan tells you your Graces are counterfeit your Faith but that which a temporary may have your Graces but moral Vertues O! how soon is your Enemy credited how much more believed than God his Ministers and all the testimonies of Gods Love that are brought you Hence you are one day jealous of the Kindness of Christ another day of the Fulness of Christ then of the Intentions of Christ he means no good to me Hence also you doubt of the acceptance of your Persons and Duties There is a Cloud hangs over my Prayers
many wells of Salvation have been opened unto me which have been shut unto the most of the World But to return to Plato If he thanked God for living in the dayes of Socrates we may say that greater than Socrates have been amongst us We have had those with whom we have taken sweet counsell with whom together we have gone to the house of God who have been burning as well as shining lights many examples of close-walking heavenly Christians have we enjoyed such as have had the wisdome from above and more pure learning than ever Socrates or Plato could pretend to The Society of how many heavenly grave serious active fruitfull Christians have we been blest with such as have been faithfull admonishers such as would not suffer sin to rest upon us such as have dayly told us here is the way walk herein O the helps we have had But O the cursed unthankfulness of our hearts towards God notwithstanding his bestowing upon us so many lights to guide us so many fires to warm us and so much salt to season us 1. Instead of giving God the glory of all O! Evidenced in their Sacrificing to Instruments Hab. 1.16 how have we sacrificed to our own nets and to other Instruments We have praised our selves rather than God for what we have We have not ascribed the glory to God but to Instruments like that Cardinal who writ down how much such a Prince honoured him what such a Lord did for him and what such a Pope conferr'd on him whereupon another infers This man remembred his Friends but forgot God Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands but God hath little or no share in the Triumph 2. Too much Complaining How sensible are we of our wants and straits But O how unaffected with the goodness of God towards us How full of complaints are we but empty of acknowledgements Hath not the want of some one thing robb'd us of the comfort of all our enjoyments and God of the praise that was due to his name We have been such is our wayward Nature more troubled for the want of some one thing than thankful for many mercies Like Haman one Mordecai not bowing to our desires hath made us heavy and senseless under all our honours and Gods vouchsafements Like Achab we have been more dejected for want of Naboth's Vineyard than we have bless'd God for a Kingdome 3. Being most in the Petitionary part of Prayer Are not we oftner longest and heartiest in the Petitionary part of Prayer We are still craving the supply of wants but seldome very seldome too too seldome blessing of God for what we are stored with Our Petitions are long but Praises are short To whom be praise honour and glory serves for a sufficient Doxolgy Yea how earnest how fervent how importunate are we in the Petitionary part but how dull and heartless are we in the Gratulatory part of Prayer 4. Setting up their rest in Gladness Do not we set up our rest in being glad of Mercies and Deliverances Whereas it is one thing to be glad of a Mercy or Deliverance but another thing to be thankful for it Then are they glad I but that will not serve the turn Psal 107.30 31. it is a return of an higher nature which God looks for O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness 5. Forgeting Mercies Isa 17.10 Are not we unmindful of the gracious dealings of God with us Have not we forgotten the God of our Salvations and been unmindful of the Rock of our strength He is an unthankful man saith Sekeca that denies a Benefit received so is he that dissembles it together with him that requites it not but of all the rest he is most unthankful that hath forgitten it 6. Not making Catalogues of Mercies Psal 78.5 Deut. 4.9.6.7.31.19 Have not we neglected to make Catalogues of the Mercies we have received to help our memories How can we that have not and will not submit to this Divine Ordinance look upon our selves as some of Gods Israel This God hath ordained for a Law and a Statute for Israel What was this Ordinance That they should write it what God had done for them and so provide that the Generations to come might know what God had done But alas how little care have we that whatsoever God does may be for ever to his glory Eccles 3.14 How injust are we unto our Children and the Generations to come in depriving them of a faithful Record of Gods Mercies to us in which God speaks to them as well as unto us What God spake to Jacob at Bethel he spake to Israel that lived in Hosea's time Hos 12.3 above a thousand years after it There he spoke with us How injurious to them By such a faithful Record they might read the right way in sayling Heaven-ward by our Falls they might know where lye the Rocks and Quick-sands and by our Deliverances where Out-gates are to be found Not speaking of Gods Mercies unto others Psal 66.16 7. Have not we been too silent concerning the Goodness of God towards us How seldome do we with David say Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul How unlike Saints are we Thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom Psal 145.10 11 12. Isa 63.7 and talk of thy power to make known to the sons of men thy mighty acts I will mention the loving Kindnesses of the Lord and the Praises of the Lord according to all that he hath bestowed on me c. So sings Zion 8. Not stirring up others to joyn with them in praising God Have not we neglected to call on others to joyn with us in the blessing of God When did we make a Collection of Praises from our Friends that would gladly have been in the Quire A thankful heart is fill'd with enlarged desires that others that all would joyn in the work of Praising God A gracious heart doth not think it enough to praise God alone though it would be praising God were there none in Heaven or Earth to bear it company But I shall speak more particularly Their Vnthankfulness and instance in some of those choice personal Mercies to wave national ones for which the best of us are too too unthankful How have we forgot the hole For Conversion and deep pit and miry clay out of which we were digg'd Have not we been unmindful of the blessed Jubilee when the Prisoners were let out of the Prison-house Paul remembreth many Circumstances of his Conversion the Place wherein Acts 22.6 7. in a journey nigh to Damascus the Time when about Noon the Manner how suddenly there did shine from Heaven a great Light round about me and I fell to the ground and heard a voice c. He remembred also what he was before Conversion
Psa 4.4 1 Cor. 11.28 Lam. 3.40 Their omitting the Duty altogether hold intelligence with it Let a man examine himself Let us search and try our wayes But yet notwithstanding these Injunctions 1. How many are there that never set about this Duty They will Pray c. but will not be perswaded to look inward They are as great strangers to their own as to others hearts They are at no pains to try in what state they are They will not try Nor examining their Estates whether they are new-born or not whether sanctified or not whether a saving change hath past upon them or not They will not compare themselves with the Characters which are given by Ministers and Books to see whether they be in the gall of bitterness or not in the bond of iniquity or not They never examine what Justification and justifying and saving Faith be and whether they are justified and shall be saved like Gallio Little caring for these things They examine which way they may be greater in the World how to add to the heap how to load themselves with thick clay how to escape the wrath of man how to prolong their dayes but not how to prepare for Eternity and how to make sure of Heaven You ask one another what news from Navies from Armies from Court from Country but when did you spend one hour to ask your hearts this serious question O my Soul what will become of thee when thou leavest this earthly Tabernacle We travel any where but where we should We are better read in any Book than in the sealed Book of our own hearts We are not at all for a personal treaty with our own Consciences We are too much prying into other mens hearts but our eyes turn not inward We know not how it is with our Souls and what will become of them and we have no mind to know such matters As we commune not with our hearts about our States Nor Actions so we do not commune with them about our Actions neither before nor after the doing of them Before we act we do not advise with our Consciences whether what we be about to do be lawful or unlawful and if lawful whether expedient or inexpedient After we have acted whether our actions be good or evil How many are contented so the matter be good but examine not themselves about the manner principles ends and motives Though the Children of Israel knew by the Word of the Lord and from Abraham their Father that Canaan was a Land flowing with milk and honey yet they sent Spies and searched it and thereby were confirmed If men had never so much confidence of the goodness of their Prayers c. yet for Confirmation-sake they should send down Spies into their hearts to see the Clusters of their Zeal and Affections the utmost of the goodness of them But alas how many wholly neglect this necessary and possible Duty If all were like these God might take up his old complaint No man cryed out Jerem. 8.6 What have I done Or O my heart What hath God done for thee 2. The backwardness of the best hereunto How backward are a more refined sort of Professours to a compliance with this Duty How oft have your Ministers invited you beseeched you to hold intelligence with your own hearts and yet cannot prevail How backward are the best to keep a strict eye upon their little house within to see what is done within those doors We are apter to study others lives yea hearts than our own If the best knew how much work lies within doors they would not be so much abroad as they are 3. If we do examine our hearts Not making use of the Word as the Rule yet not by the Word of the Lord. God would have us to try and prove our selves then there must be some measuring Line some Standard some Rule to try our selves by but herein we are hugely defective We try our selves by some sudden pangs or by the good opinion of others concerning us or by the lives of others we being in an Hospital where every one almost is lame and defective or by some other easie Rule that we our selves frame unto our selves and so miserably cheat our selves O! how loth are we that the light of Gods Word should be let down into the dark Cells of our hearts for want whereof there is much dust unobserved and not swept away How loth to try states or actions by the Scripture though thereby they must be tryed at the last day He is a good Text-man that compares Scripture with Scripture and he is a good Christian that compares the Scripture and his own heart together that credits his own heart only when it hath the consent of the Prophets and Apostles making them Umpires in the decision of all his Soul-controversies Have recourse to the Light that shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 But alas Who obeys this form of wholesome words 4. Being superficial therein How overly and superficial are many in the examining themselves by the Word How few do examine their State or their Actions fully Though our hearts be very great Impostours Jer. 17.9 deceitful above all things great Supplanters full of guile though there be thousands and thousands of Lusts that lye hid in our hearts and Deceits like the Sands on the Sea-shore yet how carelesly do we set upon this work We take no pains in it 5. Being too seldome in it How seldome are we in this work Some deferr it till a Sacrament and then perhaps the house is searched for the leaven whereas we should keep a petty Sessions in our hearts every day and do what we can to know the bottom of the projects devices workings of our heats When going to Prayer we should examine our selves whether we have clean hands and pure hearts whether we are double-minded James 4.8 if so there is no drawing nigh to God And when we come off from the Duty we should conferr with our hearts what enlargements quicknings meltings humblings we had in the Duty what promises what threats were applyed by the Spirit whether we saw the face of our Beloved or not When going to a Sermon we should examine in what posture we are to meet with God what Oyl we want that we may be supplyed When going to our Beds we should examine our hearts how the day hath been spent what sins were committed what Duties and how discharged what temptations were resisted what mercies received and what growth and increase of grace we have obtained When going to Visit this Duty should be taken up before and after Before thus Wherein may I honour the Lord my God in such company what are their wants that I may endeavour to supply them what are their temptations and discouragements that I may labour to support them what are their graces and best attainments that I may profit by them After thus O my
of the chiefest of Englands late Alarming Preachers with some little variation If thou let this day pass thou maist desire to have one of the drops of that blood that hath been offered to thee and yet never have it thou mayst desire to feel one drap of his spirit that hath knockt at thine heart and yet go without it thou maist intreat for one dram of that mercy that hath been offered and thou hast rejected but it shall never be granted to thee God may clap that fearfull sentence upon thee Now henceforth never grow fruit more on thee never repentance come into thine heart more If now thou wilt not repent and be converted the Lord may set it down in his decree that from this day forward thou mayst fumble about thy sins but shall never get victory over them thou mayst ever be mourning for thy corruptions but never mourn aright for them thou mayst blunder about repentance but never do the work You shall not mourn Ezek. 24.23 nor weep but you shall pine away in your iniquities There is many a Soul for contemning of God and not taking up repentance while he may have it upon whom this plague of God is come that they are ever repenting but never able to repent ever poring upon their sins but never able to come out of them they pray and pray against them but their prayers moulder away under them for they shall pine away for their transgressions What is the reason Ezek. 24.13 Why because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged any more May not God say to thee thus Because I have given thee line upon line precept upon precept call upon call not only outward but inward calls ordinance upon ordinance providence upon providence book upon book motion upon motion Because I have used all means fair means and foul means I have plainly shewed thee thy sins by my Word and Rod and by this glass I have awakened thine own Conscience yea and stirred up as by other Sermons and Treatises so by this good thoughts and desires in thee because I would have cleansed thee and thou wast not cleansed thou shalt never be cleansed Is not this a fearfull sentence Alas Thy heart is very hard and thy Conscience very much seared if the reading hereof doth not make thee quake and tremble What shall I say Now is the Axe laid to the root of the Tree Mat. 3.10 Thine opportunity is now If thou pass by this Now thou art gone for ought I can tell thou mayst be chopt off presently O! Neglect not the present Now lest thou be cut off for ever Thou art in danger of being presently cut down if thou dost not presently repent Every Tree which bringeth not forth in the present tense good fruit is even for the present hewn down and cast into the Fire I shall conclude with the words of the Apostle The Earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God Heb. 6.7 8 9. But that which beareth thorns and bryars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned But Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation such a repentance as cannot be separated from Salvation though we thus speak yea therefore we thus write Soli Deo sit Gloria ERRATA Such Sense-spoyling Mistakes as notwithstanding the great care of the Printer and Corrector occurr in the first 19. Sheets of this Glass the Candid Reader is desired to correct thus PAge 2. Line 18. for said read saw p. 37. l. 20. for buy read by p. 39. l. 20. for self seizings read self-seekings ibid. l. 17. after joyn'd adde and must be taken p. 52. l. 20. for they read he p. 56. l. 15. for sure read save p. 84. l. 23. for poised read posed p. 106. l. 10. for begin read began p. 123. l. 21. for salocy read sawcy p. 124. l. 25. after want adde are such p. 134. l. 32. for meetings read meltings p. 158. l. 1. dele an p. 161. l. 28. for of read as are p. 168. Marg. for illi read illis p. 182. l. 26. for to read too p. 194. l. 13. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. l. 16. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 202. l. 5. for sanesti read sanasti p. 225. Marg. for affectionibus read afflictionibus p. 250. l. 11. for for read or p. 269. l. 23. after to adde do p. 299. l. 20 21. dele rather
is the man that heareth me and who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Behold I stand as the doer and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come to him and will sup with him and he with me Jo. 6.35 I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me Ephes 2.19 Jo. 1.12 shall never thirst He tells you Of Strangers and enemies you shall become Children and yet this seems a light matter to be so near related to the King of Kings Is not this Englaeds great Provocation to refuse so great an honour and dignity Rom. 8.1 He assures you There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ And shall he not condemn Wretches that slight the Pardons that are offered to them Hebr. 10.29 These must expect a double wrath Of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy c. 2. From believing Satan before God Others in imitation of the old Adam believe the Devil before God credit his Suggestions beyond all Gods Discoveries O! O! What a black grain'd Sin is this Saith the Devil You have sinned against Light and therefore Christ will not favour you Saith God Let the wicked forsake his way Isa 55.7 and his thoughts and I will abundantly pardon Saith the Devil You have sinned more than others you have provoked God exceedingly and therefore never hope for saving benefit by Christs death Saith God Cease to do evil Isa 1.16 17 18. learn to do well come now and let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Saith the Devil You have sinned not only against the Law but against the Gospel you have neglected Christ Saith God Luke 12.10 Every sin against the Son of man shall be forgiven Saith the Devil You have no right to Christ it is in vain to come Jo. 3.16 Saith God Whosoever believeth shall not perish Saith the Devil Your day of grace is past Saith God To day whilst it is called to day Hebr. 3.7 13. hear his voice Saith the Devil God never intended you good you are a Vessel of Dishonour Saith God As I live Ezek. 33.11 I desire not the death of a sinner but that he turn and live Now I pray consider whether God takes it kindly at your hands John 8.44 Titus 1.2 that you should lay more weight on the Father of Lyes than on the faithful God who hath promised and cannot lye who must cease to be God in that very moment wherein he ceaseth to be true You perhaps deceive your selves with the Pharisees Comforts Luke 18 11. You are not as these Harlots as these Publicans no Drunkards c. but little think that you put the Lye upon God You believe the Enemy more than the Friend O! what a Provocation is this 3. Through Pride Rom. 10.3 Others through the pride of their hearts will not come as yet unto Christ They have no mind to submit to the Righteousness of faith He is judged a proud man without a Jury sitting on him who when Condemned will not submit will not stoop so low as to accept of a Pardon I must indeed correct my self men are willing to be justified but they would have their duties to purchase their peace and the favour of God they scorn to be beholding to Christ Thousands will dye and be damned rather than they will have a pardon upon the sole account of Christs Merits and Obedience O the cursed Pride of the heart When will men cease to be wiser than God To limit God When will men be contented with Gods way and method of saving them by the bloud of the Everlasting Covenant How dare men thus to prescribe to the infinitely wise God Is it not enough for thee that thy destruction is of thy self But must thy Salvation be of thy self too Is it not enough that thou hast wounded thy self But wilt dye for ever rather than be beholding to a plaister of free grace Wilt be damned unless thou mayst be thine own Saviour Jo. 3.16 God is willing So God loved the World that he gave his Son Art thou so proud as that thou wilt not be beholding to God Thou wilt deserve or have nothing What shall I say Rev. 3.17 Poor thou art and yet proud thou hast nothing but wretchedness and misery and yet thou art talking of a Purchase This is a provocation God resisteth the proud especially the spiritually proud He that is proud of his Clothes and Parentage is not so contemptible in Gods eyes as he that is proud of his Abilities and so scorns to submit to Gods methods for his salvation by Christ and his righteousness alone 4. Others Through hopes to prepare themselves and make themselves fit for Christ through their ignorance and weakness stay off from Christ in hopes of working that which cannot be wrought without a Christ Were their hearts so humbled and melted as such and such are could they see all their sins subdued were their hearts more fitted and prepared for to lodge so great a Friend they would then close with the Promises with Christ whereas they should come to Christ as soon as they apprehend they are poor blind and naked Rev. 3.17 18. for them lie calls and invites But alas a sight of their wants is a barr to their coming They would have the Fruit first and then the Tree have their hearts purified and then come to Christ Who is appointed by God to be Sanctification to them God comes by his Spirit to convince them of their sinful nature and weakness on purpose that they seeing their necessity of Christ might flye to him as their City of refuge and they are driven farther off by the sight of their sins and unworthiness Whereas they should come to Christ as to a Magazine and Store-house and wait on him in the use of means for the broken heart the pure heart and all other spiritual mercies which their Souls are yet destitute of but they will not O faithless Generation How long shall I be with you Mar. 9.19 how long shall I suffer you Christ is put to the utmost of his patience to bear with Unbelief 5. Through seeming modesty Others through some kind of seeming modesty and tenderness delay in their coming to Christ They are afraid of abusing the holiness and justice of God if they should hope for any privilege in the blood of Christ and mercies of God What mercy for me me a proud wretch an unclean wretch an enemy to God a slighter of his Spirit I deserve nothing but Hell what Heaven for me I have affronted the Majesty of the great God and what This God bestow a Christ on me Who can believe that the Just God who turned down the glorious Angells to Hell for one transgression will save me
but questionable yea which have been found in unsound Hypocritical hearts and so deceive themselves Their groundless Pleas that they have closed with Christ as if they had a Christ and real Grace within them How do they live upon these Signes comfortably all their dayes without a Christ Excuse me if I bring in their Pleas and answer them briefly 1. I am changed from what I was nay changed inwardly So was Saul And it was so 1 Sam. 10.9 that when he had turned his back to goe from Samuel God gave him another heart Thou mayest have another heart and yet not a new heart 2. I have extraordinary Gifts I was dull unable to speak of God tongue-tyed among the Saints but I can now hold a discourse with them and manage some of the highest services as well as they Might not Saul say so much for himself had not he the Spirit of Prophesie to admiration When a company of Prophets met him 1 Sam. 10.10 11. the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied among them Then the people said one to another What is this that is come to the Son of Kish Is Saul also among the Prophets The Spirit of God was upon him also at another time 1 Sam. 19.23 24. and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah and he stript off his clothes also and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and lay downnaked all that day and all that night He was so great a Proficient that as one observes As soon as he was admitted into the Society he commenced Doctour and prophesied with the best of them They stood and prophesied he went on he could run and prophesie yea he was so full of the Spirit of Prophesie that he neither eat nor drank nor slept nor rose but lay down naked all the day and all the night he was as in a traunce all that while and wanted neither meat nor drink nor clothes nor sleep 3. I was full of revenge but now I am come to such a pitch of Religion that I can pass by Offences yea pass them by when I have an opportunity of punishing them that affront me Had not Saul so much Religion The Children of Belial said 1 Sam. 10.27 How shall this man save us and they despised him and brought him no Prosents but he held his peace He bears much that can bear being derided 4. Though I am meek in mine own Cause yet when the Name of God and the Church of God suffer I can be very much inflamed So was hypocritical Saul 1 Sam. 11.2 6. When Nahash the Ammonite told the men of Jabesh On this condition will I make a Covenant with you that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tydings and his anger was kindled greatly 5. I am merciful to men to mine Enemies because God hath shewed me mercy So was Saul And Saul said 1 Sam. 11.13 There shall not a man be put to death this day for this day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel Though he was incited to revenge yet he would not 6. When I have any Mercy from God I see God in the Mercy and is not this a good Sign Truly no better than Saul had 1 Sam. 11.13 To day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel 7. I engage God with me before I set upon any considerable Undertakings Did not Saul so much Then said I the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal and I have not made Supplication to the Lord 1 Sam. 13.12 I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt Offering And Saul said unto Ahiah Bring hither the Ark of God c. And Saul asked counsel of God Shall I goe down after the Philistines 8. When I Pray I look what becomes of my Prayer and I suspend many of my Motions till I have an Answer Saul the Hypocrite went so farr he look'd after his Prayer and would not goe down after the Philistines 1 Sam. 14.37 because God answered him not that day 9. If I have no Answer to Prayer I examine the Reason and I am sure this is more than most Professours do But not more than Saul did When God answered him not that day 1 Sam. 14.37 38. Saul said Draw ye nigh hither all the chief of the people and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day 10. I am troubled for other mens sins and cannot but reprove sinners Is not this a Sign of Sincerity I answer No unless Saul were sincere When he was told the People eat the blood he was troubled and reproved them too 1 Sam. 14.33 He said Ye have transgressed 11. My Zeal against Sin is such that I punish it where-ever I find it I am impartial in my rebukes of sin my Children as well as my Servants are corrected if they trespass against the Lord. Hence I conclude mine estate is good And so might Saul 1 Sam. 14.29 As the Lord liveth who saveth Israel though it the sin be in Jonathan my Son he shall surely dye 12. I conclude God loves me from a constant series of smiling Providences that followeth all that I take in hand I find that the Lord blesseth me in my goings out and comings in whatsoever I do doth prosper And had not Saul strange Successes and Victories When Israel was so low that they had no weapons for Warr nor Smiths to make any Saul took the Kingdome over Israel 1 Sam. 14.47 and fought against all his Enemies on every side c. and whither soever he turned himself he vexed them 13. I find a readiness to confess others better than my self so did Saul with tears in his Eyes And Saul said 1 Sam. 24.16 17. is this thy voice my Son David And Saul lift up his voice and wept and he said to David thou art more righteous than I. 14. I continue my duties when I fear God hath rejected me even in desertion I keep on worshiping So did Saul when Samuel told him God hath rejected thee 1 Sam. 15.25 30 31. he desired Samuel to turn again with him that he might worship the Lord and he prevailed with Samuel to turn again and Saul worshiped the Lord. 15. I see a beauty in the Church and People of God So did Balaam How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel As the Valleys are they spread forth Numb 24.5 6. as Gardens by the Rivers sides as the Trees c. which the Lord hath planted and as Cedar trees besides the waters 16. I cannot for the greatest advantage be brought to sin against God Neither could Balaan Numb 24.13 If Balak would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot go beyond the Commandement of the Lord c. 17. I live up to the dictates of
1 Tim. 1.13 I was a Persecutour a Blasphemer and injurious What saith God Remember this day What day The day wherein you were delivered from the house of bondage under Sin the World and Satan O! how have we forgotten that the Lord by a strong and irresistable work of his blessed Spirit translated us out of the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of his dear Son It was he that made Jordan to give back and delivered us from Egypt and the Wilderness that we might inherit the good Land O! what Enemies were we studying to be damned galloping to Hell till God met us How seldome do we look back to the Spring from whence all our Mercy flowes For Election How unthankful have we been for that Original-fountain-Mercy eternal Election Why should God single us out a People for himself Why did Grace blossom from Eternity Why did God plot and study my happiness before I had a beeing What was there that Jacob is smiled upon and Esau not so God might have had his Revenues of Glory out of my ruine O that he should glorifie the riches of his mercy in my Salvation And yet how little is God magnified for this How little do we bless God for Christ For Christ Though he be the Stream that alone refresheth the City of God yet how seldome is his Love his stoops and condescentions for us his bleeding and dying for us remembred by us with hearty Praises and Thanksgivings For the Covenant of Grace and the Spirit How little do we bless God for the Covenant of Grace which Mr. Allen excellently calls The Bow in the Cloud after a Deluge of Sin and Misery the forfeited Lease of Eternity renewed the Magna Charta of the City of God the Hopes of Sinners and the Riches of Saints And in particular for the Promise of the Spirit in all his Offices and Operations for the application of the purchased Possession Ezek. 36.27 For outward Salvations I will put my Spirit within you How little do we remember to bless the Lord for outward Salvations You begin perhaps with a little as Jacob and now behold you have two bands a troop of Children Friends c. and an Estate to maintain them When others have had one Mess you have had Benjamin's Portion the silver cup put into the sacks mouth Riches and God too Estate and Christ too Peace and the God of Peace too the World and a good Title to it and yet do not you seldome cry out Bless the Lord O my Soul and let all that is within thee praise his holy Name How seldome do you consider who hath maintained you all this while Who hath delivered you and pull'd you as brands out of the sire You have had the Sentence of Death in your selves you have been with David and Paul in the mouth of the Lyon and yet saved near to perish by the Bullet Sword Pestilence Feaver and other dangers and yet your Lives given you for a prey But how soon have you forgotten the wonders shewen unto the dead O the many preventing Mercies that you have been made partakers of Hath not God secured you in many travails How many have died much younger than you whilst the Lord lengtheneth out your dayes in order to Repentance How many have died in an instant and been snatch'd away without any warning given of Death's approach whilst you have had many an Harbinger to give you to understand its nearness to you How many have been crush'd by falls from houses and câ—â—oured by beasts and by other accidents have been hastened to their long home whilst God is long-suffering to you How many have you seen drawn on Sleds led to shameful and violent Deaths whilst you have been kept from such dismal ends And are there no thanks due to the Name of God And yet how seldome do you admire at distinguishing Providence and preventing loving kindnesses You have a guard of Angels to attend you day and night to secure you from danger but how little do you bless the Lord for the Heavenly Host And yet if you do thank God for some signal outward Mercies perhaps for ease from the Stone Gout Cholick perhaps for security from the rage of the devouring Pestilence if you thank not God more for deliverance from Hell from the guilt and power of Sin than for outward Salvations you discredit God and his choicest Mercies by under-rating Spirituals to Temporals We should have blessed God for his Rod For sufferings for Christ as well as for his Staffe for both are Mercies but how unthankful are we even for sufferings for righteousness sake God expects that in every thing we give thanks as we should not be partial in our Obedience so neither in our Thanksgiving How little have we imitated the ancient Christians whose mouths were alwayes full of Thanks be unto God They saluted one another with Deo gratias and when they heard tydings of Persecution or Protection of Crosses or Comforts still they cried out God be thanked How unlike are we to famous Bradford If said he the Queen will release me I will thank her if she will keep me in Prison I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her Thou shouldst say from thy very heart Though sick though scorned though threatned though all the day long counted as a sheep for the slaughter yet blessed be God that I am counted worthy to suffer for his Name Blessed be God that he counts me for a Son and chasteneth me for my profit that I may be made partaker of his holiness Blessed be God that I am chastened that I may not be condemned But how few give thanks alwayes in all things unto God Eph. 5.20 Isa 24.15 1 Pet. 4.16.13 We have been too backward to glorifie God in Zion much more in the Fires The Apostle Peter would not have any man suffering as a Christian to be ashamed but to glorifie God on this behalf and to rejoyce in as much as he is partaker of Christs sufferings But God knows how farr from Praises we have been when the Storms have been high and threatned our Tabernacles How hath God charged us to remember Mercy Confiderations against Vnthankfulness and to praise him for it Ye that fear the Lord praise him Praise him O ye Servants of the Lord Praise thy God O Zion Psal 22.23.135.1.147.12.148.1.150.1 2. Praise him in the heights Praise God in his Sanctuary Praise him for his mighty acts Praise him according to his excellent greatness Doth not the innumerableness of Gods requiries of Praise and Thanksgiving aggravate our neglect of this Duty What Provision hath Christ made against this Sin Hath not he appointed the Sacrament of his Supper on purpose to help us to Remember him and his saving benefits Do this in Remembrance of me But have not many Professours been so resolved to be unthankful that they have neglected this great Ordinance
which was appointed to strengthen their Remembrance of past Mercies Hath not God told us that he hath formed us for his praise And what yet backward thereunto We can never love God to an height whilst we forget his loving Kindnesses I wonder not that many complain of their decayes of Love to God whilst they forget his wonders of Grace and Love to their Souls Even Publicans will love those of whom they are beloved And did we oftner recount the Mercies of God they would work endearments betwixt God and our Souls Did we consider what a wonder it is that God should draw us out of nothing that he who stoops to behold the things of Heaven should put his singer to our workmanship that he should curiously work us as Needle-work in the dark Vaults of Nature and that when we were fuller of sin than the Toad of poyson that yet he should feed a Toad and cloath a Cockatrice the Fire of Love to God would burn within our breasts How is God provoked by this sin God took it ill at the hands of the Israelites that they remembred not his hand Psal 78.42 nor the day in which he delivered them How much more do we grieve the Lord who remember not the goodness and salvations of the Lord in Canaan yea in Zion Our Saviour was grieved that his Disciples remembred not the five Loaves Mat. 16.8 9 10. and the seven Loaves and how many Baskets they took up Innumerable greater favours hath God shewed to us and yet we forget them How have we forgot the God that bridled Natures proud waves and said Hitherto ye shall goe and no farther When we were ripe for Judgement then Mercy stept in and yet how slow to give thanks Hardly one of tea blesseth God for cleansing Mercy as they ought Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine This makes me fear People have not had a deep sense of the misery and stains of Nature for that their Saviour is no more thanked Did not the Lord force thee by an over-powering work of Grace upon thy Soul at first Conversion to be willing to be made happy Did not he compel thee to come into the Feast Was it not God that brought thee to such a Parish to such a Minister and to such a Text And did not he by his Almighty power enable thee to believe and apply Was it not he that broke thine heart when as hard as a nethermost Mill-stone and made it soft malleable and pliant to his will and pleasure And what forget the wonders of the Lord in the deep This vexeth the Lord to the heart Did not he cause the Walls of Jerâ—co to fall as by the voice of Rams-hornes by weak inconsiderable means Did not he alienate thine heart from Lusts that were dearer to thee than thine eyes Did not he present the face of Christ as lovely to thy Soul who before was despised aend rejected And hath not Christ fed thee with fresh supplyes of free Grace that have watered thy Soul every moment so that you have been kept through his mighty power How many doubts hath Christ answered and how many scruples hath he by his Holy Spirit satisfied thee in And yet O wretched heart how unthankfull hast thou been Thou hast forgot all his benefits A man would think it were impossible that every unpleasing Providence should make us so forgetful of all the mighty Works that have been done within doors upon our Souls How just is it with God to plague us for this our unkindness unto him Isa 17.10 11. Because thou hast forgotten c. therefore the harvest shall be an heâ—â— In the beginning all succeeded well saith Vatablus upon the place according to our desire In the day the Plant grew and in the morning the Seed flourished but because of unthankfulness extreme misery followed Wonder not that the Showres are with-held that the Lord causeth the Sun to set on the Prophets at Noon day that the Manna falls not before your doors that the hidden Mannah Ingrato quod donatur deperditur Sen. and white Stone are denied you you have been unthankfull you have not taken care for the fragments that nothing be lost Gods Mercies have been lost upon you Or Waters were become Wines our Gleanings were better than the Worlds Vintage God dealt with us as Sons But now if he draws in his hand and make his Garden as a desolate Wilderness for this sin who can say unto God What dost thou Must not all of us put our mouths in the dust Did not we sit under our own Vines Had we not our solemn Assemblies Did not we goe in troops to the house of the Lord Was not Holiness in credit Did not the mix'd multitude joyn with us and desired to be numbred amongst us because God was with us Did not fear come upon all the People And had not the Churches rest Did we fear the shaking of the Spear Might we not have been as holy as we pleased Had not we as much liberty as we desired But O then how unthankfull were we How troubled were we that every Mordecai did not bow that every one would not be of our mind and dance after our Pipe God knows what a Controversie there is with the Land for the Unthankfulness of them that dwelt therein O how glad would ye be of one of the dayes of the Son of man of your old Privileges and Spiritual Liberties Because ye have not served God with joy and praise in dayes of plenty therefore it is but a righteous thing that you serve in scarcity and famine of Bread of the Word of the Lord. CHAP. XIII Their neglect of Prayer especially of secret Prayer 6ly NEglect of Prayer is another part of Ungodliness Professors neglect of Prayer too common even among Professours Request and Thanksgiving are saith one like the double motion of the Lungs by which they suck in and breath out the air again In the Petitionary part of Prayer we desire either the bestowing of some good thing or the preventing or removing of some evil from our selves or the inflicting of some evil on Gods implacable Enemies And in the Gratulatory part of Prayer we return the praise of glory of what we have received from God unto God Though the Thanksgiving part of Prayer be most yet the Petitionary part of Prayer is too much neglected It is Ungodliness to goe about any Business or Journey to fix our Abode to use any Creature Food or Physick without asking Gods leave and blessing in Prayer Yea it is a branch of Atheism this Brat of irreligion is laid at the door of Atheism by the Psalmist Is it not a Lamentation Psa 14.1 3 4. and should it not be for a Lamentation that so many Professours should be guilty of such Ungodlineâ—â— Are there not many that never prayed in all their lives Never Praying Professours are looked upon by the world as Praying people
with God by deferring and deferring And hereby many mischiefs attend The World that Pest of Souls and Graces is admitted before we have got our Antidotes against the Infection of it Hence deadness of heart ensues multitudes of worldly distractions so that after a few hours the Soul hath no mind at all to speak with God but though it must to the Closet yet there is it pestered with wandring thoughts discontented thoughts worldly thoughts so that the time which should be spent in pure Communion with God is taken up in driving these Fowls from the Sacrifice Besides God is an holy God and jealous for his Name and he esteemeth it a reflection on him to be so neglected that he must be served last of all and therefore withholds his influences from the Soul to condemn such salocy abuses of his great Name and then no wonder if thou be soon overcome with a world of vain impertinent cogitations By neglect of early going into your Closets you credit the World too much as if it were more worthy of your time and strength than the Lord is Whereas you should profess that all your hours are Gods and therefore you dare not Prov. 3.9 but honour him with the first Fruits of all your increase you will thereby sanctifie all the Harvest all the Vintage by presenting God with the green Eares By neglect of your Mornings you hint to other Observers as if you were not First to seek God and his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof You neglect the sittest season for then the mercies of the night are freshest smell sweetest which after a while like Flowers will lose their scent with us Whilst the Iron is hot it is our wisdome to strike His Mercies are renewed every Morning so should our Praises By entring on business without calling on God you declare you need not the Lords assistances and that you depend not on him for every thing but can make a snift to live without him Whereas God feeds us from hand to mouth and hath not left any stores with us that we may make our addressments to him night and day who must water us every moment Poor Souls did you but see your dangers by reason of the three great Brigades of Enemies the World the Flesh the Devil you would not be so fool-hardy to venture abroad untill you have beseeched God to help poor needy indigent Creatures Remember You want as soon as you wake and those things you want as none but a God can supply you You need Divine Power to follow your Callings By neglecting this season the Devil and the World have often made you forget or omit the Duty for the day You have no leisure in the Morning and what then the Devil fills thy hand with unexpected business that the excuse grows stronger and more plausible But must we serve the Slave and neglect the Lord of glory By omitting this hour you are the unfitter for Family-worship were the Instrument tuned before it would be the fitter to play in consort But oh what hazards dost thou run not only by preferring other things and business before God but by neglecting the first hour of the day when thou art not sure of a second Thou purposest such an hour to pray but what is thy Life save a Vapour which may expire before that hour CHAP. XIV The miscarriages of Praying Professours about Prayer 7l Praying Professors miscarriages THere is not only Ungodliness in not Praying Prayerless Souls worshipping God no more than Beasts an Oxe or an Asse c. but in Praying amiss And O! how many wayes do Professours fail in and about this Duty both before and in and after First before the Dury How do Professours fail before their entrance upon this Duty of Prayer 1. Neglecting Meditation Psa 5.1 of God By neglect of Meditation Few can say Consider my Meditation Have not we rush'd upon this Duty before we have meditated of the God we were approaching to What an holy God he is and how unworthy we are to take his Name into our mouths What a consuming fire he is and what dry stubble we are Have not we rush'd into Gods Presence his Holiness Omnisciency Heb. 4.13 as the Horse rusheth into the battel Have we considered that his eyes are piercing as flames of fire That all things are naked and open as it were dissected before him with whom we have to do We have not set God before our eyes neither have we believed that he is as certainly an Observer of us as we are with our selves Our thoughts would not be so low so earthly so distracted did we believingly consider into whose Presence we are coming Have we considered Gods Almightiness Omnipotency That He can do more for us than we can ask or think He that cometh to God in Prayer should believe that God is 1 Sam. 15.29 that He is the Strength of Israel that what we are to beg of God Pardon of Sin Victories over our Lusts c. are Mercies beyond the Creatures power to reach forth to us but the Lords arm is not shortened that he cannot help Have we meditated on Gods bounty Gods goodness and grace pity and tender compassions As one more ready to give than we to ask as one who giveth liberally and upbraids not with our oft comming We want vast thoughts of the great goodness and mercy of God we have base beggerly thoughts of God as if we should trespass too much upon him and weary him by coming to oft to his door Have we mused upon the Faithfulness of God his Faithfulness Who is under engagements to relieve us to ease us to be found of us when we seek him with our whole hearts 1 John 5.14 And this is the considence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Have we meditated of the Way of the Way unto God Odi Deum absolutum Luth. by whom we must come to God How daring are Souls to venture on an absolute God How is the new and consecrated Way neglected How is Christ laid by as if there were no need of a Mediatour of an Advocate with the Father How seldome do we pass through Gâ—lgotha to the heavenly Jerusalem and see that none can come to the Father but by the Son We see not our need of Incense and Odours to be mingled with our Sacrifices Revel 8.3 4. little do we consider that the Opportunity of speaking with God is the price of blood of the precious blood of the Son of God Have we meditated of our Sins of their Sins of those to which we are by nature and custome mostly addicted and of those with which we have since the last Duty polluted our Souls From the want of Meditation hereof ariseth formality in Duties the heart is not humbled in Confession neither is the Soul importunate with the Lord for pardon
of your hearts I abhorr my self saith Job This implies a dislike an hatred an indignation against an utter alienation from and an opposition against sin God knows how little of this is mixed with the Confessions of most Professours 3. Petition as to the Matter In their Petitions Both Matter and Manner and End Have not we been faulty in the Matter Have they been alwayes for the best things Life Liberty Estate c. are desired but Grace Victory over Pride Passions Worldliness c. lye unsought for We fail also when we pray simply that we may not suffer for there is no foundation in the Promise for such a Prayer and we may not pray save for what God hath promised Have not we fail'd in the Manner Manner Have we alwayes pray'd with Earnestness Humility Faith Sincerity c. Hath the whole man been employed Few can say as David Psa 109.4 But I Prayer He was all Prayer or all of David or in David was herein employed Few can say With my whole heart have I intreated thy favour 119.58 Alas few pray effectually The heart and soul is not at work in the Duty James 5.16 It is the effectual fervent Prayer that avails We pray as if we had a mind God should deny us Qui frigide rogat docet negare Colos 4.2 We are too much like Children scribling over a piece of Paper which when they have done lay it aside or break it or think no more of it We have not continued in Prayer we have not back'd our Prayers with Prayers reinforced them we have soon fainted we have not been the right seed of Jacob I will not let thee goe untill thou bless me we soon faint and our desires expire Have not we fail'd in the End End James 4.3 May I not say as the Apostle James Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that you may consume it upon your Lusts Hath not our level been too low We should have made Gods Glory our End and we have made Self to quiet Conscience to obtain pardon of sin rather than purity of heart and life Hos 7.14 They assemble for Corn and Wine You have been perhaps earnest for the pardon of your own and Englands sins and yet selfish in all You fear and well you may temporal Plagues you are afraid that Sodoms sins may bring down fire and brimstone and therefore for your own sakes rather than Gods you pray and with some vehemency but your End is still too low Never do you pray aright till you pray more for Christs sake than for your own for his glory rather than for your own present future temporal or eternal advantages It is one thing to seek our selves and another thing to seek God in a duty They that pretended so highly begin to expostulate with God Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not and takest no knowledge Mens Lusts Pray rather than their Graces Pride and self-love endite the Petitions You have been suckling your lusts whilst seemingly devout You make Provision for the flesh whilst about spiritual work and whilst your inward man seems to be exercised 4. Thanksgiving In our Thanksgivings who is free from guilt in the gratulatory part of Prayer Some bless God for Justification Sanctification Adoption c. and are strangers to these Privileges yea if catechised know not what these mercies are no more than Parrots know what they prattle Others if like the Leapers they are cleansed yet return not to bless the Lord They are large in Petitions but very sparing in their Praises Unthankful Beggars are an abomination to God and man We should be thankful for the least mercy but though we have had the honour to be admitted into the Presence Chambers as Favourites an honour not vouchsafed to the most of mankind yet we are sullen and slow to return Praises for so great a vouchsafement You have not come to dry breasts you are every day full of mercy 2 Chron. 32. but alas You render not according to what you have received therefore wrath is against you Hast thou had no meetings in Prayer no enlargements no desires to fear the Lord no importunities no wrestlings why yet it is mercy that thou livest upon the patience and bounty of God 'T is much that thou shouldst have a beeing and be preserved to this day 'T is a wonder he should feed thee cloth thee protect thee strive with thee suffer thee who art but dust and ashes to speak with him The last night thou might'st have lain on a bed of fire or by the hedge or have been in the great deeps but alas few so ready to praise as to pray We are too much like the Vagabonds when we have what we come for away we goe and come no more till pinching necessity drives us Yea we too oft aggravate our miseries and over-look the benefits we enjoy that are mix'd with our crosses 3ly How have we After the Duty when our Prayers have been ended fail'd of our duties toward God by running post hast from the Throne of Grace to the World if not to our Lusts Not considering how our hearts were in time of duty whether straitned or enlarged Nor examining how the Duty hath been done whether composed or distracted whether we had the face of God toward us or his face vailed whether we were lively or lifeless dead-hearted or quickned serious or slight what Faith was stirring what Repentance exercised The Church and People of God observed their hardness in duty Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy fear We should look back upon our Prayers that we may be humbled for all our vain thoughts untowardness distractions and unbelief in the duty and we should do it then whilst we are in the highest capacity to know the miscarriages of the Soul what the aggravating circumstances thereof are c. And not only in order to Humiliation but Reformation that for the future we may not dare to touch the Mount of Gods Presence with such beastly frames In case we were in a good frame in the Duty quickly losing what was got in the Duty Did we labour to retain the influences of the Ordinance upon our hearts Did not we let the fire goe out again Have not we like some in a great sweat gone into the open air too soon and took a cold That 's dangerous David was more careful to maintain his fresh and lively frames and therefore he intreateth the Lord to keep the same in his Servants heart for ever How have we been faulty not looking for an answer Psa 5.3.85.8 in not believing that our Prayers shall be answered We direct our Prayer unto God but we do not look up till God look down as David We do not hearken what God the Lord will speak Paul observed how long the Lord was silent to his Prayer 2 Cor.
Abscondit quod est quod non est mentitur Bern. but are another thing they appear to be the greatest Worshippers of God but are the greatest dishonourers of God They profess that they know worship God but in works they deny him being abominable and dis-obedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1.16 The Hypocrites piety is not piety his religion is not religion but doubled and trebled iniquity Quis non itascatur videns homines ore Deum confitentes negantes moribus Seculum verbis et non factis renunciantes Aug. Evidenced in their Professing Should not this make us to tremble at the greatness of the hypocrisie of this age O! How many Apothecaries-boxes are there that have golden titles and nothing in them How many curious pictures drawn to life but look behind them and there is nothing but dust and cobweb How many have glorious signs but within ill customs an Angel for a sign a Lamb for a sign but within are Devils and Cheats How many have taken up Religion under pretence of its being an help to Heaven when they have made it a means to get earth to get custom credit c. Hence when they cannot compass but rather obstruct their worldly designs Farewell to Religion if it contribute not to their private ends they give it up again O! How few have embraced Christ and Truth for Christ's sake for Truth 's sake Have not most embraced Christ and his Gospel as they have Servants for what they can do for them and adhered to Profession as the Ivy to the Tree not because it loves it but sucks from it and is succoured by it Have they not alwayes worshipped the rising and not the declining Sun How few own the declining sinking cause of Christ How hard is it to perswade men to stand for truths that stand not with their advancements and accommodations Hence many now stand idle as the people in the Market place who would not go into the Viâ—â—yâ—â—d 〈◊〉 they were hired How few will own any way 〈◊〉 be Christs till they see how it stands with their secular advantages How many Newters now who once were forward Professours If we entertain him saith they the Romans will come and take away our place and Nation We find the truth of a learned mans Assertion He that will serve God for the world will serve the Devil for the world He that serves God for a little will serve the Devil for more where he can mend his wages he will give his service How many Professours have with Absolon gone to Hebron to worship but all the while have promoted their own ambitious designs raising even sedition in order to their earthly advantages In how many hath the tongue prayed Speaking to God when not the heart These have been much in fasting and prayer and have thought themselves much wronged that they were not heard Isa 58.4 but God gives them a reason Ye shall not fast as ye do to make your voice to be heard on high The Hypocrite may lift up his voice strongly and yet never be heard his voice for want of the heart therein may never come up to Gods dwelling place his Prayers many times fall back upon his own face like spittle against the wind How many have used Prayer as an hook to draw in outwards from God and Man but not as a sword to destroy their lusts How many have cryed vehemently unto God for assistances in their duties chiefly if not solely to get themselves a Name in the Earth How many tell God with a brazen face that they love him yea that they love him with all their hearts whereas they love not God but God's somewhat of God they flatter God with their lips they delight not in his presence yea all the while they are serving their turn on God Fain they would partake of Gods bounty of Gods protection and Gods pardons but they love neither God nor his Image when God puts them to express their love by self-denyal then you shall see the graves to be full of rottenness they hate to spend and to be spent for God How many tell God that they are troubled for offending him when they are only troubled that he is displeasing them and about to correct them for their abuses of him They will cry out in Prayer O my carelesseness c. But alas It is not Sin but the Judgements of God and the consequents of Sin that disturb them How many will tell God twenty times over they are ashamed of their Sins and within one hour after they are not ashamed to commit them again no more ashamed are they than the Sow is to lye tumbling in the Mire How will many tell God they fear him and his Judgements when indeed and intruth they fear neither witness their frothy loose spirits and conversations How will they tell God that all the world is but as a drop of a bucket in comparison of his Majesty and that all flesh is contemptible when weighed with him and yet they fear the wrath of Man more than the wrath of the Almighty God How many will tell God that they are contented with all his will and yet their hearts are full of inward risings against the Providence of God How many tell God they believe in him trust to his Mercy depend on Christ and O! forsooth all their cares are cast on Christ when God knows their care and work like Bees is to get honey to their hives They mind earthly things and are scraping the dust of the Valleys to themselves as if they thought it their wisdome rather to lean to their own providing than to be beholding to the Lord and dye beggars How earnest are some in their cries to God for victory over Sin but secretly hate it not And doth it not appear in this for that having directed their Prayers to the Lord they do not look up to see whether the corruption be more mortified and their love to it abated yea or no How have the speeches of many in their converse one with another bewrayed their hypocrisie To men concerning things How do many covet mightily to insist on the refinements of hypocrites and thereby they escape as they hope at least from being judged such themselves How have some studied to disgrace Sin to the utmost and yet secretly cherished that which they laboured to make odious to others In company they cry down self-love hypocrisie formality earthlyness and pride but privately they keep up these and make them their companions How Zealous have some been in discourse for the Protestant Faith How have they cryed out against errours and for a reformation but can tell no more of a work of God upon the heart than an Heathen How have some contended for opinions and have put a jus divinum upon such and such a way and counted others as little better than Pagans that would not submit to their way and yet by
farr lest they should see what they are unwilling to see and so be put upon judgeing and condemning themselves for that which they love beyond an Eye or an Hand 5. The sad consequences of the neglect of this duty O the sad consequences of the neglect of this duty By this neglect your hearts will become careless for that they are not call'd to an account as Servants and Factors are wont when their Masters neglect to examine them Hereby Sins will grow bolder with you and the more easily beset you for that you examine not wherein their strength lies and which way they oftnest prevail over you Hereby the work of Repentance will be obstructed for that innumerable Sins which you are daily guilty of will pass away unobserved with those circumstances attending them which make them of the greater magnitude Hereby your uncertainties about your spiritual estate will remain it may be converted it may be not it may be a Son of God it may be not but a Child of Hell it may be a Believer it may be an Enemy to God and â—â—e of Gods curse Hence will follow great dejectedness under every Providence of God no condition will please you whilst doubting and staggering you will be apt to fear whether your food be in mercy your dayes in mercy your liberty yea the Gospel in mercy to you you will sink under adversity for you cannot say the Lord is my portion you know not whether God will be your strong Tower Fortress c. you cannot manage any duty well whilst this lies neglected Mica 6.8 How can you walk before God with an humble heart when you know not what your hearts are How can you serve him with an upright heart whilst a stranger to this duty The very Heathens knew how necessary this was to all their duties and therefore discreetly caused to be writ over the Temple at Delphos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy self Miserable are the disappointments that will attend English Professours unless they fall into a compliance with this duty you will dye deluded like the foolish Virgins you will not know your undone condition till it be too late you lie deceived in matters of the greatest and highest concernment you are cheated hitherto in things of eternity you are vexed when deceived by a Friend when supplanted by a Neighbour O! how will it pierce your Souls to be cheated by your selves When we would exclaim against a Knave we say he will cozen his Father the nearer the Relation the more sordid the Cheat O! but here is one that lies in thy bosome and thou and it go to cheat each other continually Let no man deceive himself 1 Cor. 3.18 it seems we are apt to do so But O! how great will your confusion be when this deceit shall be manifested when you shall see your selves frustrated of all your hopes and the glory your hearts promised you How will you be confounded when you shall say we looked for Heaven but behold Hell we looked for Salvation but behold Destruction we looked to be made perfectly Happy but O how our hearts have cheated us we must be damned we thought we had as good hearts as any as true Faith as sound Repentance as cordial love to God as any of our Neighbours as any Precisians of the Countrey we fools counted their life madness c. O! what daggers and swords will these frustrations be to you 6. We and our hearts shall not alwayes be strangers If you be loth to see how it is with you now how will you be able to behold what shall be seen at the day of Judgement Though you now will not know your hearts though you are so stately as not to speak with them or loth to examine the dirty Corners yet God is coming with his Fan the books must be opened and every page of thy heart will be unfolded for God will bring to light every hidden work of dishonesty God will pluck off the rough garment which thou wearest to deceive thy inward parts which are very wickedness shall be made manifest and then thou shalt be speech-less as if thou hadst a muzle put upon thy mouth as the word signifieth Well seeing murder will out as we say the secrets of the Soul must be brought forth is it not better by judging our selves by a severe tryall and sentence on our selves to prevent the wofullness of the last day Judged we must and shall be is it not then thy wisdome to judge thy self here in thy Closet that thou mayst be judged by God with a judgement of Absolution and not of Condemnation Is it nothing to have all thy unrepented and unforgiven sins published on the house-top made known to all the World Ezek. 22.14 at the great day How will thine heart endure then when the Lord shall come to deal with thee You will not see but you shall see Isa 26.11 You will not retire the World lyes in your hearts Business comes in and takes up all your time and spirits God is about to strip you to ease you of your Callings you shall come naked to the Barr of God you shall have no Family business to distract you a fair tryal there shall be but a sad one for thee Your sins shall find you out Numb 32.23 You have had many Calls once more I call upon you in the Name of Christ to examine your hearts by the words of this Book which you have or shall read And be sure of it If you will not nor try your selves by the Word God will try you by his Works Thus saith the Lord Jer. 9.7 I will melt them and try them But how will God melt them and try them Shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord v. 9. Shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing v. 10. and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation because they are burnt up so that none can pass through them neither can men hear the voice of the Cattel both the Fowl of the Heavens and the Beasts are fled they are gone And I will make Jerusalem heaps v. 11. and a Den of Dragons and I will make the Cities of Judah desolate without an Inhabitant CHAP. XXI Their Pride BEhold Professors Pride Ezek. 16.49 Evidenced in Irreverence in addresses to God Gen. 18.27 This was the iniquity of thy Sister Sodom Pride c. And is not this Devillish Sin become our National Sin 1. With what a bold and impudent face have we come and appeared before God Who hath sensibly exprest himself in Abraham's words Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Instead of a reverential fear of God our behaviour hath been stout against God and we have not trembled in his presence no not whilst we have been terribly
to pity them Drones are to be beaten out of the Hive and starved in Winter It is the Workman that is worthy of meat in Christs account Mat. 10.10 Idleness hath brought much evil upon you and bred many in you it begets many diseases in the body but many more in the Soul Psal 91.11 it exempts a man from the protection of Angels and it exposeth to Gods wrath it brought ruine upon Sodom and the Cities round about Jude v. 7. and they are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 2. In their general callings How are we guilty of abundance of Idleness in our general callings And above all Idleness Spiritual sloth is most dangerous I find some with unwearied diligence labouring to enlarge their Possessions and to raise their Posterity they rise early and sit up late and eat the bread of carefulness but all is for the Body they do little or nothing for their precious Souls and for Eternity Christ and Heaven stand by and few regard them Few work out their Salvation with fear and trembling Some will not be at so much pains for their Souls as to perform the common outward Duties of Religion They will goe to the Market or to be merry with Friends many a mile but if a Lecture he but a few paces from their thresholds they count it intollerable to wet their â—â—et to expose themselves to the air Well Well God hath eased you of this labour But if men are for some easie parts of Religion yet how few are for the difficult parts thereof They cannot endure to watch their hearts to sanctifie the Lords day so strictly as not to think their own thoughts nor speak their own words nor do their own deeds How many Professours have so long given way to their lazy distempers have lain so long upon the Bed of sloth that when we press them to any painful and laborious Duties they think it excuse enough to say We have put off our Coat and loth we are to put it on We have given way to sloth so long that we hate to take pains for Christ and for Eternity Hence Self-examination Meditation Watchfulness against the first risings of sin Mortification of inward heart-sins c. these works are totally laid by and the longer we neglect them the more ado there is to perswade us to take them up We are like truant-Boyes who hate their Book after a long vacation All we have to uphold our selves with is this that the Spirit is willing when God knows the contrary We are willing to be rich and therefore take pains So we would in Spiritual things too if we were so desirous of them If we were willing to enjoy Christ in our Closets would we be even asleep there upon our knees If we were willing to know the way to Glory would we not take so much pains as to goe to the Shepheards tents and ask for the good old way O! O! It will cut you to the heart when you come to Hell-gate that you mist of Heaven for not enquiring the way thither and that you took more pains to be rich and to damn your Souls than to save them Had that time been spent in Prayer holy Conference and in Self-arraignments which was wasted in the Bed Shop Fields unnecessarily you might have had an eternal rest whereas Hell will be as intollerable to all so especially to them who have stood idle all the day long CHAP. XXIV Their Unmercifulness THE Fourth Sin of Sodom was this Professors unmercifulness Ezek. 16.49 Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy That is they were unmerciful and inhumane And are not some Professours even in England very hard-hearted and cruel I have oft thought and said That Our late Civil Wars have had too great influence upon us to make us cruel If there be among you a poor man of one of thy Brethren within any of thy Gates Deut. 15.7 8. in thy Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thine hand from thy poor Brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need Luke 14.13 in that which he wanteth O! The poor we have alwayes with us But When we make a Feast do we call the poor Who invites the Guests that Christ hath bid for our Tables When I consider how rare Bowells of mercy and kindness are Col. 3.11 it makes me fear and I have Scripture-grounds for my fear that few are the Elect of God O hard-hearted Professours Hear ye the Word of the Lord Jam. 2.13 He shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy He shall have all judgement pure judgement without any mixtures of mercy unmixed wrath shall be his portion Christ is so resolved to punish the Unmerciful that he will over-look any sinner rather than him yea for the greater honour of the Justice of God Mat. 25.41 42 c. Mat. 9.36 The Lord seems to begin and end the great Assizes with the Arraignment and Sentencing of the Unmerciful man How few compassionate Professours are there The proper vital act of Mercy is Compassion How few resent the miseries of others as if they were their own Luke 10.33 How few set themselves to do good to those who are miserable Such what-ever they pretend are indeed unmerciful for Mercy is an active and a communicative thing How few are merciful to others Souls How few pity and set themselves to help sinning Souls but more of this under another Head How few are merciful to the Bodies of others How many are there that will not spare of their superfluities to cloth Christs naked shoulders or to fill his hungry belly Men lay out more to adorn a Cup-board or the walls of their houses than ever they gave to Jesus Christ and his Servants all their dayes Men can feed their Birds their Catts their Doggs their Swine but the Sucklings and Lambs of Jesus Christ perish for want Christ tells you what kindness you shew to his Spouse Matth. 25.40 his Friends his Children he counts as done unto himself and believe it all the scornes and neglects you have cast on either his Ambassadors or poor Saints he will remember another day Go to thy Closet and carry this with thee who so stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself Prov. 21.13 but shall not be heard If you give to whom is it Is it not only to the poor of your own party But hath not the Lord charged you to give to every man that asketh Luke 6.30 Gal. 6.10 Hath he excepted any but idlers Are not you to doe good to all though especially to the Houshold of faith And among them should not your greatest charity have been set forth on them who are become poor not by vile courses but by Gods
exhort one another daily to do good to all Did not I furnish you with wisdome and experience that you might be able and ready to help others Did not I by wonders of Providence prolong your dayes that you might be useful Did not I give you an interest in the affections of your Neighbours that you might be as the Dew and as the Rivers of Waters to the parched ground that you might be the Light and Salt of the Earth Nay did not I remove the Ministry among other weighty grounds to try your affections to perishing Souls And is this your answering all my designs and expectations to rail at them as the ungodly party and not to endeavour to make them better O! Consider how sad your case will be if the blood of thousands of Souls shall be lain at your doors for your neglects for your carelessness for your being worse than Balaams Ass for he once reproved perhaps you have never How do you know but a few words of yours might be as forcible as Jonah's to Nineveh as the Samaritan woman's was to the City Is this to love thy Neighbour as thy self Do'st love thy self and not regard thy Soul And canst thou love thy Neighbour and not endeavour to save him from perishing to pull the brand out of the fire Have you so learned Christ When our Lord dwelt in flesh among us was he dumb before sinners as you are when he saw the multitude wanting bread did not he deal forth the bread of life to them did not he prefer this work before his meat and drink had not he compassion for the ignorant did not he enlighten poor ignorant Souls and reprove the Hypocrisie of others When he went into the Publicans houses did not he preach of the Kingdome of God unto them And hath not he given you an enample that you should do as he hath done Should not you make it a matter of Conscience to write after so great so safe so glorious a Copy to follow so worthy a Leader and Pattern Add withall what stumbling blocks you have laid in the wayes of sinners how many have been offended by your conversation And will you send so many hundreds to Hell and not endeavour the conversion of some You pretend the want of parts But alas you want bowels you want affections you have not a real sight and deep sense of eternal matters If you had you would with tears in your eyes beseech your Neighbours to mind their perishing Souls Have not you so many parts as to say to your Neighbours Repent and Pray if perhaps your sins may be forgiven Go into thy Closet Professour and there mourn over thy hard heartedness and unmercifulness to the Souls of thousands of whom thou might'st have been an instrument of Conversion if thou hadst but attempted it Or could you not have gone and beseeched your Ministers to lay to heart the perishing estate of such a man or woman Or might you not have entreated those Souls to consult some Minister about their Everlasting State You have not done what you could you pretend you cannot convert them but you will not you will not try whether you can work them over from sin to God You say they are dead in sins and trespasses they have hearts of stone as insensible as stones as stupid as blockish as impenetrable as stones And wast not thou so some years ago Hast thou forgot the rock out of which thou wast hewn Nay is there not too much stone in thy heart that thou canst see thy God so dishonoured Christ so reproached by those who are baptized in his Name and wear his Livery and yet not endeavour to pull them out of the fire Thou relievest thy self with the mercy thou shewest to the bodies of the poor that beg at thy door when thou seest their soars their lean cheeks and naked shoulders thou succourest them there things thou oughtest to do but not to lay aside the Spiritual Almes that were due unto them thou shouldst have counselled them admonished them enlightned them and now if they perish in their ignorance will not their blood be required at thy hands O! tremble at your blood-guiltiness The Lord of Heaven and Earth who layes his claim to Souls All Souls are mine hath charged thee not to hate thy Brother in thine heart not to suffer sin to rest upon him but to reprove him And yet thou lettest him alone to perish in his iniquity You are so taken up with your own temporal or eternal good that you little regard what becomes of others to all eternity How do some hope to slink to Heaven alone Perhaps they seek their own profit 1 Cor. 10.33 but not the profit of many that they may be saved O that men would cast their eyes abroad saith one the very dumb inanimate Creatures would teach them better every Creature assimulates Fire turns what is near it into Fire Earth converts into Earth Flowers will be scattering of their seed and scent How canst thou hope the blessing of the new Creation rests upon thee when thou dost not increase and multiply O that you would be prevailed with to help counsel and direct others to Heaven If you have found the way thither be pleased to shew others the way to life the way to glory O! Pitty them as Christ pittied you Christ hath led you out of the wilderness of sin and trouble Be you eyes to the blind direct them the right way to the Land of Promise tell them what course you took declare unto them what God hath done for your Souls Do not you see how industrious Christs enemies are to diffuse their poyson Do not Turks and Papists endeavour to proselyte Will they not compass Sea and Land to spread and diffuse their Leaven Do not all people besides you labour to win to their Gods Do not unclean persons and drunkards entice others to the same wickedness shall Satans Vassals be filling Hell and will you not labour to fill Heaven Is it not your Honour to bring many Sons and Daughters unto God What will become of the next Generation How few Servants if any will Christ have if others take no more pains than you do to convince to allure to convert I fear Christ will take up the old complaint Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds have Nests but the Son of Man will not have where to lay his head Consider how oft your poor Ministers have beseeched you to enter on this work lest other-mens-sins prove your damnation and yet how hath a dumb Devil possessed you O that yet you would commune with your own hearts whether you are willing that thousands should perish and go to Hell and if they answer No Ask them a second question why do not you use the means to prevent it Namely Exhortation Reproof and Counsell You have covered over your want of Zeal and tenderness with a pretence that you have not the gifts of Ministers
the merciful Dispensations of God to them 1 Sam. 15.17 18 19. And Samuel said When thou wast little in thine own sight wast not thou made the Head of the Tribes of Israel and the Lord annointed thee King over Israel and the Lord seat thee on a journey and said Goe and utterly destroy the Sinners c. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord And Nathan said to David c. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. I annointed thee King over Israel and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Masters House and thy Masters Wives into thy bosome and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would morcover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight And hath there not been as much disingenuity and unkindness in our Sins The Lord hath given his Statutes to us and his Laws He hath not so dealt with all the Nations under Heaven He hath nourished and brought us up as Children Isa 1.2 3 4. but we have rebelled against him The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People my People doth not cousider Ah sinful Nation a People laden with iniquity c. God fetcheth a deep sigh Ah! under the burden of this Ingratitude His Spirit is laden and troubled with it They have provoked the Holy One of Israel Mis-improvements of Mercies are very provoking When God comes for Bread to be sent away with Stones must need vex the good Spirit of the Lord. Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken it Oh for Professours to be worse than Publicans for they will be kind to such as are kind to them Have not we sinn'd against God even with his favours and requited him evil for good May not the Lord say unto us Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus require the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee All the mercies we have received greaten our sins The more richly that God hath heaped his Blessngs upon us the more wantonly we have followed the swinge of our own Lusts and the more contemptuously spurned at his holy Commandements We have great cause to be ashamed for that all our sins have been 〈◊〉 gainst mercy and therefore against the Principle and Law of Nature It is a perpetual Spot not to be worn out by time that of King Jeash that he slew Zechariah the Son of Jehojada the High Priest who had been loyal unto him in the getting of the Kingdom and faithful in the administration of it ◠Chron. 24.22 23. Thus Joash the King remembred not the kindness which Jehojada his Father had done to him but slew his Son and when he dyed he said the Lord look upon it and requite it And it came to pass at the end of the year that the Host of Syria came up against him and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people from among the people But alas What Engagements could Zechariah possibly lay on Joash that may weigh with the Mercies of our God to us And yet how have we made his choicest Favours as Arrows to shoot at the God that sent them What wretched Prodigals have we been to wast all in the service of Hell which were conferr'd with so open an hand to draw forth our time strength and spirits in the praises and services of God For this our Ingratitude Ezra 9.13 14. the Lord may justly be angry with us till he hath consumed us so that there shall be no remnant nor escaping O that you would remember the Lord from Shittim to Gilgal Mica 6.5 i. e. from the beginning of Mercy to the end of it And you will hardly find that you any of you have been the better for it but many Jeshurun-like have waxed fat and kicked God is this day calling out of Heaven to England and to each particular person in it Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise I could even wish for the thousands of our Israel that they had received fewer Privileges or had had the grace to serve the Lord in the abundance of all things better than they have to this very day If ever you purpose sound Repentance then take a view of all the Mercies of God towards you Goe back to the time when the first stone was laid yea goe back to the eternal projects of God to make thee out of nothing and to redeem thee when worse than nothing Review the upper and lower Springs with which Soul and Body have been refreshed Remember how many eminent Deliverances and Salvations God hath wrought for thee And if at any time thou hast been straitned in outward comforts yet remember how thou hast been enlarged with spiritual graces if God hath denyed thee in one kind of mercy he hath supplyed it by a gracious wonderfull commutation in another in a better if thou hast been denyed the fleshpots of Egypt and the land flowing with honey yet it hath been all made up in the bread the Mannah that fell from Heaven if thou hast had sometimes bodily infirmities yet thou hast been strengthned with all might in the inward man if thou hast been denyed thee the gold of the earth yet God hath supplyed thee in making thee rich in faith If sometimes Friends have been unfriendly inconstant or treacherous yet God hath stood by thee when all left thee God hath dealt with you as with Sons your gleanings are better than the Vintage of the world Having laid these and innumerable such mercies in one Scale now lay in the other Scale thy soul ingratitude not only that particular sin of unthankfulness that thou hast been guilty of of which before but the ingratitude that hath been in all thy sins in thy pride hypocrisie formality self-love self-seeking impatience neglect of duty to Superiours Equals and Inferiours profaneness intemperance unrighteousness c. that Remembring the Lord and his goodness towards thee together with thy cursed returns thou may'st yet abhor thy self in dust and ashes Take words and say My Salvations are more than I can number Blessed be God the Father of all mercy But my sins also are innumerable I cannot recount them shame upon me O! how vile have I made my self whilst by abuse of rich mercy Mat. 5.47 Isa 1.3 I have lived below the ingenuity that is found in Publicans and Beasts O that God would give me the success that the Angel had on such a sinfull people as you are Judg. 2.1 2 3 4. And the Angel of the Lord come up from Gilgal to Bochim and said I made you to go up out of Egypt and have brought you into the land which I swear unto your
of hard hearts We are too much like Gideons dry fleece and like the Mountains of Gilboa or rather like Jonah fast asleep though the Winds blow the Seas roar and make a noyse and we are ready to be dash'd every hour against the Rocks I confess Israel was an hard hearted people but yet they mourned Psa 137.1 they cryed with a voyce they wept when they remembred Zion So have not we The Rod of old was the only engine by which Moses was to work all his miracles on the Rock on the Aegyptians on the more obdurate Israel But the Rock Pharaoh and Israel were sooner sensible of the Rod than we have been How do we evacuate and reproach frustrate and defame all Gods Methods and pronounce to all the world that God hath miscarried in his design upon us God hath not yet heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31.18 It is true God hath chastised us but we have not been as sensible as the Bullock nor so soon tamed we have not been mended under the Rod nor edified by the dolefull Lectures that God hath read us Therefore thus saith the Lord God Woe to the bloody City Ezek 24.9.10 11 12 13. I will even make the pile for fire great Heap on wood kindle the fire consume the flesh and spice it well and let the bones be burnt Then set it empty upon the coals thereof that the brass of it may be hot and may burn and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it that the scum of it may be consumed She hath wearied her self with lyes and her great scum wene not forth out of her her scum shall be in the fire In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Jerusalem shall be burnt and why In thy filthiness is lewdness thou art obstinate hardned in wickedness Obstinacy in Sin is worse than the Sin it self Jerusalem had Prophets Ordinances Sabbaths Sacrifices Mercies Judgements by which God would have purged her but she was not purgged She did not humble herself for her sins the scum went not off Therefore thus saith the Lord God Woe to the bloody City Ezek. 24.6 to the pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out of it bring it out piece by piece let no lot fall on it Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved Jer 5.3 thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return This is a Nation Jer. 7.28 that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God nor receiveth correction How many years hath the word of the Lord come to yâ—â— Jer. 4.4 that you should circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skin of your hearts ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like Fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings And hath not the Lord cut off in his fierce anger the horn of Israel and burned against us like a flaming fire Lam. 2.3 4. which devoureth round about He hath poured out his fury like Fire And yet how few behold the desolations that he hath made How many look on this Judgement as chance But consider not the hand of the Lord that is gone out against us Do not some say in the pride and stoutness of their hearts Isa 9.10 Isa 26.9 the Bricks are fall'n down but we will build with hewn stones the Sycamores arâ— cut down but we will change them into Cedarâ— When judgement is executed and Gods hand is lifted up men should fear and learn righteousness But if you will still go on in wickedness God will reckon with you for despising him and his judgements I doubt not but thousands and ten thousands are sensensible of poverty coming in upon them and theirs as an armed man irrisistably But I fear we are too insensible that it is the Lords controversie with us How soon was the Pestilential Judgement forgot Were not men as vile Drunkards Sensualists Sabbath-breakers Oppressors and Unclean since the dreadfull Plague as before and others as proud and formal since the Plague as before That Arrow shot so remarkably from Heaven was soon forgot And now that the fury of the Lord hath been upon the City and therein upon the whole Land in the late shower of Fire I am afraid that even this Dispensation will be forgotten at least not improved as it ought to be Many and many a time have I feared Isa 29.10 that the Lord hath powred upon us the spirit of a deep sleep and that the Judgement on Ariel is descended on us Like men in a deep sleep we are not able to with-stand the Judgement and like such we have been insensible who hath wounded us or why we are wounded We have not considered the deserving Cause Pride Carelessness Intemperance Idleness c. and what way to heal our selves and extricate our selves out of our miseries Like a wild Bull in a net Isa 51.20 that can hamper and entangle it self more and more but takes no course to wind its self out of its misery Who searcheth for the Achan that hath troubled our Israel Who sits down and justifieth God Who condemneth himself for Pride for contempt of the Gospel for Luxury for Idleness for Covetousness and prophaning Gods Sabbaths The Lord humble us Jer. 6.29 for the Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed and yet the Founder melteth in vain The Lord took it ill from the men of Judah when they were not turned by the signes he gave them by Ezekiel When he was to take a Tile Ezek. 4.1 2 5 11 12. and pourtray Jerusalem upon it and lay siege against it c. When he was to lye upon his left side 390. dayes When he was to drink Water by measure and to bake his Cakes with the dung of man When he was to take a Rasor and shave his head and beard and to burn a third part with sire Ezek. 5.1 2 3. and to smite a third part with a knife and a third part to scatter in the wind and to bind up a few hairs in his skirts and to take of them again and to cast them into the midst of the fire When by these and such like signes they were not awakened out of their security when they reformed not when they feared not the wrath and judgement of God but said It is not near Ezek. 11.3 23. Let us build houses Then the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the City and stood upon the Mountain which is on the East side of the City And when the glory departed then Thus saith the Lord of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the Land of Israel They
of your provocations humbled in the very dust be sure to keep Conscience tender Let not your convictions dye strike again and again smite on the thigh again and again whilst the Iron is hot This fire may be kept alive by bringing new fuel to it Labour exquisitely to afflict your Souls that you should be so foolish so vile as under Christs Livery to commit so great and so hideous abominations Take words and say O the Light that I have abused O the means of Grace that I have slighted O the little service that I have done to Christ O the many dis-services Let these things cut and grave and afflict and humble thy Soul exceedingly from morning to evening and from evening to morning till God be pacified towards thee beware lest the motions of a lazy heart cause thee to desist sooner A patient that hath had a long disease must continue in the use of the prescriptions till the ill humour be purged away 4. Indignation Let your sorrow be accompanied with detestation See all your sins and loath them and your selves too This is promised they shall loath their ways and doings which are not good O! how much sin have we confessed which yet we have secretly hug'd in our hearts Labour to have your hearts rise against your pride hypocrifie c. Hate sin not only for Hell but as Hell yea hate your selves for your sins yea hate your selves that you can hate your sins no more O that my hatred of my Lusts might be greater than ever my love was unto them I wish from my Soul Professors were more apprehensive of Gods Judgements that are upon them and the Nation for their sins I wish many of us were come up to the frames of the hard-hearted Jews and expressed so much tenderness as they did when Gods hand was heavy upon them their sins also were an heavy burden Hos 7.14 In their affliction they sought God early they mourned and humbled themselves very much though with the removal of their trouble their sorrows wore away However be not satisfied with this sorrow but labour for such sorrow as David had when he was wounded in his heart for sin though Nathan told him his sin was forgiven yet he continued his sorrows for his great transgressions Labour I beseech you for tears of hatred and indignation be greatly displeased with your selves because you have so foolishly and wretchedly dishonoured God and ventured your eternal undoing and if yet thine eyes be not like the Fish-ponds of Heshbon for thy sins take words and sament before God thine hardness of heart that thou shouldst so grievously offend and provoke God so good so gracious a God and that notwithstanding thine heart should remain unbroken 5. Supplication Let there be added hearty cries to God for pardon of all these and all other abominations Who forgives him that scorns to sue for Remission Here is your work in this day the Devil and a false heart will put you upon other work but this is your present work Cant. 1.6 They made me the keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard I have not kept But O! do not leave the work that God sets you about I know it is your duty to provide for the bodies of your Children but consider the danger of thy Soul what guilt thou art under and give the Lord no rest till he hath blotted out all thy sin and art assured that he will remember it no more Relieve not thy self with the general bounty of God or with the free grace and rich mercy of God whilst thou neglectest to cry to God for grace and mercy He will be sought unto by the house of Israel Prize thy condition that thou art alive to pray thou mightst have been in Hell there to howl for ever and ever Seek the Lord whilst he may be found Seek in time before it be too late And if thou doubtest whether thou hast an interest in Christ and the promises because of thy hideous transgressions yet remember the gracious words that tell once from the mouth of Christ to the Samaritan John 4.10 If thou didst know the gift of God thou wouldst have asked and he would have given thee living water Though thou art unworthy of Childrens bread and hast deserved to be cast forth among the dogs yet thou hast to do with a bountifull and mercifull Lord and therefore be not cast down so as to be discouraged from waiting on the Lord. It was ill said of him why should I wait on the Lord any longer There is no hope I would have thee take better words into thy mouth and say Lord I am unworthy to be the object of thy mercy unworthy to live worthy to be denyed because thou didst call and I did not hear therefore if I call thou mayst justly turn me off in thy fury thou mightest answer me by terrible things in righteousness But deal not with me according to my deservings O! make me the great instance of the power of thy grace let thy mercy in pardoning be great exceeding great O God! Do not delay the suing out thy pardon Without delay away quickly to the Throne of Grace Remember Faelix put off his work till some other time There is danger in delays lest your sense of sin and sorrow for it vanish and decay blow up the first sparks of grace lest they go out and dye again take the first advantages of the grace of God Hast thou an inclination to humble thy self to pray to seek Gods face improve it quickly lest the wrath of God who is nighly provoked already against thee break form upon thee and there be no remedy Do not you know that you have lost the sense of the love of God But have you also lost all sense of Gods wrath Do not you wonder you escape that you are yet alive that you are not free among the dead incorporated with the Hypocrites and damned crew Will you dare you go on in your hardness of heart Will you treasure up wrath against the day of wrath O! God forbid Lay by the world thy false friend thy treacherous Joab that hath smitten to the earth with its kisses and its smiles Here is a business on which thy life the life of thy precious Soul depends Prepare to meet thy God wrath is gone out from the Lord howl weep cry it may be you shall be hid is the day of the Lords wrath it may be your sins shall be forgiven Though the law be a looking-glass to shew you your spots the Baver under the law was made of looking-glosses yet it cannot cleanse you it is the Gospel alone that pardons Away ye wandring Sheep to the great Shepheard of your Souls Hebr. 13.20 great he is in affection and love to his flock he hath laid down his life for you he hath purchased you with his own bloud Nathans parable of the Ewe-Lamb is most true of Christ and
own our Sins to be the Incendiaries Jer. 8.6 saying What have I done And What have I done to stop the mouths of so many of Gods faithful Ministers to unsheath the Sword to bring forth the destroying Angel to kindle the dreadful Fire in London Are there not such sins amongst us for which God hath plagued much people If secret sins of particular Persons have drawn down wrath on whole Nations Why not thy scandalous sins Say no more Such Opposition Oppression Idolatry uncleaness c. will bring in misery as an armed man but say there is danger lest God should make an utter end of poor England for my pride for my unthankfulness for my trusting in an Arm of flesh for my back-slidings O! how many have I caused to fall by the Sword and how many by the Pestilence And how many have I caused to be ruined by the Fire Verily if thou art guilty of no other sin save pride yet thou canst not clear thy self from being one of Englands Incendiaries O! how was the wrath of God upon Jerusalem and Judah because Hezekiah's heart was lifted up But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32.25 for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 3. No Repentance no returns of mercy but more wrath Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing without repentance the mercies you are deprived of because of your sins will never be returned or not in mercy yea greater judgements will follow Unless you return unto God from whom you have departed God will not return unto your Souls If ye forsake him 2 Chron. 15.2 he will forsake you imports as much as if you continue to forsake him he will continue to forsake you If you repent not God will not return your liberties your trade his own Ordinances in purity and power or at least he will not return these or any other mercies you have sinned away in mercy But you may expect greater judgements than ever yet you saw to fall not only upon your selves and families but upon the Land Think not that they were the greatest sinners in England upon whom the Sword or Pestilence or Fire fell Remember Christs I tell you Nay Luk. 13.3 5. Luk. 6.25 but except you repent you shall all likewise perish Wo unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep And will you run the hazard of this dreadful Wo Will you run the hazarding of perishing all and altogether Is it not better to mourn now than to cry and howl in the pit of Hell for ever God hath determined within his own breast nay he hath expressed this to be his pleasure to the Children of men that sooner or later all shall mourn for sin either in this life or in the next And is it not better to feel the weight here than on a death bed or in Hell What said a Ruffian once when in the midst of his jovial Companions he clapt his hand on his breast and cryed out well one day I must know what a wounded Conscience meaneth God is resolute in this you shall one time or other find it an evil and bitter thing to provoke him And shall this consideration nothing move you I know this should not be the chief ground of your sorrow But yet Christ was no legal Preacher when he cryed out sin no more least a worse thing happen to you Go thou sluggard to the Ant provide in Summer for the Winter But O the great cheats that poor souls put upon themselves they hope though they repent not though they remain careless worldly c. yet others are not so careless as they though they fast not yet they hope some do though they spend not days in prayer they hope others do and they hope to fare the better for them This is like the Doctrine of Rome the Romanists teach that there are some opera paenalia some penitential works that you may have others to do for you and yet fare as well as if you did them your selves But for my part I shall as soon believe that I shall be cured of the stone in the bladder or of a filthy Leprosie by anothers taking Physick for me as that I shall be saved by anothers repentance O! what folly is this to take relief and sanctuary in others fervent Petitions and deprecations of wrath whilst thou thy self cryest out Soul take thine ease store is laid up for thee by others Alas how dost thou know what others are a doing Doe they blow the Trumpet when they go to fast the more likely it is that they be Hypocrites But hath not God said Ezek. 9.4 Go through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark only upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof and again Son of man when the Land sinneth against me by transgressing grievously then will I stretch out mine hand upon it and will break the staff of the bread thereof and will send a famine upon it Ezek. 14.13 14. and will cut off man and beast from it Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their own Souls by their righteousness saith the Lord God 4. Impenitents lose all they do and suffer for God Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing so long as you are impenitent all you do and suffer for God is abominable in his sight Hardness of heart is a nasty disease it is like a Leprosie that makes all to shun a man If you had such a disease that all would abhor you would it not humble you to the very dust your impenitency makes you neither fit company for God nor his Saints you are loathsome in the sight of both whilst you are under so much guilt and yet insensible of it A tender broken hearted Christian is lovely in Gods and his peoples eyes but how ugly a sight is it to see a daring bold insensible sinner persisting in a course of sin without repentance If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes c. in his righteousness that he hath done shall he live c. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness Ezek. 18.21 22 24. 2 Ep. of John v. 8. Gal. 3.4 Their persons are loathed and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned And is it nothing to you to lose the things you have wrought Is it nothing to suffer and to suffer so many things in vain 5. Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing so long as you are impenitent God doth not only
loath your services but he cannot take any delight in your persons yea you cannot be restored into his love and favour without Repentance there is no Remission Repent ye therefore and be converted Act. 3.19 that your sins may be blotted out And what have you no mind to be forgiven your own and your other mens sins Deus noâ— infund it oleum misericordiae nisi in vas contritum Bernard have you no will to be at peace with God and to be restored into his love and favour Are you content that all these and innumerable sins more should be charged upon your Account O then beg of God to break your hearts for and from your sins A broken vessel a broken heart will hold best the oyl of mercy The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God! thou wilt not despise 6. But their Repentance would exceedingly please God and refresh his Ministers Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing your Repentance will be so pleasing and so reviving to your even broken-hearted Ministers Your Repentance will more please God than all your sins have displeased him Though your sins have very much displeased him yet he was loth to depart from you he hath departed only gradually But if you will repent he will readily return in his departure he hath gone as it were a Snayles pace but if you will return he will return with speed he will turn towards you and fall upon your Necks and kiss you and not upbraid you with any of your former miscarriages And O! what a refreshing will it be to your fainting Ministers to see you returning Prodigals Believe it our Chains would be worn as Bracelets and Jewells and our Exiles would be a Paradise to us did we see you putting your mouths in the dust and crying out because of all your Provocations It is your security your seeking great things for your selves your pride your foolish expectations of our returns whilst you and we are so unfit for such a mercy that is our greatest burden and lies heavier on us than the wrath of any save of God Almighty God knoweth who knoweth the secrets of our Souls that we could be contented to be banished from the face of men so that you were delivered from the power of your lusts If you live and stand fast in the faith we live and though we have nothing yet we possess all things joying and rejoycing to see your Zeal your Repentance your Indignations and Revenges against your sins But we is unto us we fear we have spent our Lungs our Time our Studies our Life in vain upon you whilst we behold your benummedness your insensibleness of all the tokens of Gods displeasure by reason of your transgressions And will you add affliction to the afflicted Is it not enough that we are turned out of the Vineyard where we loved our work better than our lives Is it not enough that we are cast forth from among our People and Friends to seek bread for our selves and little ones from door to door But will you have a greater hand in our misery than any others Will you lay the greatest load of trouble upon us whilst others oppress our outward man will you go on to vex our Spirits Have pitty upon us O Children whom we have begotten in the Gospel you call us your Spiritual Fathers you did receive us as Angels yea as Jesus Christ you would have plucked out your eyes to do us good O! now what do we beg not to have your eyes out but fill'd fill'd with tears Gal. 4.15 and your hearts fill'd with sorrow for hatred and indignation against your sins Weep not for us but weep for your selves And is there not a cause Your tears will be our meat and drink a great part of our joy will arise from seeing your godly sorrow Hagar was not more refeshed with her fountain than we shall be to find your heads as waters and your eyes as fountains of tears and you weeping day and night for your own and others provocations Let it suffice you that you have so long grieved us and Christ by your Security Self-love Worldliness Pride and Passions O that now the Egyptians that we have seen among you may be seen alive no more Let us not be hastned to our graves by your impenitencies and stubborn departures from God We are troubled to find still among you and upon you those very sins which have laid Kingdoms and Churches wast and yet you secure as if the Lord had powred out a Spirit of slumber upon you those very sins which overthrow the Churches of Judea and Asia are found among you and will you not repent and do your first works It grieves us to the heart to see sins run through you as water through a Mill and you regard it not We beseech you out of love to God to your own Souls and to us and our comforts that you would cease to do evil and learn to do well Be moved with fear and prepare an Ark. The old world would not believe Noah But the Lord made them to know he was a Prophet of Righteousness We pitty your Souls we are troubled to see what confidence you put in uncertain Signs and Prognostications which beget carelessness and security in you and how little you fear the threatnings of most dreadfull Judgements against those very sins you have lived in many a sad thought we have about you whilst we see your fickleness inconstancy stupidity and ungrounded because unscriptural hopes O! return return repent repent that we may be able to say ye are our joy our Crown our rejoycing in the day of Christ 7. 〈◊〉 or â—â—ver for ought they know And Lastly Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins even by what may be seen in this Glass seeing now God gives you not only time to Repent but an opportunity of Repentance and such an one as if you neglect it you may never have the like again When time and the means are married and lodged together saith one they beget opportunity Now time and means meet together to effect your Repentance If this opportunity be lost you may never have another and if you should never have any other your case is desperate Opportunities cannot be pray'd or wept back again Heb. 12.17 Esau's instance puts it out of all doubt In Gods opportunity it is an easie thing to repent but if this opportunity should be lost by you which God forbid it may be impossible for you to repent See Mr. Fenners danger of deferring repentance folio 35 36. God may justly give you up to Judicial impenitency It may be God doth now by this Treatise speak home unto thy Soul now it may be God warms thy heart now it may be God works in thee good thoughts and desires Now is thy day of grace But to use the words of one