but He gives not a blow but what is for his Childrens Profit Heb. 12. 10. And why should any be impatient at their being Profited and Advantaged Considering the blessed issue of the Saints Troubles they should be born with all thankfulness for sanctified Afflictions are great Promotions and hereby mighty advances are made in Heavens way 4. 'T is unreasonable for the Saints because of their Afflictions to question Divine Providence or to conclude that Religion is vain The Psalmist under the Rod and Temptation together was ready to draw such Conclusions Continued chastning made him to think of God and to speak of Religion unbecomingly and indeed impiously He was so foiled by the Tempter that his Feet were almost gone and 't was hard for him to recover strange kind of Language he utters Psal 73. 10 11 12 13 14. Therefore his People return hither and Waters of a full Cup are wrung out to them And they say how doth God know and is there Knowledge in the most high Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the World they increase in Riches Verily I have cleansed my Heart in vain and washt my hands in Innocency for all the day long have I been plagued and chastned every Morning But at length the Psalmist comes to himself V. 15. If I say I will speak thus behold I should offend against the Generation of thy Children And he gives himself very bad Words but such as his yielding so far to that Temptation very well deserved V. 21 22. Thus my Heart was grieved and I was pricked in my Reins so foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee But he is cured of his brutishness and speaks like a Saint expressing desires after God above all things in Heaven and Earth concludes it good to draw near to God and rejoices in him as the Strength of his Heart and his Portion for ever Suppose a Saint never so much afflicted yet to be and continue a Saint is certainly good for him and a wise part in him Job when sitting upon the ground among the Ashes full of Boyls and Scraping himself with a Potsheard was still dear to God And so was Lazarus lying at the Rich mans Gate desiring to be fed with the Crumbs which fell from the Rich mans Table Saints under the greatest Troubles can't be miserable for God is Theirs and They are His still and these very Troubles do promote their Holiness and their Happiness 5. The Prosperity of the Wicked and their Freedom from Affliction should not raise the Saints Envy Saints are frequently tempted to envy the wicked their good things and sometimes this Envy has prevailed and has been their fault and failing it has proved their great both Sin and Torment Psal 73. 3. I was Envious at the Foolish when I saw the Prosperity of the Wiched That Caution is but needful Psal 37. 1. Fret not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious at the Workers of Iniquity For a man that is made wise to Salvation to be envious at the Foolish for a man that is enriched with Grace to be envious at the Workers of Iniquity because of their Prosperity there is no Reason at all for it Alas this Prosperity of theirs is greatly to their Prejudice and helps forward their Perdition Prov. 1. 32. The turning away or the ease of the simple shall slay them and the Prosperity of Fools shall destroy them And this Destruction is hastning and comes unexpectedly suddenly and so the more unavoidably upon them and 't wil be utter and Eternal Destruction Psal 73. 17 18 19. Until I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their End Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castest them down into Destruction How are they brought into Desolation as in a Moment they are utterly consumed with terrours The greatest Wealth and Glory of the Ungodly considering how soon 't will end and what will follow when it ends should not stir our Envy but rather our Pitty and Compassion for they walk in a vain shew full of vain Confidence till their Feet go down to Death and their steps take hold of Hell 6. To be Incorrigible under Affliction is inexcusable As 't is good for Saints to be afflicted so all should be bettered by Affliction 'T is a great Aggravation of Sin to smart and bleed and groan because of it and yet still to Love it If Saints are afflicted for their Good when Sinners are afflicted a great price is put into their hands which may be improved to an Eternal Advantage In Prosperity the Ungodly are usually hardned in Pride and Earthliness and Wickedness and Sensuality the Lord not rebuking them nor presently executing Sentence against their Evil Works they are apt to think Him altogether such an one as themselves Psal 50. 21. and that he dislikes Sin no more than they do Whereupon their Hearts are fully set in them to do Evil Eccles 8. 11. But when wicked Ones are visited with Troubles and they feel the smart of the Rod God is really very near them and if they would but cry to him with their Hearts how readily would he hear and turn them to himself and turn his anger away from them Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoak turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God And according to his desire he was turned and instructed he obtained sure Mercy and became a dear Son a pleasant Child notwithstanding all his former foul Sins and reproachful Abominations V. 19 20. But when Sinners are smitten in vain and receive no Correction Nay like Ahaz in their Affliction trespass yet more this Argues a great Love to Sin and the more provokes the Lord to Jealousie and Indignation Judah was strangely fond of and wedded to their Idolatry and other Wickedness when the Sorest Judgments could not be a means to divorce them from it Jer. 5. 3. O Lord are not thine Eyes upon the Truth Thou hast smitten them but they have not grieved 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 'T is the highth of Madness to be Sins Martyrs and not only to suffer trouble in this World but for the sake of it to venture burning in Hell for evermore 7. How great is the goodness of God who can make the Evil of Affliction to Work for good to his People 'T is the Physicians great art so to temper Poyson as to turn it into a powerful and wholesom Medicine What is Evil in it self and evil and Destructive to Nature God does make it become very good to the Saints and to further the work of Grace in them How securely may such a Gracious God be relied on who can make the worst things a Saint
not at all taken notice of if his anger is not at all minded nor any course or care taken to appease it it will be blown up to the greater fierceness and this fire may quickly devour consume and having begun with thee make a speedy and utter end of thee 3. It concerns you to fear Him under whose Power you are and who is able to destroy both the Body and the Soul likewise Luk. 12. 4 5. And I say unto you my Friends Be not afraid of them that kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him who after he hath killed hath Power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him His hands did make that Earthly House of your Tabernacle and he can bring it to the dust again Your Souls he can require when be pleases and if you dye in your Sins your Souls will be doom'd to the place where other damned Spirits are and they are lost beyond all hopes and possibility of recovery Oh! sanctifie the Lord of Hosts in whose hand you are under whose hand you groan by making him your fear and dread he can command both first and second death to seize on you Rev. 6. 8. And I looked and behold a Pale Horse and his Name that sate on him was Death and Hell followed with him Death is the King of Terrors but Hell is ten thousand times more terrible Oh! be afraid of that mighty hand which with one blow can both kill and damn you together You cannot secure your selves by Hiding by Flight or by Resistance for Gods Eye is all-seeing his Power and Hand is irresistible and extends it self all Heaven and Earth and Hell over therefore humbling your selves and Submission would be the best and wisest way that you can take 4. In this ill Case in which you are remember now your evil ways and your doings that have not been good Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall ye remember your evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your Iniquities and Abominations Your remembring of your Transgressions is one way to have God forget them loath your selves and he will not loath you condemning your selves is the way not to be condemned by him Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up Jam. 4. 10. Oh smite upon your thighs and say What have we done How manifold are our Transgressions How mighty are our Sins What guilt have we incurr'd How monstrously black and foul are our Defilements What wrath have we provoked How hot and low a place in Hell have we deserved Innumerable Evils compass us about our Iniquities have taken hold upon us so that we are not able to look up they are more than the Hairs of our Heads therefore our Hearts fail us Psal 40. 12. See how deceitful polluting and damnable the Nature of Sin is call your selves by the right Name Fools foes to your selves Self-murtherers and Self-destroyers in giving way to Iniquity Be utterly displeased with your selves for sinning against God and wronging your own Souls and fall out with all sin for ever 5. Be Inquisitive what you must do to be saved You that are outwardly afflicted and also prickt in the Heart and wounded in your Consciences should very seriously inquire whether the door of Hope be not yet open to you and what course you must take to be saved from Sin and Wrath and to have your Peace with God made Indeed the Lord speaks confoundingly and terribly to wicked men in their Calamity Prov. 1. 26 27 28 29. I will laugh at your Calamity and will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as Desolation and Destruction as a Whirlwind when Distress and Anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not Answer They shall seek me early but they shall not find me for that they hated Knowledg and did not chuse the fear of the Lord. And do you acknowledge that the Lord might justly speak such Language to you but withal know that these distressed Sinners had these cries extorted from them meerly by Calamity but had no desire to be turned from their Iniquities Therefore you that are brought very low by Affliction do not only cry to God to deliver you from your trouble but that he would also purge away your Sins for his Name sake Psal 79. 9. And let not your Disconsolate Spirits doubt for there is hope in Israel concerning you Psal 130. 7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is Mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption and he will redeem Israel from all his Iniquities 6. Look upon God as accessible and reconcileable in a Mediator who is his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ has suffered once for Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring men to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. And God is in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses to them 2 Cor. 5. 19. Now then saith the Apostle We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God God is more forward to be at Peace with you then you are aware He intreats you to accept of that Pardon which you desire and so much need but fear you shall not obtain and if you value his favour in Christ and intreat it with your whole Heart you shall not die under his Displeasure Psal 119. 58. I intreated thy favour with my whole Heart be merciful to me according to thy Word Are you willing upon any terms to have the breach made up between God and you Do you consent to be any thing to do any thing to part with any thing which he would have you so you may be but His and He Yours a God in Covenant with you and a Father to you Then let your drooping Hearts revive for there is an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. His Blood speaks better things than that of Abel cries louder for Mercy than your Sin can cry for Vengeance Here you may safely venture your Faith for Christs Blood is the Blood of him who is God as well as man and he is able to reconcile God and Men together and those men who have been never so much alienated and Enemies in their Minds by Reason of wicked Works Col. 1. 21. In your Affliction be sensible of Gods anger and readily grant the justness of it but do not look upon if as not to be appeased If you come to him by Jesus Christ you will find his Fury all gone Isa 27. 4 5. Fury is not in me let him take hold of my Strength that he may make Peace with me and he shall make Peace with me 7. Pray to be turned
better things of Eternity All this may be well matter of great delight The more you love the Word the greater will be your Peace and you will hold on in the best ways without offence or stumbling Psal 119. 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them 4. You have truly learned the Word of God when you keep it both in Heart and Life Not to keep it in the Life is a scandalous contempt of the Word not to keep it in the Heart though there be a specious form and shew of Religion is but demure and abominable Hypocrisie If the Word be in your Hearts how will it as nourishing Food well concocted there make you strong in Spirit It will make your Hearts both clean and comfortable and as a powerful Antidote expel Sins Poyson Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my Heart that I might not Sin against Thee Let not Sin but the Word Reign in your Mortal Body that none of the Members of it may be defiled and debased in wicked Works and Services Prize all the Ordinances and Institutions of the Word of God neglect none be negligent in none The more these are prized and used the greater Reason you will see to persist in the use of them for the greater spiritual Benefit will sensibly be reaped That Noble Pair had learned the Word indeed of whom it was said Luk. 1. 6. And they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless 5. You have truly learned the Word of God when your care is to commend it and to adorn it in all things The more this Word is in your Mouths the more Edifying will your Discourse be Speak much of this Word and for it nay if you speak much of it as it is you will speak for it for the Word will commend it self Mind those Injunctions Eph. 4. 29. Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouths but that which is good to the use of Edifying and which may administer Grace to the hearers And Deut. 6. 6 7. These Words which I command thee this day shall be in thy Heart and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up How can it be said the Word has been entertained in your Hearts if you are not ready to commend it that it may have a Room in the Hearts of others And let not your Commendation of the Word be verbal onely but real Let your Conversations ever become the Gospel Live suirably to such a pure Holy and Heavenly Word and walk worthy of God who by this Word has called you to his Kingdom and Glorâ— â— Thes 2. â—â— 6. You have truly learned the Word of God when you do every things by its Direction not onely your Duty towards God but your Duty towards Man In all your ways God is to be eyed and acknowledged that by his Word your Paths may be directed Prov. 3. 6. Trade must be managed by the Word and the rules of Truth and Justice and Equity laid down there this is the way to grow Rich with a Blessing and without the Addition of Sorrow A Family must be order'd by this Word and all the Members of Families and the Governours of them must learn their Relative Duties from the Word of God Recreations must be regulated hereby else there may quickly be a forgetting of God an excessive delight in them and too great an expence of precious time Nothing can be well done if the Word be not regarded in the doing of it and nothing can be ill done or miscarry under the Words Conduct 7. You have truly learned the Word of God if you never depart from it Persevering in Obedience will prove you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed Disciples Joh. 8. 31. Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him if ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed This shews the Lord himself has been your Teacher and is teaching you still and strengthning you together Psal 119. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it to the end And V. 102. he says I have not departed from thy Judgments for thou hast taught me Stick unto his Testimonies and cleave unto the Lord with such a Resolution as neither Mammon Sin nor Satan may ever shake You can never change your Lord or his Service but you must change infinitely for the worse therefore be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in his work Though the Mountains depart and the Hills be removed yet do you abide with God and stand fast in the Faith unto the Death that you may receive the Promised Crown of Life and wear it for evermore FINIS ERRATA PAge 49. line 16. for broken read troden p. 53. l. 9. f. in r. as p. 56. l. 29. f. the r. yet p. 64. l. 16. f. diligent r. vigilant p. 76. l. 17. f. undenied r. underived p. 77. l. 12. f. Tabb r. Fable Books Printed for and sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel A Body of practical Divinity consisting of above 176 Sermons on the lesser Catechism composed by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster with a Supplement of some Sermons on several Texts of Scripture by Tho. Watson formerly Minister of St. Stephens Walbrook Printed from his own hand writing recommended by several Ministers to Masters of Families and others Synodicon in Gallia Reformata or the Acts Decrees Decisions Canons of the Reformed Churches in France Being 1. A most faithful and impartial History of the rise growth perfection and decay of the Reformation in that Kingdom with its fatal Catastrophe upon the revocation of the Edict at Nants in the year 1685. 2. The Confession of Faith and Discipline of those Churches 3. A Collection of Speeches Letters Sacred Politicks Cases of Conscience and Controversies in Divinity determined and resolved by those Grave Assemblies 4. Many excellent expedients for preventing and healing Schisms in the Churches and for re-uniting the dismembred Body of divided Protestants 5. The Laws Government and Maintenance of the Colledges Universities and Ministers together with their Exercise of Discipline upon delinquent Ministers and Church Members 6. A Record of very many illustrious Events of Divine Providence relating to those Churches The whole collected and composed out of the Original Manuscript Acts of those renowned Synods a work never before extant in any Language in two Vol. by John Quick c. Fol. The Sure Mercies of David Or a Second Part of Heart-treasure Wherein is contained the sum and substance of Gospel-mercies purchased by Christ and Promised in the Covenant of Grace together with the several ways how they are made sure to all the Heirs of Promise and how they are to be improved for the Saints Fort and Defence Settlement and Incouragement in shaking and backsliding times By O. Heywood Closet-prayer a Christian Duty Or a Treatise upon Mat. 6. 6. By O. Heywood Baptismal Bonds renewed Being some Meditations upon Psal 50. 5. By O. H. M. A. Meetness for Heaven promoted in some brief Meditations upon Colos 1. 12. Discovering the nature and necessity of habitual and actual Meetness for Heaven here in all that hope for Heaven hereafter By O. H. An Epistolary Discourse on the great assistances to a Christians Faith and for a more Intire Rest and Assurance in the highest Trials and Adventures thereof With a Second Part upon the Present Times and these rare Vicissitudes of Providence in the Publick State of Britain in this Age. To which an Appendix is added in the Close By R. Fleming A Discourse of Earthquakes as they are Supernatural and Premonitory Signs to a Nation with a respect to what hath occurred in this Year 1692. And some special Reflections thereon As also on that Security and Assurance of Mind which is attainable in the Light and Power of Religion under the greatest Surprizals and Terrors of Sense With some Enquiry upon the Grounds both of our Fears and Hopes as to the publick State of the Church of Christ in this Day By the Author of the Fulfilling of the Scriptures The Confirming Work of Religion Or its Great Things made plain by their Primary Evidences and Demonstrations Whereby the meanest in the Church may soon be made able to render a Rational account of their Faith Written by R. Fleming Author of the Fulfilling of the Scriptures A Defence of Mr. M. H's Brief Enquiry into the Nature of Schism and the Vindication of it With Reflections upon a Pamphlet called the Review c. And a Brief Historical Account of Non-conformity from the Reformation to this Present Time England's Alarm Being an account of God's most Considerable Dispensations of Mercy and Judgment towards these Kingdoms for Fourteen Years last past And also of the several sorts of Sins and Sinners therein Especially the Murmurers against the Present Government With an Earnest Call to speedy Humiliation Supplication and Reformation as the Chief Means of Prospering their Majesties Counsels and Preparations Dedicated to the King and Queen A Sermon Preached at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Shewell Master of Arts and Minister of the Gospel in Coventry Who went up well into the Pulpit Jan. 15. and having Prayed and Named the Text Rom. 5. 12. was seised by an Apoplexy and dyed within a few Hours By William Tongue Minister of the Gospel The Good of Early Obedience By M. Mead. A Practical Expos on the 130. Psalm The Grace and Duty of being Spiritual Minded The Declaration of the Glorious Mistory of the Person of Christ These three by J. Owen D. D. Redemption of Time the Duty and Wisdom of Christians in evil days By S. Wade Minister at Hamersmith The Vanity of Man being a Discourse fitted for Funeral occasions By S. Shaw Several Discourses concerning the actual Providence of God in three Parts Above one hundred Sermons on the Canticles These two by the Reverend John Collings D. D. of Norwich FINIS