chiefly to this Great Work And this will be yet more evident if we consider it in the several Parts All the Scripture may be reduced to these Seven Heads The Doctrines the Precepts the Exhortations the Promises the Threatnings the Examples and the Prayers therein Recorded And I shall give an Instance or two how every one of these is chiefly designed to be Subservient to this End This is the Total Sum plac't at the Foot of the Account when the Wisest of Men had Cast it up exactly Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole Matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the Whole of Man For God shall bring every Work to Judgment with every Secret Thing whether it be Good or whether it be Evil Eccles 12.13 14. As if he had said When we have said all that can all that may be said this is in one word the Sum and Substance of the Whole All the several Lines from how different Points soever they are drawn terminate and end in this as their Centre Be Diligent in God's Work What doth the Doctrine teach us but To deny Vngodlyness and Worldly Lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godly in this present World Looking for that Blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saâ—iour Jesus Christ That there is a God Infinitely Glorious in all Perfections who hath made all Things for His Glory and Man especially to pay Him that Tribute of Glory which is due to Him from all His Works That Man hath an Immortal Soul more worth than all the World And that there is an Eternal Estate after this Life an Heaven and an Hell And that Man 's great Business is to attain the One and escape the Other That there shall be a Resurrection both of the Just and Vnjust That God will bring every Work to Judgment and render to every Man according to their Works That They who have done Good shall go into Eternal Life and They who have done Evil into Everlasting Punishment That the Good and Faithful Servant who was Diligent in God's Works shall receive his Master's Euge and be Advanced But the Wicked and Sloathful Sâ—rvant shall be bound Hand and Foot and cast into Vtter Darkness for his Neglecting it What do the Precepts enjoyn us but To Love the Lord with all our Heart and Soul with all our Strength and all our Might To Serve Him with a Perfect Heart and with a Willing Mind To Glorify Him in our Spirits and our Bodies To Work out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling To Seek for Immortality and Eternal Life by patient Continuance in Well-doing To Strive to Enter the Streight-Gate To Give all Diligence to be admitted into Christ's Kingdom In a word The Sum of them is to Command us to Honour God and be Wise to Salvation And Thou hast Commanded us to keep these Precepts diligently Psal 119.3 As to the Hortatory Swasory Argumentative Part of the Scriptures 't is chiefly imploy'd to allure us to this Work To draw us by the Cords of a Man or to fright us out of our Negligence and drive us as with Whip-Cords To Convince us by the Clearest Light To Advise us by the Wisest Reasons To Beseech us by the Sweetest Mercies To Warn us by the Sorest Dangers To Perswade us by most Cogent Arguments To Oblige us by most Indispensible Engagements In a word To Prevail upon us by what-ever the Frame and Constitution of our Nature is capable of being moved by to mind our Work in Earnest or to leave us for ever inexcusable if we slight it or trifle at it As to the Promises 'T is said in general That Godliness hath the Promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come And these Promises are for Number many Some who have reckoned them up affirm them no fewer than Six Hundred For Naâ—ure Great and Precious For Certainâ—y Immutable being bottom'd on the Truth of Him who cannot Lye He is Faithful that hath Promised And the Sum of them all is to give the strongest Assurance that God will Reward them that Diligently seek Him and that with exceeding great Rewards A Crown of Glory an Eternal Kingdom an Incorruptible Inheritance Fulness of Joy and Everlasting Life And the Threatnings which are as Terrible as the Promises are Comfortable the severest Wrath of God being Reveal'd from Heaven in them are all Levell'd against those who prefer the Devil's Work before God's or are Remiss and Careless in it How shall we Escape Great Damnation if we neglect so Great Salvation Vpon the Wicked He shall rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an Horrible Tempest this shall be the Portion of their Cup. A Cup of Trembling indeed a Cup of Bitter and Poysonous Mixture and yet the very Dregs of it shall be wrung out to them and they must suck them up What hot and burning Thunder-bolts are such Sentences as these charg'd with Cursed be the Man that doth the Work of God deceitfully He that Believeth not shall be Damned Vnless ye Repent ye shall all Perish The Ax is laid to the Root of the Tree every Tree therefore which bringeth not forth Good Fruit shall be Cut down and cast into the Fire unquenchable If any Man love not our Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha The Lord Jesus shall be Revealed from Heaven with His Mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on those who know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be destroyed with Everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and the Glory of His Power And Hundreds more which sound and signify as dreadfully as these Thou canst not hear such Sentences pronounc't without Affrightment unless thy Heart be like Leviathans hard as the Nether-Mill-stone And How wilt thou bear the Execution when thou comest to feel it The Histories and Examples to which I Reduce the Parables which are seigned Histories the Scope of all these is to shew God's Care of good Men and the Pleasure He takes in those who delight and love to do His Work with Diligence Such as Abel Enoch and the Holy Patriarchs Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Moses Joshua Caleb and after David Jehosophat Hezechias Josiah c. with the Holy Apostles and Saints Recorded in the New-Testament Or His Wrath against Wicked Men and the Vengeance He inflicts upon Ungodly and Unfaithful Ones such as Cain and Cham and the Ten Spyes who brought up an Evil Report on the Good Land and discouraged their Brethrens Hearts from seeking it such as Nadab an Abihu who offered Strange Fire and were paid in their kind with as Strange a Fire which devoured them Such as Hophni and Phineas those Sons of Belial who polluted their Priesthood and caused Men to Abhor Oh horrible Wickedness the Lord's Service Such as Judas Ananias and Saphira Demas the Foolish Virgins Dives and the Slothful Servant and abundance more all
Table from being Moral but in common speaking those of the Second are chiefly understood And they are Naturâ notiora more easily discerned by the light of Natural Conscience and he may see his duty in what is easily known who sees it not in what is harder to discover How shall he love God whom he hath not seen who loveth not his brother whom he hath seen But he is without excuse who pretends to know and do the hardest And will neither know nor do the easiest A sober and honest Conversation in the fight of men is a fair body of a Christian but there must be a Soul and Spirit to enliven it as he said to him who wondered that a Statue with such perfect lineaments could neither go nor stand Deest aliquid tnius There wants a living Principle within With the putting off the Old man according to the Conversation and putting on the new there must be a renuing in the Spirit of the mind Eph. iv 23. Many Heathens excelled in the exercise of Vertues Aristides Cato Regulus And yet if you will believe St. Augustine they were but splendida peccata shining sins they wanted both right Principle and end and the sprinkling with Christs Blood We must add Faith to our Vertue as well as Vertue to our Faith See that you do the great things of the Law but besure you leave not undone the greater things of the Gospel A lively work of Faith to purifie your hearts unite you to Christ and make you partakers of his Spirit for sound Regeneration and through Conversion without this you are undone for ever Fifthly Not being of the true Church or of this or that Party or Persuasion 'T is a wonder so many should be cheated with so groundless an error not only Papists who have an Hypothesis which tempts them to it That the Faith of the Church and Treasury of the Church may be Communicated to them by being Members of it But many others crying I am of Paul I of Appollo I of Cephas A true Son of the Church one of the Godly Party one of the Friends But I beseech you take notice 'T is not being of the truest and best Religion in the world will save you but being true to that Religion and living up to it Salvation was of the Jews Theirs was the Religion God dispenc'd Salvation in yet all Jews were not saved All are not Israel who are of Israel nor all the children of Abrahams Faith who were the children of his flesh Surely Judas was of the true Church when he was of our Lords own Family and yet went thence to his own place a place to which you would be loath to follow him Be thy head never so Orthodox as to the Articles of Faith if thy life be Hetrodox as to the Rule of Practice the goodness of thy Faith will be so far from excusing the badness of thy Life that it will greatly aggravate thy Condemnation and the more clearly thou knowest thy Masters will and the more firmly thou believest it with more stripes shalt thou be beaten for disobeying it Tho bad Company occasions many mens damnation and good Company may be an help to yet never was it never shall it be a cause of any mans Salvation I mean that he should be saved meerly for professing the same Religion with them who are saved tho not for the Professing but Practising of their Religion Lastly Not believing in Christ or presuming rather they do so without any Fruits of Faith to prove it true and lively God forbid I should make any sinister reflections on the Doctrine of our Church and a Doctrine so clear in Scripture as that of the Justification and Salvation of sinners by Faith in Christ yea by Faith alone God who regarded the lowliness of his hand maid when his Son was Conceived hath had regard to this humble lowly Grace as to the Conceiving Christ in our Hearts That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith 'T is appointed to receive Christ Jesus and to make us the Sons of God by so doing And whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John iii. 16. I know no other way of Salvation for my self I teach no other way to you yet after all I say to you look well to your selves that your Faith be Faith indeed not a dead faith not a bold presumption not a self delusion The stronger and purer the Liquor is with which the Poyson is mixed the more dangerous will its Operation be I fear the Poyson the Devil infuses in this Holy this pure Doctrine of the Gospel kills multitudes for want of caution I beseech you therefore be very cautious lest you be deceived in your Faith The question is not whether Faith will save thee and makes thee ready for Christ But whether thou indeed have Faith that is true Faith 'T is certain Faith alone justifies a sinner but as certain that that Faith which is alone justifies no sinner The Eye alone sees The Hand alone works but if the Eye or Hand be alone that is separated from the Body they neither see nor work Tho Faith justifies us as a passive Grace receiving Christ and the gift of Righteousness by and with him and Sanctifies as an active Grace yet 't is the same Faith that doth both and if it do not both it will do neither With the same Hand we receive what is given us and with the same Hand we work what is injoyned us The same Faith that receives Christ as a Saviour engages you to serve him as your Lord and King And the same Faith which justifies your Persons must Sanctifie your Natures Act. xxvi 18. And purifie your hearts Act. xv 9. And work by love and make you new Creatures in Christ 2 Cor. v. 17. if it ingraft you into him and will constrain you to live to him if you do in good earnest believe he dyed for you and if your Faith have not these Fruits to prove it true and living it makes you not ready for Christ thou rather dreamest thou believest in Christ than dost so really and whilst thou art in this stumber thy Lamp will go out like the foolish Virgins Matth. xxv 8. and thou wilt have nothing to meet Christ with when ever he comes Thus have I shewed you negatively what will not make you ready for Christ tho too many flatter and befool themselves that it will and will not suffer themselves to be convinc'd of their error till it be too late to redeem and mend it I earnestly exhort you and most heartily beg of God you may never be found in that number And now I proceed to the positive part to shew wherein Readiness for Christ consists And First To be ready for Christ is to be a Good man a Righteous man an Holy upright Godly Man One who desires to do the whole will of God sincerely both by ceasing to do evil and learning to do good
an Estate by his own Industry takes more Pleasure in it than Five who stumbled upon it unlook't for and it drop't as we say into their Mouths Labour gets the best Stomach and a good Stomach is the best Sawce and so a good Conscience is the best Feast That Bread is sweetest which we Earn Jus dat Labor Such Bread is not Gritty we Eat it without Regret As a Minister who thrusts himself into that Office as a Trade to get Money as a Means to relieve a Broken Fortune as a Ladder to climb the Pinacle of Honour and neither designs the Glory of God nor Good of Souls If this Man should by chance Convert a Sinner it would yield him no Comfort because his Heart tells him He neither design'd it nor desir'd it So if another whose Soul is set to save them who hear him yet plough upon the Rock and see not the desired Success upon Men yet shall he assuredly find it with God Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be Glorious in the Eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my Strength Isa 49.5 And St. Paul We are to God a sweet Savour in Christ in them that Perish and in them that are Saved 2 Cor. 2.15 When earnest Endeavours hold the Plow and hearty Desires sow the Land the Crop shall assuredly be Peace and Comfort And Diligence is as Honourable as Comfortable Nothing reflects a greater Glory upon a Man than Sedulity And those who are too Lazy to imitate him will yet either Admire or Envy him and to be Envyed is as Honourable as to be Envious is Base Diligence haâ—h such an Interest in every Man's Conscience that it cannot but obtain Applause and Approbation and they will Praise it who will not Practice it And as the prosperous Success of Good Men's Industry is the Fuel of Bad Men's Envy so let the Envy of such Men more and more kindle and inflame thy Diligence Secondly With Respect to others A Good Man hath no greater Care nor Pleasure next to the saving of his own Soul than to promote the Salvation of others 'T is the Voyce of a Cain Am I my Brother's Keeper He which Converteth another from the Errour of his Wayes shall save a Soul from Death and shall cover a Multitude of Sins Jam. 5.20 And by scattering those Clouds shall himself Shine as the Stars for ever and ever Dan 12.3 One Diligent Man who is active in the Work of God may be as a Soul to put Life and Spirit into a great many Your Zeal hath provok'd many 1 Cor. 9.2 'T is agreat Blessing to be a Blessing to others and he is the greatest Blessing to others who leads them to the Attainment of Eternal Blessedness No Man doth me so much Good as he that makes me Good and no Man doth so much to make me Good as he that gives me good Example He 's most like to have good Servants who himself works with them who saith not Go ye But Come with me or Let us go The spreading and flourishing Estate of Religion was fore-told by the Prophet Zechariah in Chap. 8. 21. in words very remarkable to this purpose The Inhabitants of one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to Pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also The Emperour Partiâ—â—x's his word was Militemus A Lyon to their Captain would make an Army of the most fearful Creatures fall on Gideon taught his Souldiers by Exampel Look on me and it shall be that what ye see me do that shall ye do Judg. 7.17 Alexander us'd to March First And Q. Curtius tells us That in storming a City he was the First that leap't down off the Walls amongst the Enemies which made his Souldiers even fly down after him Caesar us'd to leave his Horse and go on Foot in Hard Marches that the Private Souldiers might not be discouraged with those Hardships in which their General bore the First Part. 'T will get a Crazy Man a Stomach to see an Hungry Man feed Be Diligent therefore in this Work of God that thou may'st make others so And besides the Benefit which they shall reap it will redound to thy Advantage All the Good they do shall in some measure be acounted thine beeause thou wert the Occasion of their doing of it Remember that of the Poet Ergo opera ejus mea sunt All the Exploits of Achilles's Valour are challenged by Vlysses because he brought him to the War Thirdly But all that our Diligence can be either to our selves or others is as nothing in Comparison to what it is in God's Account For though next to pleasing God 't is very considerable what Influence it may have upon our own Good or the Good of others yet our main Interest is and our Business ought to be to please Him according to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.9 We labour or are Ambitious as the Original Word signifies that we may be Accepted of Him because we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the Things done in His Body according to that he hath done whether it be Good or Bad. Now God esteems our Diligence and Faithfulness in His Work and Service to be our honouring and glorifying Him as is implyed in that Place Sam. 2.30 Him that Honoureth me that is Serves me Diligently which Eli's Sons had neglected and by that Neglect were accounted to despise Him So This People honoureth me with their Lips Matth. 15.8 which was indeed but a Mock-Honour because it was no more but had been Real Honour if it had proceeded from their Hearts And we Glorify God in our Bodies and Spirits 1 Cor. 6.20 when we dedicate both to His Service And Christ saith Hi Father is glorifyed when His Disciples bear much Fruit Joh. 15.8 which is the Effect of Diligence Sloath may do a little but 't is Diligence which doth much And it Honours Him many wayes First His Authority 'T is the Honour of a Lord or Master to have his Servants exactly Obedient and Observant of his Will to go when he bids them come when he calls them and do what he enjoyns them readily and with all their Power as the Israelites promised to Joshua Chap. 1.16 17 18. which was greatly for his Honour So our Diligence in God's Work gives Him the Honour of being a Wise a Righteous a Gracious an All-sufficient a Faithful GOD Fit to Rule us Able to Protect us Careful to Reward us and in all makes His Praise glorious Secondly It Honours His Goodness and Excellency when we declare we prefer the Enjoyment of Him infinitely before all other things and make it manifest we count it worth our utmost Cost and Pains and Care and all that Diligence includes to attain it Proclaiming openly The Pearl is so Precious 't is impossible to purchase it too Dear And we make a good Bargain if we get it though it Cost
Blind and the Lame with many other Expressions which imply Neglect and Sleightiness in his Service Vers 14. But Cursed be the Deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and Voweth and Sacrificeth to the Lord a Corrupt Thing As much as to say who had Opportunities and Abilities to serve God better yet through Sloath and Negligence presumes to serve Him worse The Servant who hid his Talent in a Napâ—in when he should have traded for his Master with it is first punish't with the Loss of his Talent Take the Talent from him And then with sorer Vengeance Bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into utter Darkness Not only those who rob'd and spoyl'd them but those who neglected to Relieve Christ in His poor Members Shall go away into Everlasting Punishment And other Negligence in what God requires will meet with a Proportionable Doom Secondly Negligence in God's Work casts a great Damp upon others weakens their Hands discourageth their Hearts The World is exceeding prone to be taken with such Examples as gratify their Lusts and indulge their Ease Now when Men who are too ready of themselves to be Slack and Remiss in these Matters see you who are their Betters Sleight and Sloathful How will they argue from and improve so bad a Precedent and say to themselves 'T is safe to do so as the Apostle argues in another Case 1 Cor. 8.10 Shall not the Conscience of him that is weak be emboldned So may I in this Shall not others be imboldned to be as Careless as thy self And so thou wilt destroy thy Brother for whom Christ Dyed And sin against his Soul and sin against Christ and against thy own Life all at once And I appeal to your own Consciences What is it that makes Forwardness and Zeal in Religion and Diligence in God's Work be look't upon with so shy and suspicious an Eye in most places Yea with Disgrace Reproach and Scorn as if it were more ado than needs But the general Coldness and Deadness of Men call'd Christians and professing themselves the Servants of the true God And if any do tacitely reprove them by being more forward they 'll Revenge themselves with the Lowdest Reproaches and Infamous Reflections of Affectation of Singularity Hypocrisy Hair-brain'd Zeal and what not And so when their Spiritual Interest urges them and Conscience urges them to Diligence in their Great Work they dare not endeavour it for fear of Jeers Scorns and being laught at for their Singularity and as Men who would pretend to be wifer than their Neighbour and are either cog'd out of the Power of Godlyness by the flattering Example of the Lazy or Bug-bear'd out on 't by the Reproaches of Singularity But Woe be to him by whom such Offences come It were better a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and he were cast into the Sea than that he should offend one Little One who believes in Christ St. Matth. 18.6 If it be so dangerous to be Partaker of other Mens Sins What is it to be the Author of other Men's Sins And if no Murderer of Men's Bodies hath Eternal Life What shall become of those who thus Murder Souls Consider our Lord's Words St. Matth. 23.13 Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites Ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men for ye neither go in your selves and them that were entring in ye hinder Thirdly Thy Sloathfulness in God's Work greatly dishonours Him not meerly as it disobeys Him but by the Sinister Reflections it makes upon Him as if His Work deserved no better 'T is Natural to us when we see any Design pursued Remisly to conclude 'T is not worth the while to bestow more Pains about it and consequently it greatly provokes him For He that despiseth Him shall be lightly esteemed God regards the manner of our Duties as much nay more than the Duties themselves 'T is not the doing Good pleaseth Him so much as the doing of it Well Not only Eat but so Eat Let a Man Examine himself and so let him Eat Not only Read Pray Hear but Read Considerately Hear Attentively Pray Earnestly So Read so Pray so Hear or else thou may'st do all these more to thy Hurt than Benefit As the Apostle speaks of some Mens Eating and Drinking their own Damnation Not only serve God but Keep thy Heart diligently when thou art about it And be not Sloathful in this Business but Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 The Luke-warm is the worst Temper God will spew such out of His Mouth Rev. 3.16 The Fourth Head from whence we may draw Moitves to excite our Diligence in this Work is by making Comparisons And this will yield us several very Cogent Ones First Compare God and the World and thy Self with thy Self in reference to These thy Worldly Self with thy Religious Self And Alas What vast odds appears even at the first View What are all the Things yea and all the Men of the World put together in Comparison of Him To whom will ye liken God or What Likeness will ye compare to Him Behold the Nations are as the Drop of a Bucket and are counted as the small Dust of the Ballance he taketh up the Isles as a very little Thing All Nations before Him are as nothing and they are counted to Him less than nothing and Vanity Isa 40.15 17 18. What miserable Comforters what deceitful Helpers when their Breath goeth out and their Thoughts perish Yea before that while they Live and are in their Best Estate they are altogether Vanity How Weak how False how soon Weary are all the Men in the World in Comparison of the Almighty All-wise All-sufficient most Faithful and Unchangeable God How Empty how Unsatisfying how Perishing how Deceitful what Lying and Vexing Vanities are all the Honours Profits Pleasures thou can'st pursue or hope to catch in Comparison of Him who is the only full pleasing satisfying Object of the Heart of Man Now argue hence If Men if thy Self yet seek for these with so great Warmth and Heat with so much Life and Vigour and Rise up Early and Sit up Late and Wear out themselves and Labour as in the Fire to grasp these Shadows What Zeal what Diligence should we use in the Work of God that we may please Him and enjoy Him for Ever Solomon observes That Many seek the Rulers Favour Prov. 29.26 How will Men fawn and flatter and crouch and debase themselves and comply with the Humours nay the Lusts of them who can Advance them Though the Psalmist who was a Mighty Prince himself bids us not to Put Confidence in Princes nor in the Sons of Men in whom is no Help Psal 146.3 And giving the Reason for it ver 4. directs us ver 5. shewing us in the Enjoyment of whom true Happiness Consists Happy is the Man who hath the God of Jacob for his Help whose Hope is the Lord his God who made Heaven and Earth and keepeth Truth for
did Isaac or Esaw Jacob or as a Wolfe doth love a Sheep The Righteous is abomination to the Wicked Prov. xxix 27. And what a kind of Heaven would it be for an unsanctified man to be shut up with such Company as he hates with the worst of Antipathies and vilifies with the bitterest censures and most despightful scorn Nor could the Company of Heaven like him better than he likes them For God is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness nor shall evil dwell with him Psal v. 4 5. Christ saith to them depart from me ye that work iniquity Matth. vii 23. The Holy Spirit will not entertain him who would never open the door to him knockt he never so earnestly and long but all ways shut him out of his heart 'T is the Offices of the blessed Angels to gather out of the Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity and to cast them into a furnace of fire Matth. xiii 41 42. And they will do their Office impartially As for the Saints as they could give them no Oyl to help them in Matth. xxv 9. So would they give them no countenance should they get in without it Moses accuses them John v. 45. The souls under the Altar cryed against them whilst they lived Revel vi 9. And shall judg them when they dye 1 Cor. vi 2. The whole Herd makes head against a blown Deer Those Loyal Subjects will not harbour such Traitors against their Lord and King Then shall be the great Excommunication and the Church of the first born will put from amongst them every wicked person as 1 Cor. v. 13. injoyns Therefore Oh unsanctified sinner bethink thy self in time To which of the Saints wilt thou turn Job v. 1. Thirdly The Work of Heaven which he hath neither skill to perform nor time nor heart to learn renders an unsanctified man as uncapable of Heaven as either of the former For the Work of Heaven is to serve the Lord incessantly And his servants shall serve him Rev. xxii 3. To do his Will so perfectly that 't is fet as a pattern how to do it on Earth Thy will be done on Earth as 't is in Heaven Mat. vi To love the Lord with perpetual extastes and ravishments of Soul to Worship him that sits upon the Throne and give him glory throwing down their Crowns at his feet and saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power to sound forth Eternal Hallelujahs and not to cease either day or night from crying Holy Holy Holy to him which was and is and is to come Rev. iv To sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb who redeemed them from the Earth and made them to his Father Kings and Priests to offer up the pure incense of Eternal Praises And such as this being the incessant endless imployment of Heaven I beseech you give me leave with freedom to Appeal to your Consciences who either never Pray nor Praise or slubber over a few formal Devotions for custom sake and to stop the Mouth of Conscience with the greatest weariness as the most irksome task and druggery of your lives and are so tyr'd at a Prayer or Sermon that nothing tries your patience like it or seems so tedious and so much the more as the service is more spiritual and searching what would you do in Heaven what corner would you find to sleep in How many wearyed and longing Eyes would you cast upon that Glass of Eternity which will never be run out How tedious would that everlasting Sabbath seem when you so often ask of these below when will they be gone Amos viii 5. I intreat you therefore be convinced of the indispensible necessity of Sanctification to make you fit to go to Heaven with Christ For either God must change the Nature of Heaven to fit it to thy Phansie which he will never do or thy heart must be made like it even Holy and Heavenly to savour and delight in the things of God or else Heaven it self would be no Heaven to thee In a word without Justification thou canst not go to Heaven as a state of happiness tho thou wouldst and without Sanctification thou wouldst not go to Heaven as a state of Holiness tho thou mightst See Col. i. 12. Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Mark 'T is an Inheritance thou must be made a Son to have a Title to Inherit there 's Justification But 't is an inheritance of the Saints in light and thou must be made a Saint and Child of Light to be meet to enter into the possession of it There 's Sanctification 1 Cor vi 9 10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither Fernicators nor Idolaters c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God and such were some of you how then came they to be capable But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Here you have them both expresly St. Paul again tells you Rom. viii 30. Whom he justified them he also glorified In which place also we have both these the first explicitely you must be justified before you can be glorified the second implicitely for therefore glorified signifies perfectly sanctified Grace is glory in the Bud and Blosom Glory is Grace in the full blown Flower and ripe Fruit Now as no ripe Fruit without a Blosom no full blown Rose without a Bud so no Glory without Grace preceeding From glory to glory 1 Cor. iii. ult That is from Glory inchoate in Grace on Earth to Glory consummate in Bliss in Heaven As child-hood is before man-hood and he that never was a child shall never be a man So he in whose heart Christ was never formed by the immortal seed Who never was born of the Spirit Who never as a new born Babe desired the sincere Milk of the Word to grow thereby shall never arrive at the Stature of the fulness of Christ shall never attain to that perfect Image of the Son of God to which all his are Predestinated to be Conformable shall never be a perfect man in Christ nor appear before him perfect in Zion to follow the Lamb upon that Holy Mountain The Conceptions which the best men have of Heaven are very low obscure and imperfect but certainly those which ignorant and prophane men have of it are strangely absurd and brutish or it were impossible they should ever hope to get thither till their sins be both pardoned and subdued for 't is next to a contradiction to think they can reign with Christ in whose mortal Bodies or immortal Souls sin is allowed and continues to reign For least of all in this sence can corruption inherit incorruption Thirdly Tho the two things we last insisted on are the main to constitute us
and not live Prevent in time of Health the distractions the unsetledness of thy worldly Affairs may and will give thee in the last Stage of thy life leave nothing which may hinder thy following Christ readily without once looking back when he is about to lead thee out of this world Remember Lots Wife Luke xvii 32. Readiness to go into another world Supposes Readiness to go out of this Lastly Call in the assistance and help of others 'T is the Character of a wiseman that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquisitive When John Baptist came Preaching Repentance and shewing them their danger that the Ax was laid to the root of the tree And that every tree that brought not forth good fruit should be hewed down and cast into the fire Luke iii. 9. They all fall to asking verse 10. The people asked of him what shall we do then verse 10. The Publicans Master what shall we do ver 12. And the Souldiers likewise demanded of him saying What shall we do verse 14. Also Christs Hearers John vi 28. said unto him What shall we do that we may work the works of God And the afrighted Jayler cryed out Sirs what must I do to be saved Act. xvi 30. But where 's the man that moves such questions now adays Or asks the way to Zion If you feel the least grudging of a Distemper in your Bodies the Physitian is sent for presently Or fear a flaw in your Estates you run to the Lawyer but every man thinks himself Physitian skilful enough for his Souls Distempers and Lawyer good enough for his Title to Heaven And tho The Priests lips should preserve knowledg and the people should enquire the Law at his mouth because he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. ii 7. Yet tho he be A Messenger one of a thousand an Interpreter to shew to man his uprightness Job xxxiii 23. To declare to him whether his Spiritual condition be good and safe and such as makes him ready for Christ yet may he sit in his study till he dye before any come to interrupt him with such business It 's true indeed it may be you will send for him when you are Sick I blame not this better then than not at all provided it be not too late as too oft it is When the Physitian leaves you and gives you over as hopeless and you are drawing on and have scarce any use of Sence or Reason left As the Foolish Virgins beg for Oyl when sickness and the approaching pangs of death gave them that smart Alarum Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye forth to meet him And then you would be getting when you should be using it what your whole life was lent you for And then you would be taught in one quarter of an hour and when the indispositions both of Body and Mind have made you past learning or at least very unfit to learn what is a Lesson hard enough for many years even the calmest and least disturbed of them and when thou didst injoy a sound Mind in a sound Body I beseech you friends resolve me nay rather resolve your selves if it be good to consult your Spiritual Guides then is it not better to do it sooner whilst you are capable to take their Counsel and have time to follow it and if they may do you good then may they not do you more good in a fitter season Why then will you chuse the less before the more and the worse before the better I therefore with repeated importunity again intreat you call in all the help you can both from experienced humble Christians who make it their business in good earnest to be ready for Christ themselves And also from your faithful Pastors Who watch for your souls Soloman tells us twice that in the multitude of Counsellors there is safety Prov. xi 14. xxiv 6. and hath a vaeâ—soli woe to him that is alone Eccl. iv 10. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Prov. xxviii 26. And he that trusteth to it is little better For besides its deceitfulness and our Natural Partiality to our selves Our ignorance and inadvertency needs much help from the prudence and fidelity of others Chuse therefore some ferious Soul-friend to whom thou mayest with modesty and freedom lay open thy Spiritual state And as I told you before that nothing is worse than a Bosome-sin So nothing is better than such a Bosome-friend to help thee into Abrahams Bosome and the Arms of Christ And this for the first Use of Direction which I have enlarged much beyond my first intentions and therefore will be very brief in the two that follow next Second Use Reprehension I shall name three sorts only to be reproved for sinning against the Truth we are handling First Those profane ungodly sinners who are so far from endeavouring to be ready against Christs coming that they rather live without any sence of Death and Judgment and Christs coming at all saying at least in their hearts and in their lives with those Scoffers walking after their own lusts 2 Pet. iii. 4. Where is the promise of his coming As if they had made A Covenant with death and were at an agreement with hell As the Prophet describes them Isay xxviii 15. Who rather work out their own damnation with security presumption and provocation than their Salvation with fear and trembling But such monsters of men under the disguise and shape of Christians are fitter to be abhorred of all than reproved of any These Leviathans esteeming our Scripture Artillery as he in Job lxi 27.28 Doth Iron Brass and sling-stones as stubble straw or rotten wood Tho God can make these feeble weapons mighty in his time to pull down the strongest holds of Satan Secondly Those who tho they believe these things in general and approve them and commend others for making ready for Christ yet neglect the practice and performance of them resting in some common hopes some faint desires some outward observances some ineffectual half endeavours and rather wish they were ready for Christ than take care to be so and will rather put it to the venture than be at the pains of any Spiritual Industry to be ready in good earnest which is the very case of multitudes of common Christians Thirdly Those who tho they are convinc'd they ought and also resolve they will get ready and stick at nothing which may make them so yet put off and delay from day to day and year to year Semper victuri as Seneca calls them all way about to do it but never do it always learning but never coming to the knowledg of the truth Stick in the birth and therefore are unwise Hos xiii 13. And indeed nothing makes a man a greater fool or more proves him to be such than this to know what should be done and to resolve to do it and yet never set about it And therefore God brands them with this reproachful Character
So let these Confiderations quicken you lest you be be-nighted and find too soon the Folly of your coming too late to enter into the City of God But Man hath a Door too into which God must enter and this will be shut at Night Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the Door and Knock if any Man open to Me I will come in and Sup with him and he with Me. There is a Door of Knowledge The Key of Knowledge Opens it When the Eyes of our Understandings are enlightned opened to know God in Christ and to receive the Knowledge of His Will God comes into the Heart through this Door when the Eyes of our Minds are so opened as to know God and Christ a right so as to Know them is Eternal Life Joh. 17.3 And a Door of Faith through which Christ comes when He enters to dwell in our Hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 And there is a Door of Repentance by which Sin is turn'd out and God is admitted into our Souls And Lastly There is the Door of Holy Affections Love Desire Delight in God These are at least the Hinges upon which the Door of our Hearts turn Now these Doors may all be opened to let in God while the Day lasts and He will come in and make His Abode with us John 14.23 Jesus said If any Man love Me he will keep My Words And My Father will love him and We will come unto him and make Our Abode with him But when Night comes they will be shut for ever Hasten therefore to open them while you may lest when you would it prove too hard for you and be above both your Skill and your Power You know a Door that is opened dayly opens easily But Doors which stand long shut 't is hard to make them stir or open them without great Violence that shakes them and even breaks them in pieces The Timber will swell the Hinges will rust the Wards of the Lock will be cankered and the Bolts will even grow into the Staples And so will it by Proportion be with your Hearts if you keep the Door long shut against God Nay He may in Anger clap on a Padlock on the other side shut thee up Judicially in Unbelief and Impenitency nail and barracado up the Door for ever because He knock't and call'd so long and woo'd so earnestly in vain Cant. 5.2 Open to Me My Sister My Love My Dove My Vndefiled for My Head is fill'd with Dew and My Locks with the Drops of the Night Then after many idle Excuses for her Delay Vers 6. I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had with-drawn Himself and was gone My Soul failed when He spake I sought Him but I could not find Him I called Him but He gave me no Answer Take heed lest this or worse be thy Case Refuse not to open at the first Knock the first Call the Motions of His Spirit the Checks of thy Conscience the Admonitions of the Word lest He Knock no more or refuse when thou shalt open at thy own Leasure to come near the Door The Servants which shall be blessed are They that wait for their Lord and when he cometh and knocketh open to him immediately Luk. 12.35 Rouze up your selves therefore and speak to your Souls in David's Language and as much as may be with David's Zeal Psal 24.7 9. which he witnessed by the Ingemination of them Lift up your Heads Oh ye Gates and be ye lift up ye Everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory The Lord of Hosts He is this King of Glory And take heed that dreadful Place be not fulfilled upon you Isa 6.10 the most dreadful Word God can speak till he say Depart ye Cursed Make the Heart of this People fat and their Ears heavy and shut their Eyes lest they be Converted and I Heal them A Place Six times repeated in the New-Testament to make us mind it lest by our sinful Shutting the Door we provoke God Judicially to shut it up for ever Sixthly No Man can work when this Night cometh because 't is an abiding Night There is no Day on the other side of it We say To Morrow is a New Day what we cannot do to Day we may do to Morrow But there is no Morrow beyond the Night of Death 'T is appointed to all Men once to Dye but once and after that the Judgment Heb. 9.29 No Second Day of Life allowed to them who have mis-spent and lost the First Job said long since There is Hope of a Tree that if it be cut down it will sprout again and that the tender Branch thereof will not cease Though the Root thereof wax old in the ground and the Stock thereof Dye yet through the Scent of Water it will bud and bring forth Boughs like a Plant. But Man dyeth and wasteth away yea Man giveth up the Ghost and Where is he As the Waters fail from the Sea and the Flood decayeth and dryeth up so Man Lyeth down and Riseth not till the Heavens be no more They shall not awake or rise out of their Sleep Job 14.7 12. And the Heathen Poet long ago observed the like of the Sun The Sun 's Set and Rise Set and Rise again But We when We Set are covered with Eternal Night No repeated Light or Day succeeds O therefore timely and wisely Improve the Present That had need be done well which can be done but once and admits no doing it again to remedy the Errours of doing ill at first And such above all things is the Work of Dying and finishing our Dayes Work before the Night surprize us The Proverb tells us Three Things require greatest Caution and most prudent Circumspection Marriage Battle Death Upon this Account Because their Consequents are like to last Yet the First of these excludes not all possible Relief Good Counsel may reclaim Patience may bear and Wisdom may improve the Inconvenience or the Death of the Party which makes the Yoke unequal and uneasy may take it off the Grieved Party's Neck that it shall not alwayes gall here And at farthest Death will Dissolve the Bond that it shall not be alwayes troublesome And the Second though dangerous is not wholly desperate He that hath lost a Battle suffer'd a Defeat and Rout may Rally and Recruit and though it cost him Dear may learn Experience for more wary Conduct and may expect a more Propitious Fortune But he that Dyes Unpardoned and Ungodly that is before his Work is done he is undone to all Intents and Purposes no Remedy or Hope of Remedy remains to all Eternity And as the fore-nam'd Reasons shew it impossible to Work when this Night hath actually overtaken us so the Last which follows should excite and quicken us to the uttermost to be before-hand with it For Seventhly This Night makes hast The Text tells you It cometh and I tell you and Experience tells you and Christ in effect
tells you It comes apace it comes quickly Time is painted with long Wings and no Wings are pruned for so swift a flight It flows like a Torrent and sweeps us away with it There 's no stemming this Tyde And 't is as Uncertain as 't is Swift Thy Pulse beats incessantly and thy Breath is puffing out and drawing in each Moment and thou knowest not that the One shall repeat its Stroaks or the Other be Restored thee once more This Night comes like a Thief in the Night When we lye still and sleep that wakes and is in perpetual Motion And this may suffice for the Proof of this Observation That the Consideration of the Work we have to do and the Time allowed and limited for the Doing of it should engage us to the Vtmost Diligence and Speed in doing of it I now proceed to the Vseful Improvement of this Weighty Truth with equal Plainness And if the Work we have to do and the Season allowed and limited for the doing of it in engage us to such Diligence and Speed in the doing of it This serves 1. To Justify those who act according to these Engagements 2. To Condemn those who neglect them or act contrary to them 3. To Exhort and Excite us all to act suitably to them by shewing all Diligence and Speed about our Great Work First This Justifyes the Wisdom and Zeal of those who Live up to and act according to these Engagements And I wish to God the Number were Greater that deserves such Encouragement But because they are so few therefore do they need it the more For Good Company confirms Good Resolutions and when many walk together they embolden each other and mutually strengthen one anothers Hands and Hearts But the Narrow-Way which leads to the Streight-Gate being found and trodden by so few and they meeting with so much Opposition to stop them in it or divert them out of it do greatly need all the Encouragements that can be given them For Prophane Ungodly Men hate them and Proud and Formal Pharisees despise them and reproach them And all that are so busy in doing the Work of another Master are mad against them for their Diligence about their Master's and their Father's Business He that departeth from Evil maketh himself a Prey Isa 59.15 God's Heritage is a Speckled Bird the Birds about her are against her Jer. 12.9 The Law of Enmity betwixt the Two Seeds is more unalterable than the Laws of Medes and Persians It discovered it self betimes in Cain and Abel in Ishmael and Isaac the Two signal Types of the Two Visible kinds of Persecution which have prevailed in the World ever since by the Mouth of the Sword or the Sword of the Mouth Cain who was of that Wicked One slew his Brother and wherefore slew he him Because his own Works were Evil and his Brothers Righteous 1 Joh. 3.12 And Ishmael Mocked Gen. 21.9 which in St. Paul's Language is He that was Born after the Flesh persecuted him that was Born after the Spirit Gal. 4.29 And as the Apostle added for the time in which he wrote as it was then so is it now So may we for the times in which we Live and so will they have cause to do who shall Live after us For the Rule 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution is as Universal for Ages and Places as Persons no Temporary one to expire like an Antiquated Law but will last while this Evil World lasts and they shall find it in one kind or the other And where the Laws pinion the Hands of Cain the Tongue of Ishmael will be Lawless and where they dare not kill their Bodies their Throats those open Sepulchres will swallow them alive like the Grave and with Black Mouths full of Lyon's Teeth will rend their Names and tear their Reputations till they wound their very Souls If a Volly of Lyes or a Shower of those invenom'd Arrows bitter railing and opprobrious Words will stop you in or fright you from your Work The Father of Lyes hath more Tongues than Argus had Eyes or Briarius had Hands and will find Monstrous Heads enough both whose Ears grow upon one side But let none of these Things move you neither count your Lives nor your Names dear to you so that you may Finish your Course with Joy Act. 20.24 St. James urges to Patience thrice in a Breath with one of the Arguments in our Text. Jam. 5.7 8 9. Be patient Brethren unto the Coming of the Lord. Be patient stablish your Hearts the Coming of the Lord draweth nigh Grudge not behold the Judge standeth at the Door Gratify not the Devil or his Instruments so much as to grow Remiss at your Work for fear of their Reproaches But keep on your Way though the Dogs bark thou 'lt soon be past them and out of the Noise It would be a dear Purchase to buy their Silence at the Price of abating thy Zeal for God St. Peter teaches you a safer and better Way to do it even by Well-doing and by a good Conversation in Christ to make them ashamed to speak Evil of you This is the most Innocent Revenge you can take on them to resolve the more they deride you or reproach you for your Work the more earnestly to mind it and to follow it the more diligently And 't is the best Security for your selves to prevent being disturbed He that minds his Business intently hath no Ears to hear nor Leisure to take notice of what is design'd to interrupt him Convince them you are led by a better Spirit by being able to bear with Meekness their loudest Slanders most spightful Reproaches While they cannot bear the Silent and undesigned Reprehension your Diligence and Zeal reflects upon their Sloath Trifling in the Work of God and their own Souls 'T is an Immutable and Eternal Truth that the glorifying God and saving our own Souls is our Supream Concern and deserves our First and Highest Care and who ever acts according to it shall in spight of Men and Devils be justifyed as a Wise and good Man in so doing And their Master 's Euge Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into thy Master's Joy will put it out of doubt and controversy for ever And Wisdom shall be Justifyed of her Children though Fools condemn and the Sons of Belial Blaspheme both the Mother and her Off-spring He that hath Truth on his side and Reason on his side and a well-guided Conscience on his side hath God Himself on his side and need not trouble himself who or what-ever is against him And thus 't is certainly with every one who makes Religion his Business in good Earnest And even the Men whose Mouths Reproach you in their Hearts must Reverence you And their Consciences will approve what the Interest of their Lusts provokes them to condemn in others that they might escape being condemned of themselves Be not
therefore could not do it in Faith For what-ever is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14. ult The Heart cannot be Good without Knowledge nor thy Work Good without a Good Heart Wisdom is the Principal Thing to direct thee in thy Work therefore Get Wisdom and with all thy getting get Vnderstanding Prov. 4.7 No Man can aim Right that Shoots blindfold Ignorance will blind thy Eyes that thou can'st not see thy Mark God's Glory and thy own Salvation The Text is express That in the Night no Man can Work And one Reason given to Confirm it was Because 't is too dark to see to work in The most thou can'st do in the Night of Ignorance is to grope like a Blind Man and how thou art like to Finish so curious a Work in such a case I leave it to thy self to Judge Therefore provide against so Real and so Great a Hinderance The Second Real Hinderance is The Indulging of the Flesh and a Desire to gratify it by the Inordinate Love of Ease and Pleasure If this Humour prevail and thou be Delicate Soft and Tender thou wilt shrink and give back at the first Difficulty which steps forth to meet thee He is not fit to make a Souldier that can endure no Hardship Thou therefore endure Hardness as a Good Souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 He that loveth Pleasure shall be a Poor Man Prov. 21.17 And who so loves his Ease Poverty shall come upon him as an Armed Man They can never serve God acceptably who serve their Lusts and Pleasures willingly And they Who are Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God may possibly attain a Form of Godlyness but will certainly Deny the Power of it 2 Tim. 3.4 5. For the Pleasures of this World choak the Seed of the Word and they bring forth no Fruit unto Perfection Luk. 8.14 The Third Real Hinderance is Incumbrance with Multitude of Cares and Worldly Affairs This over-charges the Heart and distracts the Mind that it cannot wait on God No Man can serve God and Mammon Our Breasts are too narrow to lodge so many and so contrary Inmates We cannot look Upwards and Downwards both at once If Carmina secessum scribentis otia poscunt a Poet's Thoughts must be free and disintangled Religion requires it much more Enter thou into thy Closet and shut to thy Door to shut out Distractions I deny not but while we Live in this World wee need the things of this World and we may lawfully seek them and use them But then we must seek and use them lawfully which is done when we keep them at due Distance allow them at most but the Second Place Vse them as if we us'd them not remembring the Time is short and that the Fashion of this World passeth away If Hagar domineer and begin to despise her Mistriss Sarah she must be made to know she 's but a Bond-Maid and she must be cast out Next to them who cannot find an Heart to serve God they are to be pittyed who cannot find Time to serve Him And the truth is they therefore can find no Time for this Work because they can find no Heart to it and they therefore can find no Heart because the World hath stolen it away 'T is said by the Prophet Wine and Women take away the Heart Hos 4.11 And 't is as true Riches and Business and Multiplicity of Affairs and a Croud and Hurry of Employments take it away no less If some Men can scarce find time to Eat and Sleep as well as they love their Bodies What Time do you think they will find to Read and Pray and Meditate and search their Consciences and purify their Souls Of all Remote Advantages which Religion may have I esteem none Greater than Retirement Vacancy a Time to be still and Commune with our Hearts call our Wayes to Remembrance to think and consider and to have Leisure to Converse with God I acknowledge the Truth of Solomon's Vae soli Woe to him that is alone yet 't is as as true Vae nunquam soli Woe to him that will not Woe to him that cannot but most of all Woe to him that dares not be alone The Second Branch of this Vse is to Direct you to the Helps which will Promote your Diligence which amongst others are these Willingness Love Wisdom Speed Industry Courage Constancy or Perseverance First Willingness or a Good Will to your Work The willing Man will be a Diligent Man Willingness is the Rise or leading Step to Diligence 'T is not only Oyl to your VVheels but the very VVheels themselves And Men drive heavily like Pharaoh's Chariot's when the VVheels were taken off when they want a Willing Mind to what they are engaged in VVhen on the contrary Willingness makes them like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6.12 sets them on the Chariots of my Willing People as the Margin there The First VVork upon the Soul is described Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be Willing in the Day of Thy Power In God's Offerings for the Tabernacle the Directions were to Receive them from them who brought them with a Willing Heart Exod. 35.5 21 29. And when they were Willing they bring more than enough Exod. 36.5 Willingness will need a Bridle rather than a Spur. That Picture of Diligence drawn by Solomon's Pen of the Virtuous Woman hath This inserted as the Soul of all the Rest She worketh Willingly with her Hands Prov. 31.13 Willingness to your VVork will help your Diligence in it many wayes For it will make you Docible and Careful to learn your VVork You use to let Children chuse their Professions knowing they will learn that soonest they have most mind to 'T will make you Cheerful and Ready in the Undertaking it We use to say There is nothing to a Willing Mind What the Naturalist saith of the Hand the Moralist saith of the Will It is the Instrument of Instruments A Man treads that Path in which his Will leads him as if he did not feel the Ground he goes on 'T is the best Sauce all things Taste as it doth Season them And Things are Dear or Cheap according to the Ptice it sets upon them It will make Men Serious and in good Earnest they will netiher speak faintly nor act coldly about what they have engag'd their Wills in They will not trifle as those do who are in Bivio know not their own Minds nor what themselves would have Be Willing therefore to your Work that will make you Diligent at it Secondly Love to your Work will double your Diligence about it Love is the Flower the Cream of Willingness nay the Quintessence and Spirits of it If Willingness gives Feet Love will give Wings Jacob served Seven Years for Rachel and they seem'd but as so many Dayes because he Lov'd her The Servant that Lov'd his Master would refuse the Freedom the Law provided for him and would have his Ear bored at his Door-Post and be his
ever And Psal 118.8 9. It is better to Trust in the Lord than to put Confidence in Man than to put Confidence in the Greatest or the Best of Men. And if Men will be so Diligent to please a Landlord a Justice a Master or a Father How much more Careful should we be to please the Great God of Heaven And the Apostle argues Heb. 12.9 We have had Fathers of our Flesh and we gave them Reverence Shall we not much rather be in Subjection to the Father of Spirits and live And God himself Mal. 1.6 And so for the Things of the World No Study or Contrivance of the Head no Labour nor Travel of the Hands or Feet is thought too much How did Jacob Serve for Rachel See how he describes his Diligence Gen. 31.40 In the Day the Drought consumed me and the Frost by Night and my Sleep departed from mine-Eyes And 't is easier to find an Hundred following him in this than Two or Three in his Wrestling with God and not letting Him go till they obtain the Blessing Most Men being serious about Trifles and only trifling and dallying about this Serious Work The One Thing necessary Spending their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which satisfies not Isa 55.2 Forsaking the Fountain of Living Waters and hewing out broken Cisterns that will hold no Water Jer. 2.13 Being wise to do Evil but void of Knowledge to do Good Compare thy Self with other Men How many Younger than thy Self have got more Knowledge How many Poorer than thy Self can spare more Time to Read and Meditate and Pray How many of weaker Parts and under smaller Helps and intrusted with fewer Talents yet have far out-stript thee in your common Master's Work And thou wilt say 'T is like 't is well done of them And thy Judgment approves and praises them For shame then Practise thy Self what thou canst not but applaud in Others Yea let Shame to find thy Self out-stript by so Many that were once behind thee and are so still in many Respects quicken thee to double thy Diligence till thou recover and over-take them yea get again before them Again Compare thy Self with GOD if thou be not afraid to entertain a Thought of so unequal a Comparison Lord What is Man a Worm a Clod a Bubble a Shadow Yea Man in Honour is like the Beast that perisheth and in his best Estate is altogether Vanity And yet as Mean and Inconsiderable a Thing as thou art thou standest upon it thou wilt have it thus and thus and thy Will must be done with Diligence and thy Work with Care and with Exactness and art presently upbraiding those about thee for the least Neglect with What do I keep you for And wilt rid thy self of such unprofitable Incumbrances and wilt not retain an Idle Faithless Servant in thy Family a Jade in thy Stable a Barren or Unthristy Creature amongst thy Caâ—ttle or a Fruitless Tree in thy Orchard And How darest thou be such towards the Great King of all the Earth as thou wilt not suffer any of thy Fellow-Creatures to be towards thy self who art so far below Him so Inconsiderable a Nothing in comparison of Him Once more Compare the Sweet and Easie Indulgence the Gospel hath provided for thee in the Work of God with the Hard Service imposed and exacted under the Law and the Gracious Assistance offer'd and communicated under this Dispensation with the little Help afforded then How Chargeable and Costly were the Sacrifices How Long and Tyring the Journey 's up to Jerusalem How Insupportable the Yoke of those Observances And How small the Aids afforded What would'st thou have done then if thou stickest if thou grudgest if thou repine at what is now expected and shall be accepted As Naaman's Servants said wisely to their Master My Father if the Prophet had bid thee do some great Thing Wouldst thou not have done it How much more when he saith unto thee Wash and be Clean 2 King 5.13 If God if Christ had bid thee do some Harder Work Wouldst thou not do it to save thy Soul for ever How much more when he hath made the Way more Easie than of Old and offer'd and assur'd greater Help than then to enable thee to do it Lastly Compare thy Work for the True God with what Idolaters and Hypocrites perform to False Ones or to the True One Falsly That you may be moved to Jealousie with those which are not a People and provoked by a Foolish Nation Deut. 32.21 How do the Worshippers of Baal cry whole Dayes and Cut themselves with Knives and Lances till the Blood gushes out How do the Profelytes of Rome Whip themselves pour out their Money to their wily Priests which make Merchandize of them for Masses Indulgences c. How do they Lavish out Gold and Impoverish themselves and Families to inrich the Shrines of Dead and Dumb Idols and undergo hard Penances and tedious Pilgrimages And all in vain led only by a False Opinion of Meriting by what God will despise And How Profuse will Hypocrites be Thousands of Rams and Ten Thousand Rivers of Oyl Yea what is Dearer still The First-Born of their Bodies for the Sin of their Souls Mich. 6. How Shall not only the Queen of the South but the Great Whore of the West Rise up against you and Condemn your Sloath Fifthly We are under many Great and Indispensible Engagements to Diligence in this Work We are bound in Conscience and 't is our Duty that we must We are bound in Gratitude upon receiving so many Talents and Opportunities by which we may We are bound in point of Interest our own Safety and Happiness depends upon it and 't is our Wisdom if we will thus work A word of every one of these may serve First 'T is our Duty and we are bound by His Authority who is our Lord. He hath commanded us to keep His Precepts diligently The First and Great Command is To Love the Lord our God which is the very Soul and Life of this Work with all our Heart and all our Soul with all our Might and all our Strength Every Step in this Way must be trodden heedfully See that ye Walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise Not at Peradventure Keep thy Heart with all Diligence Prov. 4.24 Joshua's Words are very pressing Chap. 22.5 Take diligent heed to do the Commandment and the Law which Moses the Servant of the Lord charged you to Love the Lord your God and to Walk in all His Wayes and to Keep His Commandments and to Cleave to Him and to Serve Him with all your Heart and all your Soul As we must agree quickly with our Adversary so we must give Diligence to be delivered from him We must not only Work at but Work out our own Salvation As we must Receive the Word with all readiness so we must take most Diligent heed to the Things we have heard lest at any time we