when he stands ready with Strength and Assistance when he publisheth great and precious Promises when the golden Scepter is held out by God to us as it was to * Esther 5.2 Esther by Ahasuerus when gracious Offers merciful Tenders kind and loving Invitations are made and repeated and very sweet and comfortable Encouragements propounded and assured to penitent Sinners in the Ministery of the Word this is †Rev. 2.21 space given for Repentance this is a golden Season of Grace in which we may have Christ and all his precious and saving Benefits upon the reasonable Terms and acceptable Conditions of the Gospel When the Trumpet of the Jubile soundeth when Liberty to the Captives and the Opening of the Prison to them that are bound is proclaimed ‖ 2 Cor. 6. i 2. Behold now is the accepted Time behold now is the Day of Salvation O ‖ 2 Cor. 6. i 2. receive not the Grace of God in vain lose not so long and large a Season make your Advantage of the Time of the Gospel be thankful for it and faithful in the Use and Improvement of it close with the Gospel and daily and earnestly endeavour and pray that it may be made effectual to you Repent believe sincerely obey in this thy Day Repent think upon thy Waies be sorry for thy Sins hate them forsake them repent with a Repentance from dead Works never to be repented of So change thy Mind as to change thy Manners to reform and alter the Course of thy Life for the future So truly repent as to take care to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance Believe not with a bare historical a meer intellectual Faith not with an idle dronish wholly ineffectual Assent but with a [b] Fortasse unusquisque apud seipsum dicet Ego jam credidi salvus ero verum dicit si fidem operibus tenet vera etenim fides est qua in hoc quod verbis dicit moribus non contradicit Fidei nostrae veritatem in vitae nostrae consideratione debemus agno cere Greg. Hom. 29. in Euang. Credere in Deum est credendo amare credendo diligere credendo in eum â—re membris ejus incorporari Putasne Filium Dei Iesum reputat quisquis ille est homo qui ipsius nec terretus comminationthus nec attrahitur promissonibus nec praeceptis obtemperat nec consiliis acquiescit Nonne is etiamsi fatearur se nosse Deum factis tamen negat Bernard in Octav. Pasc de tribus Testim in coelo ter serm 1. p. 88. practical active operative Belief So believe the Word of God as to take it seriously and in good earnest for the only Rule of thy Conversation in Matters necessary to Salvation So firmly receive and assent to the Divine Testimony as to have thy Heart rightly affected and thy Life powerfully influenced by it So cordially believe the Truth of the Gospel as to resolve and on all Occasions to endeavour to carry suitably to such Belief to live and act as a Person that does indeed believe it and to answer the end for which divine Truth was revealed which is the bringing us to good Lives So yield Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel as to close and comply with the Terms of the Gospel and heartily to consent to the whole Duty of Man contain'd and delivered in the Word or God and Gospel of Christ so assent to the Commands of the Gospel as true as withal to love and like them to choose and embrace them as good and as good for thee yea as incomparably better for thee to observe than any other Rule that possibly can be respected by thee whatever they cause thee to lose or suffer here in this World So give your undoubted Assent to them as to cleave closely and stick invincibly to them against all flattering or affrighting Temptations to the contrary and still to engage and charge and provoke thy self to conform thy whole Heart and Life to them Farther So assent to the Truth of the Gospel-Promises as to take care to perform the necessary Conditions of them to trust in the Promises of the Gospel with an obediential Affiance with an obsequious and dutiful Reliance to trust in them according to the Tenour of them to trust in the Promises of Pardon and Remission in the Exercise of sincere and unfeigned Repentance and in the Promises of Sanctification in the Use of Gospel-Ordinances and Means and diligent Improvement of the Grace of God already communicated and received and in the Promises of Life everlasting in the way of new and sincere Obedience Assent to the Promises not only that they are true and real but that they are also the most valuable that can be * 1 Pet. 1 4. exceeding great and precious Promises so as to prefer the Promises of God above all the Proffers of the World as better than any thing that the Devil can offer or the World afford Farther yet So assent to the Truth of the Threatnings of the Word as to fear and stand in aw of them and to study to avoid those Sins which will put thee in Danger of temporal and eternal Sufferings and to keep thy self free from the Fear of the Menaces of Men while thou art in the way of thy Duty to God Believe the whole Word of God and Believe in all the Persons of the holy and blessed Trinity So assent to the Truth of whatsoever is spoken in the Scripture of God and Christ and the Spirit of God and Christ as deliberately to choose God the Father Son and holy Ghost for thy Portion and Treasure thy Happiness and chief Good To bring thy Heart to own love honour serve and worship God the Father as thy good and bountiful Creator and Preserver and very merciful God Redeemer by Jesus Christ and freely and gladly to consent to have God the Father for thy Covenant-Friend and reconciled gracious Father And to accept with all Love and Thankfulness even a crucified Christ for thy only Lord and Saviour to bring thee to God thy chiefest Good by reconciling thy Person and Nature to him to recover and bring thee back both in Heart and Life to God and to rest and rely upon Christ and on God only in and through Christ for Justification Sanctification and eternal Salvation according to the Promises of the Gospel Cordially receive him in all his Offices And here 1. Accept of Christ as a Priest to save thee by the offering of himself a Sacrifice in thy stead and by making Intercession on thy behalf And labour to answer the ends of his Death by Purity and Holiness of Heart and Life and to act becoming his Intercession to live so as it may be fit for Christ with Honour to present your Works and Services to his Father to be accepted by him to do nothing but what is worthy of such a Mediatour as Christ is to present unto God on your behalf Now tell me is
spread so far and wide among us When so many so boldly deny the Providence and very Being of God the Immortality of the rational Soul and a Life and State of Retribution in another World the Divine Authority Perfection and Perspicuity of the sacred Scriptures the eternal Duration of Hell-torments the Divinity and Satisfaction of our Saviour Christ the divine Institution of the Lord's-Day deny the Necessity of the Moral Law disown Original Sin and any such Thing as Special Effectual Discriminating Grace infallibly securing the Event as to the Elect assert Perfection contend for Papal Infallibility plead for Idolatry and gross Superstition and design and endeavour and hope to make Popery become the Religion of the Nation it concerns you surely carefully now to redeem the Time The Evil of Errour mightily prevails in these our Daies Seducers and Impostors are subtil and industrious and Errour is of a catching spreading Nature therefore as St. Paul said to the Corinthians * 2 Câ—r 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtilty so your Minds should be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in Christ. Take heed that the Leprosie get not into your Head In that case you know the Priest was to pronounce a Man †Levit. 13.44 utterly unclean That Errour take not Possession of your Mind for that is the Eye the leading Faculty and it it slip into the Mind and Judgment it will steal and creep into the Conscience and that is so active a Faculty that it will engage all O do your utmost and best endeavour to keep your selves clear and free from the foul and infectious Errours of the Times you live in ‖ 2 Pet. 3 17. Beware lest ye being led away with the Errour of the Wicked fall from your own Stedfastness 1. Be not too credulous (*) 1 Joh. 4.1 Believe not every Spirit not every one that pretends to a Spirit of Truth acting and breathing in him Now the Air abroad is so pestilentially infected take heed what Air you suck in be very wary what Money you take since the Markets are so full of adulterate Coin 2. Be careful to avoid the Meetings and to shun the Society of Seducers From (†) 1 Tim. 6.5 Men of corrupt Minds and destitute of the Truth from such withdraw thy self Don't venture to keep them Company and to take their Breath who have the Plague of wicked Errour upon them and whose Converse is Death and the eternal Ruin of your Souls Forbear to hear their Discourses or to read their Writings You are bidden indeed to (‖) 1 Joh. 4.1 try the Spirits that is to try all you hear but you must not be bold to hear all when you can shift it The Wise Man forbids that * Prov 19.27 Cease my Son to hear the Instruction that causeth to err from the Words of Knowledg Remember the sad Event of Eve's Rashness in venturing to listen to the Discourse of the Serpent 3. And that you may be the better secured from Errour labour to get a good Understanding of your Catechism to be well grounded in the Principles and Essentials and setled in the radical sundamental and practical Truths of Religion and throughly acquainted with the Necessaries to Salvation Do not stick to say with [h] Fateor me Catechismi descipulum Luther I confess I am still a Learner and Studier of my Catechism Learn it your selves and teach it your Children and Servants understandingly The want of Peoples being well instructed and throughly grounded in the Principles of Religion is a great [i] If this Duty of Catechising be neglected we may preach our Lungs our if we will but wich little Effect When we have spent all our Wind upon the Ears of our People their Hearts will be still apt to be carried away with every Wind of Doctrine Ep. Hali's Peace-maker p. 202. Reason of the many Errours that have been so rife in these late Times Men have not lyen fast in the Building upon the Foundation and therefore it is that they have so easily been tumbled up and down like loose Stones Converse with your Catechism 4. And confirm your Belief of the Divinity of the Scripture by getting rational Evidence and an inward Sence and Experience of it And search and study the Scriptures and compare the Doctrines taught by Men with the Word of God and try and examine them by that Rule 5. Again Beg the Spirit of Truth to lead and guide you into all necessary Truth As it is not a strong Constitution that will secure you from the Plague so it is not your best Parts that will preserve you from the Infection of Errour if the Spirit of God do not keep and protect you if the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of Truth withdraw from you 6. Add to all your earnest Endeavour to get your Hearts * Rom. 12.2 Heb. 13.9 2 Pet. 3.17 18. renewed and seasoned and * Rom. 12.2 Heb. 13.9 2 Pet. 3.17 18. stablish'd with Grace which will prove an excellent Preservative a soveraign Antidote and Defensative against the Contagion and Infection of Errour Any Errour will easily slip into an ignorant uncatechized Head and an unmortified unsanctified ungrà cious Heart The †2 Tim. 3 6. silly Women that were led captive were such as were laden with Sins led away with divers Lusts So they were ‖ Jude vers 4. ungodly Men who turned the Grace of our God into lasciviousness and denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ They that walk in loose Garments soon take Wind Loose Lives will gather in and breed loose Principles If you don't take in sufficient Ballast of Grace to settle you you will be tossed to and fro and carried about with every Wind of strange Doctrine If you want a good Biass of Sincerity for God carnal Interests and Ends will easily mis-lead you If you be devoid and destitute of Grace you will be proud and conceited rash and unwary you will never distrust your selves you will never weigh and consider Things well before you take them up Want of Grace will also breed an Itch of vain Curiosity in your Minds and cause you to linger and hanker after Novelties Further your depraved Wills will have a malign Influence on your Understandings and your carnal Affections will too often bribe and pervert your Judgments so that whatever your Wills and Affections are vehemently set upon must be allowed by the Authority of your Judgments and secretly if not openly maintained and pleaded for Those various Opinions about the Chief Good might arise and proceed from their Over-affection to some created and inferiour Good Your foul Stomach will infect your Brain your unsound Heart will cause a corrupt Head And an ill Life will engage you to entertain and take up such corrupt Principles as may favour and foster your Viciousness give allowance and countenance to your Wickedness Your Sin
saw Letters and yet taught him first to reade Dr. Bernard tells us that their readiness in the Scripture was marvellous being able suddenly to have repeated any part of the Bible I have read of one who was so conscientiously covetous of redeeming Time for reading of the Scripture that [w] Fox's Time and the end of Time p. 7. being a Prisoner in a dark Dungeon when a Light was brought to him for a little Time to eat his Diet he would pull out his Bible and reade a Chapter saying he could find his Month in the dark but not reade in the dark O mind the Scriptures in imitation of these and the like excellent Examples * 1 Tim. 4 13. Give attendance to reading †Joh. 5.39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Search the Scriptrres as Christ commands As Diggers in [x] A Lapide in loc Mines with much Labour and Pains do search for Veins of Gold and Silver in the Bowels of the Earth So labour diligently to dig deep in the rich and golden Mines of Scripture for hidden Treasures of saving Truth Can you use your Eyes exercise your Reason improve your Hours in a better Employment Content not thy self with a slight and cursory reading but get a right and good understanding of these sacred Oracles Read them with Prayer to God before and after the reading of them Reade them with the [y] Quo Spiritu factae sunt Scripturae eo Spiritu legi desiderant ipsoetiam intelligendae sunt Bern. ep ad Fratres de monte Dei. Help of the same Spirit that wrote them Read them and hear the Voice of the blessed Spirit speaking in them Read receive and keep the Word in an honest and good Heart Luke 8.15 Hide the Word of God in thy Heart with David Ps 119.11 as a precious Jewel and Treasure as the Law was kept in a Chest or Ark Exod. 25.21 Let the Word of Christ dwell richly copiously plentifully in thee Coloss 3.16 and in this manner make thy Heart Bibliothecam Christi the Library of Christ as [z] Lectione assiduâ meditatione diuturnâ pectus suum bibliothecam fecerat Christi Hier. ep ad Heliod Epitaph Nepetiani St. Jerome tells us Nepotian did by his constant reading and daily Meditation Reade the Scriptures and fully assent to the Truth and Goodness of them Reade them and feed and feast upon them With the Prophet Ezekiel * Ezek 3.1 3. eat and fill thy Belly with this Roll 't will be in thy Mouth as Honey for Sweetness Do not only take the Scriptures into thine Hand and get them into thine Head but let them be deeply rooted in and fairly printed upon thy Heart Read them [a] Alimenta quae accepimus quamdiu in sua qualitate perdurant solida innatant stomacho onera sunt at cùm ex eo quod erant mutata sunt tunc demum in vires in sanguinem transeunt Idem in his quibus aluntur ingenia praestemus ut quaecunque hausimus non patiamur integra esse ne aliena sint Concoquamus illa altoquin in memoriam ibunt non in ingenium Assentiamur illis fideliter nostra faciamus ut unum quiddam siat ex multis Sen. ep 84. concoct and inwardly digest them do not only retain them in thy Memory but turn them into a new Nature Do not offer to deal with the Scriptures as little [b] Culpands sunt qui in lectione quidem Bibliorum versantur non tamen eum sibs proponunt scepum ut conscientiam suam aedisicent in pietate proficiant sed tantùm at scientiam aliquam sibi comparent qua velut artificio quodam apud alios se ostentent ibi Spiritum minimè quaerentes ubi maximè loquitur Spiritus non dissimiles pueris qui nuces ad ludendum quaerunt nucleo nec gustato nec aperto Andr. Rivet Isagog ad S. Script c. 30. §. 16. School-Boys do with their Nuts who often get them only to play with them having no mind or intention at all to crack the Shell and to taste the Kernel of any of them Reade and regard the Scriptures not only to get a notional Knowledg of them and merely to make them matter of Discourse and of Dispute but with an honest Purpose to profit in Piety and practical Knowledg by the frequent reading and constant studying of them Reade and receive the Scripture * 1 Thess 2.13 not as the Word of Men but as it is in truth the Word of God This will make all its Commands more strong and powerful more sweet and acceptable to think very seriously with thy self that they are the Commands of God who has Authority to command us and of a good God who shews as much Love in his Commands as he does in his Promises who gave his Son to die for us and therefore we may be sure will command us nothing but out of Love and for our good nothing but what will some way serve to sit us for and bring us to that Glory and Happiness which his Son has dearly purchas'd for us This also will mightily strengthen your Faith in Scripture Promises to consider that they are God's Promises who understands what he promises is true and faithful and cannot lie and is able to perform whatever he promises be his Promises never so large and great And this will render Scripture Threatnings very terrible and cause you to tremble at them and stand in aw of them to believe and consider that they are God's Threatnings who is arm'd with Omnipotency and able to execute to the utmost the most dreadful Threatnings that are denounced in his Word O bless and praise the good and holy Name of God that you are not left to the conduct of your purblind short-sighted Reason to the faint Light of the Candle within you to the natural Darkness and Blindness of your carnal Minds and corrupt Hearts that you are not guided with the Turks by a ridiculous Alcoran nor with the Jews directed to follow a few curious Rabbines nor with the Papists enslaved to humane unwritten uncertain Traditions But that you have the Bible open and intelligible in the English Tongue Highly prize and value the Scriptures and reade them with Thankfulness Love Joy and Delight as the best Book you can possibly reade in the whole World the most incomparable Writings which clearly and certainly declare the insinite Love of God and seasonably bring the glad Tidings of a Saviour to lost and undone Mankind which shew and discover to a miserable Sinner the only happy way and means of firm Reconciliation to an offended Deity and bring Life and Immortality to light which are God's publick Act of Indemnity and his free Grant of a full Pardon and of eternal Salvation to the penitent Believer Will you not prize and use the Word of God that incorruptible Seed of which you are or may be born again and have frequent recourse to that Word which
and eminently holy Mr. Joseph Allein that when but a School-Boy he was observed to be so studious that he was known as much by this Periphrasis the Lad that will not [p] Bibentibus colludentibus aliis ipse sumto libro iâ— sylvulam vicinam sese proripuit tantisper in illa vel ad legendum considens vâ—l ad meditandum deambulans donec ipsum hora coenae domum revocaret Melch. Adam in vit Musculi p. 369. Bishop Andrews from his first going to Merchant-Taylor's School accounted all that Time lost that he spent not in his Studies He studied so hard when others plaied that if his Parents and Masters had not forced him to play with them also all the Play had been marr'd His late studying by Candle and early rising at four in the Morning procured him Envy among his equals yea with the Ushers also because he called them up too soon The Serm preached at the Fun. of Bp. Andrews p. 17. play as by his Name And when in the University he so demeaned and carried himself that he deserved to be called the Scholar who by his good Will would do nothing else but pray and study Yea so early as about the eleventh Year of his Age he was noted to be very diligent in private Praier and so fixed in that Duty that he would not be disturbed or moved by the coming of any Person accidentally into the Places of his Retirement And 't is remarkable what is storied [q] Mr. James Janeway's token for Children p 30 35. of a young Child who died about five or six Years old that he would so beg and expostulate and weep in Praier that sometimes it could not be kept from the Ears of Neighbours so that one of the next House was forced to cry out The Praiers and Tears of that Child in the next House will sink me to Hell because the forward Piety and Devotion of the Child did reprove and condemn his neglect of Praier or his slight Performance of it And to what a Degree of good Understanding and holy Affection had [r] Mr. White 's little Book for little Children p. 106 107. that child of Mr. Owen the Minister arrived who was but about fourteen Years old when he died and in his Life time would often write very serious Godly Letters to his Brother which shewed his great Piety and happy improvement And how savourily and spiritually he exerCised himself in Meditation notably appear in this Instance that though he much delighted in young Lambs yet one Day his Mother bringing a Lamb newly fallen of an Ewe of his and shewing a little Displeasure that he should take no more notice of her bringing it to him He told her that as he saw the Lamb in her Arms he was thinking of the Lamb of God how he presented him to the Father and that the Lamb his Mother brought him was but a poor thing for him to rejoice in for he had far higher Matters for his Joy Some young ones have redeemed the Time of their Youth O do you so too Be able to say upon better Grounds than the young Man in the Gospel that all God's Commands you have kept from your Youth up The Time of Youth is a special Season of doing and receiving good That 's the first The second Particular Opportunity to be redeemed 2. As the Mâ—rning of our Age so the Morning of the Week the first Day of the Week is a special Time to be redeem'd Let this Day be religiously observed by us which was applied and consecrated separated and appropriated to sacred Uses and holy Offices by the blessed Apostles who were either commanded by Christ to do it when for forty Daies after his Resurrection he instructed the Apostles and * Acts i. 3. spake to them of the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Or having received the holy Ghost Christ's Agent or Advocate promised and sent to inspire their Minds to teach and shew them how to manage Affairs and order Matters relating to the Church were extraordinarily guided and divinely directed by the Spirit of Christ in this weighty Business of the Surrogation and Substitution of the first Day in the place of the Jewish seventh Day Sabbath which was partly a Ceremonial Rest and was joined with the Ceremonial Law [a] Lawson's Theo-Polit p. 182 183. the Services and Rites whereof were to be observed in the Tabernacle and Temple upon this Day and was a distinguishing Sign and Part of that Partition-wall whereby the Jews were separated from the Gentiles and was therefore fit to be now removed and laid aside And were moreover plainly lead to it by the Providence of God which imprinted and put a most not able Character and signal Honour on this Day and made it more excellent than any other by Christ's Resurrection and Apparitions and the Spirit 's Mission upon it which were a remarkable pointing and special singling out of this Time and a clear Intimation that this very Day should be publickly kept and universally observed in perpetual Honour of the Lord Christ [b] Words that have their Termination in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify actively As the Sacrament is called * 1 Cor. 11.20 23 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's Supper not only because it is kept in Remembrance of the Lord's Death till his coming again but because it was instituted by the Lord himself So the first Day of the week is expresly stiled †Rev. i. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's Day not only because it is observed by the Church in Memory of the Resurrection of the Lord Christ but because it was appointed by the Lord Christ because he was the Author and Ordainer of it either immediatly by himself or mediatly by his Apostles And we cannot imagine that there shall ever occur a sufficient Reason for the [c] VVho that is well instructed would endure to hear of a Pope Sy vester that durst presume to alter the Day decreeing that Thouâ—dâ—y thould be kept for the Lord's Day through the whole Year because on that Day Christ ascended into Heaven and on that Day instituted the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood Bp. Huâ—â— Peace-maker p. 198. ex Hospinian de festis Christ Alteration of this to any other Day for we can never look to receive a richer Benefit in this World than Redemption by Christ who rose from the Dead and Sanctification by the Spirit sent down from Heaven on this very Day We can never have greater Blessings to remember on another Day and therefore the Sanctification of this Day must be perpetuated to the End of the World On this Day especially the Apostles performed those Offices which are most proper and most agreeable to a Sabbath-Day * Acts 20.7 There was a Convention and Congregation of the Disciples on the first Day of the Week to break Bread and St. Paul preacht to them the same Day And
by their Affections encouraged by their Examples recovered by their Reproofs directed by their Counsels assisted by their Praiers instructed strengthned and comforted by their Experiences When you come in company with able godly Ministers or knowing experienced Christians you may put Cases and have them resolved propound Doubts and have them satisfied you may light your Candle by their's you may kindle your Coal at their Fire and stay and warm your self well before you go away Godly Company is an Opportunity to be prized and improved Whenever you enjoy good Company make the best of it Let not carnal Bashtulness nor a vain and worldly Heart which is apt to seek idle and unprofitable Discourse hinder and deprive you of the Profit and Benefit which may be reaped by godly Society The last Particular Opportunities to be redeemed 5. And lastly The particular Seasons of practising and performing particular Duties of getting and encreasing acting and exercising particular Graces these have a special commodious Fitness for the doing or receiving some particular Good and ought accordingly to be embraced and improved by us When we know a Person a good Man especially to be in real Necessity and great Extremity then is an Opportunity of exercising Charity in giving liberally according to our Ability When another has wronged and injured us then we have gotten a good Occasion of exercising Charity and shewing Mercy in free and full Forgiveness When a Brother is fallen into Sin at any Time then it is a Season to * Gal. 6.1 restore such an one in the Spirit of Meckness When any Person is flexible and tractable yielding and pliable being melted and mollified by an afflictive Providence or moved and enclined to hearken to us by Dependance on us Expectation from us or any Relation and Obligation to us we have a fair Opportunity to deal with such an one at such a Time for the furthering of his spiritual and eternal Good When any are cast upon Sick-beds and are somewhat awakened and softned by God's Hand then they are prepared for your Hand you may the more easily work upon them When any have newly received a Benefit from us or hope to be shortly beholden to us and so are ready to think well of us and to take all well from us then we may reprove admonish exhort them with a comfortable Hope of happy Success and good Effect The Conscience of a Man is a nice and sullen Thing and if it be not taken at fit Times there is no meddling with it And so likewise in respect of our selves when we have received any fresh Mercy from God or are actually enjoying the Blessings of God and tasting how good and gracious the Lord is then is an Occasion of stirring up our selves to Praise and Thanksgiving When we lie under an heavy Affliction then it is a Season of acting and exercising Faith Repentance Patience a convenient Season for Self-Examination sound Humiliation earnest Supplication and thorough Reformation When we find a secret Chearfulness of Spirit then it is a Season to spiritualize our Joy and Gladness to think upon God's Mercies to recount his Benefits to set forth the Praises of our Creator Preserver and Redeemer * Jam. 5 13. Is any merry let him sing Psalms When we find any Sadness growing upon our Spirits then it is a Season to spiritualize our Sorrow and Sadness to mourn and grieve for our Sins especially to weep in secret for them to confess and acknowledg them and pray against them Once more When at any Time [p] We must not measure our Time by the length but by the weight not by its greatness but by its worth Let us not in asure our Daie◠as we do by the motion of the Sun which we see but by the shining of the Sun of Righteousness upon our Souls not by the celestial Bodies but by the celestial Inspirations As to the purposes of Holiness and getting nearer to Heaven one moment when the Spirit of God is upon us and strongly possesses our Mind with good Things and breaths into us holy Affections is worth many Hours yea Daies and Years when that is not with us or doth not so powerfully incite us D. Patrick's Div. Arithm. p. 37 38. the holy Spirit of God joining with the good Word of God or concurring with the Providences and remarkable Works of God does strongly work upon our Minds and sweetly and powerfully move and stir our Hearts and Affections When the Spirit instills any good Motions into our Souls and kindles any good Desires in our Hearts and kindly draws us on to holy Purposes and good Resolutions This is a special Opportunity indeed This is Temporis Articulus the very Nick of Time which must be taken on a suddain or it 's presently lost to our great Disadvantage Do not fail to strike while the Iron is hot Step into the Pool whenever the Angel stirs the Water Lanch out immediately whiles Wind and Tide serve When you feel any gentle Gale spread open your Sail This Wind blows when and where it listeth You know not how soon this Wind may turn Whenever the Spirit knocks open the Door [q] Rara hora brevis mora O si durâsset Bernard you know not how soon he may have done how quickly he may be gone Delicata res est Spiritus Sanctus saies Tertullian The Spirit of God is a nice and delicate Thing it is soon offended and quickly grieved And therefore subject your selves to the Working of the Spirit and work with the Spirit while the Spirit is at work Gladly receive every Impression of this immediate gracious free Operator Welcome every Suggestion of this blessed Monitor Let every Inspiration find thee as the Seal does the Wax or the Spark the Tinder Kindly entertain all its Visits and readily obey all its Motions follow them home don't check and quench them stifle and smother them Never suffer them to die and decay to languish and perish and come to nothing Do the Particular Duties the Spirit calls you to Get and grow in the special Graces which the Spirit is ready to beget and encrease in you Run freely and willingly so soon as ever you feel and perceive that the Spirit draws you If you don't stir when the Spirit moves and act when it works you may drive and chase away the Spirit and so lie dull and dead graceless and helpless and hopeless for ever And thus I have open'd and explain'd the Duty and shewn you particularly both what it is to redeem the Time and what the Time is that is to be redeemed The Sum of all is briefly this that our whole Life-time and every particular Occasion afforded us in it must whatever it cost us by all means be laid hold on and improved by us for the Glory of God and our own and others spiritual Advantage CHAP. III. The Grounds and Reasons why we ought to redeem the Time The Special Reason laid down in the
their Time in slandering detracting whispering tale-bearing speaking [c] In primis provideat nesirmo vitium aliquod indicetinesse morst us Quod maxtmè tum solet evenive cum stuâ—tosè de absentibus detrahendt causâ aut per ridiculum aut severè aut maledicè contumel osèque dicitur Dicero l. 1 de Offic Evil of others when they have no lawfull Call to do it in talking uncharitably of others [d] De alterius vtta de alterius morte disputatis Seneca de vita beata c. 19. Lives and Deaths in private caracterizing judging censuring back-biting of others These are as perfect in the Enumeration of others Faults [e] Dr. Allestry's Sermons p. 35. as if their Memories were the Books that shall be opened at the Day of Judgment This is in it self a base Temper where-ever it is with the Fly to fasten now here but upon a Sore like a Cupping-Glass to draw nothing but corrupt Blood This is an ungodly Humour for any to suffer their Tongues to be busily medling with those Sins and Miscarriages Failings or Faults of other Persons which never grieved and troubled touched or came near their own Hearts and which they never secretly bewail'd and sadly bemoan'd before God To be continually judging and censuring those that were never privately and personally reprov'd lovingly and compassionately admonished nor once earnestly and heartily praied for by them This censorious Spirit is a Christless Spirit Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father he excuses he pleads for Sinners he makes the best of every Thing he covers a Multitude of Sins Now when we do nothing but rip open and aggravate others Faults behind their backs we are far from an Imitation of Christ This is so far from being a Christ-like that it is too evidently a Diabolical Spirit The Devil he is called an Accuser and we plainly play Satan's Part and act him to the Life and spend our Time just as the Devil does if we make it our Business to be ever prying and finding of Faults to be alwaies bringing Charges against and framing Accusations of others And the employing our Time thus is far from redeeming it Might not we spend our Time far better in meekly admonishing of others and in heartily praying for others than in rashly judging and censuring of others Let me tell you while we are alwaies pleading others guilty we do but make our selves more guilty and thus to lose our own Innocency is this to redeem our Time To render our selves uncapable of Heaven is this to work out our own Salvation * Psal 15.1 3. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy Hill he that back-biteth not with his Tongue nor doeth Evil Wrong Hurt or Injury to his Neighbour in this way of backbiting nor taketh up that is with his Mouth that uttereth not a Reproach against his Neighbour that does not curiously pry into the Businesses Affairs Infirmities secrets of others and then busily divulge and tell them abroad to other Persons thereby defaming disgracing disparaging and rendring Men contemptible one to another and stirring up Strife Hatred Enmity Division and Quarrels among Men. Where shall we now find the Christian who deserves the Commendation that once [i] Hieron ad Marcellam de laudibus Asellae St. Jerome gave of Asella of whom he says Sermo silens silentium loquens she was silent when she spake for she spake only of religious and necessary things not medling with other Persons or Fame How do many mis-spend their Time and talk in vain and ridiculous Self-gloriation and in uncomely affected if not false and ungrounded Commendation of themselves in complementing and flattering great Sinners to their very Faces And some very vile and wicked Wretches abuse their Time and Tongues in speaking a Multitude of Lies in frequent taking God's Name in vain in common and customary Swearing in [f] Dr. Allestry's Sermons p. 154. mingling horrid and bitter Imprecations with their sportive Talk and making the Wounds and Blood of God and other such sad Words their foolish or peevish Modes of speaking Many Mens Mouths run like an Issue nothing but Putrefaction They vent and pour out * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.29 putrid unsavoury rotten †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss 3.8 filthy Discourse apt only to minister to a Vice instead of ministring Grace unto the Hearers Corrupt it self and tending to corrupt good Manners and to infect the Fancies and defile the Minds of those that hear it They pass the Time in uttering [g] The Apostle chargeth that Fornication should not be once named among them as becometh Saints Eph. 5.3 not meaning that the Vice should not have its Name and filthy Character but that nothing of it be named in which it can be tempting or offensive nothing tending to it or teaching of it should be named Bishop Taylor 's Sermons 1 Vol. p. 288. wanton loose lascivious Words in singing amorous and obscene Songs whereas he that is ‖ James 5.13 Private Christianâ— are to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs Coloss 3 16 Etiaâ—n cùn htlaritati inser vimus addification is utâ—iâ—at is mutuae memores esse debemus Dav. in loc merry should sing Psalms Many mis-spend their Hours in * Ephes 5.4 inconvenient [h] Ipsum genus jocandi non profusum nec immodestum sed ingenuum facetum esse debet Vt enim puer is non omnem licentiam ludendi damus sed eam quae ab honest is actionibus non sit aliena sic in ipso joco aliquod probi ingenit lumen eluceat Cicero l. 1. de Office scurrilous immodest yea many mis-spend them in impious and profane Jesting in openly Scossing at good Men and making merry with their Imperfections and their own Slanders and in jeering the holy Waies and playing with the holy Word of God He that makes a Jest of the Words of Scripture or of holy things as a [i] Bishop Taylor 's Sermons 1 V. p. 305. learned Pen richly expresses it plaies with Thunder and kisses the Mouth of a Canon just as it belches Fire and Death he stakes Heaven at spurn-point and trips Cross and pile whether ever he shall see the Face of God or no he laughs at Damnation while he had rather lose Goal than lose his Jest nay which is the Horrour of all he makes a Jest of God himself and the Spirit of the Father and the Son to become ridiculous And is not this a monstrous cursed Improvement of precious Time to use and employ it in profanely deriding and desperately abusing the Word and Spirit of God that gave it 'T is a good Saying of the [k] Detestanda illorum insania qui hilares esse non pâ—ssunt sine Christi contumelia religionis ludibrio Dav. in Coloss 3.16 Thes if any do hilarem insaniam insanire ac per risum furere Seneca
Men there is no greater Pleasure in the World than a generous holy Contempt and rational religious Disdain of excessive sensual Pleasures A Life of Recreation is an absurd and ridiculous Thing to make that our constant Business which should only fit us for Business For a Man to make mere Recreations his main Actions and grand Employments is full as foolish and unreasonable as if he should make all his Diet of Physick or Sauces and his whole Garment of nothing but Fringes As we must not begin with Recreation in the first Place so when we take it we must not hold and continue it [t] Sunt exercitationes faciles breves quae corpus sine morae laxent tempori parcant cujus raecipua ratio habenda 1st Quicquid facies cito redi à corpore ad animum illum dicbus ac noctibus exerce Dandum aliquod intervallum antrno it a tamen ut non resolvatur sed remittartur Sen. op 15. too long It may seem a severe Rule but well deserves our very serious Consideration that the [u] In his serm of Red. of Time p. 20 21. Worthy Mr. Whately has given us to direct us in this Particular 'T is not lawful for man says he in an ordinary Course to spend more Time in any Recreation than he has or shall that very Day spend and employ in some Godly and chiefly private religious Exercise The Reason he gives is this We must * Mat. 6.33 first seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness first in respect of Time and first in respect of Affection primarily and principally Now he that does so can never use to bellow more Time in any Recreation whatsoever than in those Things which do directly make for the obtaining of eternal Life and that Righteousness which will certainly bring one thereunto And surely this is a most equal Thing that the most needful Duty should have the most Time bestowed upon it How very faulty then are many that spend whole Daies and Nights at Cards and Dice and in idle Pas-times who never allotted one Hour of any one Day to be spent in secret in that main Work and principal Employment for which all their Life-time was allowed them Take need of giving too much of your Time to any Recreations You may quickly lose not only your Time but your Hearts too in immoderate Recreations and may thereby so hugely unfit and indispose your selves for Duty that you may find it an hard Task and difficult Work to bring back your Hearts to their usual Temper and wonted Frame again As School-Boys after a Breaking up or Time of any extraordinary Play have much ado to settle and fall hard and close to their Books again Some good men have been so tender that they have blamed themselves for the Use of those Recreations which are apt to consume and devour to eat and swallow up too much Time And the Remembrance of Time mis-spent in immoderate Recreations has been no small Trouble nor light Burthen to the considering Minds and sensible Spirits of some very holy and eminent Christians I find in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments that John Huss a famous Reformer and worthy Martyr in his last Letter wrote in his Imprisonment to one Mr. Martin has these Words You know how before my Priesthood which grieveth me now I have delighted to play often-times at Chess and have neglected my Time and unhappily provoked both my self and others to Anger many Times by that Play wherefore besides other my innumerable Faults for this also I desire you to invocate the Mercy of the Lord that he will pardon me If the Recreation you use be lawful seasonable moderate then you are certainly well employed and never trouble and torment your selves with the Thoughts that you might be better employed for as one says truly if we were alwaies bound to do that which is best we could never tell whether we pleased God or no but should be engag'd and involv'd in needless Jealousies perpetual Fears and endless Doubts And here moreover without making it a distinct Head of Discourse I think among vain Recreations I may well reckon idle and needless fruitless and unprofitable Visits Man indeed is a sociable Creature made and fitted for Converse And the Comfort and Pleasure of humane Life does much consist in the desirable Enjoyment of the Familiarity and Society of prudent discreet Christian Friends And great Advantages are to be given and gotten by wise and good Discourses And due Respects and civil Kindnesses are to be paied to Friends and Neighbours and all Occasions and Oportunities to be taken and chosen of doing any considerable good Offices to them either in respect of their Souls or Bodies or Estates But as [w] Nemo se sibi vendicat c. de brev vit c. 2 Seneca complains we vainly spend and wear one our selves one upon another This Man waits upon one that Man upon another but no Man gives diligent and due Attendance upon himself and I fear there are too many to be met with whose [x] Nemiuem ex omnibus difficilius domi quâmse convenit Ex hoc malo depender illud teterrimum vitium anscultatio publicorum secretorumque inquisitio multarum verum scientia qua nec tutò narrantur nec tutò audiuutur Sen. de tranquil animi c. 12. Feet abide not in their own House as the * Prov. 7.11 wise Man speaks that wander about from House to House being Tatlers and Busie-bodies speaking Things which they ought not which is the Character the †1 Tim. 5.13 Apostle gives of them who go from Place to Place to spread any flying Report or Rumor to carry any uncertain and unconcerning News and if they may be so happy to tell the first Story of some little Accidents and petty Circumstances of Things who run here and there out of a gossiping tatling Temper or a pragmatical prying Humour and a greedy Desire to make Observations of the Affairs and Concerns of other Folks Families Or to shew their own Dresses and Tires and to see the new Fashions of others Or to drink or game and play away several Hours of the Day There are too many that are weary of their Time and weary of themselves and hate the Work and Employment they are called to in their Families and the Exercises of Devotion that should be used in their private Closets and gad abroad for a Diversion from Duty for the Prevention of melancholick Self-reflection and for avoiding or drowning the disquicting Clamours and troublesome Noises of their own guilty and stirring Consciences These weary and tire out their Neighbours that they may not be a Burthen at home to themselves never remembring or not considering that sober Advice and solid Counsel of the * Prov. 25.17 wise Man [y] Docet vitandam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non amici consuetudinem Withdraw thy Foot from thy Neighbour's House lest he
our Time was bought into our Hands not with corruptible Things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ for we had forfeited our very Lives and space for Repentance is the Fruit of the Death of Christ Consider 2. How precious Time is in regard of the Vse and End to which it serves how Time bringeth Advantages with it for the compassing of the greatest Undertakings and for the perfecting of those that are most imperfect Time is not an empty Duration God hath filled Time with Helps to Eternity and with Means sufficient to know him the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent whom to know is Life eternal Consider 3. What precious Thoughts the more improved Heathens had of Time [a] Poteras hasce horas non perdidisse Pliny seeing his Nephew walk for his Pleasure called to him and said You might have found somewhat else to do you needed not have lost your Hours thus It is the Commendation given by Aelian of the old Lacedamonians that they [b] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. were exceeding frugal and parsimonious of their Time taking care to employ it in serious urgent Businesses not allow or permitting any Citizen to waste and consume it in Idleness and Sloth or vainly to throw it away by spending it on such Things as did not at all appear to minister to any Vertue For a Testimony of which the Historian gives this Instance That when it was told the Ephori that the People of Decelia did use to walk in the Afternoons those vigilant diligent Magistrates presently sent to them to prohibit their customary Walking meerly to take their Pleasure For they reckon'd [c] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aelian var. Hist l. 2.9.5 it became the Lacedemonians to get and preserve good Health not by taking such idle Recreations but by giving themselves to some profitable Exercises which might train and fit them for publick Use and Service Were they so thrifty only for the Profit and Commodity of their City And shall not we make much of our Time be sparing and saving of our Hours that we may employ them in the Worship and Service to the Honour and Glory of our God for the Safety and Welfare of our immortal Souls and the securing to our selves a celestial City and an heavenly Country The judicious Plutarch acknowledges that [d] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Time is of all the most costly Expence The considering and understanding Seneca was more sensible than many of the Worth of Time had himself appretiating Thoughts of it and reproves the common Sort of Men of their great Ignorance of the Preciousness and Usefulness of it I am apt to wonder says he when I hear some Men ask others to spend their Time and bestow their Hours on them and observe those that are thus ask'd to be so easy to part with theis Time to them [e] Quasi nihil petitur quasi 〈◊〉 datur re omnium pretiosiâ—mà luditur c de brev vit c. 8. 'T is ask'd as a very small matter and given away as if it were worth nothing Men plainly play with the most precious Thing that is But this deceives them says he That Time is an incorporeal Thing nd cannot be perceived with bodily Eyes and is therefore made of little reckoning or no account with them And in his first Epistle he thus complains to his Friend Lucilius [f] Quâ—m mihi dabis qui aliquod pretium teâ— ori ponat qui diem â—stimet Sen. ep 1. Where will you find me a Man says he that sets a due Price a right and true Estimate and Value upon his Time Most Men are careful of an Hour-Glass but careless of their Hours Men throw away their Time because they have mean and low Thoughts of it They know not the Worth of this Jewel and therefore they are easily cheated of it and are ready to part with it upon the cheapest terms Many Christians may learn of some of the wisest Heathens not to make light of their precious Hours but to value their Time at an higher Rate 4. Let those that yet have Time in their hands learn to prize it by considering how those that want it judg of it They that have quite lost their Time Oh! what would they give to redeem it Men too commonly little think that Time is of any great Value I am sure the most of us live as if we did not believe so But I pray consider what damned Spirits and dying Persons who have not made their peace with God think of Time Consider 1. What precious Thoughts lost damned Souls have of Time who suffer such extremity of Misery for slighting and abusing it What would not they give if it were possible for our Time and Opportunities and those Seasons of Grace which we enjoy but do not improve which God indulgeth to us but we are not thankful for nor careful of What would not they offer or yield to to have a new Price put into their hands to have farther advantages of redeeming Time Could they be admitted to live in this World again and to act here another Part would they ever grudg to do any spiritual Duty would they ever think any religious Exercise tedious would they be tired at a Sermon or weary of a Prayer would not they be willing to pray every Day till they were even hoarse again to pray till their Knees were as hard as the Boards upon which they kneel'd Would not their Heads be Fountains of Waters and would not they be ready to weep out their very Eyes in the Confession of their Sins Could they be releas'd and restor'd would they be any more afraid to resist the Temptations of a carnal Friend to refuse an ensnaring Invitation to deny a Cup immodestly pressed and unseasonably urged to reprove a bold and daring Sinner and to own and side with God and Religion in any Company whatsoever With what undaunted Courage and Resolution would they be forward to bear Witness against the reigning Sins and common Vices of the World With what Force and Violence would they endeavour to take the Kingdom of Heaven and how would they labour to lead others into and to help them on in the Way to Heaven How would they speak with yearning Bowels of tenderest Compassions to the Souls of their sinful Friends and Relations and seek the Conviction Conversion and Salvation of the sensual worldly careless ungodly Neighbourhood round about them How would every Word that proceeded out of their Mouths be Heart-deep How patiently would they conti nue in well doing to make sure of an endless glorious Happiness And how contentedly would they endure and cheerfully suffer any thing here to escape the intolerable eternal Torments of Hell and to fly from the Wrath to come Consider further 2. What high and precious Thoughts a dying Man who has not made his Peace with God has of Time The fore-mentioned
such strong Affections for any profane Writings as by means of them to be taken off from perusing and studying the Scriptures which were given by Inspiration of God and are every way profitable to the Edification and Salvation of our Souls [e] Scriptura visa mihi est indigna quam Tullianae dignitati compar arem Aug Conf. l 3. c. 5. St. Austin confesses it as his great Folly and Fault that in his unconverted State the Scripture-stile was a mean and contemptible thing in his Eye and not to be compared for Dignity with the Eloquence of Tully And [f] The Life of Bp. Usher p. 27. Dr. Bernard relates of Bp. Vsher that in his younger Years in the Times of his private Sequestration and strict Examination of himself he lamented his too much love of his Book and humane Learning that he should be as glad of Munday to go to that as of the Lord's-Day for his Service 3. We should take care to redeem the Time from the most plausible taking Treatises of moral Philosophers whose Precepts commonly make Men grow more in Knowledg than in Goodness We have an Account indeed of one [g] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen contra Cels l. 1. p. 50. Phaedon and one Polemon that were famous Converts to Philosophy and were reclaimed and reduc'd from a very luxurious and impure Life by Socrates and Xenocrates But what vast Numbers and great Multitudes have not only been brought to alter their Opinions but have been really recovered from the inward Love and Liking as well as the outward gross Practice of Sin and Vice by reading and ruminating on the Writings of the Old and New Testament St. Austin declares that Plato's Writings have not the [h] Non habent illae paginae visltum pietatis hujus August Conf. l. 7. c. 21. § 2. Visage and Colour of that Piety that is apparent in the sacred Scriptures The heathen Philosophy has nothing of that holy Nature and transforming Power which is to be found in Scripture-truth which has a rare Efficacy not only to civilize but to sanctify [i] Sapientia eorum non excindit vitia sed abscondit Pauca verò Dei praecepta sic totum hominem immutant exposito vetere novum reddunt ut non cognoscas eundem esse Lactant. l. 3. §. 25. Da mihi virum qui sit iraeundus maledicus effrenatus paucissimis Des verbis tam placidum quà m ovem reddam c. Num quis haec Philosophorum aut unquam prastitit aut praestare si velit potest qui cùm atates suas in studio Philosophiae conterant neque alium quemquam neque seipsos si natura paululum obstitit possunt facere meliores Id. ib. The Wisdome of Philosophers saies Lactantius it does not cut up Vices but only cover them But a few divine Precepts saies he do so change the whole Man and putting off the old make him every way such a new Man that you would not know him to be the same Person The most improved Discourses of heathen Moralists are also short in the relief and comforts which they offer to afford to troubled Minds If you peruse the Writings of all the Platonick Philosophers St. Austin will tell you you can never find such strong Cordials in any of them as those which the Gospel exhibits and holds forth to you you [k] Nemo ibi audit vocantem Venite ad me qui laboratis Aug. Conf. l. 7. c. 21. §. 3. can never hear there any calling and crying to you Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Nor do the Writings of the most raised sublime Philosophers furnish and fortify a Person with any Motives and Arguments to help him quietly and contentedly to bear the Afflictions and Calamities of this Life like those of the perfect Pattern of Christ's patient though undeserved Sufferings and the great and gainful Reward in Heaven that * 2 Cor. 4.17 exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory proposed and promised in the Gospel of Christ to those that endure the Evils and Sufferings of this present Life with Christian Patience [l] Feci ego persaepe periculum fugi semper od Codices sacros quod in iis quaerebatur levamen inveni nec à spe nec à desiderio meo fraudatus Baptist Mantuan de patientia l. 3. cap. 32. Baptista Mantuanus declares it as his comfortable and constant Experience that his recourse to the Scripture was on all Occasions a present happy Remedy against all Griess of Body Anxiety of Mind and Sadness of Soul and that he never fail'd of Ease in taking this course and using this means Once more 4. We should religiously redeem the Time not only from mere Philosophical Writings but from the Ecclesiastical Theological Writings of Men not immediatly inspired to spend in reading over the Bible which is the infallible Word of God and is peculiarly accompanied with the special Operation of the Spirit the Word of God being vehiculum Spiritûs the Charet in which the Spirit of God rides in Triumph This made Luther solemnly profess [m] Ego ipse eam ob causam odi mâ—os libros saepe opto eos interire quòd metuo ne morentur lectores abducant à lectione iâ—sius Scriptarae quae sola omnis sapientiae fons est Ac terreor exemplo superioris aetatis c. Luth. Loc. Com. collect à Fabricio prim Class cap. 24. pag. 70. ex Tom. 2do in Genesin in cap. 19. p. 143. that he hated the Books set forth by himself and often wish'd them perish'd and utterly abolish'd lest they should be a means to divert and withdraw Men from the reading of the Scripture which alone is the Fountain of all spiritual divine and heavenly Wisdome for fear of this he could like Saturn have eaten up his own Children destroyed his own Works the Fruit and Issue of his Mind Thus thus redeem and gain the Time from other Things to apply it to the busie study of the Scriptures Let the Scriptures have the Preeminence above all Books and Writings in the World Keep a constant course of serious reading those divine Writings reade them frequently reade them unweariedly [n] Septies ter imò septuagies septies seu ut plus dicam infinities legendae sunt vel milties relegendae sunt Idem ibidem pag. 70 71. It is a common proverbial Speech saies Luther that the Letters of Princes are to be read three times over Surely then the Divine Letters God's Epistles as Gregory calls the Scriptures are to be read seven times thrice yea seventy times seven they are to be read even a thousand times over they are to be read infinitely because they are the divine Wisdome which cannot be comprehended presently at first sight If any one reade them by the by as things known and easy he deceives himself Is not Time well spent in often and narrow searching into those things
Simplicity and Godly Sincerity I have had my Conversation in the World To say with Hilarion as St. Jerom reports in his [b] Egredere anima quid times Egredere quid dubitas Septuaginta prope annis servisti Christo mortem times Hier. in vita Hilar. Life Go out my Soul why art thou afraid go out why lingrest thou thou hast served Christ well nigh these seventy Years and dost thou now fear Death To see that it has been to thee * Phil. 1.21 to live Christ and to be able to look on thy Death as thy Gain And with good old [c] His Life inserted among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten emin Div. p. 123. When his good Sister said to him in his Sickness Brother I am afraid to leave you alone VVhy Sister said be I shall I am sure be with Jesus Christ when I die Ib. p. 123 124. Dr. Gouge in thy last Sickness to term Death thy best Friend next to Jesus Christ With †Phil. 1.23 St. Paul to desire to depart and to be ready to utter such Language as this Oh loose this Frame this Knot of Man unty That my free Soul may use her Wing Which is now pinion'd with Mortality As an entangled hamper'd Thing As the pious [d] Home Mr. Herbert pathetically expresses it in one of his sacred Poems Dwell upon these Considerations That the Loss and Misimprovement of Time will make a Death-bed uneasy to you and that the right redeeming of time will render a Death-bed comfortable to you And this will be very apt to move you to prepare for Death by dying to Sin dying to the World and living to Righteousness before you die 'T will help you to live every Day so indeed as others wish that they had liv'd when they come to lie upon a Death-bed To live so now that you may with comfort think of dying and may be freed from the slavish Fear of Death and be held no longer ‖ Heb. 2.15 in bondage by it 'T will cause you to live the Life of the Righteous that so you may die the Death of the Righteous die safely and die comfortably 'T will make you careful to set not only your House but your Heart in order your Life in order and so to dispatch your work and Business that when you come to die you may have nothing to do but to die and freely and cheerfully to resign your Spirit to the Father of Spirits and to surrender your Soul to your faithful Creator and gracious loving Lord Redeemer In a Word it will enable you so to live that you may have * Prov. 14.32 Hope in your own Death and that when Friends shall mourn for your Departure they may not sorrow without †1 Thess 4.13 Hope And so much shall suffice for your Direction as to your Meditation of Death your own particular Death in order to your Redemption of Time 2. Meditate here moreover of the general Dissolution of all Things at least in this inferiour World Think well of what (*) 2 Pet. 3.11 St. Peter informs you that all these Things shall be dissolved Consider that the Description which is there given of this Dissolution is too august and [e] Dr. ore's y st of Godl p 214. big by far for so small a Work as [f] Of which Dr. Hammend in eâ—prets it the Destruction of the City of Jerusalem That the Scoffers arguing there against the Promise of christ's coming that (†) Verse 4. all Things continue as they were from the Beginning of the Creation does clearly shew that this Coming of Christ was not understood by them and consequently not by St. Peter of the Burning of a City by War a Thing which might as probably and easily happen to Jerusalem as it had already fallen out in many other Places of the World But of the final glorious Coming of Christ to judge the World which [f] Superest I 'e ultimus perpetuus judicis di s ille nationibus insperatus ille derisus cùm tanta secult vetusta tot ejus nativitates uno ignt haurientur Tertull. lib de Spectae cap 30. Judgment the Conflagration of the Earth is to attend Think very seriously with thy self that * Verse 7. the Heavens and the Earth which are now are reserved unto Fire How †Verse 10. the Heavens shall one Day pass away with a great Noise and ‖ Verse 12. being on Fire shall be dissolved and the (*) Verse 10 12. Elements or [g] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordine mitiari incedo The host of the Aethereal Heavgens are the Stars and Planets The Host of the Aereal Heavens are Clouds and Meteors Fowls and flying Creatures Hosts shall melt with fervent Heat the Earth also and the Works of Nature or Art that are therein shall be burnt up That though the superiour Aethereal starry Heavens may be exempted as [h] He that considereth both the super-eminent Nature and Immensity of the Aethereal Heaven and of those innum rable Bodies therein in regard of which the whole Sublunary VVorld is but a Point or Centre and that it no way can be prov'd that ever those Bodies received any Curse for Man's Sin or Contagion by the VVorld's Deluge or that any Enemies of God dwell in them to pollute them He that considereth this will not easily be induced to believe that the Fire of the Day of Judgment shall burn them It remaineth therefore that the Sublunary Heavens only with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be the Subject of this Conflagration Mr. Mede's Works p. 614 615. some with probable Reason conceive yet that without dispute or doubt [i] Dr. More 's Myst of Godl p. 231. the Globe of the Earth and the circumjacent Air with all the Garnishings of them shall be burnt up That this Air and Earth shall be strangely and wonderfully alter'd though not annihilated That the present Order and comely Beauty of the Compages and Frame of this visible lower World shall be dissolv'd That this great House and goodly Building made for Man to dwell in shall be taken down and all the Furniture wherewith it was fitted for his Use and Service shall be destroyed That it will be an Act of Wisdom for God to abolish these Things when the Time appointed for Probation and Trial of immortal Spirits cloathed with Flesh is ended and expired and Men shall enter into so different a State in which there will be no need of any Thing that serves and ministers to this terrene and animal Life And though God think good to continue this World for a while that it may be a Theater whereon his Wisdom Goodness Mercy Patience and other his glorious Attributes may be displayed and made conspicuous yet it is convenient and reasonable that this Stage of God's Acts and Works of Providence when all is finished should be taken down And
short Race who though thou maiest sometimes start aside or stumble in the Way yet will not deny thee thy Reward nor lessen thy Crown but if thou doest thy best will reward thy Sincerity largely and liberally and will abundantly recompense the very meanest faithful Performance the giving but a Cup of cold Water in the Name of a Disciple It will excite thee to give thanks to God who hath begotten thee again to a lively Hope and made thee very rich in Hope It will enable thee to live comfortably and walk cheerfully as an Heir of the Promises an Heir of the Grace of Life of eternal Life or Glory which will be bestowed by the free Grace and Favour of God To rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory as one whose Name is written in Heaven and that hast a Mansion prepared by Christ in Heaven for thee To rejoice and be exceeding glad to consider that great is thy Reward in Heaven To rejoice in the first Fruits of the Spirit in the earnest of the Spirit which is the earnest of thy Inheritance given by God as a Pledg or first part of Payment of that Inheritance which he hath destin'd to thee To sit down and express and vent thy Thoughts in the feeling affectionate words of the fore-cited sweet Singer [t] Herb. Poem The Glance If thy first glance so powerful be A Mirth but open'd and seal'd up again What wonders shall we feel when we shall see Thy full-eyed Love When thou shalt look us out of pain And one Aspect of thine spend in Delight More than a thousand Suns disburse in Light In Heaven above If thou shalt use to think much of Heaven thou wilt rejoice in that Sight which thou gettest of God and Christ here as a real Pledg of a clearer Vision and nearer Fruition of God and Christ hereafter Thou wilt rejoice in that Communion which thou holdest with the Saints in the Church here as an earnest and assurance of thy Fellowship with them in the heavenly Glory hereafter Thou wilt delight in that measure of spiritual Knowledg and those Beginnings of eternal Life thou attainest here as Tokens and Pledges of a perfection of Knowledg a perfection of Life eternal to be received and enjoyed hereafter Thy thankful cheerful Life will answer the Reward the Riches the Crown the Kingdom which God hath plainly promis'd thee and given a sure Earnest and certain Pledg of to thee The last of the four last Things proposed as the subject Matter of Meditation in order to the right Redemption of Time Let [a] Reade Mr. Bolton of Hell in his 4 last things And Mr. Richard Adams's serm of Hell in the M. E. at St. G. Hell and its Torments be the Subject of thy solemn and frequent Meditation which will be of great Use and Advantage to thee for preventing the mis-spending and promoting the right redeeming of thy Time Hope of Heaven and Fear of Hell are the great Engines apt to turn about our Wills and the forcible Spring of all our Actions and nothing so strongly affects as Fear And we have need enough in this present State to get every Affection wrought upon and to use all possible Motives with our selves for the furthering and promoting the Salvation of our Souls And therefore surely she was overhasty and acted rashly that ran about the City with a Brand of Fire in one Hand and a Bottle of Water in the other and said her business was to set Heaven on fire with the one and to quench Hell-slames with the other that there might be neither of them left only pure Love to move and incite her Piety The devout St. Bernard puts us upon a wiser and better Course [b] Descendamus in insernum viventes ne defcendamus moriâ—ntes Let us go into Hell by Meditation while we live saies he that we may not go into Hell when we die Seriously consider that if thou shouldst prove a final impenitent Sinner when thy Soul shall quit the Tabernacle of thy Body it shall pass immediatly into a State of Misery and dwell in the Region of Devils and of evil discontented Spirits and that thou shalt be raised at the last Day to the * Ioh. 5.29 Resurrection of Damnation to †Dan. 12.2 Shame and everlasting Contempt be raised as a Malefactor is fetched out of Prison to appear in Judgment first and then to be had to the Place of Execution be raised though thou wouldst [c] Malunt extingui penitus quà m ad supplicia reparari Minucius Fel. p. 84. rather chuse to be annihilated than to be restored and raised again to Punishment That then thou shalt be ranked among the Goats on the * Mat. 25.41 left Hand and sentenced to * Mat. 25.41 depart That then thou shalt be excluded and banish'd from the Face and Favour the comfortable †2 Thess 1.9 Presence and blessed Enjoyment of God and Christ in Glory That thou shalt suffer the Loss of all thy outward and earthly Enjoyments have impetuous Desires after terrene and sensual Things still remaining and yet want the Objects which should suit and satisfy please and gratify those Desires But that thy greatest Punishment shall consist in the Loss of God and Christ and of all real substantial Good by the Loss of God and Christ the chiefest Good Consider further That thou shalt be forc'd to depart from Christ into Hell-fire not a purging but plaguing not a purifying but tormenting Fire That it will be no small Pain that will arise from an acute Feeling and lively Sense of the unutterable Losses and unrecoverable Damages thou shalt then sustain by reason of thy Sin from a quick and terrible Apprehension that thou art bereaved of God forsaken of Christ and utterly deprived of all the glorious Good that was so fairly offer'd to thee and from the sad Consideration that they whom thou didst despise and vilify and trample on here on Earth and account the very Off-scouring of the World are at last possess'd and made Partakers of that blissful State which thou findest thy self deprived of As it heightned and aggravated Dives's Misery to behold Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom But well consider That this will not be all but that there shall be a real Presence of all Evil as well as a privation of all Good That as all the Members of thy Body and Powers of thy Soul have been Weapons of Unrighteousness so thou shalt be punished in all the Parts of thy Body and Faculties of thy Soul which then shall be made more capable of Torment and shall suffer-Pain without any Diversion or Intermission Mitigation or Relaxation at all finding * Rev. 14.11 no Rest day nor night That then thou shalt be fill'd with Horrour of Conscience troubled and vexed to think and consider that all the Torments thou indurest are sent in Vengeance and inflicted by Divine Justice by way of Punishment for thy wilful Faults and
take what care conld be expected in making choice of Goats and Sheep and such like things but were extreamly [a] In amicis eligendis negligentes esse necâ—h there quasi signá quaedam notas quibus eos qui ad amicitiam essent idonei judicarent Cic. de Amic negligent in chusing of their Friends nor in this case made any use of requisite Signs and Notes by which they might discern and judg what Persons were fit and well qualified to be received and taken into Friendship And he there directs that Men would prudently put some stop to the Stream of their Affection and as we make Trial of other things so that we would make some [b] Aliquà parte periclitatis moribus amicorum Ib. Experiment of the Manners of the Persons we design for our Companions and accordingly embrace or decline Familiarity with them O be nice and choice of your Company and Society delicate and curious in that Matter and Business Consider beforehand as [c] Hominum utique del ctus habâ—ndus est an digni sint quibus partem vitae nostrae impend mus an ad ibos temporis nostri jactura perveniat De tranq An c. 6. Seneca advises whether they be worthy or no to have any part of your Life bestowed upon them whether any share of your Time may fitly and warrantably be allowed them for idle carnal Friends are the Thieves that steal away our Time from us and 't is a costly Entertainment of them to waste our Time upon them Vain and profane Friends and Acquaintance do rob us of the opportunity of doing and receiving good They seek nothing but idle and empty Talk they will not maintain serious and savoury Discourse O! what Loss have many of us sustain'd by such ill Customers as these Call to thy remembrance says Seneca [d] Quà m mults vitam tuam diripuerint te non sentiente quid pâ—rderes De brev vit c. 3. How many have cheated thee of thy Time thou in the mean time not understanding what thou hast lost * Eâ—â— quos validissâ—mè diligunt partem suorum annorum dant nec inteâ—â—gunt Dant autem ita ut sine illorum incremento sibi detrabant Sed hoc ipsum an detrahant nesciunt ideo tolirabilis est iâ—is jactura detrimenti latentis Id ib. c. 8. Men give away part of their Years saies he to them they mightily love nor do they perceive or know in the least what they do And they give it so that others receive no profit by that which they deprive themselves of But they are ignorant that they themselves lose any thing by it and therefore the Detriment that is so latent is toberable to them If we be wise let 's look well who they be that we spend and lay out our Time upon Let 's not * Ps 26.4 1.1 Prov. 4.14 15 16. sit customarily sit with vain Persons nor be the common †Prov. 13.20 Companions of Fools but rather say in our Hearts at least with holy David ‖ Ps 6.8 Mat. 7.23 Depart from me all ye Workers of Iniquity (*) Ps 119. 115 Depart from me ye evil Doers for I will keep the Commandmentsi of my God Avoid Communion with the Lepers of the World O never offer with Nebuchadnezzar to keep Company with Beasts Do not so degrade and debase your selves Do not lose your Time and lose your selves in such unprositable contemptible Society Take here the Counsel of St. Jerome [e] Disce ex hac parte sanctam superbiam scito te illis esse meâ—terem Ilieron In this respect learn an holy Pride scorn such mean and low vile and base Company and know your selves to be better than they Be of more raised Spirits than to be Companions with them By keeping ill Company thou wilt lose thy Time and lose or lessen thy spiritual Beauty thou wilt like him that walketh in the Sun be quickly tann'd insensibly Have no frequent chosen Converse no inward close Friendship with those that are none of God's real Friends that have no spiritual Acquaintance with God but are manifestly profane openly ungodly and alienated from the Life of God that are Enemies to God and his Religion his Son and Spirit his Word and Worship Laws and Waies and whose * Irm 4.4 Friendship is Enmity with God whose Friendship is Friendship with Hell and who are themselves but a kind of familiar Devils Never chuse to join in Company with these to haunt the Places they use which commonly give no small occasion of Sin and to resort and repair to such Houses in agreed Meetings to sinful Ends and Businesses Chuse not those for thy Friends who never yet began to be true Friends to themselves He that is not a Friend to himself will never be a Friend to thee 'T is only he that is a Friend to himself saies [f] Qus sibi Anicus est scito hunc amicum omnil us esse Sen. ep 6â— in fine Seneca wisely and discretely that is likely to prove a truly profitable Friend to others Chuse not such for thy Friends that are not likely to be Friends to thy Soul How can he be reckon'd and reputed a Friend to thee who is not a Friend but rather an Enemy to the better Part of thee Take this for a Rule That if a Person be not a good Man though he love thee he is not a Friend to thee A Master of Morality will tell thee That [g] Qui amicus est amat qui amat non utique amicus est Itaque amicitia semper prodest amor etiam aliquando nocet Sen ep 35. he that is a Friend does love but he that loves is not for that reason presently a Friend for Friendship does alwaies profit a Person but Love doth hurt sometimes Now hurt to the Soul is the greatest Hurt that can be done to any And therefore acquaint not with those that will study to bring Vice into your Acquaintance and whose Acquaintance will breed your Estrangement from God Keep free from that Company that will make you part Company with God and Christ and a good Conscience Cleave not unto those that will be Clogs and Pull-backs Deadners and Quench-coals to you that will cool and damp your Heart and Spirit in the Practice of Piety and Exercise of Religion and make you * Ps 39 1 2. hold your peace even from Good That will only love and respect and care for you upon condition that you love not Christ nor regard Holiness nor care in the least for your immortal Soul and eternal Happiness That will by all means labour to bring you to esteem lightly of the Lord's-Day and to give them your Time and Company in an idle truitless profane ill-exemplary private Retirement when you should be conscientiously and awfully present at the Publick Assembly Be sure you beware of such Company as will only give a treat and entertainment to your Sense