ADVERTISEMENT. Courteous Reader, THese Sermons mentioned in the Title being Preached by Mr. Killiray and given to me to Publish, these are to inform all persons, that they may not be deceived with Counterfeit one's, which have not all the Sermons here mentioned in them. That they are only Printed for William Thackeray at the Angel in Duck-lane, and have this Picture underneath on them, where you may be furnished with the Right sort printer's device of William Thackeray WITH TEN Sermons, Preached by that Eminent Divine Matthew Killiray B. D. The Godly Man's Gain, and the Wicked Man's Woe. The Sinners Sobs. The Swearer and the Drunkard two brethrens in iniquity arraigned at the Bar. The ready way to get Richeses or the Poor Man's Counsellor. The short and sure way to Grace and Salvation. The Touchstone of a Christian. The Pathway to Saving knowledge. Every Man's Duty or the Godly Man's Practice. The way to Heaven made Plain. The Christians Comfort or the Goodness and Mercy of God unto his Children in their greatest Misery. To which are Added excellent Set Forms of Prayer and Graces for Children. London, Printed for William Thackeray 〈◊〉 the Angel in Duck-lane, 1675. Price 〈◊〉 The Godly Man's Gain, AND THE Wicked Man's Woe; OR, Good News from Heaven for the Righteous. Plainly showing the wondered manifestation of the love of God to their Souls, their blessed and happy condition both in this life, and that which is to come. Likewise, the dreadful condition of the wicked, their dangers by reason of sin, because the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against the workers of iniquity. Lastly, some seasonable warnings, and persuasions, for poor sinners to prepare for Judgement, that they may be able to stand in the evil day, and avoid those visible tokens of God's fury, and their eternal ruin in flames of Fire, prepared for the wicked, who delight to make voided the Law of God. By MATTHEW KILLIRAY. Psal. 9.6 7. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, Fire and Brimstone, and an horrible tempest, this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord, loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright. London, Printed for William Thackeray, at the Angel in Duck-lane near Smithfield, 1674. The Godly Man's Gain, AND THE Wicked Man's Woe; OR, Good News from Heaven for the Righteous. Isaiah 3.10,11. Say ye to the Righteous, that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their do. Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him for the Reward of his hands shall be given him. THese words are the words of the Prophet Isaiah, unto rebellious Judah and Jerusalem; having showed them in the former verses, the trouble and confusion which comes by sin; it is the cause of the loss of Temporal and Spiritual Enjoyments, thence ariseth disobedience to Parents, as you may read in the 5, and 6, verses; he comes in these two verses read to you; to show that though it be a day of public Calamity, when the shows of men's countenances do witness against them, and shows their sin as Sodom, yet than is there good news from heaven for the righteous soul, here is glad tidings of peace and safety for him, It shall be well with him: here is all good things comprehended in this word, Well: it shall go well with him here, well with him hereafter: this shall be his comfort, this his joy: He shall eat the fruit of his do, and be satisfied. But what shall become of the wicked? shall it be so with them? read the next verse, behold their doom, and avoid it if possible: Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. Better for him he had never been born, for eternal misery is his portion, he hath done ill, and the fruits of his evil deeds shall he receive: not a word of mercy to him, not a word of comfort for him▪ he hath had his good things in this life: and the Children of God their evil things: but now they are comforted, and he is formented, they have the good spirit, the holy Ghost to comfort them, but the wicked man the evil spirit to torment him: in a word all the woes and denunciations of wrath shall be executed against him, which are written in the Book of God. The observation that I would note from these words, is this, Doct That in the midst of misery, the Lord Jesus Christ hath bowels of mercy for the Righteous person; but in the day of account, he will have nothing but dregss of fury for the wicked, who study to make voided his Law. Here is good news for you, who have fought the good fight of faith, who have contended earnestly for the cause of Christ: a Crown of glory is prepared for them, which shall never fade away: There is mercy for them in the midst of misery; joy for them in the midst of sorrow; the smiles of God's countenance shall cheer up their hearts: though they may have sorrow for a season, yet joy cometh in the morning; the sweet and gracious carriage of the Lord Jesus Christ shall even ravish their souls. That this is so, That in the midst of misery, t●e Lord Jesus Christ hath bowels of mercy, see Heb. 13.5. Be content with such things as you have, for he hath said: I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; As if the Lord should say to any poor soul in misery, that is ready to dispond or despair, under the burden of his afflictions; bear my hand patiently, be content with such as you have, whether it be affliction tribulation, or persecution in this world, I have prepared a better Kingdom for you; I'll never leave you in six troubles, or in seven: I'll guide you by my Counsel, and afterwards receive you into Glory, Psal. 138.3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. Though the world frown upon them yet there is a secret support, there is an everlasting arm that bears them up; his sweet & gracious carriage to the Church, declares that they are the beloved of his soul, they are his Darlings, see Cant. 4.8,11. Come with me from Lebanon (my Spouse) from Lebanon, etc. thou hast ravished my heart, my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck, how fair is thy love my Sister, my Spouse, how much better is thy love than Wine, and the smell of thine Ointments than all spices? And thus the Lord jesus goes along, showing forth his love in most excellent terms, to make the soul more enamoured of him. But now to show you why it is so, or how it comes to pass that the Lord is so full of bowels of mercy towards the Righteous, I shall give a few Reasons for it. 1. Because they are those whom he hath ransomed, whom he hath bought at a 〈◊〉 rate, even the price of his own blood. These are the persons, (the Righteous I mean) for whom he was reviled, despised, was in bitter Agonies, and suffered a cruel death upon the Cress: And think you will he leave these in misery, and not remember he is a God of mercy? will not he stay these with Flagons, & comfort them with Apples, when they are sick of love? The blood of the Lord jesus Christ was not shed in vain, but he died, that his might live, he went through sorrows, that his might have joy, he was Crowned with Thorns, that his might be Crowned with glory. They are those whom he hath called out of darkness into this marvellous light; for these he hath procured a salvation, & an everlasting rest: They shall not be led Captive at the Devils will, because they are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, shall it go well with them. 2. Because they are those whom he hath chosen, & those whom the Father hath given him: Therefore hath the Lord bowels of mercy for them. As he hath accomplished his part on the Cross for them, so will he accomplish his part in heaven for them; John 6.36. Of all that the Father hath given him, he will loose nothing. They are the fruit of his death and resurrection; to these he will be a Father in time of trouble: when the world cast them of, he will receive them into his protection, he will open his everlasting arms, & receive them into his embraces. Christ will not loose his interest, he will not loose those whom he hath chosen, and whom the Father hath given him; but the light of his countenance shall shine upon them, and he will compass them about with mercy, all the days of their lives. 3. Why hath God bowels of mercy for the Righteous? because God hath peculiarly promised to these, and none but these, that he will be a Father to them, and they shall be his Children. Now beloved, hath not a Father yerning bowels of affection towards his Child? doth not he love his own, & cherish his own more affectionately than he doth others? if he see them wronged, doth not he right them? even so the Lord jesus Christ as a Father, is very pitiful & very loving, & affectionate towards his Children: O how his spirit is grieved to see his grieved, when his Children are molested, & despised it pierceth into his soul, and presently he is ready to deliver them; he will never leave his comfortless, but he will come unto them, he will be with them in joy and sorrow, in prosperity and adversity, in life & death, and at last will lead them into his heavenly habitation, that they may partake of the glory promised, and receive the reward of their Righteousness, even the salvation of their precious souls: thus have you heard why the Lord jesus Christ hath yerning bowels of mercy towards the Righteous. Indeed many more might be given, but these I think are enough to satisfy any reasonable soul, and n●w let me proceed to make a little improvement of it by way of use. 1. Use of Exhortation; Let it be to exhort you who are Righteous in the sight of God, you to whom jesus Christ hath bowels of mercy, to be continually lifting up Prayers and Praises with your whole heart and soul unto the Lord, who hath translated you out of darkness into his marvellous light, & out of the Kingdom of Satan unto God, that he should take pity of you, when you were in your blood when the Priest & the Levites passed by, that Christ the good Samaritan should look on you, & heal you. O admire this goodness of God & be not slothful, but be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord that hath had such compassion on you, that hath washed your souls in his own blood, that hath purged your consciences from dead works: what, will not you serve the Lord with fear and trembling? you to whom the Lord hath revealed himself in love and mercy; O be exhorted in the fear of God, to live answerable to those enjoyments you enjoy; and are like to be partakers of. 2. Use of comfort and consolation to poor dejected souls, who go mourning all the day long, here is good news for you converted sinners, you who have felt the misery under the burden of sin, and do believe and endeavour to avoid the power of Satan and the Wrath of God, and do believe what Christ hath done for your restauration and salvation, and have thankfully accepted of him as your only Saviour & Lord, on the terms that he is offered in the Gospel, as one that calls, justifies sanctifies, and brings at last to everlasting Glory. Hold up your heads poor souls, and open the everlasting gates of your souls, that the King of glory may come in in triumph: hitherto you have clouded the bright rays of his glory, n●w open your eyes and your souls, that you may behold it: learn to say with David, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, who will yet be the light of my countenance, and my God: Hold up your heads you have cause to rejoice, O ye Saints & Servants of the most high God, you need not fear what man can do unto you, it shall be well with you, you shall have joy, when others shall have sorrow, you shall have peace when others shall have trouble, you shall enjoy eternal life, when others shall have eternal death & damnation: So let me leave you in the bosom of your Father, sucking from the breasts of his consolation: and let me speak a little to the wicked, to those who will not have the Lord of life to reign over them. Something I shall speak, to show them their danger and desperate condition; and something by way of persuasion, to persuade them to come into the Lord jesus Christ, that they might not be the objects of his fury at the great day. And when I begin to speak of these things: I confess it seems terrible to me, and makes me almost afraid, people will run out of their wits, when they hear it, but a little experience showing us that many are like a Dog, bred in a Forge or Furnace, that being used to it, can sleep, though the hammers are beating, & the fire & hot Irons flaming about him; when another that had never seen it, would be amazed at the sight: Lo thus they who have 10 or 20 years heard talk of the danger of enduring the wrath of God at the day of judgement, but see it not, nor feel any hurt, they think it is but talk, and make nothing of it, and thus they thank God for his patience; Because his Sentence is not executed speedily, therefore they set themselves to do evil, Eccles. 8.11. This consideration moded me, & awakened my soul, that I might unburden my conscience before you, & speak the truth in God, and lie not. And, O ●hat I could teach your hearts; O that whosoever reads this little Book, might fear and tremble, and that seeing his danger, he may endeavour to avoid those unquenchable flames ●f the fury of God's Wrath, See 2 Cor. 5.10,11. and tremble when you read it; For ●e must all appear at the Judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things ●one in his body, according to that he hath ●one, good or bad. Knowing therefore the errors of the Lord, we persuade men: 'Tis 〈◊〉 you I am to speak, who have done ill; W●s 〈◊〉 you, for the reward of your works shall be ●iven you, and what is that? Nothing but ●ell & horror, nothing but the fury of God's ●rath, a sad sentence shall be passed on you, ●hall make your hearts to tremble than, ●hough you will not tremble now. 2. Let us inquire wherein this horror con●…sts, that is, first in the sentence of condemnation itself, which expresseth the misery ●hey are judged to. 1. They are cursed, and that denounceth a people destinated of & adjudged to utter unhappiness, & to all kind of miseries without remedy: and their cursedness is described in ●he next Words: Departed from me into ever●…sting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; from whom must they departed? from that God that made them in his Image, from the Redeemer that bought them with th● price of his blood, & offer's to save them freely for all their unworthiness; & many time entreated them to accept his offer, that the● souls might live; from the Holy Ghost th● Sanctifier, & Comforter of the faithful, wh● strove with their hearts, till they quenche● and expelled him: O● sad departing! wh● would not than choose to departed from all th● friends he had in the world, or from any thin● imaginable: from his life from himself, 〈◊〉 it were possible, than from Christ; Departed from what? from the presence of the Iudg● from all future hopes of salvation for ●ve● from all possibility of over being saved, an● living in the joyful inheritance of the Righteous. And than consider: 2. Whether must they departed? 1. In● fire. 2. Into that fire which is prepared for devil & his Angels. 3. Into everlasting fir● not into purifying, but into a tormenting fi● and thither wilt thou go without remedy: 〈◊〉 Christ now to intercéed for thee: in vain no● to repent, & wish ●ō had not slighted your salvation, or sold it for a little pleasune for the fle● it will be than in vain to cry, Lord open to us O spare us! O pity us! O do not cast a● ●nto those hideous flames! O do not turn us among devils, do not condemn thy Redeemed ●nes! but all shall be in vain, you cry & call too late, the gates of Heaven are shut against you, you ●āt sinned, therefore you shall suffer; ●he coals of his fury shall always be burning of you, but you shall never be burnt; considering the company you shall have, none but tormenting devils; this will aggravate your misery: & the time it shall endure, not a year ●r ten, or a hundred years, but for ever: you ●hall be always consuming, but never consumed; as the blessedness & joy of the godly is perpetual, so shall also the torments of the wicked. O poor sinner! that readest or hearest these lines, I beseech thee in compassion to thy ●oul, consider how fearful the case of the man will be, that is newly doomed to the everlasting fire, and is haled to the execution without remedy. The time was, when repentance might have done thee good, but than all thy re●entings will be in vain: now while thy day of visitation lasteth, hadst thou but a heart to ●ry & call for mercy in faith & fervency, thou mightest be heard, but than praying & crying will do thee no good; shouldst thou roar out in ●he extremity of thy horror and amazement, 〈◊〉 beseech the Lord jesus but to forgive thee one sin, or to sand thee on earth once more, or try thee once again in the flesh, whether thou would love him, and lead a godly life, 〈◊〉 would be all in vain: shouldst thou besée●… him by all the mercifulness of his nature, 〈◊〉 all his sufferings & bloody death, by all the merciful promises of the Gospel, it would be all 〈◊〉 vain: nay, shouldst thou but beg for one day reprieve, or stay one hour before thou we● cast into those flames, it would not be hear● how earnestly did Dives beg of Abraham, t● one drop of Water to cool his Tongue? b●cause he was tormented in the flames; & whi● was he the better? he was bid Remember t● good things he had in this life, and the remembrance would torment him more. Christ wi● not be entreated by the ungodly, but he wi● soon stop thy mouth, or leave thee speechless And say, Remember man, that I did once se● thee a message of peace, and thou wouldst n● hear it: I did once stoop to beseech thee to return, and thou wouldst not hear: I besoug● thee by the tender mercies of God: I besoug● thee by all the love that I had showed thee 〈◊〉 my holy life, my cursed death, by the richeses my grace, by the offers of my glory, & I cou● not get thee to forsake the World, to deny th● flesh, to leave one beloved fin; for all this, 〈◊〉 waited on thee many a day, and year, th● wouldst not consider and return and live, an● now 'tis too late, my sentence is past, & cannot be recalled, away from me get thee hence, thou worker of iniquity, Mat. 7.22,23. Ah! beloved friends, what a case is than the poor desperate sinner left in? how can you that read or hear, once think without trembling, of the condition that such forlorn wretches will be in, when they look about them, and see God that hath forsaken them, because they forsook him first; and when they look about them, and see the Saints on the one hand, whom they despised, now sentenced unto glory, & the wicked on the other hand, whom they accompanied and imitated, now judged with them to everlasting misery: When they look below them, and see the flames that they must abide in, even for evermore, and when the Devil gins to hale them to the execution: O poor souls! now what would they give for a Christ, for a promise, for a time of repentance, for a sermon of mercy, which once they slept under, or made no account of: How is the case altered now with them? Who would think that these are the same men, that made light of all this on earth; that so stoutly scorned the reproofs of the Word, that would be worldly, and fleshly, & drunk, and proud; let Preachers say what they would, and perhaps hated them that did give them warning: now they are of another mind, but all too late: now would they draw back, and lay hold of any thing, rather than be dragged away into those flames: but there is no resisting: Satan's temptations might have been resisted, but his exacutions cannot: God's judgements might have been prevented by faith & prayer, & a holy life, but they cannot be resisted when they are not prevented: glad would the miserable sinner be, if that he might but turn to nothing, or that he might be any thing rather than a reasonable creature: but their wishes are all in vain, there is but one time, and one way for a sinner's deliverance: if he fail in that one, he perisheth for ever, all the world cannot help him after that, 2 Cor. 6.26. I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in a day of salvation: behold, now is the day of salvation, Rev. 3.20. Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him and he with me, but for the time to come hereafter, hear what the Lord saith, Prov 1.24.25 26. Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, but they have set at naught my counsel & would none of my reproof, I will also mock at your calamity. I will laugh when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon them: than shall they call upon me, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, but shall not found me, for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsels, they despised all my reproofs, therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices, for the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them; but who so hearkeneth to me, shall devil safely, and shall be quiet for fear of evil. This God himself hath plainly told you, and Oh! that you would consider of it in time; will you thus wilfully sin, and think to escape the wrath of God? nay, let me tell you, except you likewise repent, ye shall all likewise perish; all the world shall not, cannot save you, no Act of Indemnity shall be passed upon you, you have sinned, & you shall suffer. and God's Name shall be justified by it, and Ah; that your Consciences would be awakened by a serious apprehension of the deadly torments, and smoking flames, that shall certainly one day seize upon your body, & that the fear of it might move your hearts into a relenting and repenting frame, & your souls might be affected with the ways & truths of God, which are both pleasant and peaceable, and in them you shall found eternal life. And now I have in brief shown you the danger of resisting the Lord jesus Christ, suffer me to persawde you, & O that you would be persuaded before the woes and denunciations of God's Wrath be pronounced against you! O that you would believe that one day you shall receive the fruit of your do: will you suffer your souls to sink in the last day, for want of care, & self-preservation? O that I could persuade you by the tender mercies of God, by that precious Blood of the Immaculate Lamb of God, to awake presently, and resolve to loose not more time, but set upon the work. O that there were such a heart in you as you were truly willing to follow the gracious guidance of the Lord, and to use those sweet and reasonable means which he hath prescribed in his word, that you may be ready for the day of the Lord, for you will not be able to make any shift to keep your souls from continual terrors, as long as you remain in a Carnal and unregenerate condition; let the sudden approach of death & judgement, continually move you, and the terrible apprehensions of the falling into those furious flames prapared for the wicked, rouse up your sleepy souls from sin and security How do you think to escape at the last day, you that never once trembled at the thoughts of that great day: let me persuade you to confirm your thoughts in the belief of this, that you shall suddenly appear at the Bar of God's justice, and there shall be brought to answer for thy deeds done in the flesh, whether good or evil, what than wilt thou be able to say before the great God? than it will be too late to say; Lord be merciful to me a Sinner, than shall you wish too late, that you had done the good, and the acceptable will of God; & that you had left the Creature and served the Creator. Than shall you be ready to cry out: Woe is me, how shall I be able to bear this dreadful & heavy burden of the Wrath of God: O how shall I live among those scorching & never dying flames? How shall I be able to endure those fearful shrieks, and sad complaints of those damned souls? and than beholding the sweet Harmony that is among the glorified Saints, their continual blessedness shall more amaze thee; than wilt thou wish thou wert received into their sweet society: Than wilt thou be ready to say, Lord receive me into thy Kingdom. But alas thou hadst thy good things in this life, therefore nothing but wrath and curse is thy portion, this will be thy condition unless thou in time consider, and are fully prepared for the coming of the Bride. I would lay down a few helps and directions, to poor seduced and deluded souls that seeing their danger, they might also look out for a recovery. 1. Direction. Labour to get yourselves established in this belief, that the judgement of the great day is at hand, and that you must answer for all your deeds done in the flesh: Friends s●ut not your eyes against the light. If you do not believe such a day is at hand, you will never prepare for it, it is the Word of the God of truth; certainly you dare not give him the lie; John 5.28.29. The hour is coming, in which, all that are in their Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the Resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, to the Resurrection of damnation. Heb. 9.27. It is appointed to all men once to die, and after death to Judgement. Nothing more true than this, and dare you live without the faith of this? 2. Direction. Make it the business of your lives to be ready for that day. All other business should depend upon this, what else have you to do, but to provide for eternity, & to use that means prescribed in God's word. Remember when you awake every morning, you are nearer to eternity, and that the day of your account is at hand, and when you go to bed, examine your hearts; what you have done in preparation for the last day are you ready for judgement, or are you not? Consider a while with your Souls? doth not the Scripture say: Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, John 3.3. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. See the case of the unprepared soul, at the great day, Mat. 25. Cast the unprofitable Servant into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth. But those mine enemies, who will not have me to reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me, Mat. 22.12,13. Friend, how camest thou hither, not having a wedding Garment? and he was speechless: than said the King to the servants bind him hand and foot, and take him away, cast him into utter darkness. Labour to be ready for the great day. 3. Direction. Get Faith and Repentance sown in thy heart, or else thou shalt never be accepted or justified by the blood of Christ: without Faith it is impossible to please God, and without Repentance no Salvation. O make not a light matter of sin and misery, jest thou be pressed by them into infernal flames, but Repent from the bottom of thy heart, and be grieved for this, that thou didst not repent sooner: turn to the Lord with thy whole heart, & let God be in all thy thoughts, than he will pardon and pass by all your iniquities, and receive you graciously, & prese you as pure and spotless before the Throne 〈◊〉 his Father, & than you shall be taken into h● embraces, and have his Banner of love spread over you. 4. Direction. Let it be the daily care of yo● souls to mortify fleshly desires, and overcome the world: fleshly desires, & carnal self, wi●…draw you of from God. This therefore mu●… be the earnest work of thy life, to subdue th● flesh & to set light by this world & resist the devil that would destroy thee: Live lose from a● things in this world, if you would be read● for another world, you must not live after th● flesh, but mortify it by the spirit; Rom. 8.13 If you would be accepted in the last day, & b● able to give up your account with joy, th●… must be the course of your life; than he hath promised to receive you graciously and to tak● you into his everlasting Rest. 5. Direction. As you renew your Life, s● daily renew your repentance, & do all your works, as men that must be judged for them at the last day: O that you would remember when temptations are upon you! how careful you should be of your words and thoughts, i● you seriously remember you must be judged for what you have done, and give an account ●or every talon received, certainly you would ●ot be so vain; so carnal, and so dead to the ●hings of God, were you fully convinced that ●ou must answer for all, were God in all your thought, the devil would be under foot: O ●hat poor miserable souls would, before it be 〈◊〉 late, lay to heart these things, and remember what they are born for, and what will 〈◊〉 the issue of an ungodly, careless, unre●enting life. 6. Direction. Be in this vigilant and obedi●…t course, that with confidence you may rest ●pon God as a father, and upon the promise of acceptance, and remission, through the merits ●…d intercession of jesus Christ; Look up in ●pe, to the glory that is set before you: serve ●t droopingly, but with love, and joy, & filial ●ar; get into communion with the Saints, ●ke heed you be not excluded by your unwor●y walking, left you be cast out of the presence 〈◊〉 Christ & his Saints for ever. And that I ●ight draw to a conclusion, I would say to ●or sinners, judgement is near, be prepared, ●st you bewail whent is to late. O that the Lord ●uld open your eyes, & turn you to himself: ●hen the judgement day will not be dreadful 〈◊〉 you: than your Saviour whom you have o●…ed, will not condemn you, but if you will 〈◊〉 obstinate, when the Lord jesus Christ is regaled from Heaven, with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on the●… who know not God, & obey not the Gospel 〈◊〉 our Lord jesus Christ, you who have resisted his will, shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lor●… when the day of the Marriage of the La●… comes, & the reception of the Saints into Glor●… than you who are not prepared for the Brid●groom; the door shall be shut against you, a●… though you cry: Lord, Lord, open to us, y●… shall be repulsed with a verily I know you n●… when others long, hope, & wait for comfort than shall you fear and tremble at the r●membrance of it. And o that the words contained in this little Book, might move so●… poor soul to a serious view of their lives a●… conversations, whether they are those to wh●… the Lord will say: Woe to you wicked, you sh●… receive the fruit of your do, that you may 〈◊〉 time prepare for judgement, that when the time●… your departure is at hand, you may be abl●… look back on the good fight you have foght●… the course you have finished, & the faith you ha●… kept, & may confidently conclude, the hen●… forth there is laid up a crown for you of rig●…eousness, which the Lord jesus Christ the Iu●… shall give you at the last day, & not to you on●… but to all them who love his appearing, t●… you may be able to say: even so, Come L●… Jesus come quickly: Amen. FINIS. The Sinners Sobs; OR, The Sinners Way to Zions Joy. Plainly demonstrating the absolute necessity of true godly sorrow for the Sinners safety. With many Cogent Reasons and Arguments, and brief exhortations to poor Sinners, yet in the gall of bitterness, and bond of Iniquity, to return even by weeping and mourning, to him who delights to show mercy. As also the terrible condition of such who come not in this way, whom God will found another way to deal with. By Matthew Killiray. Jeremiah 4.14. O Jerusalem, wash thy hands from wickedness, how long shall vain thoughts devil with thee? London, Printed for William Thackaray in Ducklane. 1673. The Sinners Sobs; OR, The Sinners Way to Zions Joy. Plainly demonstrating the absolute necessity of true godly sorrow for sin, and true confession of Sin. Acts 2.37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked to their hearts, and said to Peter, and the other Apostles; Men and Brethrens, what shall we do to be saved? IN this Chapter you have an account of the effects of the Apostle Peter's famous Sermon; having told the Jews in the verses before my Text; That they were the men that had crucified the Lord of Life, and shed the blood of God: that they had consented to it, and embrued their hands in it: thi● stung their consciences, and pricked thei● hearts; the Arrows of the Lord, whic● the Apostle had shot secretly into thei● souls, came home to their heart's an● consciences, that they could bear not lo●ger, but came to Peter and the rest, an● said, What shall we do to be saved? The Doctrine which I would briese speak to, from these words, is this: Doct An unfeigned sorrow and contrition of heart, conceived of Go● displeasure for Sin, is absolute● necessary to salvation. This is that we call the beginning 〈◊〉 the Work of Grace, even in the bruisi●… of a sinner's heart, under the sense of an● sin committed. To prove this to be absolutely necessary to salvation, not only Scripture but reason will tell us: for Scripture see the 1 Corinth. 7. chap. 10. ver● Godly sorrow causeth Repentance u●…alvation. And as the Prophet Da● ●n the bitterness of his spirit, said, Thou keepest my eyes waking, and my sin is ever before me. If the Lord love a sinner, and means to do him good, he will not let ●he sinner alone in his own sinful courses, ●ut will fret him from his D●n, and ●ruise him, and beaten him as in a Mortar: what caused David's sorrow, but his sin? ●e had needed no restoring, had he not ●een degraded. Well than, Is this a work of Grace? ●s this contrition and sorrow for Sin? 〈◊〉 beginning of repentance? than it must ●eeds be of great necessity to salvation: ●or without repentance there is no salvation. Now that something might be hinted, to put poor sinners in a way to this ●nfeigned Sorrow and Contrition: let me beg you in the bowels of love, earnestly desiring your souls eternal welfare, to meditate seriously on these three ●hings, which will, if set home by the Spirit of God, help you to the after work, even Hearty Sorrow, and true Contrition. 1. Look over your life past, and labour ●o see the mercy, goodness, and patience of God, that hath been abused and despised by that unkind dealing of yours: O● souls, remember the days of old, and reckon up Gods gracious dealing with you; were you ever in want, who supplied you? were you ever in weakness, who strengthened you? in sickness, who cured you? in miseries, who succoured you? in poverty, who relieved you? was it not the Lord? and how can you forget him, who forgot not you in you● low estate? will you reward the Lord thus? what shall I say of you? Hear, o Heavens, and harken o Earth; the Ox knoweth his owner, and the As● his Master's Crib, and will not you acknowledge God's kindness and goodness to you? Look into your Houses, go to your Tables, and your Beds, and say▪ who gives these, and continues these? doth not the Lord: and yet Sin against this God: certainly my friends, serious meditation on this, must break the heart, and cause sorrow for Sin: But 2. If the mercy, goodness, and patience of God, will not move or melt you● Consider it, (God is just too) if mercy cannot prevail, you shall have justice enough. Take heed, o hardhearted and undaunted Sinners, the just law that hath been contemned, and those righteous statutes that have been broken, and that God that hath been provoked by you, and will be revenged of you: Where's Nimrod and Nabuchadnezzar, and Pharaoh, and Herod, and all those proud persons that set their mouths against God, and their hearts against heaven, what's now become of them? they are now in the bottomless pit of Hell. As the Apostle saith, Our God is a consuming fire, Heb. 12.29. And if my fire be kindled it shall burn to the bottom of Hell. O therefore meditate on the justice of God, provoked, jest thou art called to the Bar too soon, to answer for thy sins: and certainly a serious Meditation here, must needs provoke an unfeigned Contrition. 3. Meditate on the cost and the punishment of sin: consider, O stubborn sinner! what will sin cost you? Namely, those endless torments that cannot be conceived: hath not the God of Heaven and Earth, with all his attributes, passed before you; to wit, his mercy, his goodness, his power, his long-suffering; hath not all these come to your hearts, and whispered in your ear, and said, bounty hath kept you, patience hath born with you, long-suffering hath endured you, mercy hath relieved you, the goodness of God hath been great unto you: all these will bid you adieu, and say, Farewell damned Soul, you must pack hence to Hell: to have fellowship with damned Ghosts, where you shall have everlasting pain, without one jot of pleasure: continual sorrow, without one drop of joy. Conceive in thy soul, the just God cannot but justly be angry with you, and he will not let Sin go unpunished: and let the consideration of this fetch tears from thy eyes, and sorrow from thy heart. Meditation upon these things, if solid and serious, must needs 'cause a heart-breaking for sin: but to give you some Reasons, why there must be this piercing and wounding of Soul for Sin. 1. Reason. Because Sin is the greatest evil of the Soul, and the greatest burden also: that is most grievous, which is most heavy: now as there is no evil, so properly and directly evil to the soul, as the evil of Sin: so there is nothing that can properly do good to the Soul, but God: Now while a sinner comes to see his sin, he cannot sorrow for his Sin: now it is godly sorrow causeth Repentance unto life, as you may see in the 2 Cor. 7.10. And assuredly, the soul that sees not the evil of sin, shall fall by the evil of punishment. 2. Reason. Why unfeigned sorrow and contrition of heart for sin, is necessary to Salvation: because by sound sorrow, the Soul is truly prepared and fitted for the Lord Jesus Christ; as you may see in the 9 of the Prophet Jeremiah, and the 3. verse, Blow up the fallow ground of your hearts, and sow not among thorns. What is it else, but to have the heart pierced with the terrors of the Lord, by a sound, saving sorrow for sin? Blow up the corruptions, which are the Thorns and Thistles in your hearts, as the Prophet David saith, Psalm 51.27. It's a broken and a Contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise: the heart must be broken all to pieces, even to powder, and must be content to be weaned from all sin, which is the way to be fitted for Jesus Christ. 3. Reason. The soul cannot part with his Sins and Lusts, which are his God, until he found himself wearied with them, and as gall and wormwood to him, and now this weariedness and burden of Sin, must needs 'cause in the soul, a sound sorrow for it, before the soul sees the venomous and ugly nature of it, he is not willing to part with it: go to pull away the Adulterers Whores; and the Drunkard's Pots, you had as good go kill them: the reason is, because they found sweetness in those base courses, and they are all their delight: but now when the Lord comes to lay a heavy weight upon this man's shoulder, those Sins which were so sweet before, he finds them now as bitter as gall and wormwood, and now he lies down in sorrow, and cries out: Oh! is Sin such a deadly kill evil, as it will certainly destroy body and soul in Hell? and is there no entering into Heaven with the guilt of these upon my soul? Good Lord, do what thou wilt with me, only take my soul and save me, and take away my lusts and corruptions from me. Thus have you briefly the reasons of the Point, that this is the way of Gods working: That sorrow and Contrition of heart for Sin, is the way to conversion from Sin, and a turning to God. I proceed to application: The first shall be for instruction. The second for Reproof and Complaint. The third for Exhortation. 1 Use. Is it so? that this sorrow under the burden and weight of Sin, will pierce a man's Soul to the quick, and grinned him as it were to powder, being run through by the Arrows of the Almighty, and that is of so great necessity to be humbled, and sound sorrowful for Sin: than let this teach brethrens how to carry themselves one towards another, even to such as God hath dealt thus withal. Are their Souls pierced? O, do you pity them! Do they lie down in sorrow, and eat the bread of adversity, and drink the water of affliction? O have compassion on them; See what the Lord says by Moses, Deuteronomy 22.1,2,3. If a man see his Neighbour's Ox, or his Ass fall into distress by the way, the Lord commandeth him to ease him, and secure him, nay, to lay aside all business, and not to hid himself from him: hath the Lord commanded mercy to be shown to the unreasonable creatures, that is wearied with the weight he carries? hath the Lord care of Oxen? and o! wilt not thou help to ease the heart of thy Brother, that is thus tired with the wrath of the Almighty? do you see? and cannot you mourn for them, and pray for them, and speak in the behalf of distressed souls? See what Job saith, Chap. 19 v. 21,22,23. O (saith he) that my sorrows were all weighed, they would prove heavier than the sands. As if he had said, O my friends have pity upon me: What, have you no regard of a man in misery? have you no pity, though he cry in bitterness of soul, help, help, for the Lords sake: O pray for, and pity those wounds and vexations of spirit, which no man feels but he that is thus wounded: the poor man lies crying under the burden of Sin, sighing and mourning, and saying. O when will it once be, that God will receive his drooping Soul: certainly it would make one's heart bleed to hear the swoundings away of such a man, that the sword of the Almighty hath pierced his heart, and he lies breathing out his sorrow, as though he was going down to Hell: It is a sign that soul is marked out for destruction himself, who harboureth such a desperate disdain against poor wounded Souls. O could you see a Job smitten all over with boils, and lie miserably forlorn in the eyes of men, and would not you lend him a hand, nor mouth neither, to help him? can you endure to see them pricked to the heart? roaring and staring under the heavy yoke and burden of their Sins crying out, What shall we do to be saved? O what shall we do to escape Hell and damnation, and those unsupportable and unquenchable flames of the wrath of God? canst thou stand still, and say or do nothing, or rather canst thou upbraid them? O soul! assuredly the Lord will remember thee in the day of thy death; and as thou hast showed no mercy, so shalt thou receive no mercy in that day; such willing and violent opposers of God's Grace, the Lord will bring them one day on a B●d of languishing, and make them roar by force, under the violence of his wrath. O friends! be troubled at others troubles, and mourn in secret, for them that mourn under the terrible burden of Sin. 2 Use. And here let me take a lamentation, in the Nature of Reproof, against the secure souls in the generation wherein we live; the Lord be merciful to a world of men, that live in the bosom of the Church: O that we had a fountain of tears, to bewail this age, in this respect! As Diogenes went about Athens with a Lantern and Candle at noonday, to seek for honest men; so should a Minister go from Country to Country, and from Shire to Shire: O how few would he found mourning for their Sins? Sin is so far from being a burden, or poison to them, that it is their sport and pastime; just Esau like, what did he? when he had eat and drunk, he risen up to play, Genesis 25. How few are there like Ephraim who smite upon their thigh, and cry out, What have I done? Men upon their Alebenches can swear, and drink, and rail against God, and defy the holy one of Israel: O but how few rail against their sins, and wish the death and destruction of them? How few cry out, Men and Brethrens, what shall we do to be saved? but on the contrary (and O that it were sound lamented for, and reproved) many do despite to the Spirit of Grace and Glory, in those things for which they have cause to be ashamed: Says the vile swearer I swore such a man out of his house? saith the drunkard, I drank such a man under the Table dead. O sinners pray read that place of the Apostle, and there you may see your doom: I speak to impudent and incorrigible sinners: 2 Thes. 2.12. That all they might be damned, which believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Methinks these words should shake a man's heart to think on them, the Lord in mercy look upon you, and make sin as loathsome and bitter to you, as ever it hath been sweet and pleasant. O sport not yourselves with Sin: Consider Dives for a Drunken feast here, had a dry feast in Hell, and could not get one drop of water to cool his tongue: so will it be with you, you must either buckle and mourn for sin, or else burn for ever; what wilt thou do, O man, when God shall come to tear thee in pieces, and there be none to help? when God shall grant the Devil leave to take thee into his accursed mansions, and there shalt thou lie and weep and gnash thy teeth for ever, than thou shalt lie blaspheming, with God's wrath like a pile of fire upon thy soul, burning with floods and Seas of tears, which thou mayest shed, shall never quench it: which way soever thou lookest, thou shalt see matter and cause of everlasting grief, look up to Heaven, and there thou shalt see (O) that God is gone for ever: Look about thee, and thou shalt see Devils about thee, and thou shalt see Devils quaking and cursing God, and thousands, nay, millions of sinful damned creatures, crying and roaring out with doleful shrieks, O the day that ever I was born! Look within thee, there is a guilty Conscience, continually gnawing thee; look to the time past, O those golden days of grace, and sweet seasons of mercy are past and gone: Look to the time to come, and there shalt thou behold devils, troops and swarms of sorrow, woes, and raging waves, and billows of wrath coming roaring upon thee; fly from it, O souls before you feel it, bewail yourselves, be sorry, grieve and mourn, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, be pricked to the heart: go tell God you cannot bear your sins, they are too heavy for you: much more the punishment: complain to him who is able to ease you: O vex not the righteous soul of the godly, from day to day: neither grieve the holy spirit of God, but be converted that ye may live: Cry mightily to the Lord, peradventure he may hear, and forget and forgive all your provocations; weep, that you have lamented not more; and grieve that you have not more grieved for Sin. 3. Use, Is of exhortation, to exhort and beseech poor sinners that are under the command of the Prince of the power of the Air, who are strangers to God, aliens to the Covenant of promise, who have lived all this while without God in the world, to come in hither; and take the right way, to bring your hearts to a right pitch of sorrow: Let me tell you, it will never repent you at the last day, that you have had your heart humbled, it will never repent you that you have wept, when the Lord comes to wipe away all tears from your eyes: hear what our blessed Saviour saith, Mat. 5.4. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. You had better now be wounded, than be everlastingly tormented: O therefore if you desire ever to see the face of God with comfort, and to have Christ speak for you, break your hearts with sorrow for Sin sound: O for the Lords sake, do not cozen your souls, do not cheat yourselves: it is not only the tears of the eye, but the blood of the heart, your sins must cost, and till you come to this, never think your sorrow is good: This sorrow consists not in a bore rending of garments, or change of Apparel, or denying themselves those outward Ornaments, as some people of late days do foolishly conceive, who had been filled with desperate hypocrisy, having left of here, and gone not further: but you must break your hearts, wound yourselves here, and be driven into amazement for Sin, or else it will live with you here, and in hell too: O therefore when God gins to work, follow the blow, and say with the Prophet David, in the 3. Psalms, and the 2. verse, Our eyes are upon thee, till thou have mercy on us; get your Consciences wounded, and resolve not to hear the Counsel of carnal friends. Go and lie at God's footstool, and confess your Sins before him, for 'tis he that confesseth and forsaketh, shall found mercy: and where there is this true and hearty confession, there must needs be a godly sorrow for Sin. To provoke you to it, let me leave you two or three Motives. 1. Consider. It is not a vain thing you are exhorted to, but that, upon which the life of your souls depend, for without a through sense, and pricking at the heart for Sin, there is no salvation from Sin; he that would be Christ's Disciple, must leave all he hath, Father and Mother, Wife and Children, all that's near and dear to him, and take up the Cross and follow Christ. He that would be a true convert, must both confess and grieve for Sin, as the Prophet Ezekiel saith, they shall remember their ways that were not good, and shall be ashamed. O be persuaded, poor careless Sinners, to mind the check of your conscience within you, and the clear perspicuous light of the Gospel without you, and come among the number of mourners, to mourn for Sin: you may weep your eyes out hereafter to no purpose: better weep here a while, than for ever in Hell: for our Lord Jesus hath said, Blessed are the mourners, for they shall be comforted. O souls, these are not trivial things I press you to, the Lord make you serious in your sorrow for Sin, that it be such godly sorrow as worketh life and peace. 2. Consider. Deep and hearty sorrow for, and true confession of Sin, is a very honourable thing in the eyes of God, and good men: O souls! it will tend to your everlasting honour and renown in the great day, when God shall acquit you before all the world, both Angels, Men, and Devils: and say, here, behold the ingenious confessor, and the true godly mourner! who was not ashamed to say, In Sin was I conceived, and in Iniquity brought forth. This weeping soul have I comforted with my Spirit, and he stands justified by my Son's merit: ●le honour him with a Title that is bet●er than that of Sons and Daughters: Come than, O souls, and be among the mourners in Zion, as ever you desire to be comforted, and as ever you would be so ●ighly honoured. 3. Consider. Godly sorrow and confession of Sin, is a safe thing: It is the ●ure and safe way to Heaven and Glory. ●s it safe to contend with God? can briars and thorns contend with God in battle? Is it safe to fall into the hand of the living God, with the guilt of all your Sins upon you? Now if all that I have said concerning this point be true, as I hope it is, according to the word of God: and if godly sorrow for Sin, be the way to forsake Sin, than surely it is a very safe way, and dare you leave your eternal estate at uncertainties: Were you now to die, it would surely exceedingly startle you, to think you did not know whither you were a going: into which of the two eternities you are launching, either to eternal perdition, or to an eternal fruition of the Heavenly Mansions: The way to heaven is the safest way for your souls ease: and this way I have treated upon, viz. Godly sorrow, and heart-breaking for Sin, is that which the Saints and Servants of God, have found in their journey to heaven and Glory. Consider therefore, what hath bee● said, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. Amen. FINIS. ●ooks sold by William Thackaray in Ducklane. A Relation of the fearful estate of Francis Spira. The School of Grace. The Godly Man's Gain, and the Wick●d Man's Woe. Sips of Sweetness: Or, Consolation ●or weak believers, by J. Durant. With variety of other small Books. THE Swearer and the Drunkard, Two Brethrens in INIQUITY, Arraigned at the BAR: OR, A Charge drawn up against those two great Sins of these Nations, Swearing and Drunkenness. Wherein is laid open the Heinousness of these sins, by several Agravations: and the dangerous consequences which will ensue upon the same. To the end that swearers and Drunkards may be persuaded to repent in time; and not wilfully destroy their own Souls. Very seasonable and profitable to Read. London, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the sign of the Angel in Ducklane. 1673. THE Swearer and the Drunkard, Two Brethrens in Iniquity, Arraigned at the Bar. COnsidering the numberless number of those, who, calling themselves Protestant's, discredit the Proteststant Religion; who, because they have been Christened, as Simon Magus was, and received the Lords-Super, like Judas, and for company go to Church also, as Dogs do, are called Christians, as we call the Heathen Images Gods, yea, and being blinded by the Prince of darkness, think to be saved by Christ, though the● take up arms against him: who are so graceless, that God is not in all their thoughts, unless to Blaspheme him, and to spend his days in the Devil's service; who justify the wicked, and condemn the just; who call Zeal, Madness; and Religion, Foolishness; who love their Sins so much above their Souls, that they will mock their admonisher, scoff at the means to be saved, and make themselves bondslaves for an apple; and like Esau, cell their birthright of Grace, for a mess of Pottage: who prefer the pleasing of their Palates, before the saving of their Souls; who have not only cast of Religion, which should make them good men, but Reason also, that should make them men; who waste Virtues faster than Richeses, and Richeses faster than any Virtues can get them; who do nothing else but sin, and make others sin too; who spend their time and Patrimonies in Riot, and upon Dice, Drabs, and Drunkenness: who place all their felicity in a Tavern, or Alehouse: who desire not the reputation of Honesty, but of Good-fellowship: who, instead of quenching their thirst, drown their senses, and had rather leave their Wits, than their Wine behind them: who place their Paradise in throats, Heaven in their Guts, and make their belly their God: who being displeased with others, will fly in their maker's face, and tear their Saviour's Name in pieces with Oaths, and Erecrations, as being worse than a mad dog, who flieth in his master's face who keeps him: who swear and curse, even out of custom, as Curs back, and have so sworn away all Grace, that they will count it a Grace to swear; and being reproved for swearing, they will swear they swore not: who will do what God forbids, yet confidently hope to escape what he threatens: who will do the Devils work, and yet expect Christ's wages, expect that Heaven should meet them at their last hour, when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten road towards Hell: who expect to have Christ their Redeemer and Advocate, when their Consciences tells them, that they seldom remember him, but to Blaspheme him; and more often name him in their Oaths and Curses, than in their Prayers: who think their wickedness is unséen, because it is unpunished, and therefore live like beasts, because they think they shall dye like beasts. Considering, I say, the swarms, legions, and millions of these persons, and foreseeing the sad effects which will unavoidably ensue such wicked courses, if not timely prevented by a serious and speedy repentance. I have therefore drawn up this charge against Drunkards and Swearers, to the end that they may be convinced of the odiousness of their practices, and dissuaded from those sinful courses, which if wilfully persisted in, will prove destructive both to soul and body. And first to speak of Drunkenness, which is, as I may say, the Queen of sins, the root of all evil, the rot of all good, a sin which turns a man wholly into sin, that it were far better, to be a Toad, or a Serpent, than a drunkard; for the drunkard is like Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness: he wholly dedicates, resigns, surrenders himself to serve sin and Satan: his only employment is to drink, drab, quarrel, swear, curse, scoff, slander, and seduce, as if sin were his Trade, and he would do nothing else; like the Devil, who was a sinner from the beginning, and a sinner to the end. These Sons of Belial are for the belly, for to drink God out of their hearts, health out of their bodies, wit out of their heads, strength out of their joints, all their money out of their pockets, wife and children out of doors, the land out of quiet, plenty out of the Nation, is all their practice: in which their swinish swillings, they resemble so many Frogs in a puddle, or Water-shakes in a penned, for their whole exercise, yea, Religion, is to drink: they even drown themselves on the dry land. And as drunkards have lost the prerogative of their Creation, being changed with Nebuchadnez●r, Dan. 4.16. from Men into Beasts, so they turn the Sanctuary of Life, into the Shambleses of Death: Yea, thousands, when they have made up the measure of their wickedness, are taken away in God's just Wrath, in their drink, it faring with them, as it did with the Pope, whom the Devil is said to have slain in the very instant of his Adoltry, and carry him quick to Hell: some Drunkards being suddenly struck with Death, as if the Execution were no lesle intended to the Soul, than to the Body: And no wonder, for Drunkards are indeed the Devils Captains, at his command, and ready to do his will, he rules over, and works in them his pleasure, 2 Tim. 2.26. Eph. 2.2. He enters into them, and puts into their hearts what he will have them to do, John 13.2. Acts 5.3. He opens their mouths, and speaks in, and by them, Gen 1.3,4. He being their Father, their King, and their God, Gen. 3.15. John 12.31. 2 Cor. 4.4. And which is worst of all, Drunkenness not only dulls, and dams up the head and spirits with mud, but it bestiates the heart, and being worse than the sting of an Asp, poisoneth the very Soul and Reason of a man: whereby the faculties and organs of resolution and Repentance, are so corrupted, and captivated, that it makes men utterly uncapable of returning, unless God should work a greater miracle upon them, than was the Creating of the whole world. These agents for the Devil [Drunkards] practice nothing but the Art of Debauching men, for to turn others into beasts: They will make themselves Devils, wherein they have a notable dexterity; as 'tis wondered to see how they will wind men in, and draw men on, by drinking: first, a health to such a man, than to such a woman my Mistress, than to every one's Mistress; than to such a Lord or Lady, their Master, their Captain, Commander, etc. And never cease till their Brains, their Wits, their Tongues, their Eyes, their Feet, their Senses, and all their Members fail them: They will drink till they vomit up their shame again, like a filthy Dog, or lie wallowing in their beastliness, like a brutish Swine: they thi●k nothing too much to do, or spend, that they may make a Sober man a Drunkard, or make a Religious man exceed his bounds, at which they will, and rejoice, as at the division of a spoil: But what a Barbarous, Graceless, and Antichristianlike practice is this, to make it their glory pastime, and delight, to see God dishonoured, his Spirit grieved, his Name blasphemed, his Creatures abused, themselves and their friends Souls damned: yet such is their wickedness, and so pernicious are they, that to damn their own Souls is the lest part of their mischief, for they draw vengeance upon thousands, by seducing some, and giving ill examples to others: so that one Drunkard makes a multitude, being like the Bramble, Judas 9.15. which first set itself on fire, and than fired all the wood; or like a malicious man sick of the Plague, that runs into the throng, to disperse his Infection. And this shows that they not only partake of the Devil's nature, but they are very Devils in the likeness of men, and that the very wickedness of one that feareth God, is far better than the good entreaty of a Drunkard: yet the Drunkard is so pleasing a Murderer, that he tickles a man to death, and makes him like Solomon's Fool, die laughing: whence it is that many, who hate their other enemies, yea, and their friends too, embrace this enemy, because he kisseth when he betrayeth: Hence it is also, that thousands have confessed at the Gallows, I had never come to this, but for such a Drunkard; for commonly the Drunkard's Progress, is, from Luxury, to Beggary, from Beggary, to Thievery, from the Tavern to Tiborn, and from the Alehouse, to the Gallows. Thus these bawds & panders of Vice, breath nothing but infection and study nothing but their own and other men's destruction. The Drunkard is like Julian the Apostate, who never did a man a courtesy, but it was to damn his Soul: but little do they think how they advance their own damnation, when the blood of so many Souls as they have drawn away, will be required at their hands; for let these Tempter's know that they do not more increase men's wickedness on earth, (whether by persuasion, or provocation, or example) than their associates wickedness shall increase their damnation in Hell, Luke 16.27,28. Now it were endless to repeat the vain babbling, scurrilous jesting, wicked talking, impious sweeting and cursing of the drunken crew when they are got together in a Tippling house, where they sit all day in troops, doing that in earnest, which we have seen boys do in sport, stand on their heads, and shake their heels against heaven: where, even to hear how the Fame of the Lord jesus is pierced, and how God's Fame blasphemed, would make a sober man to tremble. A Drunkard's tongue is like the sail of a Windmill; for as a great gale of wind whirleth the sails about, so abundance of drink whirleth his tongue about, and kéeps it in continual motion: now he rails, now he scoffs, now he lies now he slanders, now he seduces, talks bawdy swears, bans, foams, and cannot be quiet till his tongue be wormed: so that from the beginning to the end he beleheth forth nothing but what is as far from Truth, Piet●, Reason and Modesty, as Heaven is from the Earth. O the beastliness which burns in their unchaste and impure minds, that smokes out of their polluted mouths: a man would think that even the Devil himself should blush to hear his child so task: yea, did any sober man but hear, and see, and smell, and know what is done in these Taverns and Alehouses, you would wonder that the earth could bear the houses, or the Sun endure to look upon them. The Land doth every where abound with these Caterpillars, so that in Country and City thousands may be found, who do in shear drink, spend all the on their beds and backs, they drink the very blood of their Wives and Children, who are near famished, to satisfy the Drunkard's throat or gut, wherein they are worse than Infidels or Cannibals, 1 Tim. 5.8. Much more might be spoken against the wicked and abominable practices of Drunkards, for the Drunkard is like some putrid Grave, the deeper you dig, the fuller you shall found him, both of stench and horror; or like Herculeses Monster, wherein were fresh heads, still arising one after the cutting of another. But there needs no more than this last, to make any wise man, or any that love their own souls to detest, and beware these Bawds and Panders of Vice, that breath nothing but infection, and study nothing but their own and other men's destruction. Thus I have unmasked their faces, that they may appear odious to themselves and others: and I have declaimed against Drunkenness, that men may become sober; for Vices true picture, makes us Vice detest. O that I had dehortation answerable to my detestation of it: And, O that every drunkard would take warning hereby and be persuaded, if not for God's sake, yet for their souls and bodies sake, to leave their immoderate drinking, and to live godly, righteously, and soberly in the World. Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. I come now to speak to the profane Swearer, by reason of whose oaths, the Land mourns, Jer. 23.10. For indeed Swearing is a sin that hath so much overspread the whole Nation, that it is almost grown as customary a thing, both to young and old, to swear, as to speak; yet of all other sins, this sin of swearing is most inexcusable. 1. Because it is a Sin, from which of all other Sins, we have most power of abstinence: for if men were forced to pay ten groats for every oath they swear, as the Law enjoineth: or if they were sure to have their tongues cut out, which is too light a punishment for this Sin, damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down, James 5.12. they both could, and would leave it. 2. Because it is a Sin, to which, of all other sins, we have the lest temptation, for all that men can expect by it, is the suspicion of being common Liars, by being common Swearers: It brings not so much as any apearance of good, to induce us: For whereas other Sins have their several baits to allure us, some the bait of profit, some of honour, some of pleasure, this sin is destitute of them all, and only brings much loss here: namely, of Credit, and a good Conscience, and the loss of God's favour, and the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter; which is of more value than ten thousand Worlds: which shows that men love this Sin, only, because it is a great Sin, and Swear, out of mere malice to, and contempt of God; which is most fearful, and (as a man would think) should make it unpardonable: I am sure the Psalmist hath a terrible word for all such, if they would take notice of it, Psal. 25.3. Let them be confounded that transgress without a cause. O that men would seriously repent of this their sin, and forsake it jest the Lord should deal by them, as he hath threatened, Deut. 28 58,59. that if we do not fear and dread his Glorious and Fearful Name, the Lord our God, he will make our plague wondered, and of a long continuance, and th● plagues of our posterity: but woe is me, m● take so little notice of the number of the● Oaths and Curses, that they will not acknowledge they did swear or curse at all: yea, though the● be taken in the manner, and told of it, y● they will not believe it, though all that a● present can witness the same, and Satan also who himself will one day be a swift witney against swearers, Mal. 3.5. For of all oth●… Sinners the Lord will not hold him guilty that taketh his Name in vain, as the th● Commandment tells us, Exod. 20.7. But fares with common Swearers, as with desperate persons, desperately diseased, whose exer●ments, and filth comes from them at unawares for as by much labour the hand is so hardened th● it hath no sense of labour; so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of sencelessness to overspread the heart, memory, and Conscience, that the Swearer sweareth unwillingly, and having sworn, hath no remembrance of his oath, much lesle repentance for his Sin But some who are a little civilised, will think to excuse themselves by aledging, that if the● did swear, it was but faith and troth, by o●… Lady, by this light, or the like, which they sa● is no great matter. To whom I answer, though blind sensualists, that have no other guide, but the flesh, may deem, or dream it to be but a mite, a mote, a matter of nothing, yet such as have the lest knowledge of the Law of God, or skill in Scripture, well know that God expressly forbids it, and that upon pain of Damnation, Jam. 12.5. and that Christ commands us not to swear at all, in our ordinary Communication, saying: that whatsoever is more than yea, yea, or nay, nay, cometh of evil, Mat. 5.34,35. If the matter be light and vain, we must not swear at all: if so weighty, that we may lawfully swear, as before a Magistrate, being called to it, than we must only use the glorious name of our God, in a holy & religious manner; as you may see, Deut. 6.13. Jer. 5.7. Isa. 45.23. Josh. 23.7. Exod. 23.13. And the reasons thereof are weighty, if we look into them: for in swearing, by Faith, our Lady, the Light, or any other Creature, you ascribe that unto the said Creature, which is only proper to God: namely, to know your heart, and to be a discerner of secret things: Why else should you call the Creature as a witness unto your Conscience, that you speak the truth, and lie not? which only belongeth to God. And therefore the Lord calls it a forsaking of him: As mark well what he saith, Jer. 5.7. How shall I spare thee, for these thy Children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no Gods. And do you make it a small matter to forsake God, and make a God of the Creature. Will you believe the Prophet Amos, who speaking of them that swore by the Sin of Samaria, saith that they shall fall and never rise again, Amos 8.14. A terrible place to vain swearers: Yea in swearing by any Creature, we do invocate the Creature, and ascribe to it divine Worship, a lawful oath being a kind of invocation, and a part of God's Worship: Yea, whatsoever we swear by, that we invocate, both as our Witness, Surety, and judge, Heb. 6.16. and by consequence Deify it, by ascribing, and communicating unto it Gods incomunicable Atributes, as his Omnipresence, and Omnisciency, of being every where present, and knowing the secrets, thoughts, and intenteons of the heart: and likewise an Omnipotency, as being Almighty, in patronising, protecting, defending, and rewarding us for speaking the truth, or punishing us if we speak falsely: all which are so peculiar to God, as that they can no way be comunicated, or ascribed to another: so that in swearing by an● of these things, thou comitest a high degree of gross Idolatry, thou spoilest, and robest God of his Glory, (the most impious kind of theft) and in a manner dethronest him, and placest an Idol in his room: neither are we to join any other with God in our oaths, for in so doing, we make base Idols, and filthy Creatures corrivals in honour, and competitors in the throne of justice, with the Lord, who is Creator of heaven and earth, and the judge, and sole Monarch of the World: Or, in case we do, our doom shall be reamidiless: for the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Zephany, that he will cut of them that swear by the Lord, and by Malcham, which Malcham was their King, or as some think, their Idol, Zeph. 1.4,5. But as if swearing alone would not press men deep enough into Hell, they add cursing to it, a sin of an higher Nature, which none use frequently, but such as are desperately wicked, it being their peculiar brand in Scripture: as how doth the Holy Ghost Stigmatize such a one: His mouth is full of cursing, Psal. 10.7. and Rom. 3.14. or, he loveth cursing, Psal. 109.17. And indeed, whom can you observe to love this sin, or to have their mouths full of cursing, but Ruffians, and sons of Belial, such as have shaken out of their hearts the fear of God, the shame of men, the love of heaven, the dread of Hell not once caring what is thought or spoken of them here, or what becomes of them hereafter: yea, observe them well, and you will found that they are mockers of all that march not under the pay of the Devil: besides, it is the very depth of sin: roaring and drinking is the horse-way to hell, whoring and cheating the footway, but swearing and cursing follows Korah, Dathan, and Abiram: and certainly if the infernal Tophet be not for these men, it can challenge no Guests: For Consider, thou that art used to curse, thou art a murderer in heart, and in God's acount, in wishing him that crosseth thee the Pox, Plague, or that he were Hanged, or Damned, nor will it be any rare thing at the day of judgement, for Cursers to be indicted of Murder, for like Shimei or Goliath to David, thou wouldst kill him if thou durst: I would be loathe to trust his hands, that bans me with his tongue. But let them, than the best of them that use to curse (for I pass over them that call for a curse upon themselves, saying, God damn me, confounded me, the devil take me, and the like: which would make a rational man even tremble to name, because I were as good knock at a dead man's Grave, as speak to them,) let them, I say, take notice what will be the issue: the causeless curse shall not come where the curser meant it, Prov. 36.2. Yea, though thou cursest, yet God will bless, Psal. 109.28. But thy curses shall be sure to rebound back into thine own breast, Psal. 7.14,15,16. Prov. 14.30. Cursing mouths are like ill-made Pieces, which while men discharge at others, recoil in splinters on their own faces: their words and wishes be but whirlwinds, which being breathed forth, return to the same place: as hear how the Holy Ghost delivers it, Psal. 109. As he loved cursing, so shall it come unto him, and as he loved not blessing, so shall it be far from him: as he clothed himself with cursing like a garment, so shall it came into his bowels like water, and like o●l into his bones: Let it be unto him as a garment to cover him, and for a girdle wherewith he shall always be girded, verse 17,18,19. Here this all ye whose tongues run so fast on the Devil's errand, you loved cursing, you shall have it, both upon you, about you, and in you, and that everlastingly, if you persevere and go on; for Christ himself at the last day, even he which came to save the world, shall say unto all such; Depare from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels, Mat. 24.41. where they shall do nothing but curse for evermore. For Consider, whence do these Monsters of the earth, these hellish Miscreants, these bodily and visible Devils learn this their damnable Cursing and Swearing? are not their tongues fired and edged from Hell? as St. James hath it, Jam. 3.6. Yea, it is the very language of the damned, as you may see, Rev. 16.1,21. only they learn it here, before they come thither, and are such proficients therein, that the devil counts them his best Scholars, and sets them in his highest form, Psal. 1.1. and well they deserve it, with whom the language of Hell is so familiar, that Blasphemy is become their Mother-tongue. If they be crossed by some one, perhaps their Wife or Child, or Servant, or else their Horse, the Wether, Dice, Bowls, or some other of the Creatures displease them, than they fall a Cursing and Blaspheming, wishing the Plague of God, or God's vengeance to light on them, or some such hellish speech falls from their foul mouth: and so upon every foolish trifle, or every time they are angry, God must be at their beck, and come down from Heaven in all haste, and become their Officer, to revenge their quarrel, and serve their malicious humour: O monstrous Impiety! O shameful Impudence! to be abhorred of all that hear it; not once taking notice what he commanded in his word, as, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that hurt you, Luk. 6.28. Bless them that persecute you: Bless I say, and Curse not, Rom. 12.14. Thus with Swearing and Cursing men do not only wound their own souls worse than the Baalites did their bodies: but they are so pernicious, that they draw vengeance upon thousands, by their infection, and damnable example, as how can it be otherwise? they do not only infect their Companions, but almost all that hear or come near them: yea, little children in the streets have learned of them to rap out oaths, and belch forth curses and scoffs almost as frequently as themselves, and through their accustomary swearing, learned to speak English and Oaths together, and so blaspheam God almost as soon as he hath made them. It were easy to go on in agravating their sin and wretchedness, and making it out of measure, and the souls that miscarry through the contagion of their evil example, numerous: For is not the Gospel and the name of God blasphemed among the very Turks, Jews, and Infidels, and an evil scandal raised upon the whole Church, through their superlative wickedness: yea, doth not this keep them of from embracing the Christian Religion, and 'cause them to protest against their own conversion, which makes me wonder that Swearers, Drunkards, and all such wicked and profane wretches are not (like dirt in the house of God) thrown out into the street by Excommunication, or as excrements and bad humours in man's body, which is never at ease till it be thereof disburdened: that they are not marked with a black coal of infamy, and their company a voided, as by the Apostles order they aught, Rom. 16.17. Eph. 5.5,7. 1 Tim. 1.20. That they are not to us, as Lepers were among the Jews, or as men full of Plague-sores are amongst us. We well know the good husbandman weeds the fields of hurtful plants, that they may not spoil the good Corn, and the good Chirurgeon cuts of a rotten member betimes, that the sound may not be endangered, nor will the Church of England ever flourish, or be happy in her reformation until such a course is taken. O that every profane swearer, who tears Heaven with their blasphemies, and bandy the dreadful name of God in their impure and polluted mouths, would take warning hereby, and not still persist in their abominable practice to swear and curse, as if he that made the ear, could not hear; or as if he were neither to be feared, nor cared for: who for sin cast the Angels out of Heaven, Adam out of Paradise, drowned the old World, reigned down fire and brimstone upon Sodom, commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallowed down quick Korah and his company: he who smote Egypt with so many plagues, overthrew Pharaoh and his Host in the red-sea, destroyed great and mighty Kings, giving their Land for an inheritance to his people: and can as easily with a word of his mouth, strike them dead, while they are blaspheming him, and cast them body and soul into Hell, for their odious unthankfulness: yea, it is a mercy beyond expression, that he hath spared them so long. When a Dog flies in his master's face that keeps him, we concludue him mad: are you than rational men, that being never so little crossed, will fly in your maker's face, and tear your Saviour's name in pieces with oaths and execrations, which is worse than frenzy: not, you are demoniacal, Obsessed, or rather possesed with a Devil, and more miserable than such a one, because it is a Devil of your own choosing. O, be persuaded, if you have any spa●k of reason left, or do in the lest love yourselves, leave of your damnable and devilish swearing and cursing: and to that end lay to heart the many and fearful threats that God hath made, and set down in his word, against this horrid sin, and against all those that so daringly and audatiously provoke him, jest you be plagued with a witness, and that both here and hereafter: for God who cannot lie, hath threatened that his curse shall never departed from the house of the Swearer, as it is, Zach. 5.1. And peradventure you are already cursed, though you know it not: that either he hath cursed you in your body, by sending some foul disease, or in your estate, by suddenly consuming it, or in your name, by blemishing and blasting it: or in your seed, by not prospering it: or in your mind, by darkening it: or in your heart, by hardening it: or in your conscience, by terrifying it: or will in your soul, by everlasting damning it: if you repent not: wherefore take heed what you do, before it be too late. The Lord set these considerations home to your hearts, and open your eyes to behold those things which concern your everlasting peace. FINIS. THE Way to Heaven made plain portrait LONDON. Printed by P. L. for W. Thackery at the Angel in Duck-lane, 16●…. THE WAY TO Heaven MADE PLAIN: By answering the Objections, resolving the Doubts, and remov●…●he stumbling-blocks, which do usually 〈◊〉 Sinners from seeking after life and happin●…. Together with serious Exhortations, and earnest persuasions to move sinners to turn unto the Lord by true Repentance, and accept of mercy whilst the day of grace Lasteth. Very useful and profitable for all sorts of PEOPLE. LONDON. Printed for W. Thackery at the Angel in Duck-lane, 1674. THE WAY TO HEAVEN Made Plain. AMongst those many Lets and Impediments whereby the generality of Men and Women in the world are hindered from a serious applying of themselves to seek after life and happiness, I found this one thing to lie as a stumbling-block in the way of a great many: That is to say, The Diversities, which by frequent controversies and dispute are so resolutely maintained by men professing godliness, who are of different persuasions. For this very cause, many are apt to reason with themselves after this manner: There are so many Religions abroad in the World, that a man cannot tell which to choose; one saith this is the true way, another saith, that's the true way▪ One saith: Lo here is Christ; another saith, Lo there is Christ. Some say the Episcopal. man, those which stand for the Common Prayer, and other Ceremonies, that they are God's people: Others say, the Presbyterians, are more likely to be the people of God: a third sort say the Independants way of worshipping is the right way: a fourth sort say, the Baptists way is most agreeable to the word of God, a fifth sort say, the Quakers, are the only People to whom the will of God is known. Thus so many men ' so many minds, and we know not whom to believe, and therefore we had as good sit still and do nothing as to do something to no purpose: And hereupon they continued to go on in sinful courses: following the desires of their own hearts, and never so much as seek after the knowledge of God, whereby they might come unto his fear, and be happy for ever. But my friends, let me tell you these things aught not to be: but such consequences will end in desperate and dangerous conclusions For although it were greatly to be wished and desired, that all those that fear the Lord were of one heart, and of one mind, yet since the Lord in Wisdom is pleased to suffer his people to be some of one mind, and some of another, concerning circumstantial and ceremonial things, for in the fundamentals and essentials of Religion, and in all things that are absolutely necessary for salvation: they do jointly agreed: But seeing I say, God is pleased to permit such as truly fear him, to be of different persuasions concerning things lesle considerable, this should in no wise discourage us from seeking, but rather stir us up with much more fervency and earnestness to see● out the true way, and to find out what the acceptable will of the Lord is that so by doing the same, we may purchase rest and quietness to our Souls. And that no one may think their labour herein will be in vain here what the Lord saith, ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall find. Here is the word of the holy and true God for thy security, he hath faithfully promised, that if thou dost seek thou shalt found; and again, Christ saith, If any man doth the Will of my Father he shall know the Doctrine; that is, wheresoever God sees a willing mind, and that any poor Creature doth truly desire to fear him, and to keep his Commandments than he will reveal to that Soul so much of his will as is needful for its present satisfaction and future happiness. Now to encourage us farther in the performance of this so necessary and profitable a duty the Lord hath been pleased so far to condescend to our weak capacities, as that he hath set before our eyes all those things which are of greatest concernment, in such plain and legible Charcters, as he that runs may read them, and not only so, but he hath also graciously promised freely to give us what he doth require of us, and to enable us to perform whatever he commands us to do: therefore we have no reason to have harsh thoughts concerning God, or to accounted him a hard Taskmaster, for the ways of God are pleasantness, and his paths peace. The Yoke of Christ is easy, and his Burden light. Doth God command thee to believe in him? why he will give thee faith whereby thou shalt be able to do it; for faith is the gift of God he is both the Author, and the finisher thereof: doth he bid thee repent? why he will grant thee repentance unto life, he will turn thee, and thou shalt be turned, doth he require a new heart? why he hath promised to give a new heart, a soft and tender heart, such as shall bleed for the lest prick of Sin: doth he command thee to love him? why he hath said, I will circumcise thy heart, that thou shalt love me with all thy heart, and with all thy strength: doth he command thee to fear him? why 'tis his promise to put his fear into thy inward parts, and to writ his Law in thy heart, and so in all other things, 'tis he that works both to will and to do of his own good pleasure: for we cannot of ourselves or in our own strength do any thing that is good, but our duty is to wait upon God, for in him we live, move and have our being, he it is that hath created us, 'tis he that and feeds us, and preserves our lives: from him alone, we are to expect new supplies of whatsoever is needful for our Being and Wellbeing in this world and also in reference to our future happiness according as the Prophet David said: My fresh springs are in thee: the wellspring of life flow from God, as Christ saith: He that believeth on me, out of his Belly shall flow forth Rivers of Living Water; whereof whosoever drinketh, shall live for ever: God is the fountain of all goodness, whatsoever our Souls can desire, 'tis to be found in him, and he communicates out of his fullness unto the necessities of poor creatures, but it is through Christ, for he is God's treasury and store-house. It hath pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, he receives of his Either, and gives to us all things requisite and necessary, both for Soul and Body: he it is that of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption; by him we have access with boldness unto the Throne of Grace, and all the petitions we put up to the Father in his name, believing on him we shall be heard therein, and our requests shall be granted: so far as it shall be for God's glory and our good. Christ is that new & living way in which God will meet with us and bless us and 'cause his face to shine upon us, by the light of whose countenance, our hearts are made more glad than in the time when Corn and Wine, and Oil increased: Oh! therefore let every one strive to get an interest in Christ who alone is worth more than all the world bsiede, he is the true Richeses that will make us happy to all eternity; he hath purchased salvation for all that will forsake their sins, and come and accept of his free tender of Grace for all that will lay down those weapons, wherewith they have been taking Satan's part, and fight against God, if they will now lay hold upon his mercy, and upon his strength, and are willing to be reconciled to God, they shall be received into his favour: for whosoever cometh unto me, saith Christ, shall in no wise be cast out; for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed on him should not perish, but have everlasting life, John 3.15.19. It was God's purpose in sending his Son, and Christ's design in coming into the World, that poor lost sinners should be restored to that estate of happiness, which they had lost in the fall, and from this free proffer of grace none are exempted, for God hath made an open Proclamation. Ho every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, and ye that have no money, come buy Wine, and Milk, without money and without price, as in the 〈◊〉 of Isaiah, So in the Revelations the Spirit and the Bride said, Come, and whosoever will let him come and drink of the water of life freely. Here we see that all are invited to come to Christ, from the highest to the lowest, and if we will not, the fault is our own▪ God hath done his part in sending Christ to dye for us and in laying upon him the iniquities of us all: and Christ hath done his part in performing the Law for us, and in undergoing the wrath of God, and the Curse of the Law, which was due to our sins: and the spirit hath revealed the same unto us, and is often knocking at the Doors of our hearts, and calling us to repentance, but if notwitstanding all this we will fully persist in evil, and refuse to harken to the voice of God, but hearden our hearts, and make light of Christ, than it will be just with God, to leave us to ourselves, and let us perish in our own do, which the Lord us unwilling to do, for as the Apostle Peter, saith, He would feign have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; he desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he would return from his wickedness and live. But man is of such a perverse and stubborn disposition, that he will not accept of mercy upon God's terms although never so reasonable. The great Controversy betwixt God and Man, is about the Will, God would have his Will and Man would have his will: as Christ saith: Ye will not come to me that you might have Life: They will not their will is that which hinders them of enjoying God and in him life and happiness: And in another place, How would I have gathered you together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings but ye would not. Men are obstinate, and perverse, and will oppose the Holy and good will of God, though it prov●…es their own Ruin in the end, but the folly and madness, and desperate wickedness that lodgeth in the hearts of Sinners that will rather go to Hell by following the desires of their own wills, than to Heaven by obeying the will of God which is holy and righteous, and is made known unto us for our good: God might as well be glorified in our Destruction, as in our Salvation, but he pities our condition, and is pleased so far to condescend as to entreat and beseech us to consider our latter end: and whilst he gives us life, and means of repentance to come in and be reconciled unto him, 'tis we that are enemies to God, God never was an enemy to us yet he first seeks us before we seek him: O the Depth of God's love: O the richeses of his grace, his long suffering and kindness towards vile sinful Creatures: Let this goodness of God lead thee to repentance, for the long suffering of God bringeth salvation, as the Apostle Peter saith: O therefore rend your hearts and not your garments, turn to the Lord for he gracious. Why should any sinner stand of: doth the multitude of thy sins affright thee? why God's mercies are infinite, he can blot out thy transgressions, though never so many: he will abundantly pardon this is a faithful saying, saith Paul, and worthy of all acceptation, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. If thou be the chief of Sinners, thou art but such a one as Christ came to save, dost thou question whether Christ can save thee? why the Apostle tells thee, He is able to save to the utmost all that come to the father by him dost thou want faith? go and say: Lord I believe, Lord help my unbelief. Dost thou want wisdom? ask of God who gives liberally and upbraideth not: wouldst thou truly repent thee of thy Sins, and yet findest little strength to do it? say unto the Lord, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, created in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Thus in every thing make thy requests known to God, by prayer and supplication, and he will help thee: O my friends the night is far spent, the day is at hand, let us therefore put of the works of darkness, and put on the Armour of light, and let every one be exhorted even in this day, to work out their Salvation, with fear and trembling, and to further us therein it is necessary, that we should wait upon God, in his ordinances. O do not make slight of using the means which God hath appointed for your good, make conscience of hearing the word preached, for it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believes, let us not than be careless in this so necessary and profitable a duty, for how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation? Consider what the Lord hath said; Hear and your Souls shall live. Would you have life upon easier terms? Methinks this loving invitation of the Lords should work upon your spirits to be obedient to his word, O therefore come and wait upon God in this Ordinance, for it is of God's appointment, and while thou art a hearing, thou art in God's way If the five foolish Virgins had been in the way, they might have gone into the wedding as well as the other: but they were out of the way, they were gone to buy when it was too late: If ever you think or desire to go to Heaven, keep in God's way: now if thou be'st at an Alehouse, or walking in the Fields, or idle at home, or in thy bed, when thou shouldst be at Church: this out of God's way: but if thou keepest in the way, and continuest in well doing, thou shalt not lose thy labour, but God will fulfil his promise, for he hath said: Ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall found, knock and it shall be opened to you. If thou hast not what thou wouldst have at present, yet wait, as the man did at the Pool of Bethsada: though it was many years, yet at length Christ came to cure him. Now that all of us may know how to use this means in a hopeful way of success, to bring about this new and of glorifieing God ●an save our Souls, let us take heed: First, That we do not hear the Word barely out of Custom, as to say: I will g● to Church because my Neighbours go, or because I cannot open my shop to day, and know not how to spend my time otherwise: O let us not do thus, but let us go to hear the word preached out of conscience, as them that go to seek for salvation, not making light of it as if it were an indifferent thing, wh●… soul and eternity are therein concerned, either a Heaven full of joy, or a Hell full of woe, but let us go out of mere love to the word and wait at wisdom's gate, seek diligently as for silver and search as for hidden treasure, and that is the way to attain to it: But than, Secondly, Pray to God for his power upon the means it is not bear hearing will do it, we may hare and be little the better if we do not pray to God for his blessing, we must hear and pray, and pray and hear, how sweet was the word of God unto David? sweeter than the Honey or the Honey comb, as himself saith: The Commandments of God were of more esteem with him, than all the treasures of Gold and Silver in th● world. And why was that? Because he meditated in the Law of God day and night, he was continually praying to God, morning and evening, and at midnight, he risen early to call upon the Lord, and he found the benefit of it, as is expressed at large in the book of the Psalms, therefore let prayer and meditation accompany our hearing: But than, Thirdly, We must yield unto all convictions, when ever the word of God doth convince of sin, when he doth Alarm us to come in, let us take heed that we stand it not out, when it comes to a drunkard, and saith: Thou canst not go to Heaven: Than harken to this and leave thy drunkenness, and when it Alarms the swearer or proud person, or covetous, or unclean person, or whomsoever, when it strikes thee upon the heart and saith: Thou art the man: O than fall down and say as Saul did: Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Whatever the sin be that God convince thee of, though it be as dear to thee as thy right eye, or thy right hand, yet pluck it out, or cut it of, and cast it from thee, and that is the way to procure God's blessing upon the means, so that it shall accomplish the end for which it is appointed. But if thou art unwilling to forsake thy sins and to part with thy lusts, and yet still hopest to found mercy in the end, and to be saved by Christ: Let me beseech thee to put such thoughts far from thy heart, and let not the Devil any longer delude thee therewith, jest thou miserably deceive thy own Soul, for he that hideth his sins shall not prospero; 'tis only he that confesseth and forsaketh them who shall found mercy: Christ did not come to save thee in thy sins, but from thy sins: if he be thy Priest to save thee, he will also be thy King to rule and govern thee: thou must not longer live to thyself but to him that died for thee, he hath bought thee with a price, he hath paid thy ransom, he hath shed his precious blood to redeem thee, and thou art to obey him, and to do whatever he commands thee to do, thou must part with thy old companions, I mean thy darling sins, and bosom lusts, which thou hast took such pleasure in, and now thou must walk in newness of life, for if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away, behold all things are be come new, though heretofore thou walkest after the flesh, yet now thou must mortify the deeds of the flesh, and serve the Lord with thy spirit and truth, so sin shall not have dominion over thee: but thou being set at liberty by Christ, shall through his might and power get the victory over Satan, Sin and Death, and at length reign in glory with God to all Eternity, which the Lord of his Mercy grant unto us all, for Jesus Christ his sake. FINIS Books Printed for William Thackeray at the Angel in Duck-lane. THe School of Grace, or a Book of good Nature. Christ's first Sermon. Christ's last Sermon, Christian's best Garment. Christians blessed choice. Heaven's glory, and Hell's horror, A warning piece to the slothful, Idle, and careless drunken and secure ones of these times. Mr. Fenners Sermons of Repentance. A Sermon on Dives and Lazarus. The Christians comfort. These are all very good Books, and are but three pence a piece. The plain man's pathway is Heaven, The sin of pride arraigned and condemned. The black Book of Conscience. The dreadful character of a drunkard, England's faithful Physician. The Father's last blessing to his Children. Doom's Day at hand, Peter's Sermon of repentance. The Charitable Christian, Death's Triumphant. The godly man's gain, and the wicked man's woe. The sinner's Sobs. The Swearer and the Drunkard: Two brethrens in iniquity, arraigned at the Bar. A book of Prayer and graces. The ready way to get richeses, or the poor man's Counsellor. The short and sure way to get Grace and Salvation, The touchstone of a Christian. The pathway to saving knowledge. Every man's duty, and the godly man's practice. The Christians Guide. The way to Heaven made plain. Read them over carefully and practise them constantly: and rest assuredly thou wilt found much comfort in them to thy own Soul: And are but two pence a piece. FINIS. THE PATHWAY To Saving Knowledge: OR, A Description of True Wisdom. Setting forth the great worth and Incomparable Excellency thereof. WITH Directions how a Man may attain to the same. And of Foolish and Ignorant, become Wise and Prudent, Even Wise to Salvation. Very seasonable for these Times. London, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the sign of the Angel in Duck-lane. 1673. THE Pathway to Saving KNOWLEDGE: OR, A Description OF TRUE WISDOM. KNowledge is so Fair a Virgin, that every clear eye is in Love with her; it is a Pearl despised of none but Swine. Wisdom hath ever carried that show of Excellency with it, that not only the good have highly affected it (as Moses, who Studied for Wisdom: and Solomon, who prayed for Wisdom: and the Queen of Sheba, who travelled for Wisdom: and David, who to get Wisdom, made the Word his Counsellor, hated every False way, and was a man after God's ow● Heart) but the very wicked have Laboured for it, who are ashamed of other Virtues, they that care not for one Dram of Goodness, would yet have a full scale of Knowledge, as O the pleasure that rational Men take in it! Amongst all the Trees in the Garden, none so pleaseth them as the Tree of Knowledge, Pro. 2.3. and 10.14. Phil. 3.8. And as wisdom is excellent above all, so it is affected of all, as Oil was both of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. It hath been a mark that every Man hath shot at ever since. Eve sought to be as Wise as her Maker, but as a hundred shoot for one that hit the White, so an hundred aim at Wisdom, for one the lights upon it, Eccles. 7.28. Because they are mistaken in the thing, for as Jacob in the dark mistake Leah for Rachel, so many a blind soul takes that to be Wisdom, which is not like Eve, who thought it wisdom to eat the forbidden Fruit, and Absolom who thought it Wisdom to lie with his Father's Concubines in the fight of all the People, and the false Steward who thought it wisdom to deceive his Master, and so of Josephs Brethrens, of Pharaoh and his deep Counselors: of Achitophel, of Herod, of the Pharisees in their project to destroy jesus, and many the like; all these thought they did wisely, but they were mistaken, and their projects proved foolish, and turned to their own ruin: For indeed the best knowledge is about the best things, and the perfection of all knowledge to know God and ourselves: Knowledge and Learning saith Aristotle consisteth not so much in the Quantity as in the quality, nor in the greatness but in the goodness of it. A little Gold we know is more worth than much Dross, a little Diamond than a rocky Mountain: so one Drop of Wisdom guided by the fear of God, one spark of Spiritual experimental and saving Knowledge is more worth than all human Wisdom, and Learning, yea one scruple of holiness, one Dram of Faith, one Grain of grace, is more worth than many pounds of natural parts, and indeed Faith and Holiness are the Nerves and Sinews, yea the soul of Saving Knowledge: what saith Aristotle, Not more than the knowledge of goodness maketh one to be named a good man, not more doth the Knowledge of Wisdom alone 'cause any person properly to be called a Wise man: Saving Knowledge of the Truth worketh a love of the Truth Known: yea it is an uniform consent of Knowledge and Action. He only is wise for his own Soul. He whose Conscience pulleth all, he hears and reads to his Heart, and his Heart to God, who turneth his Knowledge to Faith, his Faith to feeling, and all to walk worthy of his Redeemer. He that subdues his sensual desires and appetite to the noble faculties of Reason and Understanding, and makes that understanding of his to serve him, by whom it is and doth understand: he that subdues his Lusts to his Will, submits his will to reason, his reason to faith, his faith, his reason, his Will, himself to the Will of God, this is practical experimental and Saving Knowledge, to which the other is but a bore Name or Title. A competent estate (we know) well husbanded is better than a vast patrimony neglected, never any mere Man since the first, knew so much as Solomon, many that have known less, have had more command of themselves. Alas! they are not always the wisest that know most, for none more wise and learned in the World's account than the Scribes and Pharisees, yet Christ calls them four times Blind, and twice Fools in one Chapter, Mat. 23. And the like of Balaam, 2 Pet. 2.16. Who had such a prophetical knowledge, that scarce any of the Prophets had a clearer Revelation of the Messiah to come, and the same may be of Judas and Achitophel, for many that know a great deal less are far wiser, yea one poor crucified Thief being converted in an hours time, had more true wisdom and knowledge infused into him, than had all the Rulers, Scribes and Pharisees: It is very observable what the High Priest told the council when they were set to condemn Christ, ye know nothing at all, he spoke truer than he meant it, for if we know not the Lord jesus, our knowledge is either nothing or nothing worth, rightly a man knows no more than what he practiseth. It is said of Christ, he knew no sin, 2 Cor. 5.21. Because he did no sin. In which sense he knows no good that doth no good. These things if ye know, saith our Saviour, Happy are ye if ye do them, John. 13.17. And in Deut. 4.6. Keep the Commandments of God and do them, for this is your Wisdom and Understanding before God and man, what is the national sweetness of Honey, to the experimental cast of it, it is one thing to know what richeses are, and another thing to be Master of them, it is not the knowing but the possessing of them that makes rich: Many have a depth of Knowledge, and yet are not Soul-wise, have a library of Divinity in their Heads, not so much as the lest Catechism in their Consciences, full Brains, empty Hearts: yea you shall hear a flood in the Tongue, when you cannot see one Drop in the Life, insomuch that in the midst of so much light and means of Grace, there be few I fear that have the found and saving Knowledge of jesus Christ and him Crucified, which was the only care and study of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 2.2. And that I am not mistaken, the effect shows, for if Men knew either God or Christ they could not but love him, and loving him they would keep his Commandments, John 14.15. For hereby saith St. John, it is manifest that we know him, if we keep his Commandments, John 2.3. But he that saith I know him and yet keepeth not his commandments is a Liar, and there is no Truth in him, vers. 4. What saith our Saviour? This is Life Eternal to know thee, the only true God and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent: But how shall a Man know whether be hath this knowledge? Answer. St. John tells you in these last Words mentioned, and so plainly that you cannot be deceived unless you desire to deceive your own Soul. The Knowledge of God that saves us is more than a bore apprehension of him, it knows his power, and therefore fears him, knows his justice, and therefore serves him, knows his Mercy and therefore trusts him, knows his Goodness and therefore Loves him, etc. For he that hath the Saving Knowledge of God and of Christ hath every Grace: There is a sweet correspondence between every one, where there is any one in truth, as in the Generation the head is not without the body, nor the body without each Member, nor the Soul without its powers and faculties, so in the Regeneration, where there is any one Grace in Truth there is every one, 2 Cor. 5.17. If you will see it in particulars read, Psal. 9.10. Jer. 9.24. John 4.10. Job 42.5.6. 1 John 4.6,7. Which Scriptures show that as feeling it inseparable to all the Organs of sense, the Eye sees and feels, the ear hears and feels, the tastes and feels, the Nostrils smell and feel, so Knowledge is involved in every Grace. Faith knows and believes, charity knows and loves, patience knows and suffers, Temperance knows and abstains, Humility knows and floops, repentance knows and stoops, obedience knows and does, Confidence knows and rejoiceth, Hope knows and expects, Compassion knows and pities. Yea as there is a power of Water in every thing that grows, it is fatness in the Olive, Sweetness in the Fig, Cheerfulness in the Grape, Strength in the Oak, tallness in the Cedar, Redness in the Rose, Whiteness in the Lily, etc. So Knowledge is in the Hand, obedience in the Mouth, Benediction in the Knee, Humility in the Eye, Compassion in the Heart, Charity in the whole Body, and Soul Piety. Alas! if men had the true Knowledge of jesus Christ, it would disperse and dispel all the Black Clouds of their reigning sins in a Moment, as the Sun doth not sooner show his Face but the Darkness vanisheth, or as Cesar did not sooner look upon his Enemies but they were gone: He cannot delight in Sin, nor dote upon this World that knows Christ savingly: Virtue is ordained a Wife for Knowledge, and where these two join, their will proceed from them a Noble Progeny, a Generation of good Works. Again, as the Water engendereth Ice, and the Ice again engendereth water, so Knowledge begets Righteousness, and Righteousness again begets Knowledge: When Solomon would acquaint us how to become Wise, he tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, Prov. 1.7. As if the first lesson to be Wise were to be Holy: If it be asked why the Natural Man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, St. Paul answers he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned, how should they discern them, that have not the Spirit, for though the outward Man receives the Elements and Rudiments of Religion by Breeding and Education, yet his inward Man receives them by heavenly Inspiration, 1 Cor. 2.11,12,13. Mat. 16.16,17. Luk. 24.45. Jo. 15.15. And this alone is enough to prove that no Wicked Man is a Wise Man, for if God alone be the giver of it we may be sure that he will reveal his Secrets to none but such as he knows will improve their Knowledge to his Glory, and the good of others, even as the Husbandmen will not cast his Seed but into Ground that will return him a good Harvest, Psal. 25.14. Mark 4.3,4. 1 John 4.7. Gen. 18.17. A great many Men desire Knowledge, for no other end but to remove their ignorance, as Pharaoh used Moses but to remove the Plagues, others again study the Scriptures, and other good Books only to make gain thereof, or to be the abler to dispute and discourse, as Boys go into the water only to play and paddle there, not to wash and be clean, with Eve they highly desire the Tree of Knowledge, but regard not the Tree of Life, for if we consider what Fruit or Effect doth the Knowledge of most Men produce in them, except it be to enable them to dispute and discourse to increase wit, or to increase wealth, or to increase pride or perhaps to increase Atheism, and to make them the more able and cunning to argue against the Truth and power of Religion, is not the utmost of their aim to enrich, dignify, and please themselves, not once casting the Eye of their Souls at God's Glory, their Neighbours good, or their own Salvation; is it not their Main Drift to purchase a great estate for them and theirs without either fear of God, regard of Men, or the discharge of their Duty, and calling, and for the most part of these men, if they may be thought great Rabbis, deep and profound scholars, this is the height of their ambition, though neither the Church be benefited, nor God be glorified by it; whereas they aught the contrary: for as the Grace of God is the Fountain from which our wisdom flows, so the Glory of God should be the Ocean to which it should run: yea, that God may be honoured with and by our wisdom, is the only end for which he gives us to be wise. Now they that are puffed up with their knowledge, or do not part with their sins, show that they never sought it for God's Glory, and certainly if we seek not God's Glory, in doing his work, he will give us no ●…ges at the latter end. But for men to do no good with their gifts, is not all: yea, it were well if that were the worst, for not a few of them resemble Achitophel, & Jonadab who employed their wit wickedly, and do mischief instead of good with their wisdom, like Herod: whom you shall see turning over the Bible, searching the Scriptures, examining the Prophets, but to what end and purpose? To know good, but to do evil: yea, the greatest evil under the sun, slay Christ in the Cradle: with many their Learning and knowledge is not for God, & for Gideon, but for Antichrist, & for Babylon, & so of all other gifts: how many are the worse for them? as give Saul a Kingdom, and he will tyrannize, give Nabal plenty, & he will be drunk: give Judas an Apostleship, and he will cell his Master for Money: let Sarmantus have a good wit he will exercise it in scoffing at Holiness: Briefly, how often doth Wisdom without grace, prove like a fair estate in the hands of a Fool, which not seldom becomes the owner's ruin, or Absaloms' Hair, which was an Ornament wherewith he hanged himself: so that wisdom without grace, is but a cunning way of undoing ourselves: at last, when our knowledge makes us prouder, not better: more rebellious, not more serviceable: as it is in Isa. 47.10. Thy Wisdom & thy Knowledge, they have caused thee to err, & very often this falls out: that as the best soil usually yieldeth the worst Air, so without grace there is nothing more pestilent than a deep wit, no such prey for the Devil as a great wit unsanctified. Now when it comes to this, that they fight against God with the weapon he hath given them, when with those the Psalmist speaks of, Psal. 73.9. They set their Mouth against Heaven, and are like an unruly jade that being full fed kicks at his Master, what course doth the Lord take with them? Read but that parable, Luk. 19.24. John 7.17. and it will inform you, for to him that useth his talon of Knowledge well, he giveth more, but to them which use not their knowledge well; much more if they abuse it, he taketh away that which he had formerly given them: I will turn the wise men backward, and make their knowledge foolishness, saith the Lord, Isa. 44.25. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the wicked is made foolish, Job 5.13. and most just it is, the they who want grace should want wit too. But further, These great Knowers, & wise men, are so far from desiring soul-wisdom, & saving knowledge, to the ends before specified, that they do not at all desire it, for that it suits not with their Condition, for natural men desire only human & mundane knowledge, spiritual men, the which is heavenly & supernatural, & the reason why they desire it not, is for that they know it not. A man desireth not that he knoweth not, neither are unknown evils feared, saith Chrisostom; wherefore the work of regeneration gins at Illumination, Act. 26.16. Col. 1.13. Now as men are wise, they prise & value this wisdom, & endeavour to obtain it, Prov. 18.15. and so on the contrary; according as men are ignorant & blockish, they undervalue and disestéem it, hate it, & are prejudiced against it, & hereupon carnal men being blinded by the Prince of darkness, together with their own wickedness, and being of a reprobate judgement, do most usually term and estéem this Soul-wisdom, this Divine, spiritual, experimental, & saving knowledge to be mere foolishness, or madness, Wisd. 5.3, to 9 & the professors thereof to be fools & madmen; Elisha was counted no better, 2 King. 9.11. & the rest of the Prophets, Hos. 9.7. & Paul, Act. 26.20. & all the Apostles, 1 Cor. 4.10. yea, our Saviour Christ himself, with open mouth was pronounced mad by his carnal hearers, Jo. 10.20. Mar. 3.21. to worldly men, Christian wisdom seems folly, saith Gregory, & well it may, for even the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world, 1 Cor. 1.18. therefore no disparagement to God's servants, if the wise men, & politicians of the world repute them fools: nor any honour to such Sensualists that so repute them. However, to give such men their due, we grant that in some kind of skill they outstrip the best of God's people; who if they are put to it, may answer as Themistocles did, when one invited him to touch a Lute, for as he said, I cannot fiddle, but I can make a small town, a great state: so the godly may say, We cannot give a solid reason in nature, why Nilus should overflow only in the summer, when waters are at the lowest: why the Loadstone should draw Iron, or incline to the polestar, why a flash of Lightning should melt the Sword; without making any impression in the Scabbard: kill the Child in the womb, and never hurt the mother: how the Waters should stand upon a heap, and yet not overflow the earth: why the clouds above being heavy with water, should not fall to the earth suddenly, seeing every heavy thing descendeth, except the reason which God giveth, Gen. 1.6. job 3.8.8, to 12. Psa 104.9. But we know the Mystery of the Gospel, and what it is to be born anew, and can give a solid reason of our faith; we know that God is reconciled to us, the Law satisfied for us, our sins pardoned, our souls acquitted, and that we are in savour with God, which many of these with their great Learning, do not know, and thus the godly are proved wiser than the wisest Humanist that wants Grace. You have likewise the reasons why these great knowers know nothing, yet as they might and aught to know. First, because they are mistaken in the thing, they take speculative knowledge for soul-wisdom, and soulsaving knowledge to be foolishness and madness: now if a m●n take his aim amiss, he may shoot long enough ere he hi● the mark, and these men are as one that is gone a good part of his journey, but must come back again, because he hath mistaken his way. Secondly, Because they are unregenerate, and want the Eye of Faith. Thirdly, For that they seek not to God for it, who is the giver thereof, and without whose spirit there is no attaining it. Fourthly, Because they are proud, and so seek not after it, suposing they have it already. Fifthly, Because if they had never so much knowledge, they would be never the holier or the better for it, but rather the worse: nor would they employ it to the honour of God, or the good of others. Sixthly, because they either do or would do mischief, instead of good, with their knowledge. Sevently, because they will not consult with the word about it, nor advice with others that have already attained to it: or thus, they read and hear the Scriptures, but mind not (I mean) the spirituality of the word, or mind, and understand not, or understand and remember not, or remember and practise not. Not, this they intent not: of the rest: and they that are unwiling to obey, God thinks unworthy to know. When the Serpent taught knowledge, he said, if ye eat the forbidden fruit, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall know good and evil: but God teacheth another lesson, and saith, if ye will not eat the forbidden fruit, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall know good and evil, Ro. 12.12. Ps. 119 97, to 100 or if you do eat, you shall be like Images that have ears but cannot hear, Rom. 11.8. Isa. 6.10. Mat. 13.14. From all which reasons we may collect that there are but a few amongst us that are wise indeed, & to purpose, for these seven hindrances are apliable to 77 parts of men in the Nation. Besides, if these great knowers know so little, how ignorant are the rude rabble, that despise all knowledge? nor can it be denied but all Impenitent persons who prefer their profits and pleasures before pleasing of God are errand fools, for if they were wise saith Bernard, they would foresee the torments of Hell, and prevent them: and so wise are the godly, for they prefer Grace and Glory, and God's favour, before ten thousand worlds. Now if any be desirous to get this spiritual, and experimental knowledge, this divine and supernatural wisdom, let them observe these five Rules. First, let such a soul resolve to practise what he doth already know, or shall hereafter be acquainted with, from the word of God and Christ's faithful Messengers, for he that will do my Father's will, saith our Saviour, shall know the Doctrine, whether it be of God or not, Joh. 7.17. A good understanding have all they that keep the Commandments, saith Holy David, Psa. 111.10. and proves it true by his own example and experience. I understood, saith he, more than the Ancient, and become wiser than my Teachers, because I kept thy Precepts, Psa. 119.97, to 100 To a man that is good in his sight, God giveth knowledge and wisdom, Eccles. 2.26. The spiritual man understandeth all things, 1 Cor. 2.15. Wicked men understand not judgement, but they that seek the Lord, understand all things, Prov. 28.5. Admirable encouragements for men to become godly and conscientious: I mean practical Christians. Secondly, if thou wouldst get this precious grace of saving knowledge, the way is to be frequent in hearing the word preached, and to become studious in the Scriptures, for they, and they alone, make wise to salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15. Ye err, saith our Saviour, not knowing the Scriptures, Mat. 22.29. We must not in the search of heavenly matters either do as we see others do, neither must we follow the blind guide, carnal reason, or the deceitful guide, our corrupt hearts, but the undeceiveable and infallible guide of God's word, which is truth itself; and great need there is, for as we cannot perceive the foulness of our faces, unless it be told us, or we take a Glass and look ourselves therein, so neither can we see the blemishes of our souls, which is a notable degree of spiritual wisdom; but either God must make it known to us by his spirit, or we must collect the same out of the Scripture that celestial glass, though this also must be done by the spirits help: Therefore, Thirdly, If thou wilt be soul-wise and truly profit by studying the Scriptures, be frequent & fervent in prayer to God who is the only giver of it for the direction of his holy Spirit, for first humble and faithful prayer ushered in by meditation is the cure of all obscurity, especially being accompanied with fervour and fervency: as you may see, Math. 21.22. If any want wisdom saith St. James let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it shall be given him, Jam. 1.5. Mark the words, it is said, if any, wherefore let no man deny his soul this comfort, again ask and have, it cannot come on easier terms, yea God seems to like this suit so well in Solomon, as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing well to itself. And in vain do we expect that alms of grace, for which we do not so much as beg, but in praying for wisdom do not pray for it without putting difference, desire not so much brain knowledge as to be soul-wise, and than you will employ your wisdom to the glory of the giver. Let thy hearts desire be to know God in Christ, Christ in faith, faith in good works, to know God's will that thou mayst do it, & before the knowledge of all other things, desire to know thyself, and in thyself, not so much thy strength as thy weakness, pray that thine heart may serve thee as a commentary to help thee, understand such points of Religion as are most needful & necessary, and that thy life may be an exposition of thy inward man, that there may be a sweet harmony betwixt God's word, thy Judgement, & whole conversation, that what the natural man knoweth by roa● thou mayst double by feeling the same in thine heart & affections; as indeed experimental and saving knowledge is not lesle felt than known, and I cannot tell how it comes, rather out of the abundance of the heart, than by extreme study, or rather is sent by God unto good men, like the R●m that was brought to Abraham, when he would have Sacrificed his Son Isaac. When Christ taught in the Temple, they asked, how knoweth this man the Scriptures, seeing he never learned them? So it is a wonder what Learning some men have, that have no learning, like Priscilla and Aquila, poor Tentmakers, who were able to School Apollo's that great Clerk, a ma● renowned for his Learning. What can we say to it, for no other reason can be given, but as Christ said, Father, so it pleaseth thee. For as Jacob said of his Venison, when his father asked how he came by it so suddenly, because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly into my hands; So Holy and Righteous men do more easily understand the words of God, than the wicked, because God brings the meaning suddenly to their hearts. As we read, Luk, 24. Prov. 1.23. Psa. 25.14. Dan. 12.10. Luk. 8.10. Mar. 3.11. Again, it is not enough to pray, except also it be in Christ's name, and according to his will, believing to be heard for his sake, and that it be the intercession of Gods own Spirit in you, and being truly sensible of your sins and wants, that you chief pray for the pardon of sin, the effusion of grace, and for the assistance of God's Spirit, that you may more Firmly believe more ●oundly repent, more zealously do, more patiently suffer, and more constantly persevere in the practice and profession of every duty: but above all you● must know that as Sampsons' Companions could never have found out his Riddle, if they had not ploughed with his Hefer, so no man can know the Secrets of God, but by the Revelation of his Spirit, 1 Cor. 12.8. Mat. 16.17. Yea, Suppose a man be not inferior to Portius or Pythagoras, who kept all things in memory that ever they had read heard, or seen. To Virgil, of whom it is reported, that if all Sciences were lost they might be found again in him. To Aben Ezra, of whom it is said, that if Knowledge had put out her Candle, at his Brain she might light it again, and that his head was a Throne of wisdom. Or Josephus Scaliger, who was Skilled in 30 Languages: yet if he want the Spirit of God to be his Teacher, he is a Dunce to the meanest and most Illiterate Believer. For one necessary and excellent Prerogative of the Spiritual Man, is this: He hath God for his Teacher, he learns the Counsels of God, of tha● Spirit which only knows God's Counsels. Luk. 21.15. Which is no small privilege, for the Scholar learns quickly when the Holy Ghost is his Teacher. The eye ●ees distinctly when the Holy Ghost doth enlighten it, with the spirits help, the means can never be too weak, without, never strong enough, Luke 24.44,45. Fourthly, Thou must get an humble conceit of thine own wisdom. The First step to Knowledge, is to know our own ignorance. We must become fools in our own opinion, before we can be truly wi●e; as the Apostle sets it down, 1 Cor. 3.18. And indeed the opinion of over-knowing, is one of the greatest causes of our Knowing so little, for what we presume to have attained, we seek not after; yea, the very First Lesson of a Christian is Humility; He will teach the humble his way, Psa. 25.9. Jam. 4.6. And he that hath not learned the first lesson, is not fit to take out a new: Pride is a great let to true wisdom, Jam. 4.6. Whence it comes to pass, that few proud wits are reform, Joh. 9.39. And for this cause also did our Saviour propound his woes to the Pharisees his Doctrines to the people. A heart full of Pride, is like a vessel full of air. This self opinion must be first blown out of us, before Saving knowledge will be poured into us, Christ will know none but the humble, & none but humble souls truly know Christ: now the way to become humble is to take a serious view of our wants. The peacocks pride is much abated when she looks on the blackness of her legs & feet: now suppose we know never so much, yet the which we know is the lesle th●n that which we are ignorant of, & the more we know, the more we know we want, Pro. 1.5,7. and the lesle sensible we are of our blindness, sickness, deformity, etc. the more blind, sick, and deformed we are. Fifthly, Thou must labour to get a true and lively faith, for as without faith we cannot please God, so without Faith no man can Know God. Faith most clearly beholds those things which are hid both from the eye of sense, & the eye of reason, Joh. 12.46. Unregenerate men the want faith, are like Samson without his guide, or like Polyphemus, who never had but one eye, and that Ulysses put out, for so doth the pleasure & custom of sin blind the sensualist: we must have minds lifted above nature, to see & love things above nature; heavenly Wisdom, to see heavenly Truth; or else the Truth which is saving will be to us a mystery, Mark 4.11. if it seem not foolishness, 1 Cor. 2.7,8. To them that are lost the Gospel is hid, 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. Whereas the Believer discerns all things, even the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2.10. Yea, God giveth him a mouth & wisdom, against which all his Adversaries shall not be able to speak or resist, Luk. 21.15. These are the Five steps that lead us to the Palace of Wisdom, which all must ascend by that mean to enter. Therefore consider seriously what hath been said, & the Lord give you understanding in all things. Finis. THE TOUCHSTONE OF A CHRISTIAN. Wherein is plainly demonstrated and clearly discovered the vast difference between such as have but only the name and profession of Godliness, and such as practise the same in the power thereof. Whereby every one may try their own ways, and know whether their present Estate be either Happy or Miserable. Very profitable for these times. LONDON, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the sign of the Angel in Ducklane. 1673. THE TOUCHSTONE OF A CHRISTIAN. COnsidering that Satan the Prince of Darkness hath so blinded the Eyes of most men and women in the World, that being voided of saving Knowledge, they are apt to put evil for good, and good for evil, having their minds possessed with a good opinion of themselves, and the safety of their condition, in reference to Eternity; which notwithstanding, if it be throughly tried, will appear to be far otherwise, and that they do indeed but deceive their own Souls. Therefore, th● all which read or hear this little Boo●… may be exhorted to examine themselves and to prove their works, whether they a●… such, to whom eternal life is promised, 〈◊〉 shall in my following discourse speak 〈◊〉 such principal qualifications which are required to be in every true Christian, an● are of such absolute necessity to the leading of a godly life, that whosoever is not 〈◊〉 some measure endued with the same, c●… not have any reasonable ground from the Word of God to expect Salvation. Those necessary Graces, or Qualifications which I shall treat of are these five Humility, Faith, Repentance, Love; and Obedience. And first to speak of Humility, which h● the very first Lesson of a Christian: for● it is in Psal. 25.6. He will teach the humble his way. And Jam. 4.6. God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. The first step to saving Knowledge, is to have an humble conceit of our own wisdom, to know our own ignorance. Behold, (saith God, the high and mighty one that inhabiteth Eternity) even to this man will I look, who is of an humble spirit, and trembleth at my word. Christ will own none but the humble soul: he himself was the true pattern of Humility, whose example we are to follow: for he that expects Salvation by Christ, aught so to walk, even as he walked: Learn of me (saith Christ) for I am meek and humble. And he hath pronounced a blessing to such as imitate him here: as in Mat. 5.5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. And again he saith, Mat. 23.12. Whosoever exalteth himself, shall be brought low, but whosoever humbleth himself, shall be exalted. The Lord is high, saith the Psalmist, yet he beholdeth the lowly, but the proud he knoweth a far of, Psal. 138.6. The pride of a man shall bring him low, but the humble in spirit shall enjoy Glory, Prov. 29.23. Thus you see it is only to the humble soul, that God will have respect, for a proud look, and a proud heart, are an abomination to the Lord. Now this Humility doth consist in having a mean and low esteem of ourselves, and a deep sense of our unworthiness, by reason of the filthiness and pollutions wherewith Sin hath defiled our Nature, and doth stain and pollute all our Actions. Hereby we come to abhor ou● selves, to renounce all merit of our own and all sufficiency in ourselves, to any thing that is good, acknowledging tha● the lest mercy we enjoy, is more th●… we deserve: this made David say; I a● lesle than the lest of all thy mercies: what am I, that thou shouldst do such great things for me? this made the Centurion say to Christ; I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: and John the Baptist; I am not worthy to unlose the latchet of his shoes: and Paul, I am lesle than the lest of Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle So all God's Servants were very caref●… not to think of themselves above wha● is meet. When Paul had been speaking how he had been labouring in the Gospel, he presently corrects himself, and saith: Not I, but the Grace of God in me. This is the frame of a Christians spirit, to give all the Glory to God, and to think every one better than himself. Therefore whosoever thou art, that art highly conceited of thy own worth, that seemest wise in thy own eyes, that ar● apt to boast of thy good parts, and never as yet sawest thyself to be a poor, miserable, naked, empty [nothing] creature, ●void of all goodness, and utterly unworthy to receive any favour or blessing from the Lord, thou hast not yet attained to true Humility, nor set one step forward towards Heaven. But Secondly, The second Qualification required in a Christian, is Faith, Mark 16.16. Whosoever believeth, and is Baptised, shall be saved; but he that will not believe, shall be damned, John. 3.15,16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed on him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the only begotten Son of God. But because it is common for all sorts of persons to think that they do believe, and that therefore they may lay claim to the promise of eternal life, I will give you the character of a lively saving Faith, without which it is impossible to please God. 1. True Faith worketh by love, consumeth our Corruptions, and sanctifieth the whole man throughout: so that our Faith to God, is seen in our faithfulness to men; out invisible belief, by our visible life; Faith and Holiness, are as inseparable as Life and Motion, the Sun and Light, Fire and Heat, Ice and Coldness, Honey and Sweetness. Again, Faith believeth the threats of the Words, as well as the promises; and if such as think they have Faith, did believe the truth of those threaten which God hath denounced against Swearers, Drunkards, , Covetous, Ambitious, , Envious, Malicous Persons, and such like Sinners, how dared they than so wallow in these sins? that if God instead of Hell, had promised Heaven for a reward unto them, they could not do more than they do. Many do sottishly deceive themselves with an opinion of Faith, who indeed believe not so much as the Devil doth, for he believes the threaten of the Word, and trembles for horror; but they go on in sin, eve●●ocking at the Menaces, and in the infidelity of their hearts, even give them the lie, saying, no such things shall befall them: but what saith the Apostle, When they shall say, peace and safety, than comes on them sudden destruction, 1 Thes. 5.3. But Thirdly, True Faith is wrought by the Spirit of God, in the hearing or reading the Word at the time of a man's conversion, when God enlightens his mind, to see his lost, undone, and perishing condition, and convinceth him of his unbelief: so that whosoever never saw himself to be without Faith, hath as yet, no Faith: for however many think it an easy matter to believe, yet he that goes about it, shall found that it is as hard a work to believe in the Gospel, as to keep the Law; and only God must enable to both: It is easy indeed for a soul that was never burdened with sin, that was never sensible of the filthiness thereof, and of God's wrath due unto it: such a one thinks it a small matter to believe; but this is a sure rule, that that persuasion only which follows Humiliation, is Faith, and that which goes before it is Presumption. Than, Fourthly, True Faith, as it is wrought by the Spirit of God, ●it brings forth the fruits of the spirit; mentioned, Gal. 5.22,23. Faith never goes alone, but hath a whole train of other Graces to follow her; as the Apostle saith, Add to your Faith Virtue, and to Virtue Temperance, and to Temperance Patience, and to Patience Brotherly kindness, and to Brotherly kindness Charity; these and many more do always accompany a lively Faith. But to proceed. The third Qualification which I mentioned, is True Repentance; and that is through change, wrought in the whole man, whereby he becomes a new Creature, and turns from every sin, to the contrary good; from Pride, to Humility; from Drunkenness, to Sobriety; from Vain Discourse, to Holy Communion; from Covetousness, to Liberality; from Laciviousness, to Chastity: and this not only for a little while, but even so long as he lives: which repentance is ever accompanied with a hatred of the sin we turn from, and a love of that good we turn unto; and is usually procured by the consideration of God's unspeakable goodness towards us, according to the Apostle; The goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance. When we come to consider what God hath done for us, how he Created us after his own Image; and when by sinning we had lost the same, and plunged ourselves into misery, he sent his only Son to redeem, and regain our happiness, how his merits are renewed daily towards us, in preserving, providing for us, and how ill we repaid the Lord for the same, when instead of living to his Glory, we have gloried in doing such things as do greatly dishonour him, being rebellious, stubborn, disobedient to all his Holy Laws and Commandments, abusing his Merits, slighting his Promises, despising his judgements, and turning his Grace into Wantonness, thereby vexing, grieving, and quenching his Holy Spirit: and yet, notwithstanding this, and much more, the Lord doth still spare us, and let us live, whereas he might justly cut us of, and cast us into Hell: he doth still wait to be gracious, he calls us to come and accept of free Mercy, and promises to pardon and pass by what is past, if for the future we will amend our lives. This is that which makes us to loathe ourselves, to lie low before the Lord, to be exceedingly sorry that we should be so vile, and so unworthy, as to offend so gracious a God; this breeds a displeasure against ourselves, and our ways, and a hatred against sin: from hence ariseth in our hearts a full purpose and resolution to forsake every evil way, and to walk in newness of life; and this is true repentance, without which none can be saved: for except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish: and except a man be born again, he shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever doth repent him of his sins, from the bottom of his heart, so as utterly to forsake them, he shall found mercy: the Lord hath promised it, and it shall surely be performed. But, Fourthly, The next qualification I am to speak of, is Love, and that is twofold. 1. To God himself: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. 2. To our Brethrens: This is my Commandment, saith Christ, that ye love one-another, even as I have loved you: And that we may know how to express our Love, he saith in another place, If ye love me, keep my Commandments: he that saith he loves God, and yet keepeth not his Commandments, is a Lyar. If we have a friend that we love dearly, how careful are we to please him? how unwilling to do any thing which might procure his anger? we think no labour nor pains too much, employed in serving him, we spare no cost nor charge, to express our high esteem of his friendship: but hath not God been a greater friend to us than any man can be? aught we not much much more to love him, who is infinitely worthy to be beloved for his own sake, if he had never done any thing for us? but now if we be careless in his service, negligent in performing what he requires of us, unwilling to part with any thing, that he calls to us for, it seems ●…r Love is very cold: this is not loving God with all our hearts, when we will do more for an acquaintance, or a relation, than for him. Indeed, God doth not stand in need of what we can do; he is beyond the reach of our good works: our love cannot add to his Blessedness; as David saith; My goodness tendeth not to thee. Yet he requires that in testimony of our Love and thankfulness to him, for what we have received from him, we should show forth the same in all expressions of Kindness and Charity, to those that may be benefited thereby: and it is a sure rule, he that loves God, for his own sake, will love his Brother for God's sake. A true and pious Christian desires to do something for Christ, who hath done and suffered so much for him, and who is pleased to take that so kindly, which we do for his sake, that he hath promised whosoever shall give but a cup of cold water in his Fame, he shall not go unrewarded: Therefore if thou bearest any good will to God or Christ, whom it is not in thy power to pleasure, thou wilt show thy thankfulness to him in his Children, who are bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh: it is impossible that he who hath Love should be ungrateful: Marry Magdalen had received much, and this made her love much, and loving much, she thought nothiog too much to bestow, even upon the most remote members of Christ, to express her thankfulness. An ingenious disposition cannot receive favours without thoughts of return: Behold thou hast been careful for us, saith Elisha to the Shunamite: with all this care, now what is to be done for thee? so saith the true Christian: Behold O Lord, thou hast been exceeding gracious, thou hast conferred great benefits upon me, now how can I sufficiently express my thankfulness unto thee, for the same. What shall I tender to the Lord for all his mercies? saith David. Indeed all that we can do is too little, but God doth not look for such Love and Service from us, as he is worthy to receive, but as we are able to give: and it is for our own good that he would be served and magnified by us, that so he may reward our labour of Love, with everlasting bliss and happiness. Now the best way to make it appear that the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, is to be fruitful in the Works of Piety and Charity, Pure Religeon, and undefiled before God, saith St. James, Is to visit the fatherless and widows in their adversity, and to keep himself unspotted from the World. Love is the fulfiling of the Law, Rom. 13.10. We aught so to love our Neighbour as ourselves. But how do we so, if we take not care for them, as we do for ourselves? Dost thou see any one in affliction, or want comfort? consider, if thou wert in such a condition, as God knows how soon thou mayst, wouldst not thou in thy need be relieved? Why than surely 'tis reason thou shouldst do to others, as thou wouldst have them do to thee; and for our encouragement to this duty of Love or Charity. Consider that Christ accounts that which is done to his poor members here on earth, as done to himself; as appears by many express Testimonies of Scripture. When I was an hungered, ye fed me; when I was naked, ye clothed me; when I was in prison, ye visited me; for in as much as ye did it to one of these little ones, that believed in me, ye did it unto me, Mat. 25.34, etc. He that giveth to the poor, dareth to the Lord, Prov. 19.17. To do good and to distribute, forget not, for with such Sacrifice God is well-pleased: look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of other men: let the same mind be in you, which was even in Christ jesus, Phil. 2.4,5,6. He that is endued with this Grace of Love will open his hands to such as are in want: and so far as his ability extends, will lend or give to them sufficient for their need: as God commands, Deut. 15.8. It will make a man of Jobs Spirit, who would not eat his morsels alone, but invited the fatherless to eat with him, Job 31.17. It will make a man love his enemies, and do good to them that do hurt to him, Luke. 6.35. Yea more, it will make a man lay down his life for the brethrens, 1 John. 3.16. These are the properties of Christian Love, which will appear more or lesle in the life of every true believer: but he that hath this world's good, and seethe his Brother in want, and yet hath no compassion of him, how dwells the love of God in that man? But in the Fifth and last place, Obedience to Gods will and Commandments is the main Duty of every Christian, Heb. 5.9. Christ is said to be the Author of eternal Salvation unto all that obey him: not unto them which continued in their rebellious wickedness, and never submit to be ruled by the Sceptre of his word: Christ's blood was shed for ablution, as well as absolution: as well to cleanse from the soil and filth of sin, as to clear and free from the guilt of sin, Rom. 6.5,6. God hath chosen us in Christ from the Creation of the World, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in Love, Eph. 1.4. They therefore that never come to be Holy, never were chosen. We are said to be Created in Christ jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them: Christ came not to save us in our Sins, but from our sins: to redeem unto himself a peculiar people, Zealous of good works: and it i● his Commandment: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Yea, the Lord hath bound it with an Oath: that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies, they shall worship him in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of their life, Luke 1.73, etc. This is that obedience which is better than Sacrifice, and without which let none expect to be saved: for God hath said, Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord: be ye therefore holy, even as God is holy. There are many wicked men, who go on in a continual course of sin, and make no conscience of obeying God's Word, or of walking in his ways: yet they think themselves good Christians, and doubt not of their Salvation: every drunken beast and blasphemer thinks to go to Heaven, though none shall come there, nor once see God without Holiness, which they abhor. One minds nothing but his Cups: another nothing but his Coin: a third only his Courtesan: yet all these appoint to meet in heaven, but this is not the way thither, 1 John 2.16. The Lust of the Eye, and the pride of Life is a broad way indeed, but not to Heaven: Or, Know ye not, saith the Apostle, the unrighteous shall not enter into the Kingdom of God: be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Adulterers, nor Unclean persons, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Swearers, nor Liars, can claim any interest in the promise of eternal life, by Christ Jesus: For that grace of God which bringeth salvation, teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live god●y, righteously, and soberly in this present world, Tit. 2.12. If Christ be not our King to govern us, be will neither be our Prophet to forewar●, nor our Priest to expiate. Except we forsake our sins, God will never forgive them: it cannot consist with his justice to pardon such as continued in an evil course of life, if Christ hath freed us from the damnation of sin, he hath also freed us from the dominion of sin: if with his blood he hath quenched the fire of Hell for us, he hath also quenched the fire of Lust in us: Christ's justifying blood, is given by his Sanctifying Spirit. Therefore such as have no government of their Passions, no conscience of their Actions, no care of their lives: whatever they think or pretend, they have no portion nor share in the promises of the Gospel. How many that would be accounted Christians, and think to go to heaven, yet in sundry particulars fall short of many wicked reprobates recorded in Scripture, who never had the hearts, upon the hearing the threaten of the Word, to relent, and humble themselves with Ahab, to confess their sins, and desire the people of God to pray for them: with Pharaoh to be affected with joy in hearing the Word, and practise many things: with Herod to be zealous against sin: with Jehu, willing to part with a good part of their goods: with Ananias, to forsake the world and all their hopes in it, to follow Christ as Demas and others, to venture their lives with Alexander the Coppersmith, in cleaving to the truth. Yea, it is said of Judas himself, that he repent: there is Contrition: he saith, I have sinned: there is Confession: and he restored the money again: there is Satisfaction, which is all the Papists repentance: and yet he is Judas the Son of perdition still. Now examine thyself, and try whether thou dost not come short of these: if so, it is but madness for thee to please thyself in a false conceit of thine own Happiness. men think God is all mercy, yet the Word tells us he is a consuming fire, and a jealous God: and how can they expect he should be merciful to them, who are unmerciful and cruel to him, to his, and to their own souls? Indeed the Lord is very gracious and ready to forgive such as are humble and penitent sinners, who are willing to be cleansed from their sins, and to put away the evil of their do, and abhor themselves because of their iniquities: he is exceeding merciful, and full of compassion to such: but to those that wilfully go on in wickedness following the lusts and desires of their own hearts, he will not speak peace to them, but if they repent not, he will come in flames of Fire to take vengeance upon them. Therefore consider this, all ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Yea, consider well all you that read or hear this Book, wha● great difference there is betwixt a Christian in name, and a Christian indeed: examine your hearts throughly, and try yourselves by this Touchstone, and see whether you were ever as yet truly humbled under the sight and sense of your Original Corruption, and Actual Transgression: whether sin hath ever been a burden unto you, and your greatest grief: whether you were ever savingly enlightened to discern the hidden mysteries of the Gospel, and enabled in same measure to lay how upon Christ by a lively Faith, such as purifieth your hearts, and makes you prize Christ more than all things in the world? whether you did ever with hatred of your 〈◊〉, turn from them, and return unto God 〈◊〉 true repentance, and are become new Creatures, to what once you were: whether you love God with all your hearts, being careful to please him, fearful to offend him, willing to part with any thing that is near or dear unto you, when he calls for it: whether you are obedient to his will, in keeping his Commandments, in sanctifying his Saboths, in walking in his ways, in observing his Statutes to do them, in leading a Godly, Righteous and Sober Life, in doing good to all, where it lies in your power, in loving your enemies, and rendering good for evil, in honouring God with your substance, and living holily, righteously, and unblamably in this present World: if not, than all your confidence is but presumption, and Christ will say unto you in the last day, Departed from me, I know you not. O that God would open your eyes, and let you see those things which concern your everlasting peace, before you go from hence and be not more seen. FINIS. Every Man's Duty, AND The Godly Man's Practice: OR, Exhortations to Love God. Drawn from the Consideration of his great goodness towards us, and the many mercies, favours, and benefits, which we daily receive at his hands. Which may stir up every one to the greatest measure of thankfulness, and persuade us all to live unto God's Glory. Very profitable for these times wherein Iniquity doth abound, and the Love of many waketh Cold. London, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the the Angel in Ducklane. 1673. Every Man's Duty, AND The Godly Man's Prastice: OR, Exhortations to Love GOD. AS great favours bestowed upon a Person of an Ingenious disposition, are as so many Cords to draw his Affections towards the Benefactor, so the consideration of those unspeakale Mercies and Benefits which we have received from God is the strongest Matide to stir up our hearts unto thankfulness, and to knit our hearts unto the Lord in the inseparable bands of Love. Now to the end that all which read or hear this Book, may know how much they stand engaged unto God, I shall give you a taste of his goodness, & let you see what he hath done for us, as in the first place he gave us ourselves, and all the Creatures to be our servants, yea be created us after his own Image, in Righteousness and Holiness, and in perfect knowledge of the Truth, with a power to stand, and for ever to continued in a most blessed and happy condition, and this deserves all possible thankfulness, but this was nothing in comparison, for when we were in a sad condition, when we had forfeited all this and ourselves, when by sin we had turned the Image of God into the Image of Satan, and wilfully plunged our Souls and Bodies into eternal Torments, when we were become his enemies, mortally hating him, and to our utmost, fight against him, and taking part with his enemy's Sin and Satan, not having the lest thought or desire of reconcilement, but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means thereunto, he did redéem us, not only without ask, but even against our wills, so making of us (his cursed Enemies) servants of servants, Sons of Sons, Heirs and Coheirs with Christ, here was a fathomless depth, a wonder beyond all wonders. But that we may the better consider what an alms or Boon God gave us when he gave us his Son, observe that when neither Heaven nor Earth could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ; that could have satisfied God's justice, and merited heaven for us, than God in his infinite wisdom and goodness did not only found out a way to satisfy his justice and the Law, but gave us his Son, his only beloved Son out of his bosom, and his Son gave himself to dye the most Shameful, Painful, and Cursed death of the Cross to redéem us: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life, John 3.16. The very thought of which death when he came to it, together with the Weight and burden of our sins, put him into such an Agony in the Garden, that it made him to sweated even Drops of Blood, a mercy bestowed, and a way found out, may astonish all the Sons of Men, and Angels in Heaven, wherefore wonder at this ye that wonder at nothing, that the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse than lost souls, and to bring Salvation unto us, even against our Wills. The Lord jesus being rich for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. 2 Cor. 8.9. Even the eternal God would die that we might not Die Eternally, and that which is further considerable, it cost God more to redéem the World than to make it. In the creation he gave us ourselves, but in the redemption he gives us himself, the creation of all things cost him but six days to finish it, the Redemption of Man cost him three and thirty years: in the creation of the world, he did but only speak the word. In the Redemption of Man, he both Spoke, and Wept, and Sweat, and Bled, and died; yea the saving of one Sold is more and greater than the making of the whole world, but further to illustrate this Love, consider that Salvation stands in two things. First, In Freedom and Deliverance from Hell. Secondly, In the possession of Heaven and eternal life. Christ by his Death merits the First for us. And by his Obedience, fulfilling the Law, Merits the Second. O! who can express how great a Mercy it is to be delivered from Hell, where we should for ever have lain in fire and Brimstone, kept in the highest Flame, by the Unquenchable Wrath of God, where there is nothing but Darkness and Horror, wailing and wring of hands, desperate yell and gnashing of Teeth. There shall be Punishment without pity; Misery, without any mercy; sorrow, without succour; crying without Comfort, Malice without Measure, Torment without ease, where the wrath of God shall seize men's souls and bodies, as the flames of fire doth in the Lump of Pitch and brimstone, in which flame they shall ever be burning and never consumed, ever dying, and never dead, ever roaring in the pangs of death, and never rid of those pangs, so that after they have endured them, so many thousand years, as there are blades of Grass on the Earth, or sands in the Sea, they shall be not nearer the end of their Torments than they were the very first day that they were cast into them, yea so far are they from ending, that they are ever beginning. It were Misery enough to have the Headache Toothache Colic Gout, burning in the fire, or if there be any thing more grievous, yet should all these and many more meet together in one man at one instant, they would come infinitely short of the pains of Hell, yea they would be but as stinging of Aunts to the Lashes of those Scorpions, but as drops to those Vials of Wrath, as Sparks to that flame, the Furnace of Babel was but a flea biting to this tormenting Tophet prepared of old, so that it were happy for reprobate Spirits if they were not worse than Toads or Serpents, as consider if a dark dungeon here be so loathsome, what is that Dungeon of eternal, of utter Darkness? if natural fire be so terrible, what is Hell fire where both Soul and Body shall fry in everlasting flames, and continually be tormented by infernal Fiends, whose society alone would be sufficiently frightful? These things deeply weighed, O! how would it heighten our love to God and to Christ, who might have left us in our wretched estate to have undergone much more than is here spoken of. But blessed be his Name who hath delivered our Souls from the pit of destruction, and not only so but hath reinstated us again into God's favour, and prepared Mansions of Glory for us in the Kingdom of Heaven, where we shall see the Blessed Face of God, which is the Glory of all sights; the sight of all glory: there shall all tears be wiped from our Eyes, there shall be no pain nor complaint, no Hunger, Thirst, Wearisomeness, or Templation to disquiet us, there is no death nor dearth, no misery nor sickness, but joys and pleasures; never ebbing, but ever flowing to all contentment. There, O there, one day is better than a thousand, their is rest from our labours, peace from our enemies, freedom from our Sins, what pleasure shall we take in the company of Saints and Angels, in whom there is nothing, but what is amiable, comfortable, and delectable? There is all things that we can desire, Beauty, Richeses, Honour, Pleasure, long life, or whatever else can be named, no place so glorious by creation, so beautiful with delectation so rich in possession, so comfortable for Habitation, nor so durable for lasting, there are no estates, but inheritances, no inheritances but kingdom, no Houses but palaces, no Meals but feasts, no noise but Music no Rods but Sceptres, no Garments but Robes, no Seats but Thrones, no Cover for the Head but Crowns: there we shall rejoice for the pleasantness of the place we possess, for the glory of our Souls and Bodies, which we have put on for the World, which we have overcome, for Hell which we have escaped, for the joys of heaven which we have attained unto, we shall have joy above us, by the Beatifical Vision and sight of God, joy within us by the peace of Conscience, even the joy of the Holy Ghost, and joy round about us by the blessed Company and Fellowship of our Associates the Holy Saints and Angels: Oh! the multitude and fullness of these joys, so many that only God can number them, so great that he only can estimate them, of such rarity and perfection, that this World hath nothing comparable unto them: Oh! the Transcendency of that Paradise of Pleasure, where is joy without Heaviness, Blessedness without Misery, light without darkness, health without Sickness, Abundance without Want, Ease without Labour, Liberty without Restraint, Security without Fear, Eyes without Tears, hearts without sorrow, Souls without Sin; where shall be no evil heard of to affright us, nor good wanting to cheer us, for we shall have what we can desire, and we shall desire nothing but what is good. Here we have knowledge mixed with Ignorance, faith mixed with doubting, peace with Trouble, but than we shall know God, even as we ourselves are known of him, than shall faith be swallowed up in fruition, and than shall we have peace, even full without want, pure without mixture, and perpetual without all fear of foregoing. What shall I say? God of his goodness hath bestowed so many, and so great mercies upon us, that it is not possible to express his bounty therein, for if we look inward we found our creators merits, if we look upwards, his Mercy reacheth up into the Heavens, if Downwards, the Earth is full of his goodness, and so is the broad Sea, if we look about us, what is it that he hath not given us? Air to breath in, fire to warm us, water to cleanse and cool us, to cover us, Food to nourish us, Fruits to refresh us, yea delicates to please us, Beasts to serve us, Angels to attend us, Heaven to receive us, and which is above all, himself, and his own Son to be enjoyed of us, so that whithersoever we turn our Eyes, we cannot look besides his Bounty, yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for, but that he would continued those Blessings which he hath bestowed on us already, yet, we covet still as though we had nothing, & live as if we knew nothing of his Beneficience, we are bound to praise him above any Nation whatsoever, for what Nation under Heaven enjoys so much light, and so many Blessings as we? God might have said before we were form, let them be Loads, Monsters, Infidels, Beggars, Bondslaves, Idiots, or Madmen, so long as they live, and after that, cast aways for ever and ever. But he hath made us to the best likeness, and nursed us in the best Religion, and placed us in the best Land, and appointed us to the best and only Inheritance, even to remain with him in Bliss for ever: Yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our Happiness, for whereas some Bléed, we sleep in safety, others Beg, we abound, others starve, we are full fed, others grope in the dark, our Sun still shines, we have Eyes, Ears, Tongues, Feet, Hands, Health, Liberty, Reason, others are Blind, Deaf, Dumb, Sick, Maimed, Imprisoned, Distr●cted, and the like, yea God hath removed so many evils from us, and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought and imagination, for if all the World were turned into a book, and all the Angels deputed writers therein, they could not set down all the good which Gods Love in Christ hath done us. For those millions of mercies which we have received since we were born, either for Soul or Body, even to the lest bit of Bread, or shall to eternity (of which we could not well want any one.) Christ hath purchased of his Father for us, and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace and mercy given us, in giving us his son. Yea God is many times Working our good, when we least think upon him, as he was creating for Adam an helpmeet for him, when he was fast asleep, and as much do we own God for the Dangers from which he delivereth us, as for the great Wealth and Dignities whereunto he hath always raised us. Now what shall we tender unto the Lord our God, so good and Gracious in way of Thankfulness, for all these his Merits. The Contribution of Blessings require Retribution of Thanks, or will bring distribution of Plagues, neither could we possibly be unthankful, if we seriously thought upon what God gives, and what he forgives, for in Reason hath he contrived so many ways to save us, and should not we take all occasions to glorify him? hath he done so much for us, and shall we deny him any thing that he requires of us? though it were our lives, yea our Souls, much more our Lusts: we have exceeding hard hearts, if the Blood of the Lamb cannot soften them; stony Bowels, if so many Mercies cannot melt them, was Christ Crucified for our Sins, and should we by our sins crucify him again? O let the meditation of what God and Christ hath one for us, make us do what we are able for him again; for did Christ do all this for us, and shall we do nothing for him? like favours require like gratitude. Marry Magdalen was a great Sinner, and she had much forgiven her, therefore she loved much, so should every one of us do likewise, wherefore if we have any ingenuity in us, it will make us direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to God's glory, as he hath directed our Eternal Salvation thereunto. But to help and further you herein, if you be willing so to do, take these few directions. First, Let these things be never out of the Minds, memories, and Mouths of those whom Christ hath done thus for, let every one of us, say with Holy Bernard: Lord if I owed my whole self unto thee, forgiving me myself in my Creation, what have I left to pay for giving thyself for me to so cruel a Death, to procure my Redemption? which was not so cheap as my creation, great was the Benefit that thou wouldst Created me of nothing, but what tongue can sufficiently express the greatness of the grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing, we are full of thy goodness: O! let our Hearts run over with Thankfulness: and let us say with David; O Lord what is Man that thou art so mindful of him? What shall I tender unto thee O Lord for all these thy Benefits, but Love thee my Creator and Redeemer and become a new Creature. How can any Rational Man meditate on such unbottomed a Love, and not study and strive for an answerably, thankful, demeanour? if a friend had given us but the thousandth part of what he hath, we should hearty love him all our lives, and think no thanks sufficient: what price than should we set upon jesus Christ, who is the life of our lives, and the Soul of our Souls: Surely this should at lest make us part with our nearest, dearest, and sweetest darling Sins to serve him in Righteousness, and Holiness, every Day, every Hour, all the Days of our Lives, what a Brutish and Barbarous unthankfulness and shame, were it that God should part with his Son, and his Son with his own precious blood for us, and we not part with our sinful Lusts and Delights for him. But Secondly, Hath Christ done all this for us his Servants? so much, and so many ways obliged to him, than let us do what we are able for him again. 1. Let us be zealous for his Glory, and take his part when we see or hear him dishonoured, for as Augustine saith, There can be no Love where there is no Zeal. Well Born Children are touched to the Quick with the Injuries of their Parents. And it is a base Vile and unjust Ingratitude that can endure the disgrace of them under whose shelter they live. 2. Let us seek to draw others after us from Satan unto him. 3. Do we all we can to promote his Worship and Service. 4. Take all good occasions to publish to others how good God is, and what he hath done for us. 5. Let us wholly ascribe all the good we have, or do to free Grace, and give him the Glory of his Gifts, employing them to our Master's best advantage. 6. Let us (that we may express our Thankfulness unto him) show kindness to his Children and poor Members, who are Bone of his Bone, and Flesh of his Flesh. 7. Abhor we ourselves, for our former unthankfulness, and our wondered provoking of him. 8. Harken we unto Christ's Voice in all that he saith unto us, and express our Thankfulness by our Obedience: Yea all this let us do, if we do it but for our own Sakes, for what should we have if we did thus serve Christ who hath done all these things for his Enemies, neglecting and dishonouring him. 'Tis true we cannot properly be said to do any thing for him, that have all we have from him, or if we could give him our Bodies and Souls, they would be saved by it, but he were never the better for them, yet we may do these and the like things, which he accounts and rewards as done to himself. Now these things we aught to do, thus thankful we aught to be to God, for his inestimable and unspeakable Benefits towards us. But do we thus requited the Lord? or do we what we are able for him again. O that I could say we did, yea I would we were but so thankful to Christ for all his Mercies (the least whereof is greater than all the Courtesies of Men) as we are to a friend for some one good turn. But Woe worth us a people not worthy the Crumbs of Christ, and our Masters lest Mercy, yea well worthy of more Plagues, than either Tire or Sidon; Sodom or Gomarah, or any People since the Creation, for as if all that Christ hath done for us, were nothing to move us, we are so far from being thankful, from loving, and serving him, that did we seriously think of Christ's love, and our odious unthankfulness, and compare God's goodness with our ingratitude, rightly, weighing how we have from time to time abused his Mercy, and those many means of grace which he in his long-suffering hath afforded for our reclaiming, it would even make us Speechless like him in the Gospel, as neither expecting pardon, nor daring to ask it; yea it is the unspeakable Mercy of the Lord, that our Land hath not long since Spewed us out, and that we are not at this present frying in Hell, for whereas God hath removed so many evils Spiritual and Corporal; Temporal and Eternal from us, and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond Thought and Imagination, we have striven to multiply offences against him, and to make them as infinite in Number as his Blessings, we have done nothing from our Infancy, but added Sin for Sin, as he hath added Mercy to Mercy, whereby our Sins are become for Number as the Sands of the Sea, and as the Stars of Heaven, may not God justly another day call heaven and earth to witness against us, that he would have saved us, yea, did woe us to accept of Salvation, saying: Turn ye, turn ye, for why will you Dye O People of England: But we would not be Converted nor Saved, for whereas God hath offered us a Pardon (in rendering Christ unto us upon the Condition of Faith and Repentance) even his own Son, to be a means of our Reconciliation, we are so far from accepting it thankfully, that we not only Refuse and Contemn it, but in a manner derided the offer of it ourselves, appose the Gospel of glad Tidings, and persecute Christ in his Members, either with Hand or Tongue, or both, we are (most of us) so far from being Holy ourselves, that we hate Holiness in others, for if any become Religious and Conscientious, and will not for Company grievously Sin against God, Wrong their Bodies, destroy their own Souls, and Wilfully leap into Hell Fire with us? we Envy, Hate, Censure, Scoff at, Nickname, Rail on and slander them, that we may Discourage them in the Way to Heaven, baffle them out and make them ashamed of their Holy profession, and Religious Conversation, and so consequently pull them back to the World, that so we may have their Company here in Sin, and hereafter in Torment: O foolish People and unwise thus to requited the Lord: Our horrid Sins are grown up unto Heaven, in regard whereof we may justly be confounded and ashamed to lift up our Eyes to him who is a Lord, so great and terrible, of such Glorious Majesty and Infinite Purity, what than shall we say to these things. Is there any Hope left for such Vile Creatures as we are, yea surely for God doth still afford us time to Repent, and the Gospel of glad tidings doth still continued amongst us; the Ministry of Reconciliation is Preached unto us, and if we will at last come in with humble submission, and yield to be governed by the Lord jesus Christ, and live the rest of our days to his will, in believing in him in Loving, Honouring, and obeying him, there is no question but God will freely forgive what is past, and receive us again into his favour; which the Lord of his Mercy grant for jesus Christ his sake. FINIS. The Ready Way TO GET RICHESES: OR, THE Poor Man's Counsellor. Teaching them How of Poor & Miserable, They may Become Wealth and Happy. Very seasonable for these Times, wherein all are Poor, or not pleased; or both when they need be neither. London, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the Angel in Ducklane. 1673. THE Ready way to get Richeses: OR, THE Poor man's Counsellor. HOw to become wealth and happy is a thing so generally desired that it seems to be a principal naturally rooted in the Heart of every man, as who and where is the man that desires not to be rich and happy, I dare say if the great Chain who is said to have a Tree full of Pearls hanging by clusters should but make Proclamation that whosoever would ●pair to him should have plenty of Gold, he might drive such a trade as would soon make him a Bankrupt, for as the Prophet observes, every one from the greatest unto the lest is given unto Covetousness, Jer. 6.13 All gape after Gain, and how to get is each Man's thought from Sun to Sun. Now to answer every man's desire, & to acquaint them how of poor melancholy and miserable they may become rich, happy, and cheerful, is my present purpose, and the task I have taken in ●and, the which I shall do from the Word of God. Nor need it seem strange, that for the improving of men's outward estates, I prescribe them rules & directions from thence, for would we be instructed in any necessary Truth, whether it be concerning private families ourselves, or be it touching God, the Church, the Commonwealth, our Neighbours, and Friends, our Temporal, Civil, Spiritual, Eternal Estate, or in reference to our souls, bodies, names, estates, posterities. We need but have recourse to the written Word, for that alone is a Magazine of all needful provisian, a Storehouse of all needful Instruction, and let a man study Machiavelli and all the Machiavilians, and State-politians that ever wrote, he can add nothing, or nothing of worth, to what may be collected thence touching this subject, wherefore if any of poor would become rich, let him use the means which tend thereunto, observe and follow those Rules and directions which God hath prescribed & appointed in his word which are principally fix, for as the Throne of Solomon was mounted unto by six stairs, so is this Palace of plenty & richeses ascended unto by six steps, set upon this ground already laid, for I found in the word six Infallible ways to become rich, or six sorts of men whom God hath promised to bless with richeses and outward prosperity, that is to say, 1. The Godly, 2. the Liberal. 3. the Thankful. 4. the Humble, 5. the Industrious. 6. the Frugal. These of all other men in the world are sure never to want. And these are the Main Heads unto which I shall draw all I shall say upon this subject. First, If any of poor would become rich, let him become religious, for godliness hath the promises of this life, as well as of the life to come, yea all temporal blessings that can be named are promised to the godly, & to their seed, and to them only, as both the old and new Testament do plainly and plentfully prove, as for instance, in Duteronomy the 28. God hath promised that if we will harken diligently unto his voice, observe and do all his Commandments, and walk in his ways, we shall be blessed in the City, and be blessed in the Field, blessed in our going forth, and in our coming home, blessed in the fruit of our bodies, and in the fruit of our ground, & in the Fruit of our Cattles, the increase of of our Kine, and the Flocks of our Sheep, that he will bless us in our Storehouses and in all that we set our hands unto, and make us plentiful in all good things, and that we shall have where with to lend unto many, and not to borrow, Vers. the 1, to 15, and Chap. 7. vers. 11, to 19 To which is added many the like places, as blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, and delighteth greatly in his Commandments, wealth and richeses shall be in his House, Psal. 112. vers. 1, to 4. Wait on the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to inherit the Land, Psal. 37.34. The Lord will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly, Psal. 84.11. Delight thyself in the Lord, he shall give thee thine hearts desire, Psal. 37.3. Fear ye the Lord ye his Saints, for nothing wanteth to them that fear him, the Lions do lack and suffer Hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall want nothing that is good, Psal. 34.9,10. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his Commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight, 1 John 3.12. What rare and precious promises are these? ●o which I might add many of the like nature, all which David had the experience of, who tells us that he greatly rejoiced in the Strength and Salvation of the Lord, and the Lord gave him his heart's desire and did not withhold the request of his lips, yea he prevented him with the blessings of goodness, and set a Crown of Gold upon his head, Psalm 2.1,2,3,4. And the like of Abraham and Lot and Job and Solomon. Let us first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be Ministered unto us, or come in as it were upon the Bargain, as our Saviour hath assured us, Mat. 6.33. Neither are these promises made only to the obedient themselves, but richeses and all Earthly Blessings are entailed upon their seed also, Psal. 112.2,3. His séed shall be mighty upon the earth, the Generation of the Righteous shall be blessed. Nor is richeses & outward prosperity promised to the Godly and their seed, as others usually enjoy them, that is, singly and barely, but 've a promise of them, with a supply of all other good things to be added thereunto, which may make them every way happy, as that their prosperity shall be durable and lasting. That with richeses they shall have credit, honour, & promotion, with long life added, that they shall be happy, and prospero in all they have or do, as having God their protector, who with Mercy is said to compass them about on every side, Psal 32.10. That they shall be freed from all fears and dangers, and obtain victory over all their enemies, together with Death, Hell, and the Devil, that they shall be freed from the Law, and likewise from sin, and the penalty thereof, that they shall have peace external, internal, eternal, and joy, even the joy of the Holy Ghost, which is both glorious and unspeakable. That they shall not only persevere, but also grow in grace and true Wisdom, that all things whatsoever shall make for their good, that both their persons & performances shall be good & acceptable, which before were vile and abominable. That by the prayer of Faith they shall obtain of God whatsoever they shall ask in Christ's Name, and according to his Word: and in fine, all other good things that can be named, whether Temporal, or Spiritual, or Eternal, are by the promise of God entailed upon them that love him and keep his Commandments, nor need we wonder at this, or once question the same, for if he spared not his own Son; but delivered him to death for us, how shall he not with him freely give us all things also, Rom. 8.31,32. It is the Apostles argument; great, yea too great things for us to receive, but not too great, for the great and good God of Heaven and Earth to give, all the fear is on our part, whether we be such to whom the promise is made, for all God's promises are conditional, and though of these outward good things he hath promised abundance, yet it is upon the condition of faith & obedience, as appears by the afore mentioned places, so that if we be not wanting in our duty & obedience to God, God would not be wanting in any good thing to us, nor can we lock that God should make good his promises, if we make them voided by not observing the condition, if we will not dare to trust God upon his promise so confidently, as we would a Friend or some great Man that is able and honest: Besides the Lord hath promised that there shall be no want to them that fear him, & no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, Psal. 34.9, and 84,11. Where observe two things, there shall be no want to such, and such shall want no good thing, so that he must be such a one to whom the promise is made, and he must also be sure that it is good for him which is promised; but oftentimes it is not good for a man to abound with earthly Blessings, as strong Drink is not good for weak Brains, yea if any thing be wanting to a good man, he may be sure 'tis not good for him, and than better that he doth want it, than that he did enjoy it. And what wise man will complain of the want of that which if he had, would prove more hurtful than gainful to him, as a Sword to a Madman, a knife to a Child, drink to them that have a Favour or the Drop●…e. Not good thing will God withhold, etc. And therefore not wants themselves, which to many are also good, yea very good things, as I could reckon up many want, sanctified is a notable means to bring to repentance to work in us amendment of Life, it stirs up to prayer, it weans from the love of the World, it keeps us always prepared for the spiritual Combat, discovers whether we be true believers or Hypocrites, prevents greater evils of sin and punishments to come, it makes us humble, comfortable to Christ our head, increaseth our faith, our joy, our thankfulness our spiritual wisdom, and likewise our patience, as I have shown at large in another Book called the Christians Comfort. To conclude, all good things were created for the good, and therefore they are called goods because the good created them, for good men to do good withal. Therefore as Jacob got the blessing, so he got that inheritance also, to show that as the faithful have the inward blessing, so they have the outward blessing too; when they will do them good, and 'cause them to do good, yea in this case even as the sheaves fell before Ruth, so the Kiches shall fall in our way, as they did to Abraham and Lot, and Jacob, and Job, and Joseph, upon whom richeses were cast, they knew not how, but as if God had only said, be rich, and they were Rich strait, but that this is the true and only way to Wealth and Happiness needs no more proof than that which is recorded of Solomon, 1 Kings 3. 2 Chron. 1. Where the Lord appearing to him in a dream said, ●…k what I shall give thee, and he ask only an understanding Heart to discern between good and evil, that he might the better Discharge that great place whereunto God had called him, wherein God's glory and the people's good were his Principal Aim and end: hear what the Lords Answer is: Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked Richeses, Wealth, or Honour; nor the life of thine enemies neither, yet hast asked long life but haste asked Wisdom and Knowledge for thyself, that thou mightest judge my people, over whom I have made thee King, Wisdom and Knowledge is Granted unto thee, and I will give thee Richeses, and Wealth, and Honour, such as none of the Kings have had that have been before thee: neither shall there any after thee have the like. Yea he was so surpassing rich that he gave Silver in Jerusalem as stones, 1 Kings 10.27. Lo the true way to Wealth, Honour, and Happiness is to desire Grace that we may glorify God, and do good: For clearing whereof I'll give you a Similitude. A Man spies a fair Apple on a Tree, hath a longing desire unto it, whereupon he falls a shaking the Tree with all his might, at length it not only comes down but many other come down to him together with it, and so much to prove that the way to become rich is first to become Godly. Secondly, He that would be a Rich Man let him be a merciful Man, and do good with what God hath already given him, be it never so little, for there is not a more sure and Infallible way to Increase and Multiply a man's outward estate, than in being charitable to the poor, if we will believe God's word, as what saith our Saviour, Give and it shall be given unto you, Good Measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your Bosom, Luk. 6.38. Mat. 7.2. Mark 4.14. And to this accord that place in the Proverbs. There is the scattereth and is more increased, but he that spareth more than is right, shall surely come to poverty. The liberal person shall have plenty, and he that watereth shall also have rain, Pro. 11.24,25. And the like in the Psalms; Wealth and Richeses shall be in the house of him that hath compassion of and giveth to the poor, Psal. 112.3, to 10. See here how bounty is the best and surest way to Plenty. But notable to this purpose is that, Pro. 28.37. He that giveth to the poor shall not lack, a rare and incomparable privilege never to want, and yet this is a bargain of Gods own making, plenty shall furnish the table where Charity takes away and gives to the Poor. He hath dispersed abroad saith the Psalmist and given to the poor, his Benevolence remaineth for ever, Psal. 112.9. He hath always to give that hath a free and bountiful Heart to give, saith St. Bernard, and of this the Prophet Isaiah doth assure us. The liberal man saith he deviseth liberal things, and by liberality he shall stand, Isa. 32.8. A man would think he should rather fall by being so liberal & bountiful, but this is the best course to thrive & hold out. Nor was it ever known that God suffered a merciful and a bountiful man to want, ordering his affairs with discretion, Psal. 112.5. But you have not heard a tithe of these promises, for the Scriptures not lesle abound in them, than silver did in the days of Solomon, of which only a few more, is what saith the wise man, Pro. 3. Honour the Lord with thy substance, & with the first fruits of all thine increase, so shall thy barns be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with new Wine, in which regard that which is this way expended, may be likened to those loves and fishes in the Gospel, for as they did increase and multiply, even while they were distributing, so doth our Richeses, and indeed all other gifts, even out o●… which the Hand reacheth to, the Mouth itself is nourished, and thus you see that either Old or New Testament be true, not getting but giving is the true & ready way to abundance, that to give in this case is the way to have, and that we are the richer for disoursting, which makes Chrisostom say: That the gainfulest art is Alms giving, and hence it is that the Scripture compares it to sowing of Seed, 2 Cor. 9.6. He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, but he that soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully, the Apostle compares giving to sowing, to note unto us the great gain and advantage that cometh thereby, and the Scriptures likewise compareth it to lending or putting money to interest, Pro. 19.17. He that hath pity on the poor dareth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again. The Lord is content to acknowledge himself the charitable Man's debtor, yea by our liberality to the poor, our most gracious redeemer acknowledgeth his self gratified & engaged, Math. 25.35,36, etc. And for as much as ye did it to the lest of these my Brethrens, ye have done it unto me, the poor man's Hand is Christ's Treasury or Bank; and by putting thereinto a man becomes a Creditor to his Saviour, neither will he pay or recompense us as we do our Creditors, for as Augustine well notes, what we receive by way of return, is not ten for an hundred, nor an hundred for ten, but an hundred for one, yea a thousand thousand for one, an hundred for one here in this World, and in the World to come, Life everlasting, together with a Kingdom, even an immortal, eternal Kingdom of Glory and Happiness in Heaven, which is not to be valued with ten Thousand Worlds, and why all this but in recompense of feeding, clothing, and visiting his poor Brethrens and Members when they were destitute, where note but the incomparable and infinite difference between the receipt and the return, as O the unmeasurable measure of our Saviour's Bounty; How happy is that man that may become a Creditor to his Saviour, heaven & earth shall be empty before he shall want a Royal payment; wherefore harken to this all you self-lovers that are only for your own ends, do you indeed love yourselves & your souls, would you be rich indeed, and that both here and hereafter, than be charitable to the poor, even to the utmost of your Ability; for this giving is not only an act of Charity, but of Christian policy, since we shall not only receive our own again, but the same also with great increase, which made St. Augustine say: That the Charitable man is the greatest Usurer in the World: This is the Second means which God hath appointed for the Improvement of our outward estates, or the second step to richeses and all outward prosperity: Viz. Bounty and Liberality to the poor. The Third and Fourth are thankfulness and humility, which are no way inferior to the former. Thankfulness and Humility are the only means to enrich us with God's blessings, but Pride and Unthankfulness is the only way to make God withdraw, and take from us both himself and his Blessings: Because the King of Assyria said: By the power of mine arm have I done it, and by my Wisdom, for I am prudent. Therefore saith the Lord I have removed the Borders of the people, and have spoiled their treasures, & have pulled down the inhabitants like a valiant man; Isa. 10.13. Even so doth God deal with all proud ingrateful persons. There is nothing more pleasing to God, nor profitable to us, for the procuring the good we want, or continuing the good we have, than humility & thankfulness, God will sow their, and their only, plenty of his blessings, where he is sure to reap plenty of Thanks and service, ingratitude forfeits mercies, as Merchants do all to the King, by not paying of custom; because Pharaoh saith: The River is mine own, therefore God saith, I will dry up the River, Ezek. 29.3. Isa. 19.5,6. When the People sought themselves only, and how to have their houses scited and sumptuous, neglecting the house of God and his honour, thus it fa●…ed with them, yea have sown much and have reaped little, & he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes, ye looked for much and lo it came to little, & ye brought it home, I did blow upon it, I called for a drought upon the Land, and upon all that it bringeth forth, and upon all the labour of the hands, etc. Again when they saught God's glory, and were thankful, mark the difference, even from this very day will I bless you saith the Lord, Hag. 1.4,5,6, etc. He that is unthankful for a little is worthy of nothing, whereas thanks for one good turn is the best introduction to another, holy David was a man after Gods own Heart, and therefore he ever mixeth with his prayers, praises. Bless the Lord O my Soul saith he, and forget not all his Benefits, Psal. 103.2. And being of a public spirit he discovers the secrets of his skill, let the people praise thee O God, yea let all the People praise thee; the● shall the earth bring forth her increase, and God even our God shall give us his blessing, Psal. 67.5,6,7. Wherhfore be not like the Swine that feed upon the acorns, without ever looking to the Oak from whence they fall, or the Horse that drinks of the Brook & never thinks of the spring, yea since God is the fountain from which all our enjoyments flow, let this be our continual determination. He hath given us all the Grace, good, and happiness we have, and we will give him all the possible Thanks & Honour we can: yea, Teach us O Lord to receive the Benefit of thy merciful favour, and to return thee the thanks and the Glory, and the like of Humility. Blessed are the meek saith our Saviour for they shall inherit the earth, Math. 5.5. The reward of Humility & the fear of God is richeses, and honour, and life, Pro. 22.4. If there be a hollow in a Valley lower than another thither the waters gather, and the more lowly we are in our own Eyes the more lovely we are in Gods. The more despicable in ourselves, the more acceptable in him, as is seen in the example of the Publican, Luk. 18.13,14. And the Prodigal, Luk. 15.18,19. Nor can any thing make us more acceptable to God than the Conscience of our own unworthiness, when with Jacob we can say: O Lord I am not worthy of the lest of all thy mercies which thou hast showed unto thy servant, for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, & now I am become two bands, Gen. 32.10. This is the way to obtain what we would have at the hands of God, who resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble, ●am. 4.6. Unto him will I look saith the Lord, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles at my words, Isa. 57.15. He hath filled the Hungry with good things, but the rich he hath sent empty away, Luk. 1.52. So the if thou expectest to have God bless & prospero thee, than beware thou forgetest not at whose cost thou livest: beware lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy Silver and gold is increased, and all that thou hast be enlarged, thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, and thou sayest in thine heart, My power and the might of my hand hath got me this wealth: but on the contrary remember that it is the Lord thy God the hath given thee power to get wealth, and that it is only his blessing which makes rich, this is God's counsel, set home with 〈◊〉 very strict charge to all that have not a mind to perish, Deut. 28.10,11,12, etc. Many are the examples I might give you of such as have been undone by their pride, when Saul was little in his own eyes, God made him head over the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and gave him abundance, but when out of his greatness he abused his place and gifts, God took them all away again, and so it had like to fared with Hezekiah, when he but began to be puffed up with the wealth & precious things that God had given him, 2 Kings 20.12, to 19 But most remarkable is the example of Nabuchadnezzar, who when be ascribed all to himself, saying: Is not this great Babel which I have built with the might of my power, and for the Glory of my Majesty, was presently deprived of his Kingdom, & all that he had, and sent to grass with the Beasts, but when he was humbled to the very ground, acknowledged the Author, and ascribed all to the God of Heaven. He had his Kingdom and all else restored unto him, Dan. 4. The way to obtain any benefit is to acknowledge the Author, & devote it in our hearts to the glory of that God, of whom we receive all, for by this means shall God both pleasure his Servants, and honour himself, and indeed that he may be honoured by our wisdom, richeses, graces, is the only end for which he gives us to be wise, rich, and gracious, and who hath more interest in the Grape than he that planted the Vine, who more right to the Crop than he that oweth the ground and soweth the seed? Therefore let not the wise man glory in his Wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his richeses, Jer. 9.23. For we have not only received our Talents from God, but the improvement also is his mere bounty, of him and through him and for him be all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen. Fifthly, The next means which God in his Word hath appointed for this end is Labour and Industry in some lawful calling, for it is the beating of the Brain and sweeting of the Brow, not the bore talk of the lips, or desire of the Heart that makes rich, according to the common Proverb, wishers & woulders are seldom or never good Householders, the idle person saith Solomon shall be clothed with rags, & the sluggards poverty cometh upon him as an armed man, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich, Prov. 10.4. and Chap. 12.17. The Greeks have a saying that plentifulness follows painfulness, and that all things are made servants to care and industry: Cajus Furius by his painful dexterity and unwearied labour, got more means out of one small field than his Neighbours out of many great ones, whereupon he was accused to the Magistrate, as if by Witchcraft he had conveyed the Corn of other men's ground into his own, but he came with all his goodly rustical Instruments, with his strong and lusty Daughter, and his well fed Oxen, and spoke thus to the judges, See my Lords, these be my Witchrafts and Sorceries, which being done and spoke, he was presently absolved by the sentence of all, whence the Apostle exhorts the Ephesians to labour in their several callings, if they would have sufficient for themselves, and wherewith to help others, and this makes Solomon in praising the virtuous Woman for her bounty, note that she works diligently with her hands, and that her candle was not put out by night. Prov. 31.10, etc. And St. Luke the like of Dorcas her pains and industry, in making coats and garments, Acts 9.36,37, etc. And what but idleness makes so many Beggars, and base persons, it is the most corrupting fly that can blow in any human mind. We learn to do ill by doing what is next it, nothing: whence, it is that vice so fructifies in our Gentry and Servingmen, who have nothing to employ themselves in, for they only At to eat and drink, lie down to sleep, & rise up to play, this is all their Business, & this brings Thousands of them to Beggary, or worse. Be therefore painful and industrious in thy calling, and God will undoutedly prospero, and replenish thee with the good things of this life. This is another step. Sixtly, If thou wouldst grow rich, than be frugul and thrifty in spending, for Thrift which is a due saving from needless and sinful expenses, and a wary husbanding of what we get, hath made as many Rich Men as painful getting. It is our Saviour's rule so to dispose of that plenty which God in his goodness bestowed upon us, that nothing be lost, John 6.12. And it is a rule which all good men will be sure to observe, for he who gets what he hath justly pays what he owes duly; requites favours, received thankfully, considers the case of the poor cordially; will not, yea dare not spend wastefully, let means come in never so plentifully, and yet he of all men is sure of a lasting Competency, Prov. 28.27. Frugality saith Justine is the Mother of Virtues, but an expensive Man whatsoever his getting be by wasting and overlashing of his estate, is sure not to thrive as it fared with that Captain in Tully, who was not a penny the richer for the huge sum of Money given him, because he had done with it as a naked man would do with the nuts, he gathers, carry them all away in his belly, for lack of pockets: to want and wast differ: but in time a poor man hath richeses, a prodigal shall have none, the vessel that runneth out unduly, will be empty when men come to draw out of it, so will the state be if we let it leak like a Cracked Vessel. But what the difference is betwixt a wise & prudent frugality, and a vain expense of God's benefits, we may learn from, Gen. 42. etc. Where notwithstanding the 7 years of Famine, Egypt had Corn enough when all other Countries were without, & the people ready to Famish, which needed not have been if they had been more sparing in the 7 plentiful years, for those years of plenty were not confined to Egypt, other Countries adjoined were no less fruitful, as the learned aver. But that prodigality brings many rich men to poverty, & poor men to Beggary, daily experience do abundantly Testify. Therefore if thou wouldst be rich wast not any part of thy substance in vain needless superfluous expenses, but beg of God wisdom that thou mayst improve his blessings to the best advantage that so he may be glorified, & thy store increased. Than shalt thou live happily and contentedly all thy days. And so much of the means how of poor to become rich. Consider what hath been said, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. Finis. A Short and Sure WAY TO Grace and Salvation: OR, Proper Means to expel Gross Ignorance. Being a Necessary and Profitable Tract, upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion, which few do indeed know; and yet he who knows them not, cannot be saved: viz. How Man was first Created. He is now Corrupted. He may be again restored. Together with the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace, and to whom the Promises of the Gospel belong. The which well Learned, would keep Millions out of Hell, that blindly throng thither. LONDON, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the Sign of the Angel in Ducklane, 1674. A Short and Sure Way TO Grace and Salvation: OR, Proper means to Expel Gross IGNORANCE. AS when God created the World, the first thing he made was light, Gen. 1.3. So when he makes us new creatures, he first Creates light in the understanding, whereby the poor soul may see his spiritual misery and wretchedness, which before by reason of that Veil or Curtain, which is drawn over every natural man's heart, 2 Cor. 3.14,15,16. he is so far from descerning, that with Laodicea, he thinks himself rich, and to want nothing, when yet he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked of all spiritual endowments, Rev. 3.17. Now this being the case of many Millions in this Land, how can we other than conclude that even few shall be saved? for without Knowledge, the mind cannot be good, as wise Solomon affirms, Prov. 19.2. A man may know the Will of God, and yet not do it, but he cannot do it, except he know it, neither can he be born of God, that knoweth him not, 1 John 4.7. nor can he love God, verse 8. whence that terrible Text, Jer. 19.25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen, that know thee not, Psal. 79.6. And that more terrible. The Lord shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God; which being so, I hold myself bound to acquaint them what every one must of necessity know, or they cannot be saved: the which I will do in a few lines, that all who will, may have the benefit hereof; wherefore let all such if they have ears, hear what I shall say unto them out of God's Word, in laying open these three Fundamental Principles of Religion: Viz. How man was at first Created. 2. How he is now Corrupted. 3. How he may be again Restored. Touching the Bounty and Goodness of God in Man's Creation, these things would be known. 1. That God in the beginning made men in Paradise after all his Works, that he might come as to a sumptuous Palace ready furnished. 2. That he was made a Compendium, and Abridgement of all the other Creatures, as being a little world of himself, and contains in him more Generality than the Angels, having being, life, reason, as they have, and sense which they have not. 3. That as he was made Lord of, and had dominion over all, so he did excel all other visible Creatures. 1. In that he had a reasonable Soul. 2. In that he had a speaking tongue. 3. In that he was made upright, with his face lifted up to Heaven. 4. In that all things were made subject to him. 5. In that he was made after the Image of God. 6. In that his Soul is Immortal. 7. In that he was ordained to eternal Glory. Moore especially we are to know, that as God made all things else for Man's use and service, so he Created Man, Male and Female, more immediately for his own Honour, and Service, and did accordingly adorn him with Gifts and Abilities above all other visible Creatures, for God made us, had not we unmade ourselves, after his own Image, endowing us with perfection of all true Wisdom, Holiness, and Righteousness, writing his Law in our hearts, and giving us ability to obey and fulfil the same in every point, and withal, a power to stand, and for ever to continued in a most blessed, and happy condition, free from all misery, and to enjoy a sweet and blessed Communion, with his Creator, so that man was created very good, did clearly and perfectly know the whole Will and Works of his Maker, was able out of the integrity of his Soul, and fitness of all the powers, fully, willingly, and cheerfully, to love, observe, and obey his Maker in every tittle and circumstance he required, and to love his Neighbour as himself; so that neither the mind did conceive, nor the heart desire, nor the body put in execution any thing, but that which was acceptable, and wellpleasing unto God, as these ensuing Scriptures doth plainly prove, Gen. 1.26,27,30. Eccles. 7.29. Rom. 2.14,15. In the second place, to show you how man came to be corrupted. God at first entered into Covenant with our first Parents, as public Persons, both in behalf of themselves, and all that should proceed out of their Loins, and so that whatsoever Gifts, Privileges, and Endowments they had bestowed upon them, should be continued to them and theirs, only upon condition of their Loyalty and personal Obedience (of which the tree of life was a pledge) and they should have, and enjoy them, or loose, and be deprived of them, as well for their offspring, as for themselves; as they should keep or transgress his Royal Law. But see how unworthily they demeaned themselves towards their Bountiful Maker and Benefactor, for whereas God placed them in Paradise, and gave them free liberty to eat of the fruit of every tree of the Garden, save only of the Tree of Knowledge of good & evil, prohibiting them that alone, even upon pain of eternal death to them & theirs, they most perfidiously contemned and broke this Law, which (as sundry circumstances that do aggravate it, show) was a most execrable and damnable Sin; as observe the several circumstances set down by Moses to amplify the foulness of their fall: As, First, That they despised and made light of the promise of God, whereby they were commanded to hope for everlasting life, so long as they continued their Loyalty and Obedience. Secondly, There was in it an unsufferable pride and ambition, in that he could not content himself with being Lord of the whole Universe, but he must be equal unto God, and every way like his Maker. Thirdly, What greater unbelief could there be? when he gave more credit to the Serpent, in saying he should not dye, than to God, who immediately before tells him, that if he did eat the forbidden fruit, he should surely dye. Fourthly, In this sin was not only unkindness, not to be paralleled, but withal, Murder of himself and all his posterity, who he knew were to stand or fall with him. Fifthly, Herein was foul Apostasy from God, to the Devil, to whom (in effect) charging God with Lying, Envy, Malice, etc. He revolted and adheared, rather than stick to his Maker. And to these might be added many the like circumstances, which exceedingly aggravated the Sin of our first Parents, and make it so deadly in effect; for hereby it is we not only lost our blessed Communion with God, that the Image of God after which they were created, was forthwith abolished, and blotted out, but that many grievous Miseries, and Punishments came in the room of it; so that in the place of Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Truth, Righteousness, and the like: Ornaments wherewith we had been clothed, there hath succeeded these, and the like. This their Sin hath filled our whole man with Corruption; it hath made us become Vassals unto Sin, and Satan, it hath disabled us from understanding the Will, and observing the Commandments of the Lord, it caused us to loose our right unto, and Sovereignty over the Creatures, it makes our persons and actions unacceptable to God, it hath cast us out of God's favour, and made us liable, and subject to all the plagues and miseries of this life, and to endless, easeless, and remediless Torments in the World to come. And the reason is, our first Parents, being the Root of all Mankind, and instead of all their posterity before they had Issue; and the Covenant being made with them as public persons, not for themselves only, but for their posterity, who were to stand or fall with them, they being left to the freedom of their own Wills, in Transgressing the Commandment of God, by eating the Forbidden-Fruit, through the Temptation of Satan, have made us and all Mankind descending from them by ordinary Generation, as guilty of their Sin, as any Heir is liable to Father's Debt, their act being ours, as the act of a Knight or Burgess in the , is the act of the whole County, in whose name and room they sit, and whom they represent, by which means our Nature is so corrupted, that we are utterly indisposed, and made oposite to all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually, and have also lost our Communion with God, incurred his displeasure and Curse, so as we are justly liable to all punishments both in this life, and that which is to come, for the confirmation of this point, these following Scriptures, amongst many others, are the most pregnant: I will only name them, because I will be brief, Jer. 31.29. Rom. 5.12, to 21. Job 14.4. Isa. 64.6. Rom. 3.20,21,22,23. Gen. 6.5,6. Mat. ●5. 19. Gal. 5.19,20,21. James 4.1. Tit. ●…. 15. Rom. 7.14, to 25. Ephes. 2.2,3. Gal. ●…. 10. Our first Parents were the Root, we are ●he Branches, if the Root be bitter, we cannot ●e better; they were the Fountain, we are the Springs, if the Fountain be filthy, so must the spring's: whence it is that Holy David cries ●ut; Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in ●n did my Mother conceive me, Psal. 51.5. ●s in the little and tender bud is enfolded the ●eaf, the Blossom, and the Fruit, so even in the ●eart of a young Child, there is a Bundle and Pack of Folly laid up, as Solomon affirms, Pro. 22.15. And as Moses speaks, The thoughts of Man's Heart are evil, even from his Childhood, Gen. 6.5. and Gen. 8.21. As a Furnace continually sparkles, as the raging Sea forms, ●nd casts up mire and dirt, and as a filthy dunghill does continually reek forth and eva●uate odious odours, so do our hearts Naturally stream forth unsavoury erutations, unholy ●usts and Motions, even continually, and as ●he healthiest Body is subject to the mortalest Disease; so there is no Sin so odious, unt● which of ourselves we are not sufficiently inclinable: for Original Sin, in which we are a● born and bred, containeth in itself the séed 〈◊〉 all Sins, and never was there any villainy committed by any forlorn Miscreant, whereunto we have not a disposition in ourselves. Ther● is no part, power, function, or faculty, either 〈◊〉 our Souls or Bodies, which is not become ready Instrument to dishour God, our heart are a root of all corruption, a séed-plat of all si● our Eyes are Eyes of Vanity, our Ears are Ears of Folly, our Mouths are Mouths 〈◊〉 Deceit, our Hands are Hands of Iniquity, an● every part doth strive to dishonour God; fo● Sin like a spreading Leprosy is so grown ove● us, that from the Crown of our Heads, to th● Sole of our Feet, there is nothing whol● therein, but wounds, and swell, and sores full of Corruption. And so much of Original Sin, which is the pravity, naughtiness, and corruption of our Nature, Psal. 51.5. Now o● actual Sin, which is the transgression of God's Law, 1 John 3.4. When evil thoughts ar● consented unto and performed in outward deeds, Jam. 1.15. Touching which we are t● know and take notice that the Law of God i● Spiritual, and therefore requireth not only outward obedience in Word and Deed, bu● also inward, in mind and heart, and that chief; neither doth it forbidden only the committing ●f outward Sins in Word and Deed, but also all the secret Corruptions and Heart, Rom. 7. ●3,14,15. Mat. 5.21,22,27,28. 1 John 3. 15. ●gain, where any Duty is commanded, there ●e means which tend thereunto is enjoined, ●nd where any vice is forbidden, there the Occasions, Provocations, and Allurements, ●nding thereto, are also forbidden. Again, it 〈◊〉 not enough to do that which is good for sub●ance, except we do it well also in regard of ●f Circumstances; as namely, that it flows from 〈◊〉 pious and good Heart, Sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and be done in Faith, Obedience 〈◊〉 the Word, Humility, Saving-Knowledge, ●nd sincere love to God, zeal of his Glory, and 〈◊〉 desire to edify and win others, for Love is ●…e Fountain of Obedience, and all eternal Obedience to God, without inward love, is Hypocrisy, whereas Christ commends to his Disciples, the care of keeping his Commandments aright, as the utmost Testimony of their love unto him: which being so, how ●…ft, and how many ways do we all offend? for ●f we but narrowly look into our hearts, and ●…ves, we shall easily perceive that there is ●ot one of those Righteous Precepts set down, Exod. 20, Which we have not broken ten thousand times; yea, if we do but watch ove● our own hearts narrowly one day, we shall fin● an Army of unclean thoughts and desire● there perpetually, fight against our Souls whereby we are continually tempted, draw● away, and enticed through our own Concupiscence: as, how many Temptations com● in by those sinck-ports, the Senses. How many more by Satan's injections, presenting t● the affections things absent from the Senses but most of all by Lust itself, a thing not created, yet as quick as thought, tumbling ove● a thousand desires in one hour, to engende●●ew Sins, which is the reason our Sins accounted amongst those things that are infinit● as the Hairs of our Head, the Sands of th● Sea, the Stars of Heaven, our very Righteousness is as a menstruous cloth, what the is our sinfulness, as bring we our Lives t● the Rule, look how many sins are cherished so many false Gods there are chosen; look how many Creatures thou inordinately lovest fearest, trustest, rejoycest in, so many new God hast thou Coined, and wilt thou not than plea guilty, when the first and second Commandment arraigneth thee? thou canst not awa● with Swearing, but dost thou reprove other for their Swearing, didst thou never hea● Sermon unpreparedly, irreverently? etc. Do● thy Heart upon a Sabath-day, rest from Worldly thoughts, much more thy Tongue, ●om Worldly Speeches? Hast thou not murdered thy Neighbour's Soul, by thy Negligence, Persuasion, Evil-example? etc. There 〈◊〉 Murder of the Heart, which is Hatred and Malice. Thou hast not Stolen, but hast thou ●o● Coveted, hast thou been liberal to those ●t are owners of a part of thy Goods? hast ●ou not robbed thy Brother of his good name, ●hich is above Silver and Gold, hast thou ●ot robbed God of his Worship, of his Sabath, ●f his Tithes? etc. Hast thou not born false wit●ess, by Lying, Flattering, Detracting, Listening to Tales: yea, by not defending thy ●rothers good name? hast thou kept the tenth Commandment, which condemns the very first ●otions of Sins, springing out of our hearts, ●ough presently rejected, and a thousand the ●ke? and yet for every drop of Wickedness ●hat is in the life, there is a Sea in the heart ●hat féeds it. True, if thou lookest on thy Sins 〈◊〉 Satan's false Glass, that will make them ●eem light, and contemptible; but behold ●hem in the clear and perfect Glass of God's ●aw, and they will appear abominable; which makes our Saviour call, Hatred, Murder, 〈◊〉 wanton Eye, Adultery, etc. Yea, consider ●hy Sins rightly, and they will appear as the Judasses' that betrayed the Soldier's tha● apprehended, bound, smote, and wounded thy Saviour, as the Gall and Vinegar in his Mouth, the Spittle on his Face, Thorns o● his Head, Nails in his hands, Sp●ar in his side. This is the way to know ●hy self sinful, and as thus to know thyself, is the bes● Divinity; so thus to aggravate thy Sins in thine own sight, is the only way to have them extenuated in the sight of God, whence it is, that the more holy a Child of God is, the more sensible he is of his own unholiness, thinking none so vile as himself, as it fared with Holy Job, Job 40.4. and 42.6. And with Isaiah in the 6 Chap. 5. Verse. And with St. Paul, 1 Tim. 1.15. Rom. 7.14, to 25. And with holy David who almost in every Psalm, so much bewails his Sins, Original and Actual, of Omision and Commission. And so having given you a short Survey of our Wretchedness, by reason of Original Corruption, and Actual Transgression, by which we must confess to have deserved double damnation. I come now to declare the means, which God of his infinite goodness hath found out, both for satisfying of his justice, and also fréeing us the Gild and punishment of either, and that with as much brevity as may be. First, In general we must undoubtedly know that the sole perfection of a Christian is the imitation of Christ's righteousness, and the nor●putation of his own righteousness, as appears 〈◊〉 the whole current of Scripture: of which a ●w, 1 Cor. 15.21,22. As in Adam all died, so 〈◊〉 Christ shall all be made alive, Rom. 5. 18,19. ●s by one man's disobedience, many were made ●inners, so by the obedience of one, shall many 〈◊〉 made righteous: as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, ●hen so by the righteousness of one, the free gift ●me upon all men to justification of life, 2 Cor. ●… 21. He hath made him to be sin for us, who ●ew no sin, that we might be made the righte●sness of God in him, Rom. 4.25. He was de●ered to death for our Sins, and is risen again 〈◊〉 our justification, 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his ●on self bear our sins in his own body on the ●rée, by whose stripes we are healed, Isa. 53. 5. ●e was Wounded for our Transgressions, 〈◊〉 was broken for our Iniquities, the cha●sement of our peace was upon him, and ●ith his stripes we are healed; see further in acts 4.12. Rom. 6.23. John 11.25. Ephes. ●… 1 John 4.16. John 1.29. Acts 13.39. Col. ●… 14. Gal. 3.22. Heb. 9.28. 1 Pet. 1. 18,19,20. ●s Christ was a Sinner only by the Impu●tion of our sins, so we are just, only by the ●mputation of his Righteousness: our good Works, be they never so many and rare, cannot justify us, or deserve any thing at God's hands, it is only in Christ that they are accepted, and only in Christ that they are rewarded; yea, the opinion of thine own righteousness makes thy condition far worse than the wickedest man alive; for Christ that came to save all weary and heavy laden Sinners, be they never so wicked, neither came to save or once to call thee that hast no sin, but art righteous enough without him. Therefore unti● with St. Paul thou renounceth thine own righteousness, and seest thyself the greatest of siners, art able to discern sin in every thing thou canst think, speak, or do; and that thy very righteousness is not than menstruous cloth, thou canst have no part in Christ, and until Christ shall become thine by regeneration and a lively faith, thou art bound to keep the whole Law actually and spiritually, with thy whole man, thy whole life, or else suffer eternal death & destruction of soul and body in hell, for not keeping it. But this being a main fundamental point, which every man is bound to know, I will more particularly, and fully explain it, as thus. Man being in a most miserable and undone condition, by reason of Original and Actual Sin, and of the Curse due to both, being liable to all miseries in this life, and adjudged to suffer Eternal Torments in Hell after Death, having no possibility to escape the fierce Wrath of Almighty God, who had already pronounced Sentence upon him, when neither Heaven nor Earth could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ, that could have satisfied God's justice, and merited Heaven for us. Than, O than, God of his infinite Wisdom and Goodness, did not only found out a way to satisfy his justice, and the Law, but even gave us his own Son out of his bosom, and his Son gave himself to dye, even the most shameful, painful, and cursed death of the Cross, to redéem us, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life. Which Salvation stands in two things. First, in freeing and delivering us from Hell. Secondly, in the possession of Heaven and eternal Life. Christ by his death merits the first for us, and by his obedience fulfilling the Law, merits the second. Hear this all you that care to be saved, God will pardon all your Sins, he will give you an eternal Crown of Glory in Heaven, if you unfeignedly repent, and wholly rely upon Christ for your Salvation, by a lively Faith, and that because he is just, for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished, for the wages of sin is eternal death, Rom. 6.23. Death in the person, if not in the surety, yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful, and paid their debt even to the utmost farthing, as is evident by, Isa. 53.4,5. 2 Cor. 5.21. Heb. 9.29. 1 Pet. 2.24. Rom. 3.25,26. And sundry other places: as we are bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law: Christ performed it for us: were we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemation, the curse of the Law, and death of body and soul? he was condemned for us, and bore the curse of the Law, he died in our stead an ignominious death: did he deserve the anger of God? he endured his father's wrathful displeasure, that he might reconcile us to his Father, and set us at liberty; therefore was the Son of God made the Son of Man, that the Sons of Men might be made the Sons of God. And so much for explication of the 3 Principles mentioned in the beginning. But now comes the hardest part of my Work to be performed; for admit the natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamental Principles never so clearly, yet he will draw such a conclusion from the promises, that he will never be the better for what hath been told him, yea, he will deceit all, even the mercy and goodness of God into poison, for what will such a one suggest to himself, the Devil helping forward? Let it be granted, will he say that I were every way wretched and miserable, a great sinner, both originally and actually, and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life, and of that to come, yet I I thank God I am well enough, so long as Christ hath paid my ransom, and freed me from all, by a new Covenant, the Tenure whereof is, Believe and Live; whereas at first it was, Do this and Live: To which I answer, although Christ in the Gospel hath many large and precious promises, yet there are none so general, which are not limited with the condition of faith, and the fruit thereof, unfeigned repentance, and each of them are so entailed, that none can lay claim to them but true believers, which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, Heb. 12.24. ●sa. 59.20. As for instance, our Saviour hath made public proclamation, Mark 16.16. That whosoever shall believe and be baptised; but mark what withal is added, he that will not believe shall be damned. Again, John 3.15,16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; and that ●one may deceive themselves, he addeth, he ●hat believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the only begotten Son of God. Again, Heb. 5.19. He is said to ●t the Author of eternal Salvation, to them that ●hey him, not unto them which continued in their rebellious wickedness, and never submit themselves to be ruled by the Sceptre of his Word: Christ's blood w●s shed, as well for ablation, as ●…solution; as well to cleanse from the soil and filth of sin, as to clear and assoil from the guilt of sin, Rom. 6.5,6. God hath chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of the World, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, Ephes. 1.4. They therefore that never come to be holy were never chosen. He is said to have given himself for us, that he might redéem us from all iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself, zealous of good Works, Tit. 2.14. Luke 1.74,75. Yea, the Lord binds it with an Oath, that whosoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies, they shall worship him in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. And the Grace of God which bringeth salvation, teacheth us, that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live soberly, righteously, and Godly in this present World, Tit. 2.12. By all which is plain, that as Christ's Blood is a Chartar of Pardon, so withal it is a Covenant of Direction, and he that refuseth to live, as the Covenant prescribes, may perish as a Malefactor, that is hanged with a Pardo● about his Neck. But alas, say what can be said, carnal men who love their sins, better the● their Souls will answer all, yea, confute what soever can be alleged, with God is Merciful or in case that will not serve, yet they have another shift, the Devil blinds them, and makes the● believe they have a strong faith, good hearts, an● mean well, they repent of their Sins, have as good wishes and desires as can be, are Elected, hope to go to Heaven as well as the best. But to every of these I will answer: First, True faith purifieth the heart, and worketh by Love, consumeth our corruptions, and sanctifieth the whole man throughout, so that our faith to God, is seen by our faithfulness to men; our invisible belief, by our visible life; Faith and Holiness are as inseparable as Life and Motion, the Sun and Light, Fire and Heat, Honey and Swéetness. Again, Faith believeth the threats of the Word, as well as the promises. Now thou who pretendest Faith in the promises, show me thy belief in the Threaten; for didst thou believe the truth of these Menaces which God hath denounced against , Covetous, Ambitious, , Envious, Malicious Persons, and such like Sinners; how dared thou than wa●low in these Sins, that if God instead of Hell, had promised Heaven as a reward, thou couldst not do more than thou dost, why shouldest thou deceive thyself with an opinion of Faith, when indeed thou believest not so much as the Devil does, for he believes, namely the threaten of the Word, and trembles for horror, Jam. 2.19. Again, Faith is wrought by God's Spirit, and where it is wrought, it brings forth the fruits of the Spirit, mentioned Gal. 5.22,23. Whereas presumption, as it is of the flesh, so it brings forth the fruits of the Flesh, v. 19,20,21. Now this is a sure Rule, the persuasion only which follows sound Humiliation, is Faith; that which goes before it, is Presumption; for no man can repent of Sin, but he that believeth the pardon of Sin; for none can believe his Sins are pardoned, except he hath repent. Secondly, As for their good hearts, and intentions, they may think what they will, but every wise man knows that the outward actions, declare the inward intentions. A good Conversion is proved by a good Conversation; and in case the hearts of such men could be seen by others, as their works and words are, their hearts would appear worst of all; as they do to God, who seeth them: nor is any evil in the mouth or hand, which was not in the heart first of all; as the stream in the Fountain; the heart of Man is deceitful above all things, and whilst they think there is no deceit in it, even in that they are most of all deceived. Thirdly, Touching their Repentance, my Answer is: True Repentance for Sin, is a turning from every Sin, to the contrary Good. True Repentance is a change both in the judgement, from Error, to Truth, and in the Will, from Evil, to Good, and in the Affections, from loving Evil, and hating Good, to love Good, and hate Evil, in the whole man, from Darkness, to Light, and from the power of Satan to God, without which change, no repentance, not being saved. Fourthly, As for their assurance of Salvation, it is upon as good ground as all the rest, for they slumber, and suppose themselves good Christians, their Faith is but a dream, their hope but a dream, their charity but a dream, their obedience but a dream, their whole Religion but a dream, and so their assurance of salvation is but a dream, they have regeneration in conceit, repentance and righteousness in conceit, they serve God well in conceit, do the works of justice and ●iety in conceit, and they shall go to heaven only 〈◊〉 conceit, or in a dream, and never wake till they feel themselves in the flames of hell; every ●…unken beast and unclean person, and prophain swearer, and covetous muck-worm, thinks to go 〈◊〉 heaven, though none shall come there without holiness, which they abhor. But let every wicked ●…an and formal professor know that if Christ ●…th freed them from the damnation of Sin, he ●ath also freed them from the dominion of Sin. Christ's justifying blood, is given us by his sanctifying spirit. He being consecrated, was made the author of eternal salvation, to them, and only ●…em that obey him, Heb. 5.9. But vicious men ●…nk God is all mercy, when the Word tells us ●…t he is a consuming fire, and a jealous God, Deut. 4.24. Heb. 12.29. And than we may found in Deut. 28. thrice as many curse, as blessings; dost thou expect to have him merciful to thee, that art bloody, cruel, and unmerciful to him, to his, and ●o thine ow● soul? none that have eyes in their heads, and open, can be so sottish; but Sin is like the juice of Poppy, which if the quantity exceed, bringeth the patiented into a deep stéep, that he never awakneth; Sinners dream they are awake, but indeed they are fast asleep; yea, with Sardis they are dead, while they think they are alive. But in the last place, touching their election, this is an infallible truth, whomsoever God hath appointed to salvation, to them he hath appointed the means also, which is holiness. Indeed a man may be so hold of his predestination, as to forget his conversation: so he may dream himself in heaven, and awaken from the dream in hell: God's purpose towards the end, includes the means. Though God had promised Paul that his company should not be drowned, yet he told the Mariners, that unless they kept the ship, they should be drowned, Acts 27.22.23. As if their safety should not be without means; R●bekah had God's Oracle for Jacob's life, yet she sent him away out of Esau's reach. It was impossible for Herod to kill the Child jesus, yet he must fly into Egypt. And so I have shown in the last place, what are the conditions of the New Covenant, and to whom the promises belong. Consider what hath been said, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. FINIS. THE Christians Comfort: OR, The Goodness and Mercy of God unto his Children in their Greatest Misery. SHOWING, The Benefit of Afflicton, And how to Husband's it so, that the weakest Christian with Blessing from Above, may be able to support himself in his most miserable Exigents. Very full of Heavenly Consolation. London, Printed for W. Thackeray, at the sign of the Angel in Duck-lane. 1673. THE Christians Comfort: OR, The Goodness and Mercy of God unto his Children in their Greatest Misery. It is good for me that I was afflicted. THe point of Doctrine which I shall observe from these Words, is this. 'tis for the Benefit and Advantage, for the Spiritual and Everlasting good of God's Children that they are afflicted: for the proof hereof to make the same more clear, I shall give you a demonstration of several particular advantages, which the people of God gain by their Afflictions. In the first place, they are a notable ●eans to rouse them out of careless security, and bring them to Repentance, Job 33.16,17. God openeth the Ears of Men even by their Corrections, that he might 'cause man to turn away from his enterprise, and that he might keep back his Soul from the Pit. Our afflictions are as Benhadad's Counselors, that sent him with a Cord about his Neck to the merciful King of Israel. The Church of God under the Cross is brought to a serious Consideration of her estate, and saith: Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord, Lam. 3.40. Affliction is the Hammer which breaks our Rocky Hearts, adversity hath whipped many a Soul to Heaven, which otherwise Prosperity had couched to Hell: was not the Prodigal riding post thither till he was sound lashed home again to his father's house by those hard hearted and pitiless nabals which refused to fill his Belly with the Husks of the Swine: and indeed seldom is any Man awakened from the sleep of Sin but by Affliction: for as Aloes kills worms in the stomach, or as Frost and Cold destroys Vermin, so doth bitter Afflictions crawling Lusts in the Heart: my wants saith one kills my Wantonness, my Poverty checks my Pride, my being slighted quells my Ambition and vain Glory, and as for Sickness it cuts the Throat of Vices; yea how many will confess that one Affliction hath done more good upon them, than many Sermons that they have Learned, more good in one Days or Weeks misery, than many years Prosperity could teach them: Repentance seldom meets a man in jollity, but in affliction the Heart is made pliable and ready for all good Impressions. True, if Gentleness would serve, we should not smart, for God like a good Chirurgeon first strokes the Arm before he opens the Vein. He sends for us by his Ambassadors the Ministry, yet we come not. Let him fire our field, as Absolom did by Joab, we come presently: when singing will not still the Child, the Rod must: hard knots, must have hard wedges, strong affections, strong afflictions, great corruptions, great Calamities to cure them. Affliction is but the Shepherd's Dog to fetch us into Christ's Fold, perhaps by Barking only, and than we are more scared than hurt, perhaps in his Mouth, and the poor Sheep thinks surely he will worry it, but he is taught to fetch only, and therefore gripes not, but only carries it, and delivers it to his Master, when Children have done a fault Mother's use to fright them with Bull beggars, the Child thinks surely they will have him, but the Mother hath a double policy: Viz. To make them hate the fault and love them the better, for they run to the Lay to bide them, and than will she make her own Conditions, and so the very end which God aims at in setting those Adders upon thee, is that thou shouldst turn thine Eyes inward, that thou may see, for what thou sufferest, pry narrowly into thine own fore●ast actions, which if thou dost, a hundred to one thou will found sin, it may be this very sin the cause of thy present affliction, & until thou dost ●…ft & ●ry thine own heart, & found out which is thy beloved sin look for no release, wherefore let this Correction bring forth Conversion, cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double minded, Jam. 4.8. Not your Hands only with Pilate, but your Hearts with David, yea & your Eyes too with Mary Magdalen, if it be possible, though dry Sorrow may be as good as wet, whose Eyes were a Laver, and Hair a Towel to wash and wipe the feet of Christ, humble thyself like the Ninevites, Jonah 3.6. Who put sackcloth upon their Loins, and Ashes upon their Heads, as those that deserved to be as far under ground as they were now above it. An Humble submission is the only way to disarm God's indignation, and be rid of his Rod. 1 Pet. 5.6. Sin bringeth judgement, and only judgement preventeth it, thy Sin hath kindled the fire of God's Wrath, and only Repentance is as Water to quench this fire. King Edward the first Riding furiously after a Servant of his that had displeased him, with a drawn Sword in his hand, as purposing to kill him, seeing him submit, and upon bending Knee sue for his Life, not only spared him, but received him again into favour. Go thou and do the like, be thou but throughly sorroy for thy sin, my Soul for thine, God will be throughly satisfied, yea grow thou better by it, and God will love thee better for it, for as Lovers are best Friends after falling out, so when God and we are reconciled by repentance, his affections are stronger to us than before: the repenting Prodigal received such tokens of Favour, as his Elder Brother who never broke out into riot never did: and whom did Christ Honour wi●h his first appearance, but Marry Magdalen? and the Angel, but Peter? Go saith he and tell his Disciples, and tell Peter that he will go before you into Gallilee, Mark 16.7. Though Peter had Sinned above the rest, yet repenting he is named above the rest. Secondly, Afflictions serve to work in us amendment of Life, every Affliction Sanct●fied Rubs of some Rust, melts of some Dress, strains out some Corruption, etc. Which done we rise ou● of trouble as Christ risen out of the Grave, for when the Gold is fined, the ●…re shall hold it not longer. The outward cold of Affliction doth greatly increase the inward heat and fervour of the Graces of God in us: indeed no Chastisement saith Saint Paul for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous. But afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruits of Righteousness to them that are thereby exercised, Heb. 12.11. God beats us that he may better us, he hedgeth us about with Thorns that he may keep us within Compass, jest we break over into Satan's Pasture, which indeed would but fat us for the slaughter. God strips the Body of pleasure to the Soul with Righteousness, and oftentimes strengthen our state of Grace by Impoverishing our Temporal estate, for commonly the more Prosperity the less Piety. The Poor saith Christ receive the Gospel, though the Rich are more bound. Few men can digest great felicity, many a Man hath been a loser by his gains, and that that which multiplied his outward estate hath abated his inward, and so on the contrary David was never so tender as when he was hunted like a partridge, 1 Sam. 26.20. Jonah was at best in the Whale's Belly: Stevens face never shone so fair as when he stood before the Council, Acts 6.15. Now if the Winter of the one is found to be the spring of the other, and the Corruption of Prosperity the Generation of Piety, who will estéem those things good which make us worse, or that evil which brings such gain and sweetness? Before I was afflicted, saith David, I went astray, but now I keep thy Commandment, Psal. 119.67. These evils do press us, but it is to God and holiness, yea how much lower our Afflictions weigh us down on Earth, so much the more earnestly our affections mount up to Heaven. Devotion like fire in frosty weather burns hottest in Affliction. When the Waters of the flood came upon the face of the Earth, down went stately Turrets and Towers, but as the waters risen, the Ark risen still higher and higher, in like sort when the waters of affliction arise, down goes the Pride of Life, the Lust of the Eyes: in a word, all the vanities of the world, but the Ark of the Soul ariseth as these waters rise, and that higher even nearer and nearer towards Heaven. Oh! admirable use of Afflictions, Health from a wound, cure from a disease, out of grief joy, gain out of loss, out of Infirmity strength, out of sin, Holiness: out of death Life, yea we shall redéem something of God's dishonour by sin, if we shall thence grow more Holy: But, Thirdly, They serve to quicken our Devotion, and make us pray unto God with more fervency: Lord saith Isaiah, in trouble they will visit thee, they poured out prayers when thy chastning was upon them, Isa. 26.16. In their affliction saith Hosea they will seek thee diligently, Hos. 5.15. That we never pray so féelingly, fervently, forcibly as in time of affliction, may be seen in the examples of the Children of Israel, Judges 3.9,15. Elisha, 2 Kings 6.18. Hezekiah, 2 Kings 19.15,16. And Lastly, Jehosophat, who being told that there was a great multitude coming against him from beyond the Sea, out of Aram: it follows the Jehosophat feared, & set himself to fear the Lord, & proclaimed a fast throughout all Judea, yea they came out of all parts and joined with him to inquire of the Lord, 2 Chron. 20.3,4. Neither doth it make us alone, which suffer, earnest in Prayer, but it makes others also labour in prayer to God for us, 2 Cor. 1.10,11. Again, Crosses are the files and whetstones that set an edge on our devotions, without which they grow dull, and ineffectual: Jonah sleeps in the ship, but prays hard in the Whale's belly: Prayer is the wing of the Soul, wherewith it flies to Heaven, as meditation is the Eye wherewith we see God, but our Hearts are like flint-stones which must be smitten they will sand forth these sparks of Devotion: Christ never heard of the Canaanitish Woman until her daughter was miserably vexed with a Devil, but than she comes to him and doth not speak but cry, need and desire have raised her voice to an importunate Clamour. The God of Mercy is light of hearing, yet he loves a loud and vehement solicitation, not to make himself inclinable to grant, but to make us Capable to receive Blessings, and indeed the very purpose of affliction is to make us Importunate. He that hears the secret murmurs of our grief, yet will not seem to hear us till our cries be loud and strong: as Demosthenes would not pled for his Client till he cried to him, but than answered his sorrow, now I feel thy cause. The child have escaped many a stripe by his loud crying, the very unjust judge cannot endure the widow's Clamour: so unto fervent prayer God will deny nothing. Need will make us both humble and eloquent▪ if the case be woeful it will be expressed accordingly, the despair of all other helps sends us importunately to the God of power, but while money can buy Physic, or friends procure enlargement, the great Physician and helper is not ●…ought unto, nor throughly trusted ●n. It is written of the Children of Israel, that so soon as they cried unto the Lord he delivered them from their servitude under Eglon King of Moab, yet it is plain they were eighteen years under this Bondage undelivered, Judges 3.14,15. Doubtless they were not so unsensible of their Misery, as not to complain sooner than the end of eighteen years, the first hour they sighed for themselves, but now they cried unto God, they are words and not prayers that fall from careless lips, if we would prevail with God we must wrestle, & if we would wrestle happily with God, we must Wrestle first with our own dullness, yea if we felt our wants or wanted not desire, we could speak to God in no tune but cries, and nothing but cries can pierce Heaven: affliction to the soul is as plummets to a clock, and wind to a ship, holy and faithful, prayer as Oars to a Boat, & ill goes the Boat without Oars, or the ship without wind, or the clock without plummets. Now are some afflicted in reputation, as Susanna was, others in Children, as Ely, some by enemies, as David, others by friends, as Joseph, some in body as Lazarus, others in goods as Job, others in liberty as John. In all extremities let us sand this Messenger to Christ for ease: faithful and fervent prayer, if this can but carry the burden to him he will carry it for us, & from us for ever. Fourthly, Our sufferings we a us from the love of the world, yea make us loathe and contemn it, and contrariwise fix upon Heaven, with a desire to be dissolved: St. Peter at Christ's Tranfiguration enjoying but a glimpse of happiness, he was so ravished and transported with the love of his present estate that he breaks out into these words: It is good for us to be here, he would feign have made it his dwelling place, and being loathe to departed, Christ must make 3 Tabernacles, Mat. 17.4. The love of this world so makes us forget the world to come, that like the Israelites, we desire rather to live in the troubles of Egypt, than in the Land of Promise: whereas S. Paul having spoken of his Bonds in Christ, and of the spiritual Combat, concludeth: I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all, Phil. 1.22,23. Yea it transported him to heaven before he came thither, as Mary was not where she was but where her desire was, and that was with Christ, prosperity makes us drunk with the love of the world, like the Gadarrens who preferred their swine before their Souls, or him in the Parable that would go to see his Farm and lose Heaven, & thousands more, who if they have but something to leave behind them, 'tis no matter whether they have any thing to carry with them. But as sleep composeth drunkenness, so the Cross will bring a Man to himself again, for when the staff we nourish to bear us becomes a Cudgel to beaten us, when we found the world to serve us as the Jews did Christ, carry us up to the top of a Hill and than strive to throw us down headlong, Luke 4.29. When the mind is so invested with cares, molested with grief, vexed with pain that which way so ever we cast our Eyes we found cause of Complaint, we more loathed the World than ever we loved it, when no man would harbour the unthrift son in the Gospel, he returned back again to his Father, but never before: when Satan is let lose upon us to show us our sins, and the danger we are in, than farewell profit, farewel pleasure, treasure and all, rather than I will endure such a rack, such a hell in my conscience, whereas if we should only hear of Misery, or read what is threatened in the Word, though it might a little fright us, it would never amend us. A delicious life when every thing about us is resplendent and contentful makes us that we have no desire to go to heaven, wherefore as a loving mother when she would wean her Child from the Dug, makes it bitter with Wormwood or Aloes, so deals the Lord with us, he maketh this life bitter unto us by suffering our enemies to persecute and oppress us, to the end we may contemn the world, and transport our hopes from earth to heaven, he makes us weep in this ve●l of misery, that we may the more eagerly long for that place of felicity, where all tears shall be wiped from our Eyes. And this is no small abatement to the bitterness of adversities, that they teach us the way to heaven, for the less comfort we found on earth the more we seek above, and the more we esteem the best things: and we are very ungrateful if we do not thank God for that which so overcomes us, as that it overcomes the love of the world in us. Nothing féeds Pride nor kéeps of repentance so much as prosperous advantage. 'Tis a wonder to see a favourite study for aught but addition to his greatness, God shall have much a do to make him know himself. Many shall one day repent that they were happy too soon, many a Man cries out: O that I were so rich, so healthful, so quiet, so happy, etc. Alas though thou hadst thy wish for the present, thou shouldst perhaps be a loser in the sequel. A good man finding himself hated, persecuted, afflicted, & tormented by enemies of all sorts he can as willingly leave the world, as others can forgo the Court, yea as willingly ●is as dine, yea not servant so desires the end of his years, no stranger so longs to be at home as he expects the promise of Christ's coming, it is the strength of his hope, the sweet object of his faith, in the midst of all sorrows the comfort of his heart, the heart of all his comforts, the encouragement of his wearied spirits, the common Clausulce, the continual Period and shutting up of his prayers, come Lord jesus come quickly. Fifthly, The Lord permitteth his people to be often afflicted and assailed, to the end they may be always prepared for tribulation, as wise Marriers in a Calm make all their tackling sure and strong, that they may be provided against the next storm, which they cannot look to be long without, or as experienced Soldiers in time of peace, prepare for the day of Battle, and so much the rather, when they look every day for the approach of the enemy, the way to be safe is never to be secure, we are often times set upon, to the end that we may continually buckle unto us the whole Armour of God prescribed by Paul, Ephes. 6.13, to 19 That we may be always ready for the Battle by Walking surcumspectly, not as Fools but as Wise, Ephes. 5.15. For as those that have no enemies to encounter them, cast their Armour aside & let it rust, because they are secure from danger, but when their enemies are at hand, and sound the Alarm they both wake and sleep in their Armour, because they would be ready for the assault, so if we were not often in skirmish with our enemies, we would lay aside our spiritual Armour, but when we have continual use of it, we still keep it fast buckled unto us, that being armed at all points we may be able to make resistance, that we be not be surprised at unawares, neither would it be good for us at present if we had not these enemies to stand in awe and fear of, but more inconvenient in divers respects, as wise Scipio that mirror of wisdom told some, who with no small joy avouched that the common wealth of Rome was now in safe estate, seeing they had vanquished the Carthaginians, and conquered the Inhabitants of Pontus, neither would he for that only reason have Carthage destroyed because it should hinder Rome from sleeping, yea God himself would have the Hitites, Gargesites, Amorites, Canaanites, Peresites, Hivites, and Jebusites; strong & warlike Nations to be in the midst of Israel, jest Israel should sleep in sin and want matter for exercise, fight and conquest here, may be felicity with security never with safety. The time when the envious man did sow his séed was whilst Men were in bed, no Servants more orderly use their Master's Talon, than those that ever fear their masters sudden return, no householder more safe than he who at every watch suspects the thieves entering, Samson could not be bound till he was first got asleep, wouldst thou not be overcome be not secure fly from the works of darkness at a great distance, and consider as well the bitterness of what will follow, as the sweetness of a momentary pleasure, an assaulted City must keep a careful watch or it will not long hold out, yea the provident Fenman mends his Banks in Summer left his Ground be drowned in the winter, and we must so take our leaves of all afflictions, that we reserve a lodging for them and expect their return, and so much the rather because what hath been long expected falleth the easier, and evils precogitated strike but weakly. Sixthly, Afflictions discovers what we are, it make us experimentally know ourselves, and be known of others, whether we be true believers or Hypocrites. First, Ourselves, divers play Alexander on the Stage, but few or none in the field, many can suffer Martyrdom in speculation, who being put to it cannot concort a foul Word, we are all Valiant Soldiers till we come to fight, excellent Philosophers, till we come to dispute; good Christians, till we come to master our own Lusts, but it is opposition that gives the trial, when corruptions fight against the graces, many while wealth last are very honest men & square dealers, at lest seem so, yea they will maintain that all hardness is to be endured rather than conscience violated or God offended, but fall they into Poverty, & than that they may maintain themselves, they will lie, deceive, steal, prostitute their Chastity, cell their Consciences, and what not, than Hazael before he met with an opportunity could say, What is thy Servant a Dog? & Balaam could brag; though thou wouldst give me thine house full of Gold, I would not, etc. Yet when it came to the trial, he did as bad for little or nothing, but a man is indeed what he is in trial, if our souls shall like of Christ for a Suitor when we found no other jointure but the Cross we are sure we are Christians. Secondly, That others may know us, a Soldier is best known in the front of 〈◊〉 battle, a Pilot in a storm, a nin●ble actium man in a Race, and a Champion in t● Lists. How well the strings of an Instrument are tuned & set, is best known when they are touched by the hand of a skilful Musician: There must be differences amongst you, saith S. Paul, that the approved may be known, 1 Cor. 11.19. For as thrashing separates the straw, and winnowing the Chaff from the Corn, so persecution separates the Hypocrite from the Company of Believers, Luke 22.31. When a servingman follows two men walking together, we cannot tell which is his Master till they part, so when the Gospel and outward prosperity go together it is hard to judge which is most respected. We all call ourselves Christians. Why it is an honourable thing to be so accounted, but who are such is known only where the power of Godliness is in contempt. O how wicked men manifest their hatred & enmity against God and his people, so soon us persecution ariseth because of the word. There is no trial of friendship but in adversity, he that is not ashamed of my Bonds nor daunted with my Checks, nor alienated with my disgrace is a friend for me, one dram of the man's love is worth a world of Inconstant formality, but the friend is false hearted, who observes me only for his own ends, affliction trieth whether a man hath grace in his heart or not, set an empty Pitcher (the resemblance a wicked man) to the fire it crack presently, whereas the full (which resembles the Child of God) will abide boiling afflictions, are the waters where our Gideon will try whether we are fit Soldiers to fight the Battle of faith. A faithful wife said Bradford is never tried so to be until she be assaulted, nor a faithful Christian so approved till proved by affliction. None but a regenerate heart can choose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season. A little entreaty will serve to move Nature to be good to itself: but to persist, in actions of goodness, though Tyranny torment death and hell stood in our way, this is that which shall be Crowned with Glory: finally; affliction and persecution is both a whetstone and touchstone to each particular Grace, it humbles the spirits of the repentant, trieth the faith and patience of the sincere Christian, but hardeneth the hearts of the ungodly, for wicked men grow worse after affliction as water grows cold after any heat, yea like some beasts they are mad with Baiting, if crosses of losses rush in upon them they fall to the Language of Job's Wife, Curse God and dye; or to that of the King of Israel's Messenger, Why should I serve God any longer, 2 Kings 6.33. Seventhly, The Lord by this evil of Chastisement for sins past, preventeth the evils of sin, and greater punishments for the time to come, we are chastened of the Lord saith the Holy Ghost that we might not be condemned in the world, 1 Cor. 11.32. If we be not chastened here we shall be condemned hereafter, erring souls be Corrected that they may be Converted, not confounded. If Paul had not been buffeted by Satan and wicked men▪ he had been exalted out of measure, 2 Cor. 12.7. Pride is so dangerous a poison, that of another poison there was confected a counter-poison to preserve him from it, God would rather suffer this choson vessel to fail into some infirmity, than to be proud of his singular privileges. Jest I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance, through the abundance of Revelations (there was the poison of Pride inst●uating itself) I had a Thorn in the flesh, the Messenger of Satan to buffet me, there was the Counterpoison or Antidote which did at once make him both sick and whole, yea we gain strength by every new fall, from hence issues deeper Humiliation, stronger hatred of sin, fresh indignation against ourselves, more experience of the deceitfulness of our hearts, renewed resolutions, until sin be brought under, but my purpose is to speak chief of affliction, not sin: Bodily sickness, saith St. Gregory cleanseth away sins committed, and hindereth those that in health might have been committed, the flesh indeed is nourished by softness, but the spirit by hardness, that is fed by delights and pleasures, this groweth by Bitterness, ●nd hereupon when a religious man prayed, John the Anchorite to free him of a certain Ague, he answered him, truly thou dearest to have a very necessary Companion ●ast out of doors, for saith he, as are ●ash'd with soap, so is the mind purified by disease's, & the same may be avered of all ●inds of crosses, for is it not commonly seen 〈◊〉 the pleasures of the Body are the poisons ●f the Soul: heap richeses and honours upon 〈◊〉 evil man, you do but Minister wine 〈◊〉 him that hath a fever: saith Aristotle, ●oney to one oppressed with Cheller, and ●eat to one troubled with Morbus Co●aliacus, which increaseth the disease, saith ●utarch: for as Noah was drunk with his ●on wine, so the cup of prosperity hath in●ricated many a soul, & God hath no worse ●…eants in our Land than they, that can ●…e of their Lands, & care for nothing else, ●…monly where is no want is much wan●…nnesse, & as we grow rich in temporals, 〈◊〉 grow poor in spirituals. Nabal cannot ●und but he must surfeit. Tertulus cannot 〈◊〉 Eloquent, but he must turn the edge of 〈◊〉 wit against the Gospel. Many cannot ●…e beauty but they must love their faces ●ore than their souls. The enjoyment of ye●orlds peace might add to my content, but it will endanger my soul. How often doth the recovery of the body, state or mind, occasion a relapse in the Soul. All the life of Solomon was full of prosperity, & therefore we found that Solomon did much forget God, but the whole life of David had many enemies and much adversity, and therefore we see by his penitential Psalms, and others, that David did much remember God, & indeed if God did not often visit us we should serve him as the women of Tartary do their husbands, who Mary if they be absent but Twenty days: but the fire of correction eats out the rust of corruption, many are able to say they have learned to stand by falling, got strength by weakness, child dreads the fire, & a broken bone well set is faster ever after, like Trees we take deeper root by shaking, and like Torches we flame the Brighter for bursting and knocking, God suffered Satan to spoil Job of his substance, rob him of his Children, punish him in the body; yet mark but the sequel well and you shall found that he was crossed with a blessing, as the Physician in making of Treacle or Mithridate for his patient, useth serpents adders and such like poison, that he may drive out one poison with another, even so our spiritual Physician is pleased to use the Malice of Satan and wicked men, when he tempereth us the Cup of affliction, that hereby he may expel one evil with another: yea two evils with one: namely, the evil of sin, and the evil of punishment, and that both Temporal and Eternal, God suffers us to be afflicted because he will not suffer us to be damned, such is the goodness of our heavenly Father to us, that even his anger proceeds from Mercy, he scourgeth the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 5.5. Yea Joseph was therefore abased in the Dungeon that his advancement might be the greater. It is true in our thoughts, we often speak for the flesh, as Abraham did for Ishmael: Oh! the Ishmael might live in thy sight: Not, God takes away Ishmael and gives Isaac, he withdraws the pleasure of the flesh, & gives delight to the Soul, crossing us in our wills, that he may advance our Benefit. A Man is sick of Pleuriste, the Physician lets him Blood, he is content with it, the arm shall smart to ease the heart. The Covetous man hath a Pleuriste of Richeses, God lets him blood by poverty, let him be patiented, it is a course to save his soul. Though affliction he hard of Digestion to the natural man, yet the sheep of Christ know that to feed upon this salt Marsh is the only preservative against the rot, the experienced Christian know that it is good for the soul, that the body is sometimes sick, & therefore to have his inward man cured, he is content his outward man should be diseased, & cares not so the sin of his soul may be lessened, though the sores of his flesh be increased, it is better saith S. Hierom to have a sick stomach than a grieved mind, yea be desires with Saint Augustine the God will sand him any plague rather than the plague of the Heart, and why is it not so with thee? I hope thou desirest thy souls safety ●bove all, and thou knowest the stomach that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment, that it may deliver itself of more evil humour. Of what kind soever sufferings be, it is doubtless the fittest for thy souls recovery, or else God the only wise Physician would not appoint it; now who would not be willing to Bleed, when by the means an inveterate sickness may be prevented? yea it is a happy blood-letting which saves the life, which made S. Augustine say unto God: Let my Body be Crucified, or Burnt, or do with it what thou wilt, so thou save my soul. And another, Let me swim through a River of Boiling Brimstone to live eternally happy, rather than devil in a Paradise of pleasure to be damned after death. Eightly, That we may have an humble conceit of ourselves, & wholly depend upon God. We received the sentence of death in ourselves saith the Apostle, because we should not trust in ourselves, but in God ye●iseth us up from the dead, 2 Cor. 1.9. When Babes are afraid, they cast themselves into the Arms & Bosom of their Mother. A Hen ●eading her Chickens into the sun, they fall 〈◊〉 playing with the Dust, she may cluck them to her long enough they will not come, but when they see the Kite, than they come without calling, and so it fares with God's Children, till affliction comes the prodigal ●ever thought of his Father till he wanted Husks, the Widow that is left alone trusteth in God, saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 5.5. Who when she had an Husband leaned too much upon him, the poor man depends not upon the relief of others till he finds nothing at home, till our means is spent we are apt to trust in uncertain richeses, but after in the name of the Lord, Zeph. 3.12. Asa bore himself hold upon his forces, as being five hundred and fourscore thousand strong, till he was overmatched with an Army of a thousand thousand Ethiopians, this made him cry: Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee, 2 Chron. 14. I thought in my prosperity, saith David, I shall never be moved but thou didst hid thy face & I was troubled, than cried I unto thee: It is high time to humble them that do not found themselves to stand in need of God, who so nourisheth his Servant daintily from his Childhood, shall after found him stubborn in prosperity; We are apt to think ourselves men good enough, we see not our need of God, but let him sand the Cross it confutes us presently of our nothingness: even St. Paul was sick of this disease, he began to be puffed up until the Messenger of Satan was sent to take him down, 2 Cor. 12.7. And St. Peter, Math. 26.33. Though all men should forsake thee yet I will never forsake thee, bravely promised, but Peter the same night swore I know not the man, cowardly answered; It is one thing to suffer in speculation and another in practice. It is common for men to brag and crack of what they can do, yea one that hath but a wooden head and leaden heart, how will he help it out with a brazen face, and a golden hand: for being as great in Pride as he is small in desert, he Will keep a do in an audactous Masterlynesse, as if with Simon Magus he would beaten down all with large proffers, but this cannot be so pleasing to Nature as it is hateful to God, neither can there be a worse sign of ensuing evil, than for a man in a Carnal presumption to vaunt out his own abilities: how justly doth God suffer the man to be foiled purposely that he may be ashamed of his own vain self confidence. At hath been profitable for proud men saith St. Augustine to fall into some gross offence, for they have not lost so much by their fall as they have got by being down, it is better to be humble under sin than to ●e proud of grace, of the two to be a Pharisee is worse than to be a Publican, to be proud of good endowments is worse than to have neither pride nor good endowments, yea in this case the party is not only bettered, but others learn humility thereby, for who can ●o other than yearn and fear to see so rich and goodly a vessel split as David or Solomon was. Again it makes us pitiful and compassionate to others, they (said Sophocles) are usually the most compassionate to others, who have suffered miseries themselves, & what saith the Tyrian Queen: Evils have taught me to bemoan all that affliction makes to groan. And Lastly, The Devil hereby is the ated, who if he cannot beaten us down with sin, will blow us up with pride. He will undermine us if he cannot overthrew us. And nothing doth more advantage Satan than pride: For first, a man shall never be a proficient that thinks himself already sufficient. Secondly, When he can poison our good works with Pharisaism, he makes us by overvaluing them to lose them, confidence in God doth only support us, without him we are like Vines unpropped, which on the earth do crawl, if we escape temptation it is his mercy, if our wills consent not, 'tis his mercy, if we consent & the act be hindered 'tis his mercy, if we fall and rise again by repentance, all is his mercy, neither are we sufficient of ourselves to think much lesle to speak, jest of all to do that which is good, 2 Cor. 3.5. We have no good, we do no good, but we may we must thank grace for it, which is all in all, yea can bear no fruit faith our Saviour except ye abide in me, John 15.4. Ye more expressly, without me, ye can do nothing, ver. 5. So that we cannot put too much trust in him nor too little in ourselves: So proud are we by nature that before we come to the Trial we think that we can repel the strongest assault, and overcome all enemies by our own power, but when we feel ourselves vanquished and foiled by every small temptation, we learn to have a more humble conceit of our own ability, and to depend wholly on the Lord, God will not give his over till he hath made them kiss the Rod which the wicked bite, and when he hath brought us to this, the greater submission the more grace, if there be one hollow in the Valley lower than another thither the waters gather, & the more lowly we are in God's eyes, the more lovely we are, the more despicable in ourselves, the more acceptable in him. Ninthly, That we may be conformable to Christ our Head, & like our elder Brother who was consecrated through afflictions, reviled, buffeted, spit upon, Crucified, what not, for the Scribes were against him, the Pharisees against him, the rulers banded themselves against him, the Atheists against him, Herod & all the spiteful & envious Jews against him, whose birth was mean, whose life was contemptible, & whose death was ignominious, yea his palace was a stable, his Courtier's Beasts, his chase of state a Manger, his royal Robes a few rags, no Bells Ring, no Bonfires proclaim his ●…th through the populous streets, no great Ladies came to visit his mother, & answerable to his ingress into the world, was hi● progress in it, & his Egress out of it. And we must suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him, Rom 8.17. When the Jews offered jesus Gall and Vinegar he tasted and would not drink, he left the rest for his Church & they must pledge him, whosoever saith our Saviour beareth no● his Cross and cometh after me cannot be my Disciple, Luke 14.27. For hereunto are ye called saith St. Peter, for Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example the w● should follow after his steps, 1 Pet. 2.21. Y●… S. Paul made this the most certain Testimony and seal of his adoption here & glory afterwards, having delivered that the spirit of God beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God, an● having added, if we be Children we are also Heirs, even Heirs of God, & joint heir● with Christ, than he useth these words, If so be that we suffer with him that we also may be glorified with him, making suffering as a principal condition annexed, which is as if he had said: It is impossible we should be Glorified with him, except we first suffer with him, Rom. 8.16,17. Whereupon having reckoned up all privileges which might Minister unto him, occasion of boasting h● concludeth that what things were gain unto him, those he accounted loss for Christ, that he might know the fellowship of his sufferings, & ●e made conformable to his death, Phil. 3. ●0. so that as he bore his Cross before he wore his crown, & began to us in the cup of his father's displeasure, so we must pledge him our part, & fill up that which is behind of his sufferings, Col. ● 14. Suffering is the way to reigning, through many Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Acts 14.22. And indeed who would not be ambitious of the fame entertainment that Christ himself had, yet our sufferings as they are nothing to what our sins have deserved, so they are nothing to what our Saviour hath suffered, for he endured many a little Death all his life long for our sakes & at length the painful & cursed death of the Cross, to say nothing of the soul of his sufferings, which his Soul than suffered when he sweated clots of blood in the garden, now why must we pledge our Saviour & fill up the measure of his sufferings, not that Christ's sufferings are incomplete nor to satisfy God's justice for sin, for that is done already once for all by him who bore our sins in his body on the tree, neither doth God afflict his Church for any delight he takes in their trouble, for he afflicts not willingly, Lam 3.33. Jer. 31.20. Isa. 63.9. Nor yet to show his sovereignty, Isa. 45.9. Nor is it merely for his own glory, without any other respect, but out of pure necessity & abundant love to us, as the reasons both before & after show, wherefore let us be exhorted in the words of St. Peter, to rejoice in suffering, forasmuch as we with all the saints are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his Glory shall appear we may be glad and rejoice, 1 Pet. 4.13. And what greater promotion can flesh & blood be capable of, than a conformity to the Lord of glory. Christ wore a Crown of Thorns for me, & shall I grudge to wear this paper cap for him, said John Huss, when they put a cap upon him that had ugly devils painted on it, with the title of Heresy. Never did neck-kerchief become me so well as this Chain, said Alice Drivers, when they fastened her to the stake to be burnt, & what said a French Martyr when a rope was put about his fellows neck? give me that Gold Chain, & dub me a Kt. of that noble order. Tenthly, Afflictions serve to increase our faith for the time to come, when we consider how the Lord hath delivered us formerly: as when Saul tells David thou art not able to go against this great Philistine to fight with him, for thou art a Boy, & he a man of War from his youth, what saith David? thy servant kept his father's Sheep & there came a Lion, & likewise a Bear, & took a Sheep out of the flock, & I went out after him & smote him, & took it out of his mouth, & when he risen against me I caught him by the Beard, & smote him & slew him; so thy servant slew both the Lion and the Bear. Therefore (mark the Inferrence) this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, yea (saith he) the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion, & out of the paw of the Bear, he will deliver me out of the hands of this Philistine, 1 Sam. 17.33, to 37. Observe how confidently he speaks: God hath delivered me saith Paul out of the mouth of the Lion (meaning Nero) & he will deliver me from every Evil Work, & will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom, 2 Tim. 4.17,18. That tree is deepest rooted in the Earth which is most shaken with the Winds, and they weak usually that are planted in pleasant Valleys, so the tree of saith, the more it is shaken with the violent storms of trouble, the faster it becomes rooted by Patience, ●e can never be a good Soldier that never hath felt the toil of a Battle: the more deliverances David had the greater was his faith, for after the Lord had delivered him often out of extreme exigents, namely from this great Goliath, the cruelty of Saul, the unnatural insurrection of Absolom, & the unjust curses of Shimei, he was able to say: I trust in God, neither will I fear what man can do unto me, Psal. 56.4. & in Ps. 3. I will not be afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round, & in Ps. 18.29. By thee I have broken through an Host, & in thy name have I leapt over a Wall: we men indeed therefore shut our hands because we have opened them, making our former Kindness arguments of sparing afterwards, but contrariwise, God therefore gives because he hath given, making his former favours arguments for more: that we may live by faith & not by sense, he first strips us of all our earthly confidence, and than gives us Victory, & not before; jest he should be a loser in our gain, his help useth to show itself in extremity, Daniel is not delivered at the beginning of his trouble, he must first be in the lion's den, & than he finds it, those three servants, Dan. 3.26. are not rescued at the Ovens mouth in the Furnace they are, that is a gracious & well tried faith, that is able to hold out with confidence to the last, like Abraham, who is said to hope against Hope, Rom. 14.18. Which with God is a thing much set by, yea, such he acounts his Champions & worthies, whence it is many are trained up in trouble all their days, as it fared with David, for as a Bear came to David after a Lion, & a Giant after a Bear, & a King after a Giant, & Philistines after a King, & all to make him more hardy and confident in his God: so when they that are intended for Christ's Champions, have fought with the Devil & their own Lusts, they shall fight with Envy, when they have fought with Envy, they shall fight with Poverty, when they have fought with Poverty they shall fight with Infamy, when they have fought with Infamy, they shall fight with sickness, when they have fought with sickness, they shall fight with death like a Labourer that is never out of Work, & this not only proves but mightily improves their faith: & indeed till we have been delivered out of a less trouble, we cannot trust God in a greater. As the Prophet could say: Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, Instantly follows (and not till than) the Lord heard me, the Lord saw him sinking all the while, but lets him alone till he was at the bottom. In the Eleurnth place: Our manifold sufferings, and Gods often delivering us, doth increase our joy & thankfulness, yea, make after blessings more sweet, by this we have new songs put into our Mouths, & new occasions offered to praise the Author of our deliverance, when the Lord brought again the Captivity of Zion (saith David in the person of Israel) we were like them that dream) (meaning the Happiness seemed too good to be true) than were our Mouths filled with laughter (saith he) and our tongues with joy, the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice, Psal. 136.1,2,3,4. Is any one afflicted, I will say to him as that harbinger answered a Noble man, complaining that he was lodged in so homely a Room, you will take pleasure in it when we are out of it, for the more grievous our exigent, the more glorious our advancement. A desire accomplished delighteth the soul, Prov. 13.19. We read how that lamentable & sad decree of Ahashuerus through the goodness of God was an occasion exceedingly to increase the Jews joy & thankfulness, insomuch that as the Text saith: The days that were appointed for their death & ruin were turned into days of feasting and joy, and wherein they sent presents every man to his neighbour, & gifts to the poor, Esth. 9.17, to 28. And this joy & thankfulness was so lasting that the Jews cease not to celebrated the same unto this day: Gods dealing with us is often harsh in the beginning, hard in the proceeding, but the Conclusion is always comfortable; the joy of Peter & the rest of the Church was greater after he was delivered out of prison by the Angel, Acts 12. And the joy of Judith & the rest of Bethalia when she returned with Holoferness head, than if they had never been in distress, Judith 13. The Lord deprives us of good things for a time because they never appear in their full Beauty till they turn their backs & be going away: Again he defers his aid on purpose to increase our desires before it comes, & our joy & thankfulness when it is come to inflame our desires, for things easily come by are little set by to increase our joy for that which hath been long detained, is at last more sweetly obtained, what (think we) did he that was born blind think when his eyes were first given him, how did he wonder at heaven and earth, the strange and goodly varieties of all the Creatures, & cheerfulness of the light, every thing did not more please than astonish him, as Mothers love their Children more tenderly than Fathers, because they stood them in more, so we prise the comforts and joys of God's favour more by having for a season been deprived of them through afflictions & descretions. The benefit that comes soon & with ease is easily contemned long & eager pursuit endears any favour. The wise men rejoiced exceedingly to found the star, the woman to found her piece of silver, the Virgin Mary to found the Lord jesus, who always returneth with increase of joy. He may absent himself for a time, but he intends it only as a preparation to make us relish that sweet food, the better he may keep us fasting, but it is on purpose that our trial may be perfect, our deliverance welcome, our Repentance glorious, we never know the worth of a Benefit so well as by the want of it, want teacheth us the worth of things most truly. Oh! how sweet a thing is peace to them that have been long troubled with wars and tedious contentions: how sweet is liberty to one that hath been long immured within a case of Walls? How dear a jewel is health to him that tumbles in distempered blood for than only we begin to prise it when we have lost it: Let a man but fast a Meal or two, O how sweet is brown bread, though it would not down before, we are never so glad of our friend's company, as when he returns after long absence, or a Tedious Voyage. The Night's darkness makes the light of the Sun more desirable, & a Calm is best welcome after a tempest. And thus we see that good things than appear of most worth, when they are known in their wants. And as when we would have some fires flame, the more we sprinkle water upon them. Even so when the Lord will increase our joy & thankfulness he allayeth it with the tears of affliction, misery swéetneth joy, yea the sorrows of this life shall like a dark veil give a lustre to the glory of the next, when the Lord shall turn this water of our earthly affliction into the wine of gladness, wherewith our souls shall be satiate for ever, well than art thou vexed, persecuted, & afflicted by some cruel and malicious Saul, & is it grievous to thee for the present, why that which hath been hard to suffer is sweet to remember, at last our songs shall be louder than our cries. In the Twelfth place: Our sufferings make us teachable, & increase in us spiritual wisdom, Job 36.15. He delivereth the poor in time of affliction, & openeth their ear in trouble, and again, Job 33.16. He openeth the ears of men even by their corrections, we are best instructed when we are most afflicted, Paul's outward blindness took away his inward blindness, & made him see more into the wa● of life than could all his learning at the feet of Gamaliel, and what saith Neoman upon the cleansing of his Leproste, now I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel: O happy Sirian that was at once cured of his Leproste, & his misprisson of God: the prodigal son regarded not his father's admonition so long as he enjoyed prosperity, when we smart not we believe not, and God is not feared till felt, but that which makes the Body smart makes the Soul wise, even to lose is some ways profitable, it makes a Man wary. Algerius the Martyr could say by experience he found more light in the dungeon than without in all the world: The Scottish King Prisoner in Mortimer's hole learned more of Christ than in his Palace. Luther between a divine in outward pomp and a divine under the Cross, neither could he understand some Psalms till he was in affliction: The Christ's cress is no letter, yet it taught him more understanding than all the letters in the row, the cross opens men's eyes as the tasting of Honey did Jonathans', yea what will not afflictions teach us? when even the Savagest beasts are made quiet and docible with abating their food and rest, or by adding of stripes, even as the clay with water, and the Iron with fire, are made pliable & apt to receive impression from the workman, even so when we are soaked in the floods of sorrow & softened in the fire of affliction, we are aptest to receive the impression of God's law into our hearts, when he speaks to us by his Ministers: If the Lord breaks us in pieces with the plough of his justice, than let the seeds men his Ministers sow the séed of his word, we shall receive it through the furrows of our ears into the Ground of our hearts, & grow up in wisdom & saving Knowledge, we hear & read much of the corruption of our nature's odiousness, of our sins necessity, of a Saviour's sweetness, of God's love in Christ, etc. But we never fully apprehend these things, nor taste how good the Lord is, till some sharp affliction comes: thus God's corrections are our instructions, his lashes our lessons, his scourges our schoolmasters, his chastisements our advertisements, & commonly the soul waxeth as the body waiveth, & is wisest to prescribe when the bone & sinews are weakest, to execute, neither do we hereby become wise for our own souls good only, but afflictions make us wise, & able to do others good also that are in any the like affliction. Blessed be God saith St. Paul who comforteth us in all our afflictions, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, 2 Cor. 1.4. Yea the whole Church & every particular Member thereof have their wisdom & knowledge improved even by their greatest Enemies. He rest makes men sharpen their wits that bet●e● to confute it, as wormwood though it b● bitter to the taste, yet it is good to clear the eyes, yea the very storms of persecution makes us look to our Tackling patience, & to our Anchor hope, & to our Helm faith, & to our Cord the word of God, & to our Captain Christ, whereas security like a Ca●… makes us forget both our danger & deliverer, so that to be altogether exempt from misery is a most miserable thing. Lastly, Our troubles & afflictions make for the increase of our patience, we rejoyes in tribulation saith S. Paul, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, Rom. 5.3. M● Brethrens saith St. James, count it exceeding say when ye fall into divers temptations knowing that the trial of your faith worketh patience, Jam. 1.2.3. Thus the malice of our enemies doth both prove & improve our patience, see it exemplified in Job & David, whose practice doth most excellently confirm this point, you know Job was not so miserable in his afflictions, as happy in his patience, Job 31.35,36. And David after he had been so many years trained up in the school of affliction, & exercised with continual sufferings, from innumerable enemies of all sorts, became a wonder of patience to all succeeding Ages, as take but notice of his carriage towards Shimei, & you will say so when this his impudent subject cursed & cast stones at him, & all his men of War called him Murderer, wicked man, etc. He was so far from revenging it, when he might so easily, or suffering others, that you shall hear him make the an argument of his patience, which was the exercise of it, behold my son, saith he, which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life, how much more now may this Benjamite do it, the wickedness of an Absalon may rob his father of Comfort, but shall help to add to his Father's goodness, what a lead of injuries can some Christians digest that have been frequent in suffering, and long exercised in the School of Affliction. Now if it be so as you have heard, that affliction by a divine and supreme providence doth make so much for our advantage and benefit here and hereafter, as namely that it opens our eyes, not lesle than peace and prosperity had formerly shut them, that nothing doth so powerfully call home the Conscience, and that we need no other memory for sin besides Misery, if commonly we are at Variance with God, Men were at peace with our enemies and that it is both hard and happy, not to be the worse with Liberty. If God the alwise Physician knows this the fittest Medicine for our Soul's sickness, and that we cannot otherwise be cured, if Pride causeth God to let us fall by temptation, that we may see our own frailty and weakness, and grow more Humble, if Affliction will above all things make us pray to God with heat and fervency, if true and Saving Joy be only the Daughter of sorrow, if it weans us from the love of earthly things, if it discovers unto us the truth of our Graces, and prevents greater evils of sin and punishment to come, if it makes us humble and conformable to Christ our Head, if it increaseth our saith, our joy and thankfulness, our spiritual wisdom and patience, if by smarting in our Body's States or Names, we are saved from smarting in our Souls: Than as Solomon adviseth: Refuse not the Chastning of the Lord, neither be grieved with his Correction, Pro. 3.11. But let us all willingly submit to God's afflicting hand, and suffer cheerfully what is laid upon us, admiring at the infinite wisdom, power, and goodness of our gracious God, who turns all our Poisons into Cordials, who doth change our terrors into pleasures, and makes the greatest Evils Beneficial unto us. Consider what hath been said, and the Lord give you understanding in all things: Amen. FINIS. A New BOOK Containing sundry SET-FORMS OF PRAYERS, THANKSGIVINGS, and GRACES. composed chief for the Benefit of CHILDREN and YOUTH: ●…t may be useful to all such as are destitute of better Helps, to further them in their Godly Practices. The First Edition. LONDON, Printed for William Thackaray, in Ducklane near Smithfield. 1673. A Prayer for the Morning. ALmighty God, who of thine infinite goodness hast brought me into this world, and hast preserved me ever since I was born from those 〈◊〉 dangers into which I should daily have fallen, ha●… thou not upheld me with thy strong Hand. I desire from the bottom of my heart to return thee innumerable thanks for all thy great favours bestowed upon me, and more particularly, for that thou hast added to all those benefits hitherto poured upon my Sou● and Body, this further blessing in preserving m●… this night passed from all evils Spiritual and Corporal; I beseech thee, as thou hast let me see the light of the day, so lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, and be merciful unto me in the pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins, which I have this night or at any time heretofore committed against thee, giving me grace to repent and amend my sinful life, that I may this following day and for ever after live, not as I will but as thou wilt. Let me daily more and more lament my former sinful life, trusting faithfully in thy rich mercies, through the merits of Jesus Christ, for the pardon of all my sins; and let all my thoughts words and deeds henceforward be such as may tend to the praise of thy holy Name, and good example of others: Grant this, O Lord, for his sake who hath purchased my Redemption with no lesle price than ●is dearest Blood, even for the sake of Jesus Christ; ●n whose Name and Words I further call upon thee, ●aying as he himself hath taught me, O holy Father, etc. A Prayer for the Evening. BLessed be thy Name, O Lord God, for all thy favours, benefits, and blessings which thou hast vouchsafed out of thy rich mercy and free goodness ●o bestow upon me, and more especially the blessings of this day past. Thou, O Lord, hast clothed and fed me with thy good Creatures, and afforded me abundance of comfort by thy liberal contribution of all ●hings necessary both for my soul and body. What shall I tender unto thee for all thy mercies? Lord, I have nothing but what is thine, thou hast freely given me whatsoever I enjoy, I desire therefore to give up myself wholly unto thee, desiring thee to accept o● me, in Jesus Christ, for thy Child, restoring unto me that Image of God which I lost in the fall of my first Parents, and make me like unto the Lord ●esus Christ, enabling so me to walk, even as he walked; fill my heart with an utter loathing and detesting of all sin, and with a fervent longing after thy grace, that I may hunger and thirst after righteousness, and never be satisfied till thou hast filled my mouth with thy good things. And, O Lord, I beseech thee keep me this night following, let me lie down in peace, and rest in peace; guard me with thy holy Angels, and let not the Devil, that roaring Lion who go about day and night seeking whom he may devour have any advantage over me, but when I shall through thy goodness be refreshed with sleep, gran● that in the morning I may again praise thee, and endeavour to walk in thy ways, and keep thy Commandments all the days of my life. These things O Lord, and what else thou knowest best for me, beg at thy hands for Jesus Christ his sake, in whos● Name and Words I further call, etc. Another Prayer for the Morning. I Desire to return unto thee, O most gracious Lord God, all possible praise and thanksgiving, for that thou hast continued thine accustomed goodness unto me, in keeping me this night passed from all those hurts and dangers both of Soul and Body, unto which by reason of my heinous sins and provocations I am liable every moment; Blessed be thy Name for the quiet rest and sweet sleep which thou hast afforded me: Grant, O Lord, that I begin this new day to lead a new life; as thou hast clothed my Body with Garments, so put upon me the robes of Christ's Righteousness; that my Soul may not appear naked in thy sight, but having on the Wedding Garment, I may sit down at the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb whensoever thou shalt be pleased to call me; and forasmuch as thou knowest, O Lord, what deadly enemies I have to encounter whilst I continued in this life; I therefore beseech thee to Arm me with the whole Armour of God, that in the strength of Jesus Christ, and through the assistance of thy holy Spirit, I may vanquish and overcome them all: so shall thy Name be Glorified, the Lord Jesus Christ exalted, and my poor soul saved in the day of Jesus Christ; for whose sake my soul desires eternally to bless thee, and in whose most holy Name and blessed Words, I desire to conclude these my weak and imperfect prayers, saying as he hath taught me, O holy Father, etc. Another Prayer for the Evening. O Most gracious God and loving Father in Jesus Christ, I poor miserable Creature desire to humble my Soul before thee this Evening, to implore thy Divine Majesty, to be merciful unto me, for I have most grievously offended thee by my manifold sins and transgressions; so that if thou shouldst enter into judgement with me, I cannot be able to stand up before thee, for mine iniquities are gone over my head, and my sins reach up to Heaven, where they daily cry unto thee for vengeance against me. But thou, O God, art full of Pity and Compassion, flow to Anger, and of much Mercy, who desirest not the death of a sinner, but wouldst have all to come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved; unto thee, O Lord, I come, beseeching thee for thy Names sake, for thy Mercies sake, for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake, to remove my sins as far out of thy sight, as the East is from the West; let them never any more come into thy remembrance, but assure me by thy Spirit, that thou hast freely Pardoned the same, and in token thereof give me, I beseech thee, a new heart, that I may henceforth truly love, honour, and obey thee, in the whole course of my life: and let my mouth be filled with thy praises; for great is thy loving kindness to the children of men. Thou, O Lord, hast poured forth thy blessings upon me, and I have tasted of thy goodness in an abundant measure; For ever blessed be thy Name for all thy favours and benefits: and in particular for such comforts as thou hast this day vouchsafed unto me, in giving health, strength, food, raiment, and all things richly to enjoy. Oh! let me never be unmindful to return thee thanks for the same, and I beseech thee, O Lord, continued thy goodness still unto me, and as thou hast preserved me this day, so keep me this night following from all those evils, which by my sins I have justly deserved to undergo, and grant that whether I sleep or wake, live or die, I may be found of thee, not in my own Righte-of Jesus Christ; for whom my soul desires eternally to bless thee, to whom with thee and thy blessed Spirit, be rendered as is most due, all Honour, Praise, Thanksgiving, and Adoration now and for evermore. Amen. A Prayer to be said at all times. O Lord and heavenly Father, whose power is infinite, whose wisdom is unsearchable, and of whose goodness and mercy there is no end. Look down I beseech thee from heaven, the place of thy holy Habitation, and with an eye full of pity and compassion, behold me thy poor Creature, who do most humbly prostrate myself before thee, acknowledging and confessing my manifold sins and transgressions, whereby I have grievously offended thy justice, and am worthy of eternal condemnation; if thou be'st not exceeding gracious unto me in the free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins. Therefore, O Lord, harken to the voice of my supplication. Let not my sins cry louder in thine ears for vengeance against me, than the Blood of Jesus Christ for mercy and forgiveness. O remember not, Lord, what I have done but what the Lord Christ hath Suffered; though I by my sins have deserved death, yet he by his death hath purchased life for all that unfeignedly believe in him. Give me, O gracious God, a lively faith in his Blood; enable me to lay hold upon eternal life, which thou hast promised by him to the worst of sinners; in the number whereof I stand: and I beseech thee, manifest thy unspeakable goodness, not only in the pardoning my sins, but in cleansing me from all my filthiness and wickedness. O let not sin any longer have dominion over me; suffer me not to yield my members as servants of unrighteousness unto uncleanness: but do thou so change my heart and renew my will, that I may ever hereafter pursue the things that are good, endeavouring by my future diligence, to redeem the Time which I have wasted in vanity and unprofitableness. Let thy holy Spirit work mightily in me, beating down all my strong lusts and corruptions, and whatsoever would withdraw my heart from thee. Let thy Word be a light unto my feet, and a lantern to my paths, and guide me in that way wherein thou wouldst have me walk, that so I may with cheerfulness run the race that thou hast set before me, and having fought a good fight, finished my Course, and kept the Faith, I may receive a Crown of Glory, which thou hast laid up for them that love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ: For whose sake I beg all these things at thy hands, and in whose Name and Words I further call upon thee, saying as he himself hath taught me, O holy Father, etc. A Prayer to be said at all times. O Most holy Lord God, I desire to return thee all possible praise and thanksgiving, for those unspeakable benefits which thou vouchsafest to bestow upon me from day to day. Lord, what am I that thou shouldst be mindful of me, that thou shouldst so much as look upon me, unless it were in Anger, for I have done nothing but sinned against thee all my life long; what thou hast commanded me to do, that have I left undone; and what thou hast forbidden me to do, that have I done. My mind hath been in a continual Rebellion against thee, and though I have abundantly tasted of thy goodness, yet have I rewarded thee evil for good; those members which thou hast given me to honour and serve thee withal, I have made instruments of wickedness and uncleanness, thereby to provoke thee to wrath and indignation against me; yet since thou art pleased out o● thy great pity and compassion, to spare me, and give me time of Repentance; I humbly beseech thee to work in my soul a godly sorrow for all those heinous sins which I have committed against thee: And do thou, O Lord, for thine infinite mercy's sake, pardon all mine offences past, and enable me for the time to come, to lead a new life; sand down thy Spirit into my heart, even the Spirit of Adoption, whereby I may be enabled to cry, Abba Father; and let the same Spirit work in me a sincere love unto thee, a perfect hatred of sin, and an universal Obedience to all thy holy Commandments; keeping me from all evil ways, and teaching me to choose the way of truth, purifying my heart from all filthiness of sin, and evil concupiscence, so that I may become a new creature, and be made in every respect conformable to the Image of Jesus Christ; for whose sake I beg these things, and what ever else thou in thy wisdom knowest to be most expedient for me: To him, with thyself, and blessed Spirit, enable me, O Lord, to tender as is most due all Honour, Praise, Thanksgiving, and Adoration, now and for evermore. Amen. A Confession of Sins, and Prayer for pardon. O Gracious God, when I consider the infinite holiness and purity which is in thee; I am even ashamed and almost afraid to lift up mine eyes unto Heaven, the place of thy glorious habitation, for my sins are ascended up into thy sight. Against thee, O Lord, against thee have I sinned, and done evil before thee. My Iniquity is great, I have been an sender against thee, even from my Mother's Womb; 〈◊〉 that I have great cause to admire thy wondered ●…tience, and long suffering towards me; that thou ●…st not long ere this cast me into Hell: surely 'tis ●…cause thy compassions fail not. O for ever blessed 〈◊〉 thy Name, that thou still sparest me, and givest ●…e time of Repentance. Lord, I beseech thee work 〈◊〉 my heart a true sight, and sense of my sins, that ●eing the ugliness thereof, and considering how ●…ghly I have displeased thee by them, I may ever hereafter hate and detest them. Let my heart be ●…l'd with sorrow, that I have offended so good and ●…atious a God, and work in me a settled resolution, 〈◊〉 forsake every evil way, to eat all occasions of sin, ●nd earnestly to endeavour to walk before thee in ●ew obedience all the days of my life. Thou, O Lord, ●hat hast promised to give thy holy Spirit to them ●hat ask thee; I humbly beseech thee sand down ●hy holy Spirit into my heart, to enlighten my mind 〈◊〉 the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and guide me into ●he paths of thy Commandments, that so I may ob●…in pardon of all my sins, and be made partaker of ●verlasting felicity, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ; To whom with thee, O holy Father, and thy blessed Spirit, enable me to ascribe as 〈◊〉 most due all Honour, Praise, Thanksgiving, and ●doration, now and for evermore. Amen. A Prayer for pardon of Sins, and grace to Amen● O Gracious God who art the maker and Crea● of all creatures, who governest and rulest th● all by thy Power and Wisdom, who preservest th● by thy Providence and goodness, and hearest 〈◊〉 cries of all those people that call upon thee in th● Necessities; thou hast been graciously pleased 〈◊〉 manifest thy abundant mercy towards poor wor●…less creatures, in promising that whosoever come unto thee, thou wilt in no wise cast out: By t● consideration of which thy unspeakable goodner I thy poor servant am encouraged in all Humility to come before thee, not in my own name, or in 〈◊〉 own righteousness, but in the Name and Righteousness of Jesus Christ, beseeching thee for his sake 〈◊〉 lend a gracious ear to the voice of my supplication Vouchsafe, O Lord, to pardon and forgive all 〈◊〉 sins, as well Original as Actual; sins against th● Law, and sins against thy Gospel, wherewith m● Soul and Body are stained and polluted against the O Lord, I have sinned and done evil in thy sight, an● if thou shouldst be extreme in marking and punishing what I have done amiss, I should not be able t● stand before thee; but with thee there is mercy tha● thou mayst be feared. O manifest thy goodness unt● my poor Soul, and let me thereby be led unto Repentance; Take away this rocky stony heart, and giv● me such a heart as thou wouldst have me to have 〈◊〉 enlighten my understanding, renew my will, reform my judgement, sanctify me throughout both in Sou● ●…d Body, and let thy blessing be upon all my law●… endeavours; let it be my intention and drift to 〈◊〉 thy will, to walk in thy ways, and to keep thy ●mmandments; let thy blessed Spirit devil in my ●l; let the power of sin be weakened in me, and ●ngthen and confirm me in thy grace, granting 〈◊〉 to persevere therein unto the end, that being ●ded by thy counsel to obey thee in this life, I may 〈◊〉 made a partaker of thy glory in the world to ●ne: which I beseech thee grant for Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 sake, for whom I bless thee: In whom I desire 〈◊〉 ever to be found of thee; to whom with thee 〈◊〉 thy holy Spirit, be ascribed as is most due, all anour, Praise, thanksgiving, and Adoration, both ●w and for evermore. Amen. Another of the same. O Lord, who art the Father of Jesus Christ, and in him the Father of all Mercies, and God of Consolation; I thy poor unworthy servant, do up● the bended knees of my soul, in all humility, pre●t my petitions before thee, beseeching thee to ●nt me an Assurance of thine especial grace toads my soul, in the pardon and forgiuness of all 〈◊〉 sins, wherewith I have so highly displeased thy ●jesty, by breaking all thy holy Laws and Com●ndments in thought word and deed; I confess, Lord, that shouldst thou deal with me according my deserts, I could expect nothing but thy se●est wrath and curse, which is due unto me for my 〈◊〉: but thou, O Lord, hast no pleasure in the death of the wicked, Mercy best pleaseth thee; O therefore show unto me the light of thy Coun●tenan● and say, unto my soul, Thou art my Salvation Writ thy Laws in my heart, put thy fear into 〈◊〉 inward parts, elighten my mind in the knowled● of thy Truth: and so establish me in thy Grace, th● I may never again departed from thee; wash me a● make me clean from all my filthiness; Mortify me whatsoever is carnal; enable me through t● assistance of thy Spirit to crucify the flesh, with t● lusts and affections thereof: let not sin get the upper hand of me, neither let Satan approach too n● to hurt me, but do thou continually guide, direr and assist me in the ways of Righteousness, so th● whatsoever I shall do, my special care and purpose may be to serve and honour thee, that I may ta● nothing in hand which shall not be agreeable to t● most blessed William. O let it please thee to present and defend me from all the Temptations of Sata● deliver me from all Perils and Dangers whatsoev●… so that I may henceforth pass the time of my 〈◊〉 journing here in Rest and Quietness, and finally li● with thee for ever in thy Kingdom: All which beg of thee for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen. A Prayer for Sanctifying Grace. ALmighty God, who art the Alpha and Omeg● the beginning and the end; in whom all cre●tures live, move and have their Being; upon the tr● knowledge of whom dependeth my eternal salva●on: I do most humbly beseech thee to enlight● my mind in the knowledge of thy truth; let the light of thy glorious Gospel shine into my heart, that I may see the evil of sin, the vanity and emptiness of all worldly enjoyments, the fullness and unsearchable Richeses of Jesus Christ. O let me not longer live in myself, but fill thou my soul with a Hungering and Thirsting desire after Jesus Christ: And as the Hart pants after the water Brooks, so let my soul pant after thee, O God: and forasmuch as thou hast said, without holiness no man shall see thy face; Purge, cleanse, and purify me, O Lord, I beseech thee from all the Pollutions, Spots and Defilements of sin, and make me holy as thou art holy, give unto me such a portion of thy blessed Spirit, as may make me in all things conformable to thy blessed Will, and let my conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For whose sake I beseech thee grant me such things as thou in thy abundant Wisdom, knowest to be most expedient for me, for whom my soul desires to bless thy great and glorious Name; to whom with thee holy Father, and thy sweet Spirit of Love, be rendered and ascribed as is most due all Honour, Praise, thanksgiving and Adoration now and for evermore. Amen. A Prayer for Pardoning and Sanctifying Grace. ALmighty Lord God, who hast the Heaven for thy Throne, and the Earth for thy Footstool, before whom all the World is as nothing; what am I poor sinful dus●●…d Ashes, that I should presume to take thy sacred Name into into my mouth, or so much as cast up my Eyes towards Heaven; for thou art a holy God, thou canst not behold iniquity, and I am a sinful polluted creature, having stained and defiled both Soul and Body, with filthy and unclean Actions, so that thou mayst justly loathe me and cast me out of thy presence into the bottomless pit of Hell, but deal not thou with me, O Lord, according to my deserts, neither reward me according to mine iniquities, which have been multiplied before thee; but out of thy free grace and rich mercy, pardon and forgive all my sins, and accept of me in Jesus Christ, who is worthy though I am unworthy; I have sinned, O Lord, but he hath suffered for sin, giving his Life a Ransom for many, and is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him: O therefore I beseech thee let that heavy burden of sin, which is ready to weigh me down to Hell, be laid upon him who is able to bear it, and let his righteousness be imputed unto me, cloth me therewith, that I may thereby become righteous in thy sight. And gracious God, I beseech thee, give me a new heart, a heart to fear, love and obey thee; let thy blessed Spirit be poured plentifully upon me, and purify my heart by Faith, purge my conscience from dead works to serve thee the living God; let nothing be so odious unto me as sin, nothing so desirable as grace and holiness of living, whereby thou mayst be glorified, and in all my thoughts words and actions, let my care be to imitate the Lord J●sus Christ, who is the great pattern of perfection, and example for all thy people to follow. In whose Name and for whose sake, I beg at thy hands all things needful both for Soul and Body, to whom with thee, O Father, and the ever blessed Spirit, three persons and one God be ascribed as is most due all Honour, Praise, Thanksgiving, and Adoration now and for evermore. Amen. A general Confession of Sins, and Prayer for forgiveness. O Gracious Lord God and loving Father in Jesus Christ, look down I beseech thee in much mercy upon me the most unworthy of all thy Creatures, and give ear to the Prayers and supplications which I make before thee. I confess, O Lord, that I was conceived in sin and brought forth in Iniquity, I was by nature a filthy loathsome Creature. Thou mightst justly have thrown me into Hell the same hour I was born, and have done me no wrong, but thou hast in much mercy spared me hitherto, and been very gracious unto me, notwithstanding I have added to that Original sin which I brought into the world with me, many actual sins and transgressions, whereby I have daily provoked thee to wrath and indignation against me; yet seeing, O Lord, that thou delightest in mercy, and dost wait to be gracious, because thou art unwilling that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved: I am thereby encouraged to come unto thee, in the Name of Jesus Christ, beseeching thee for his sake to pardon all my sins, and blot out of the Book of thy remembrance all my transgressions; Forgive, O Lord, whatsoever Iniquities and offences I have committed against thee, in thought, in word, or deed; let not my unworthiness hinder thy mercy from descending upon me, for I come not unto thee in my own Name, but in the Name of Jesus Christ who is worthy, and though I be poor yet he is Rich; though I am a sinner, yet he is Righteous; though I be filthy and impure, yet he is pure and Holy: For his sake therefore be merciful unto me unto me, wash me from all the pollutions and defilements of sin. Cleanse me from my filthiness forgive mine offences forget my iniquities, pour out thy Holy Spirit upon me, writ thy Law in my heart, let thy word be a light unto my feet, and a lantern to my paths, and grant that I may so live in thy fear, that I may die in thy favour and be made a partaker of that everlasting happiness which was purchased by the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, for whom my soul desires eternally to bless thee, in whose Name and Words, I conclude these my weak and imperfect Prayers, saying as he himself hath taught me. O holy Father, etc. A Prayer for a Family. O Most gracious God and merciful Father, who hast commanded us by Prayer to crave of thee all things necessary for soul and body, and hast promised graciously to hear, and merciful to grant the needful requests and petitions of those which call upon thee. We thy poor servants do in the Name of Jesus Christ, and for his sake humbly beseech thy fatherly goodness, to grant us all things for this body and transitory Life, as shall be most agreeable to thy good will and pleasure; and give us we beseech thee true repentance, that we may unfeignedly turn from all our sins, and so endue us with thy heavenly grace, and assist us with thy holy Spirit, that we may be enabled to mortify all our carnal Lusts and filthy Affections. Pardon, O Lord, all our offences past, and grant that for the time to come we may lead a holy conversation, in all godliness, to the glory of thy holy name, the good of others, and the salvation of our precious souls in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ: To whom with thee, O holy Father, and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed all Honour, and Praise for evermore. Amen. O Most merciful Lord God, who art great and great and glorious in thyself, and good and gracious in thy Son; we thy poor unworthy creatures, desire from the bottom of our hearts to tender thee praise and thanksgiving for all those undeserved savours and benefits, which thou hast from time to time bestowed upon us in giving us health, strength, liberty, food, raiment, and abundance of all things that are needful for our comfortable subsistence in this miserable world; O continued, we beseech thee, the same still unto us, and grant that we may make such a holy use of thy blessings, and so improve them to thy glory, that thou mayst never repent thee of the good which thou hast showed unto us. We bless thee, O Lord, that thou hast preserved us all our life time hitherto from all death, danger, and other mischief; vouchsafe we beseech thee this day and ever hereafter to have a merciful eye over us, support and sustain us, bear us up and save us that we fall not into danger, nor run into Temptation; suffer us not to break thy Commandments, but give us grace to walk worthily amongst the snares of our mortal enemies, the Devil, the World, and the Flesh; let all our thoughts, words, and works be such as may tend to the glory of thy great Name, to the edifying of our souls in Virtue and Piety, and to the profit of our Brethrens. These things, O Lord, and what ever else thou knowest to be needful for us, we beg at thy hands for Jesus Christ his sake, in whose Name and Words we further call upon thee saying, Our Father, etc. O Most holy Lord God, who art infinite in greatness, and infinite in goodness, whose Throne is in the highest Heavens, and yet art pleased so far to condescend as to look down with pity and compassion upon us poor miserable creatures here below, and hast promised that if we call upon thee thou wilt hear, if we ask we shall have, if we seek we shall found, and if we knock it shall be opened unto us; We beseech thee, O Lord, fulfil thy gracious promise unto us the unworthiest of thy Servants, who do here in all Humility put up our petitions unto thee, craving thy holy Spirit, desiring to see ●hy face and knocking at the gates of thy mercy. O let thy blessed Spirit seal unto us the pardon and forgiveness of all our sins; show unto us the light of ●hy countenance, and with the everlasting Arms of thy Love embrace us; sanctify us, O Lord, both in soul and Body, cleanse us from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit; teach, direct, and enable us to walk humbly before thee; confirm and establish us in thy truth, let us daily grow in grace and therein persevere unto the end, that so when this frail life is ended, we may Live with thee for ever in that Kingdom which was purchased for us by thy dear Son and our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. For whom we bless thee, and in whose Name and Words we further call upon thee, saying, Our Father, etc. Grace before Meat. GOod Lord bless us and these thy good Creatures which thou hast provided for us, give them, O Lord, strength to nourish us, and give us grace faithfully to serve thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. A thanksgiving after Meat. HVmble and hearty thanks be rendered unto thee most gracious God for all thy mercies, for these comfortable refresh which thou hast now vouchsafed unto us; Lord we pray thee feed our Souls with thy Heavenly Manna the food of eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace before Meat. GOod Lord Pardon and forgive us all our sins which make us unworthy of the lest of thy mercies, bless these thy Creatures to the use of our Bodies, and bless our Bodies to the use of our Souls; and bless both Body and Soul to thy service through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Thanksgiving after Meat. BLessed and Praised be thy Name, O Lord, for those good Creatures wherewith thou hast plentifully fed us, we beseech thee give us thankful hearts for these and all other thy benefits bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace before Meat. LET thy blessing, O Lord, be upon these thy good Creatures, which through thine abundant goodness, we are at this time about to receive at thy hands, make them healthful to our Bodies, and nourish thou our Souls with the Bread of Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. A thanksgiving after Meat. WE desire to tender thanks unto thee, O gracious God, for thy great mercies daily continued unto us; and in particular for these blessings whereof we have now been partakers; we beseech thee as thou fillest our Bellies with thy good Creatures, so fill our hearts and mouths with Praises unto thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace before Meat. BE pleased, O gracious God, to sanctify unto our uses these thy blessings which thou hast here set before us, and give us Grace to make such a sober use thereof that we may not be hindered from performing our Duties, but strengthened to do thee service, through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Thanksgiving after Meat. WE return unto thy Majesty, O blessed God, innumerable thanks for thy undeserved benefits which thou daily pourest upon us; blessed be thy Name for feeding us at this time with thy good Creatures. O Lord, we pray thee give us grace faithfully and thankfully to serve thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace before Meat. GRacious God, who of thine bountiful goodness hast prepared Meat and Drink for our necessity, and daily feedest us therewith, whereby our frail Bodies are nourished, strengthened, and refreshed; we beseech thee replenish our hearts with Joy and Gladness, and make as fruitful in good works, to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen. A Thanksgiving after Meat. HOnour and Praise be given unto thee, O holy God, who out of thy tender care over us, hast provided all things for us richly to enjoy; grant, O Lord, that both our Eating and Drinking, Speaking, and living may redound to the glory of thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS.