SMALL OFFERS Towards the Service of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Four Discourses, accommodated unto the Designs of PRACTICAL GODLINESS.

  • The First, Concerning the Methods wherein men ought to Engage both Themselves and their Houses in the Service of God.
  • The Second, Concerning the Right and Best waies of Redeeming TIME in the World.
  • The Third, Concerning the Carriage which we should have under TRIALS used by God upon us.
  • The Fourth, Concerning the END which in our Desires of Life, we should propound unto ourselves.

Preached partly at Boston, partly at Charlston. By COTTON MATHER, Pastor of a Church in Boston.

Published by a Gentleman lately Restored from threat­ning Sickness; as an humble ESSAY to serve the Interest of Religion, in Gratitude unto GOD for his Recovery.

Printed by R. Pierce. Sold by Ios. Brunning at his shop near the Exchange in Boston. MDCLXXXIX.

ERRATA.

PAge 11. Line 7. for Possession, r. Profession. p. 43. line. 3. after to, add Pray. p. 76. l. 7. blott out a. p. 112. l. 2. for and r. an p. 125. for [...]hms r. Thus.

To my Ever-honoured Father-in-Law, JOHN PHILIPS Esq

Sir

YOu cannot but Rememember, and I should not have this Occasion of Telling you so, if you did not well Remember, That many months are not passed since You encountred a Dangerous Fever; by which the Vital Ty between what must Return to God that gave it, and what must Return into the Earth as it has been there, was very near burned asunder in you; But God had then mercy on You, and not on You only, but on me also, lest I should have had sor­row upon sorrow. It was a darker Time in your House, than (thro' Grace) with your Soul, when we beheld You lying under what look'd like an Arrest laid on you by the cold Hand of Death, and saying, I shall go the gates of the Grave, I am deprived of the Residue of my years. But the Bless­ing which if you study to be a Blessing you can ne­ver want, was then your priviledge; even, To be much pray'd for; and behold, the Effect of those our Applications to the God of your Life! On that very day when your faithful and worthy [Page] Pastor the Reverend Charles Morton, with your pious Neighbours were together praying for You, we had our Answer, and You are yet alive. The living, the living, they shall praise God; and You have a blessed Opportunity, I hope not without some Inclination to be doing so. Twas from such an Inclination, that your Vowes did accompany our Prayers, and your Sickness expired in Reso­lutions, To endeavour the doing of something for the Service of the Churches here, and this particu­larly, By the Publication of some little Book, ac­commodated unto the Designes of Practical Godli­ness in the Persons and Houses of this professing peo­ple. Tis pitty indeed that ever any special Trou­ble, or any special Mercy should befal us, without producing some special service to the Name of our God, upon whose Orders and Errands every such Dispensation comes. Accordingly, you have com­manded me to give you certain Discourses, which You thought agreeable to your serious purposes; and These are They. Unto You first I ought to make the Dedication of them; because it is by your Desire and Expence that they are to pass un­der any further Dedication; they are now there­fore no longer Mine but Yours, and to be Enti­ [...]uled, The Writing of a W [...]ll-willer to Religion, af­ter he had been sick, and was Recovered of his Sick­ness. These Composures are singled out from o­ther Effects of my Daily Studies, not because of any singular Excellency adorning of them; for [Page] they are but the first, rude, untranscribed Notes of Sermons uttered in my ordinary Course of Preaching more than once or twice commonly in a Week; and strangers abroad in the world may without the least wrong to me, believe, That New-England is a Countrey wherein there are every week in the year delivered more than Two Hundred Sermons, to be preferred unto the Best of These. But these are by You pitch't up­on, because they are most Expressive of the Re­solutions, and Exercises and Experiences, which your self would choose to recommend unto the Children of your People; and tho they may amount to no better than Goat's hair and Rams­skins, it was thought they might be accepted among, Small offers to the Service of the Taberacle. There was once a great King, to whose Tri­umphs while many others made their more no­ble Offerings, a poor man in some Transport of Affection, having nothing else, took up his palm-full of water from the street, and offering of That, Received from the generous Conquerour a Gracious Recompance. Even such a King is our God! Sr. You have chosen to fetch a Thank-Offering for Him, from such a Kennel, such a Pud­dle (alas, it is no better!) as the Head and Heart of the greatest Sinner in all the Rising Gene­ration. But I can only say, Tis as welcome from me to You, as I believe, tis from You to Him that [Page] made us Both. It is indeed a peice of Self-Deni­al that your Commands have obliged me unto; for whatever others may think of Appearing in Print, my own Opinion of it is, that unless a man be extremely unacquainted both with him­self, and with the world, he will be rather A­fraid or Asham'd of it, than Taken with it; Let him that wants Humbling become an Authour, and he shall have it, if mean Thoughts have not made him utterly Vnsensible. Nothing but a Re­spect unto the Interest of God and of Truth, and a Resolve to go cheerfully thro' much Contempt, Obloquy, Detrectation, can make any considerate Person to Salute mankind in the Quality of a Writer. But Since it is my Duty to be (like ho­ly Bradford) alwayes doing Good, with Tongue, or Pen, or Purse, I should account it my Honour if my Pen may be employed for any Advance­ment of Practical Godliness, tho' it Cost me ne­ver so many Temptations, as it must cost me not a few.

Accept then, Dear Sir, the Little Book which You have called for; I may more fairly speak it than he of old unto his Father, I have done according as thou badest me; arise, I pray thee, Sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. The Blessing which once Caleb gave to a Son-in-law as I do not Want, I need not Ask; But the Blessing which I am now Craving is, That of your Prayers on my Behalf, to the Eter­Eternal [Page] Father, for such Gifts, and Graces, and Improvements, as tis His Work alone to bestow up­on us; and especially that I may be preserved from the Sins and Snares which Ministers in their younger years are most endangered by; of which I have long thought PRIDE (the natural Effect of Self-Ignorance and Small Experience) to be the principal. The Prayers of one so Re­lated, have an Authoritative Blessing in them; and that I may further earn them, I take the li­berty to mention my own Supplications unto the God of Heaven for Yourself. May the Almighty God Long preserve your Life, and give your Hoary Head to be found in the way of Righteousness. May You have before you the Exemple of that Nehemiah who was, A man come to seek the welfare of the Children of Israel; of that Cornelius, who was, A Devout man, that jeared God with all his House, and pray'd to God alwayes; of that Treasurer, who made the Bible his perpetual Companion, and Beleeved with all his Heart: and as You have Oppor­tunity, Do Good unto all men. May the Death (I dare not say, the Loss) of your Ten Chil­dren, the last of which going from you made a Tenth Wave in your Tryals, only promote your Vnion & Communion with Him who is Better than Ten sons; and may you enjoy in the House of God, a Place and a Name better than that of [Page] sons & daughters. May all the Storms besides those which the Adventures of your younger years up­on the Atlantic Ocean, made you betimes acquain­te withal, in an unstable & a tempestuous World, prove so many fresh & fair Gales, to be friend your late but sure Arrival unto the Rest which remains for the people of God; Wherein the Anchor of your Hope, is already Cast, and where to You are with the more-than-half Furled Sails of Time hastening apace, after him that said, I desire to loose Anchor and be with Christ, which is by far the best of all. Tis by these Prayers that I would approve my self,

Sir,
Your Dutiful Son and very humble Servant, COTTON MATHER.

THE GOOD MANS RESOLUTION.

Josh. 24. 15. ‘But as for MEE and MY HOVSE we will serve the Lord.’

SECT. I.

NEVER was there in this world a Peo­ple more obliged or encouraged unto the Service of the Great God, than we the New-English Israel are. The God of Hea­ven is Our God, and it becomes us to Fear Him; our Fathers God, and how much ought we to worship Him? To serve God was the very Er­rand which we were brought into this Wilder­ness upon; and has hitherto been both our Glo-Glory & our Defence. That we now grow so dull and cold in this, we may write an Ichabod upon all our enjoyments, and therein see our Chariots [Page 2] and our Horse-men gone. To Revive the De­cay'd Service of God among us, would be to re­duce us into that Favour and Friendship of him who was The Hope of our Fathers, which would make us happy enough to refute all the Lies of our Enemies. Thus would God the Lord speak peace unto us. Thus would Salvation be nigh to us, and Glory dwell in our Land.

SECT. II.

TO do some, and gain more Service for our God, the Text now before us is to be Dis­coursed on.

These words are among the last words of Io­shuah, the servant of the Lord; they are a Dev [...]ut and a Divine sentence uttered by the renouned Ioshua in a Speech to The Parliament of Israel. The Dying Words of all Great and Good men, have usually been esteemed Remarkable by the Survivers; and those books which contain Apo [...] ­thegmata morientium have been reckoned perhaps among the most useful in the world. Tho the Dying Songs of Swans have not been such things as the Vulgar▪ Error has reputed them; yet the Dying Words of Saints have afforded a fit Moral for the Fable. The speech of a Dying Saint has as deep a favour of Heaven, as the Breath of a dying man has of Earth. But m [...]thinks, the Dy­ing Words of a Ioshua should be peculiar Oracles; peruse them, and you will find them so. He had been first, the Lord-General of Israels Army; and [Page 3] was now the Lord Protector of Israels Common-Wealth. In this Capacity, a few months be­fore he dy'd, he issued our orders for a Conventi­on of States, to meet at Sh [...]chem, a place about forty miles from his own Abode. The Senate, the Iudges, & the Officers, and all the Representa­ [...]tives of the people being assembled, before the Tabernacle, which on this extraordinary occasion was removed hither, this famous Prince endea­vours to settle & confirm them in the Service of the living God. It is likely he seared a secret Retaining of Idolatry among many, while he was yet alive; but it is certain, he fore-saw an open Defection to Id [...]atry hastening upon them, when he should be dead and gone. Wherefore, he laies in against it, by a most powerful and pathe­tic Speech, which has in it,

First, An History of Memorable Providences wherein they had experienced the matchless kindness of God unto them.

Secondly, An Inference from this History; which is expressed in two things.

First, A Counsil. He concludes, Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him. Therefore! Wherefore? Why, inasmuch as you find the Lord so bountif [...]l, that you cannot possibly A­ [...]mend your selves if you leave Him, or excuse your selves if you grieve Him. Therefore are you to fear Him, serve Him. Every Mercy of God hath a Therefore, in it; it calls for Grati­tude [Page 4] and Obedience. When God has been mer­ciful to us, even common Ingenuity, end much more, holy Ingenuity will put us upon that En­quiry, What shall I render to the Lord? Behold an Answer in this, Therefore! We are There­fore to fear the Lord and serve him; we are Therefore to put away all our Idols, all our Follies for ever more.

Secondly, A Copy. He gives them a Precedent, an Exemple, to induce them hereunto. The Pattern of a considerable person, has no inconside­rable Influence upon the Observers of it. Such an one does good or ill, even like a Briareus, with an Hundred Hands. An Hundred, & an Hundred more will do like Him. If he be wick­ked, he does according to the Language of Solo­mon, Speak with his Feet. If he be Godly, he is, according to the Character of Iohn, a Voice, Such an One most effectually bespeaks all about him, as Gideon did once, Do what you see me to do.

Thus Ioshua enforces his farewel Exhortation here; saith he, Be it known to you, that I and my house will serve the Lord; I was once your Lea­der, pray let me be so still. As I leadd you into the Canaan of the Lord, let me have so much credit with you, as also to lead you unto the Service of the Lord. Be assured, I shall be a Witness against you another day, if you do not now receive me as a Copy for you.

[Page 5] You have here Ioshua's Resolution; and it was founded upon such moral Reasons, that we may take it as Written for the Admonition of us all. Wherefore this is the Doctrine, which I would demand your Attention to.

DOCT.

Every man should engage both HIMSELF and HIS HOUSE in the Service of the Al­mighty GOD.

SECT. III.

VVE have diverse Propositions now before us, to discourse upon. The First of them is this.

PROP. I.

The whole Duty of man, is contained in the true Service of God. Both in the First Cove­nant, and in the New Covenant which God has made with man, there is a Duty which man must pay to God. In the First Covenant this Duty was to be paid in a way of meritorious Obe­dience; in the New Covenant, this Duty is to be paid in a way of ingenuous Gratitude. But the Service of God, this ever comprizes all our Du­ty in it. It is the same that the Wise man re­fers unto, in Eccl. 12. 13. Fear God and keep His commandmens; for this is the whole duty of man. There are diverse comprehensive and synonymous Terms, by which our Duty to God is expressed in the Scripture of Truth. Our [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6] Duty is called A Serving of God, as it refers to the Acts of our lives in which; but its also cal­led A Fearing of God, and A Loving of God, as it refers to the Frames of our hearts, with which we are to do it. It is called, A Knowing of God, as it refers to the principle of it; it is likewise a Living to Him, and Walking with Him, on the same accounts that it is a Serving of Him.

The Service of God notes two things, which are to accompany our whole Duty to him.

It notes, first, the Homage therein done to our God. The Service of God is His Worship, H [...]s natural Worship, and His appointed Worship. Hence the Septuagint so translate our Text, I and my house will worship the Lord. We serve God, when we render to him his Natural Wor­ship. So tis intimated in Deut. 10. 12. Fear the Lord thy God, walk in His waies, love him, & serve the Lord thy God with all thy Heart. When we hope in God, when we call on God, when we cleave to God, then we serve Him. And we serve God when we render to Him his appointed Worship. This was intended in Exod. 8. 1. Let my people go, that they may serve me. We serve Him when we observe the Ordinances of God, when we adore him according to the Rules of His Word in His House, and wait upon him in the use of his blessed and sacred Institutions.

It, Secondly, notes the Honour therein brought [Page 7] to our God. Service is perform'd to God, when Glory is procur'd for Him. His Essential Glory we can by no means advance, we may His de­clarative: and therein we serve the Lord. Tis a passage in Isa. 43. 10. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant. Our Testimonies to God's Excellencies are the things by which we serve Him. We serve God, when we acknow­ledge Him as our Best Good, and our last End, and our Omnipresent Iudge. We serve him when we think and speak well of him our selves, and obtain many others to do so too. A Witness for God is a Service to him.

SECT. IV.

THis being thus explained, I pass on to a Se­cond Proposition.

PROP. II.

Every man should engage HIMSELF in the Service of the Almighty God.

The purpose and study of every man should be this, I will serve the Lord. We should all be able truly to say of God, as in Act. 27. 23. His I am, and Him I serve. A Servant of God, this was the Title, not of Ioshua alone, but of other Worthies too; when Abraham is mentioned, it is, Abraham the Servant of the Lord. When Moses is mentioned, it is, Moses the Servant of the Lord. When God speaks of Iob, he says, [Page 8] Iob my Servant. Thus was Ionah, thus was Eli [...] ­jah, thus was Zerubbabel also styled. And it is a style which Wee too should be ambitious of. If we would not be miserable for ever, we must be the mystical, the Spiritual seed of Israel; but such are so saluted in 1 Chron. 16. 13. O ye seed of Israel his Servant. As our Fathers Friend, so our Fathers Lord, we must not forsake. We must all be the Servants of God, as our Father before us was. And this especially for the three ensu­ing causes.

REASON I.

We are to serve God, because God hath Mad [...] us. The Argument with which Paul perswaded Philem [...]n to receive a Run-away Servant of his own, was that in Phil. 1. 19. Thou owest unto me even thine own self. By that Argument should each one of us be perswaded to become a Duti­ful Servant of the Lord, We owe unto him even our own selves. Man! [...] most fit thing that thy Maker should be thy Master.

There are two Questions which I hope every Child within these Walls can give some right Answer to. The Answer to them will render it unquestionable, That you and I are to Serve God for ever.

One Question is, By whom were you made?

We have an Answer to this, in Psal. [...]00. 3. Know ye, that the Lord, he is God, and it is He [Page 9] that has made us, and not we our selves. Thus▪ [...] the Psalmist once argue, O come, let us worship be­fore the Lord our maker. Why? If he be our Maker, He is to be the Object of our Service. And this the rather, because of another Questi­on, which is, For What were you made? We have an Answer to this in Isa. 43. 21. This peo­ple have I formed for my Self, they shall shew forth my praise. When we praise God, we serve God. Why, This is the very business which we were sent into the world upon. We had never ap­peared in the Rank of Actual Beings if God had not propounded some Service to be done unto Himself, by creatures of our shape and mould. We are Created by God and Endowed by him. What could it be for, but this? That God may have some service from us. Tis said in Act 17. 28. In him we live and move and have our be­ing. Most absurd shall we be, if it be not for Him too.

REASON. II.

We are to serve God, because Christ has Bought us. Indeed, the Arminian universal Re­demption we reject with a just abhorrence. The Satisfaction of our Lord Redeemer, was not Intended by Him, for the Redemption of all mankind; nor was it Intended any further than his Intercession is, which reaches only to the E­lect of God. The Virtue and Success of our Lords death depends not wholly on something [Page 10] to be done by men which God is not the Doer of▪ otherwise, men would themselves be the Prin­cipals in procuring their own Salvation. But one scope of our Lord's Death was even to pur­chase for us, that Grace, that Faith, that Free-Will, which may qualifie us to enjoy the Virtue and Success of it. Certainly Peter was more be­holden unto the Merit of Christ for his Redemp­tion, than Iudas was for his. Yet the Purchase of Christ wonderfully binds us all to the Service of God.

For First, the Redemption of Christ has made our Serving of God, a possible thing. Had it not been for this, poor fallen undone man had never been in a Capacity to serve the Lord. We had never heard this Call from heaven, O Repent, Return, Reform! this voice from on high, O set your selves now to the serving of that God, whom you have been sinning against; it had never sound­ed in our Ears, if the Lord Jesus had not made Himself a Sacrifice. We must have continued the Slaves of the devil for ever, if the Stings of the Dragon had not fastned on the Lord. The Lord Jesus has bought us all into such a Con­dition, that the Proffers and the Tenders of the Gospel might be made unto us. We are told of some in 2. Pet. 2. 1. Who Deny the Lord that bought them. Ovile Sacriledge and Impie­ty! That we might all have the priviledge of [...] Invitation to the Service of God, this has [Page 11] cost no less than the Heart-bloud of Christ; and what a monstrous villany were it for us now to despise the Invitation? Again,

The Redemption of Christ has made our Ser­ving of God, a Reasonable thing. We are all among the Redeemed, either in Reality, or at least in Possession, all the Chosen and Called of God, are most really interested in the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus; and therefore, for them to decline the Service of God, were as unequal as it is unlikely. But every one of us is at least professedly interested in it. Man, art thou willing to quit all claim unto the Death and Blood of the Lord Jesus? O No, not for ten thousand worlds. Every one saies, I hope I am Redeemed! Well then, The Service of God is that which we must count our selves Redeem'd unto. What saies the Appostle, in 1. Cor. 6. 20 Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorifie God. We that have been the Captives of the mighty and the prey of the terrible, apprehend our selves to be set at Liberty from their horrible Tyrannies, by the Suffering of Christ; What less than the Ser­vice of God, are we thereby obliged unto? In a word, We are the Bought servants of God; and wo to us if our Behaviours be not agreeab▪ to our Obligations.

REASON III.

The Lords daily Mercy to us, requires our hearty Service to Him. It is noted of the rudest among the Gentiles, in Lu [...]. 22. 25. Their Be­nefactors exercise a Lordship over them. Never, Never had we any Benefactor like to our God, who daily loads us with his Benefits. Unthank­ful wretches are we, if we shake off the Lord­ship of such a Lord. It was an Address once made to a Governour in Act. 24. 2. By thee we enjoy great quietness▪ and very worthy deeds are done unto us by thy providence. It were a disloyal, an unworthy thing, not to serve such a Gover­nour. Truly, From God we enjoy great quiet­ness; by the Providence of God, we are deliver­ed from a Thousand perils every day: and we are surrounded with ten thousand Comforts Ev­ery day; by the Providence of God we are direct­ed, protected, sustained and supplyed, every day. This calls for the Service of God at our hands. Tis said, in Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice unto Him. What a persuasive piece of Oratory is that! I beseech you by the Mercies of God. He that urges you to the Ser­vice of God may thus plead with you, I beseech you, Brethren, by the Mercies of God, that God may not have one Servant in the world the less for you. I beseech you, Breth [...] ▪ that when the Good­ness, and mercy of God is following of you, you do [Page 13] not turn your backs on the Service of God. To pur­sue, this Argument; I beseech you Brethren, Whose Light is it, whereby you are every day revived? It is God's Whose Air is it, whereby you are every day refreshed? It is God's. Whose Fire is it that warms you? Whose Meat is it that feeds you? Whose Rai­ment is it that covers you? All is God's. O then, Serve Him. These are the Cords of a man, with which we are bound to the Service of our Lord. This is the Poesie which God has inscribed in the Ring of every mercy, O learn to serve the Giver of this! It was a sad Com­plaint which the Lord made in Isa. 1. 2. I have nourished them, and brought them up, yet have they rebelled against me. Alas, what a YET is there? Our God has been as a Father to us; and yet shall not we Serve Him as our Master? He Re­lieves us, He Supports us, He Bestowes on us the mercies of Children, and shall not we yet return so so much as the Respects of Servants unto Him? The Heavens will hear and be amazed, the Earth will give [...]ar and be astonished, at a thing so much exceeding Brutality it self, as this.

SECT. V.

BUt we are not to be Alone in the Service of God Man is a sociable Creature; & as he does need, so he must help Humane Society, in this Grand concern. Wherefore we have a Third [Page 14] Proposition yet to be reflected on.

PROP. III.

Every man should engage HIS HOUSE also in the Service of the Almighty God. We are all related unto some House or other. Some­times a Nation is called by that name. So tis said in Exek. 3. 1. Speak to the House of Israel. And thus, every man should labour to promote the Service of God in the Nation which he be­longs unto. All that can be properly done by him for his Nation, in his Station to set up and bring in the Service of God, so much every man is to do, if ever he would give a good Account of his Talents, in the Day of God's appearing. But most usually, a Family is called by this Name; and so it is in the Text now before us. Tis a Metonymie; the House is put for them who dwell in the house. Those who cohabit in the same house are to endeavour that the same God may be served by all under the Roof. And this is incumbent especially on the Superiors in the House. All that are About us, but cheefly all that are Vnder us, are by us to be drawn or driven to the Service of God. The Master of the Family is to see unto it, that every one un­der his Charge become the Servant of the Lord. And this because of such things as these.

REASON. I.

We should engage our Houses to the Service of God, out of Respect to God Himself. To the [Page 15] Householder it may well be said, For God [...]s sake look after thy House; For God's sake, Let there be God [...] Service [...] To speak particularly,

First, The Commandment of God calls for it. We have this Commandment often repeated unto us, That we should be careful about the In­struction and Conversion of them that we are charged with. Tis a Commandment inc [...]lcated in the Old Testament. We have in Deut. 6. 6, 7. The words which I command thee, th [...]u shalt diligently teach them unto thy Children. We have it again, in Psal. 78. 67. He commanded our fa­thers, that they should make known unto their Chil­dren, that these might set their hope in God, and keep his Commandments. We have it once more in Deut. 4. 9, 10. Gather the people, that they may learn to fear me, and that they may teach their Children. Tis a Commandment not unmention­ed in the New Testament also. We find in Eph. 6. 4. Ye Fathers, bring up your Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Behold, How many solemn Charges are laid upon us to do our part, that God may be served by all that are under our Inspection. God does Command us, to command them, thereabout.

Secondly▪ The Interest of God calls for it. Our Lord said unto a Peter, in Ioh. 21. 15. Lo­vest thou me?—Then Feed my Lambs. The like may be said unto a Master, If thou doest love God, then bring thy lambs to serve Him. [Page 16] To propagate Religion is to magnify and glori­fy the Lord. It is said in Prov. 14. 28. In the multitude of people is the Kings honour: as tis said of an earthly, so may it be said of the Heavenly King. Now if we cause our Houses to serve God in Conjunction with our selves, here­by we propagate Religion; yea, to many gene­rations. I remember, Solomon assigns this as one Cause, why he did well educate his own Chil­dren; twas because his father had so dealt with him; Saith he in Prov. 4. begin. Hear ye chil­dren the instruction of a father; for I was my father's son, and he taught me. Let us fix our children in the Service of God, and they will afterwards do do so by theirs. Thus the Lord will alwaies have A seed to serve him, which Will be accounted for a generation. Our Children, did I say? yea, our Servants too, may in like manner carry on a Suc­cession of Service to the Lord. It was the Com­mendation of Solomon, in 1. King. 10. 8. Hap­py are these thy servants, which hear thy wisdome. Now many ages after, we find the posterity of them Servants, retaining a savour of Devotion and Affection to the House of God.

REASON II.

We should engage our Houses to the Service of God, out of Respect to our Houses too. Tis said A righteous man regards the life of his beast. How much more will a righteous man regard the [Page 17] state of his House? We have two things also to be particularized here.

First, our Houses are miserable thro' us, if they do not serve God. It is hinted as a most extra­ordinary misery upon any person, in Prov. 5. 35. He shall dy without instruction. Fearful and woful will be the case of those in our Houses, whom our Instruction shall not endear the Service of God unto. Our Houses are starving, while our God is not serving in them. The Prophet said in Lam. 2. 11. Mine eyes do fail with tears, because the children swoon in the streets of the city; they say to their mothers, where is the corn? O doleful spectacle! But while our Children are strangers to God, there is a worse Famine in our Houses,; we suffer their Souls to pine and perish without the Bread of life. Yea, our Houses are Burning while our God is not Serving in them. What a terrible desolation was that on Sodom! in allusion to which, tis said of a wicked man, in Iob. 18. 15. Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation. Why, there is a dreadful storm of ardent Brimstone, ready to fall upon those Houses, where the Children are not bringing up for God; the Wrath of God, like an horrible Tempest of burning Brimstone is impending over them. What shall I say more? Our poor Children are enslaved unto Satan, un­til they come to be serving of God. If a Devil had a Bodily Possession of our Children, how [Page 18] impatient should we be to see them delivered? We should cry out like the Woman of Canaan, in Matth. 15. 22. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, my child is grievously vexed with a devil. But know, the Devil has a spiritual Possession of our Children, till they come to serve the Lord; the evil spirit, he takes them, he tears them, and they fome and pine, and are thrown into the wa­ter, and into the fire. O pitty them; if we are not more stupid than the Ostrich, pitty we our forlorn Houses, and let not the Service of God be wanting thro [...] any fault of ours.

Secondly▪ We are Accountable for our Houses, if they do not serve God. As the Daughter of Pharaoh said unto the Mother of Moses, in Exod. 2. 9. Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. Thus does the Lord say unto us; Take these children, take these young ones, and bring them up to serve me I will reward thee for it. The Apostle saies, of Ministers, They watch for souls, as they that must give an account; so it may be said of all House-keepers, They must give an account of the souls that belong unto their Families. Twas confessed by the Prophet in the Parable, 1. King. 20 39. Behold a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said, Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his. This, This is a thing cer­tainly to come to pass in the dreadful Day of God. Man, Thy life shall be for his life, who did [Page 19] not serve God, because thou didst not teach him, and Thy soul shall be for his soul, who is lost for ever, because thou didst not look after him. Iacob could say to his Uncle about his Lambs, That which was torn of Beast, of my hands didst thou require it. Behold, thou hast Lambs in thy Fold, Little ones in thy House; God will strain for it,—if wild beasts, and Lusts car­ry any of them away from the Service of God through any neglect of thine, thou shalt smart for it in the fiery prison of God's terrible Indig­nation. Wherefore, as Paul saies, O keep, so I say, O Save, that which is committed unto thy trust.

SECT VI.

IT is now Time that we make a due Application of these Faithful Sayings▪ And there is a double Exhortation which I have to manage.

The First Exhortation, is,

Let us all Resolve to engage OUR SELVES in the Service of God.

To Quicken you to it;

Consider seriously, Who your Fellow-servants are, when once you serve the Almighty God. O come in, and serve God, for shame; lest in the whole world, you have none but Devils to bear you company: And will you be of their side, of their sort? Rebellion truly is as the sin of Witchcraft, for this peice of Madness in it. All other Beings make a Surrender of themselves [Page 20] unto the Service of God; and it is said of the [...] in Psal. 119. 91. All are thy Servants. O do not you stand out. Hearken, ye immor­tal souls; You have the call of Christians to en­tice you into this happy Service. All the Emi­nent Believers of the By-past-Ages, the men, of whom the world was not worthy, all these do with one voice, and a loud one, urge this upon you; Come and serve our God, as we have done before you. Even Iames himself, the Kinsman of the Lord is ambitious rather of this Denomination The Servant of the Lord. And puissant Empe­rours before now, have gladly espoused, such a Title as that, The Vassals of the Lord. More than this, you have the Call of Angels to incite you thereunto. Those bright Morning stars ask this of you, Will you come and move in our Sphaere? They all are the servants of the Lord, and they do his pleasure. At his Beck they clap their silver wings, and they do his Commandments. An Angel said once to Iohn the Apostle, I am thy Fellow-Servant. That Angel is yet alive; & he makes the motion to every one of us, Wilt thou be my Fellow-Servant before the Lord? Yea, the SON of GOD Himself gives you this Call. Of Him saith our God, in Isa; 42. 1. Behold my Servant! Shall God say thus of Christ? and shall. He not say it of thee? O do not scorn to be the Servant of that GOD, who has for a Servant, Him whom all the Third [Page 21] Heaven is with endless Raptures adoring of.

Consider, yet again, What your Service is, while you serve the Almighty God. No Service was ever so delightsome as this? tis, All peace, and perfect peace. No Service was ever fo profita­ble; it brings in those things, The gain whereof is better than fine Gold; you shall be sure to ex­periment the Truth of that Maxim, God is a Rewarder. No Service was ever so Honourable. It prefers us to be Favourites of a greater Mon­arch than he that had an hundred and seven and Twenty Provinces under him. A Service do we count it? No, tis a Freedom. We are Lords, when we are The Lord's; Then, as he said, su­mus Domini, is true, not only in Genitivo singula­ri, but in Nominativo plurali. It is a Freedom, Yea, tis a Kingdom. It gives us to sing, Lord, Thou hast made us Kings and Priests. It has been well said, Deo servire est regnare. We have Crowns on our heads, all the while we are in the Service of God; but how massy, how weighty will they be grown when our Pay-day comes! Every Servant of God may now say, as in 2. Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righ­teousness. But Then, Then, we shall ascend those glittering and glorious Thrones, which Eye hath not seen; on them we shall be ever with the Lord.

Consider, finally, (and let me warn you faith­fully). If you do not Resolve to serve God, it [Page 22] had been good for you, that you never had been born. All that forsake the Service of God, are employ'd in another Service, which every soul may tremble at the Description of; 'tis a Service to those hellish Tigres in Eph. 22. The course of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and the lust of the flesh. You cast off the Service of One; but you incurr a Bondage to three: let Horror sieze thee, O man, and let thy ears tingle, at the inti­mations of it. The World, the Flesh, & the De­vil are thy Lords, if God have not Service from thee. All the Galleys in the Mediterranean Sea, cannot shew a more dismal Vassalage! And what will the Issue of that Service be? Truly, The Wages—is Death. God will not save you, if you do not serve Him. You that now grind for the Phili [...]ines of Hell every day, must one day be requited with only Coals and Wounds, for all your fatal Dr [...]dgeries; and though you then roar, Lord, pitty me! He will reply with a furi­ous Rebuke, Depart, I know you not.

Let me then address you in the Words of Ioshua; Choose now, whom you will Serve. Come, speak up; come to some Resolution. Say, Will you serve the cursed and cruel Ene­mies of your Souls? or will you serve the GOD Whom it is good for you to draw near unto? O make this Return, Lord, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.

SECT. VII.

YOu have been told Why; now here How, you are to become, The Servants of God. There are diverse Counsils to be given hereabout.

The First COUNSIL.

Renounce and Forsake the Service of those I­dols which you have heretofore been enslaved unto. We must, as Ioshua here assures us, we must put away other gods, if we we would serve the Lord. Our Lord has admonished us, in Matth. 6. 24. Ye cannot [...]erve God and Mammon. Even so, Ye cannot serve God and Satan. And again, Ye cannot serve God and Sin. The Holy God may say of you as of them, long since, Ye have ser­ved strange gods. But, O do you now say to Him, as they in Isal. 21. 13. O Lord, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but we will no [...] ▪ be for Thee alone. Become weary of your Cap­tivity under those Task-masters which have hi­ther to been torturing your souls. There are two sorts of Tyrants that every unregenerate man is a Servant unto; his Tempers, and his Tempters. Let the Tempers within us, no more cause us to toil, and run, and sweat, for the gratifying of them. Let the Tempters without us, no more hurry us too & fro that their Humours may be pleased. Souls, I give you no bad counsil, when I propound this; and I do propound it, O, Run away from your old masters. Come away poor souls, come away from the land of your Captivity. [Page 24] Look upon the grim face of the Patroons und [...]r which you groan; say to them all, Farewel, you malicious, you bloudy, you for did Masters, Farewel; We hope you shall never have any of our Service more. O look upon the Calamities of your Service under your invisible Adversaries, and say, Tis enough! Say, The time past may suffice! Thus, Take ye the Wings of a Dove, and flee away.

The Second Counsil.

Bind your selves unto the Service of God by a Covenant never to be Forgotten. It was the good Counsil of Hez [...]k [...]ah, in 2. Chron. 30. 8. Yeild yourselves unto the Lord. In the Hebrew O­riginal tis, Give the Hand unto the Lord. The giving of the Hand was a Rite in the making of a Covenant Men and Brethren, Look Zion­ [...]ards, I beseech you; and say now, I will join my self to the Lord in a perpetual COVENANT. Think on the Service which God is to have of you, and be able then to declare, as in Psal. 119. 110. I have sworn it, and I will perform it. Make a solemn Covenant, that you will be the Lord's. Yea, a Written, a Formal, a subscri­bed Covenant for it, has by some been advised and practised. Written and Formal Indentures are made between man and man; Why should not there be so between God and man? when a Service is to be Entred into. Especially, since tis said, in [...]sai, 44. 5. A man shall sub­scribe [Page 25] with his hand unto the Lord?

In a Sacred Covenant say,

I Renounce all the Vanities and Idols of this World.

I Engage that I will cleave unto the Lord Ie­hovah, as my Best Good, and my Last End; pro­mising to live upon Him, and unto Him, hoping are long to live with Him for ever.

I Engage, That I will cleave unto the Lord Iesus, as my Prophet, and my Priest, and my King; Promising to acknowledge Him as the Author of all my Salvation.

I Engage, That I will ever study what is my Duty in these things; and wherein I find my self to fall short, I will ever count it my Grief, my Shame, and for pardon betake my self to the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant.

All this I Engage, humbly imploring the Grace of the Mediator to be sufficient for me.

It would hurt no Godly man, to set his Name with Hand and Heart to such an Instrument; af­terwards frequently Reflecting on it, frequent­ly Renewing of it. However, let every man this Day, make this Confession, in Psal. 116. 16. O Lord, truly I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant.

The Third Rule.

And now demean your selves in all things as the Servants of God ought to do.

[Page 26] There is a Four-sold Concernment that will now lye upon you.

First. Be studious to know what Service God calleth for. Ly at His Feet, and say as Paul of old, Lord, What wouldest thou have me to do? or like Samuel once, Speak Lord, for thy servant hear­eth. Be daily Reading of the Word, be daily Thinking on the Word: upon every opportunity say, I will hear what God the Lord will say. To all, add That, as your daily Petition unto God; in Psal. 119. 115. I am thy servant, O Lord; give me understandeng that I may know thy testimo­nies.

Secondly, Be ready to Do what Service God calleth for. Never object, never cavil against any of Gods Commands; never dispute any thing that He requires; but own, 'Tis all holy, and just, and Good. Be not more undutiful unto God, than the servants of the Centurion were to him, If He say, Go, then go; if He say Come, then come; if He say, Do this, then do it, without any Grumbling at it. Say not, I won't, altho there be Hard Sayings pressed upon thee. Albeit God may enjoin this, Pluck out thy right eye, cut off thy right hand; and albeit the Injunction of God may be; Take up thy Cross; yet Comply, yet, Conform, without any Reluctancies; and say with him in Psal. 119. 128. O Lord, I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things, to be right.

Thirdly. Be greatly Contriving how to be [Page 27] most serviceable unto God. Ponder well, What you are, What you have, What you can; and Ponder how all may be improved in the Service of the Lord. Thus be Zealous of good Works. Never be satisfied unless you can say, I am at work for God. Let even your Eating, your I [...] ­ding, your Visiting, be done as a Service for the Lord; and let your Time, your Strength, your Estates, all the Powers of your Spirits, and all the Members of your bodies, be ingeniously la [...] out in that Service. Often ask your own souls, What is there that I may do for God? Even court, and hunt Advantages to be serviceable; Say like the Prophet, in Isa 6. 8. Say Lord, if [...] hast any Service to be done; here I [...] me.

Fourthly. Be sweetly Contented with all the Allowances of the Lord. Iohn Bapi [...]st gave this Counsel to the servants in the Roman Ga [...]sons, Luc. 3. 14. Be content with your Wages. The Servants in God's Houshold, ha [...]e the same Coun­sel, in Heb 13 5 Be content [...] as you have. Tho you should have but [...]hort Commons, and straw lodgings in the world; tho you should be without many Flesh [...]leasing Curiosities and Conveniencies, let this quiet you, I am a Servant. Don't complain of the Lord, as the slothful and wicked servant once, He is [...] hard Master. Let your Wills be moulded and melted into His; and cheerfully leave Him to judge, What may be Food convenient for you. [Page 82] Count that you have enough, when God saies, you shall have no more; and alwaies have a good Opinion of Gods Disposals. Learn Pauls Lesson, In whatever state to be content. It is not for Beg­gars, nor Servants to be Choosers.

This, This tis to be a Servant of the Lord. Blessed is the servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing.

SECT. VIII.

BUt This is not all that we have to do. We have Houses too that we ought to be con­cerned for. Wherefore,

The Second Exhortation, is

Let us also study to Engage OUR HOUSES in the Service of God.

It is the property of every Good man to de­sire Company in the Service of the Lord. O that we might have the Company of all that belong to our Houses in it! But

What shall we do?

In short, Would we truly say with Ioshua, My House shall serve the Lord? We must then Do like Iesus. Iesus the blessed Name-sake, and Antitype of Ioshuah, hath a Three-fold Of­ffice; that of a Priest, a Prophet, and a King. In His lesser Family of Disciples once, in His greater Family of Believers alwaies, we find Him so. Every Householder should be all of this in his own Family Each man pretends to he a King in his own house; he should there [Page 29] be a Priest, and a Prophet too. There are Three great Cares lying upon us in our Families; there is Family -Prayer, and Family -Instruction, and Family -Government. Tis by the Discharge of these three things, that we engage our Houses to serve the Lord.

Family-PRAYER.
SECT. IX.

FIrst, then. Let Family-Prayer be maintained in our Houses, that they may serve the Lord. My Neighbours, I have told you often, and I now tell you weeping, That it will be a sad thing, if so much as one Prayerless-Family be found a­mong you all. The owners of that House will never be able to stand or live in the fiery day of of God's pleading with him. You have been Warned and Warned full many a time, that if your Houses be not Warmed with your Prayers, the fierce Wrath of God abideth on them; and I hope, none of you will venture to meet me at the Bar of the Lord Jesus, with the fearful heavy guilt of this Omission upon your souls. The very Turks themselves at this day uphold a Family-Worship among themselves; God for­bid that any styled Christians here should be worse than they.

SECT. X.

THe Method in which I shall treat with you here about, shallbe,

[Page] I. To offer some Directions about Family-Prayer.

The First Rule.

Let all Persons that should attend Family-prayer, count themselves concernd to Pray without [...]easing. Eve [...]y Master of an House, is to carry on the Pr [...]yer in it. That man is not fit to have a [...] H [...]use, that cannot make a Prayer. But if the Ma [...]ter be absent? Then the Mistress is to see [...]till that Prayer be not wanting. It seems af­fi [...]med of E [...]ther, a Woman, in Cap. 4. 16. That she Pray'd with her Maidens. There should not be one Prayer the less in a Family, because [...] is become the Ruler there: No, the L [...]sses of a Family, should increase the Prayers of it. And let the Master of a Ship, remember, That the Sailers are his Family. He should pray with them aboard, every day while they are at Sea together. You that see the Wonders of God together, should together sing the Praises of God, and together beg the Mercies of God. Methinks, the poor Sea-men, should be the best [...] in the world. With what face can you pray in a Storm, if you do not also pray in a C [...]lm? Now Master, tis your Work, tis part of your Order▪ from your great Own [...]r to see that this [...]e done [...] all Mariners call upon their Ma­ster, as thos [...] Mar [...]ners did upon the Passinger in, [...] 1▪ 6 Ar [...]e, [...] God, that we perish [...] ▪ Let the Master of [...] School also▪ Remem­ber, [Page] That the Scholars are his Family; He should pray with them, and bless them in the Name of the Highest. God provides Angels. and will not you afford Prayers for the safety of those little ones? We read of some in Mark. 10. 13. who brought young children unto the Lord Iesus Christ: The Children that are brought to you, by Parents or Guardians, these are by you to be brought unto the Lord Jesus, that He would lay His Blessing and saving hands upon them. Yea, the Captain of a Train'd Band, is to esteem the Souldiers as his Family. That good Captain Cornelius, could s [...]y, in Act. 10. 30. I prayed in my House. As for those that will not pray in the Field, tis to be questioned, whether they will Fight there. Trainings with­out Prayings are like to degenerate into meer Debaucheries. The Prayeres [...] Captain gives a ve­ry dangerous and desperate Word of Command when he saies, Follow your Leader. Briefly, All Superiors generally have a Family in the Kind of their Superiority, which they are to attend Pray­ers withal.

The Second Rule.

Let all the Matters that would hinder Family-Prayer be put far from our Taberna [...]les. There are diverse Impediments of our family-Prayers, [...]hi [...]h [...]e are to be Cautioned against. As now, Let not family- Iarrs hinder family-Prayers▪ The Apos [...] [...]aith to them that are in [...] C [...]njogal Re­ [...]lation, [Page] that they should be meek, tender, lov­ [...]ng; for this cause in 1. Pet. 3. 7. That your Pray­ers be not hindred. if Peace be gone from a fa­mily, then Prayer is gone. How can Scolding, and it may be Striking too, agree with Praying▪ in which we are to lift up pure [...]ands, without wrath? Again, Let not family- Scabs hinder family-Prayers. Bad-Members in a family, often cause that there are no Prayers in it. Many men will not pray, because others will scoff and flout. But let your Houses have no such In-mates, no such Ishmaels in them. It is recorded of Elisha, in 2 King. 4. 33. he would not have a servant with him, which he could not pray withal. If any profane, graceless, Despisers of Prayer, would impose themselves upon us, let us then say to them, Depart ye workers of iniquity. for I will call upon the Lord. Once more,

Let not Family-Prayers be hindred by unsuitable Times. The earlier we dispatch them, the easier. We should not ordinarily let Business royl us in the Morning, nor [...]ro [...]siness drown us in the Evening, before Family Prayer be over. As To every purpose, [...] thus to every Prayer there is a time and judgment; and a wise mans heart will discern it.

The Third Rule.

Be frequent enough, and yet very serious in your family- Prayers. Very shameful is their neg­lect, who have Prayers in their Families but once a [Page] day. The Apostle saith in Col. 4. 2. Masters▪ continue in prayer; he speaks with a manifest Al­lusion to the daily Offering under the Law of old; which was both morning and evening. We should have Morning-Prayers, and Evening-Prayers, correspondent unto the daily Sacrifice. And hence, because the Sacrifice was doubled on the Sabbath, I have known some pious people, pray four times every Lords-Day with their Fa­milies. Be sure, Twice a day is ordinarily the seldomest and slenderest Repetition that our Fa­mily-prayers are to have.

O but we should therein stir up our selves to take hold on God. When you keel before the Lord, you should not be rash, hasty, sudden in it; you should not be sleig [...]ty in this great Excercise of of Religion. Before we pray, we should think, Think seriously, To WHOM am I to pray? and For What am I to Pray? and How soon may I dye, and my praying seasons all be over? And before we pray, we should Read. Read seriously something of the Things which are commanded you of God. The Scriptures are to ac­company our prayers. Tis said▪ They are to dwell with us. The Bible is to be one of the House, When we betake our selves to our P [...]ayers, we should not let the Bible say, I should have been as one of the Family; pray, why was not I called in?

The Fourth Rule.

Let not your Family-prayers be your only [Page] prayers▪ Understand, that Se [...]ret Prayers, [...]s [...]ll as private Prayers, are to be performed by [...]s all. For this, the word of our Lord is very positive, in Matth. 6. 6. When thou prayest, en­ter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret. Tis a great fondness and folly in any of us, if private prayer cause us to lay aside secret prayer. No, There is Closet-Prayer as well as Parlour-Pray­er which we ought to labour in. I would say, as our Lord in another case, One you ought to do; & not leave the other undone. We have special Trans­ [...]iss [...]ns to be confessed in our prayers; these are [...] to be confessed. To divulge a secret [...], is to add a further sin, Our secret sins, do call for our secre [...] Prayers. We have special Temp­ [...]s to be bewailed in our prayers; and these [...] sec [...]etly to be bewailed. Our Desires are some­times to be too secret for our Neighbours. Our secret Griefs and our secret Fears call for our se­cret Prayers. And as one of the Ancients ele­gantly expresses it, Invisible prayers are to be of­ten made to an invisible God. Secret prayer is one good sign of a gracious heart. Let the Lord oft see you like Nathanael at secret prayer under the [...], and He will say, Behold an Israelite i [...] ­deed! Would you get Internal Blessings? then pray in secret. Solomon got his Widom, his Ver­tue, by secret prayer. Peter by secret prayer in [...] car [...]ied with Tran [...]es and Rap­tures [Page] into the other world. Would you get External Blessings? Then pray in secret. H [...] ­nah with secre [...] prayer asked one Son, and had six. Iacob had all his House preserved by secret prayer. Yea, Would you be General Blessings? Pray then in [...]c [...]et. Moses by secret prayer divert­ed wrath & plagues from all the Congregation. That infamous Apostate Iulian, was killed by the secret prayer of a good man, at that hour very far distant from him▪ What shall I say? No Supe sedeas, no Diversion should ever be given to your secret prayers.

Moreover, besides your Prayers with all the Family, you may do well sometimes to Re [...]r [...] unto prayers with this or that particular person in it. Some do so translate that passage in Gen▪ 25. 21. Isaac entrea [...]ed the Lord with his wife. It were but a discreet and a decent practice, fo [...] married persons to [...] likewise. Thus, holy P [...] ­rents, have often taken their Children, one by one alone; and there pray'd and wept, and pour'd out their souls, over the poor lambs in secret places before the Lord. Thus are we to do, Thus to pray.

SECT. XI.

BUt the Sluggard will pretend, A Lion in th [...] way. Wherefore I pass on,

II. To Remove some Obje [...]ctions against Family-Prayer.

A Threefold want is plead [...]d by many, to [...] ­cuse [Page] their Prayerless Conversation with; a Want of Time, a Want of Confidence, and a Want of Vtterance.

The First Excuse.

One man doth so Excuse himself. I want Time for Family-prayer; especially in a Morning, I can't spare the Time.

This is a most horrrid and wicked Excuse. Thou Madman, From Whom hast thou all thy Time? All thy Time is given by God, and shall None of thy Time be given to God? What, No Time to pray with thy Family? God [...]uowes thou canst find time to eat with thy fa­mily, time to sleep with thy family, perhaps, time to smoke with thy family; and no Time to pray with [...]em? Once more,

What is it that does engross thy Time, and put by thy Prayer? Tis the World, the World! And is that such a Portion indeed, as to bespeak thy Contempt of an Eternal GOD, and of an immortal Soul, in the pursuance of it. Thou shalt quickly take an everlasting Farewel of all this World; This World will not stand thee in any stead ere long, when thy Soul, thy Soul shall [...]e trembling on thy cold lips, just ready (as the Atheist said) to [...]ake a great leap in the Dark. Yea, That very Day, wherein thou goest a­broad without thy Family Prayers, may prove [Page] the very Day, wherein an Angry God may say▪ This day shall thy soul be required of thee. And what a phrensy is this? To be extreme busy & earnest about the trifles of this world, while a precious never-dying soul is unprovided for? I wish that all Prayerless Houses, had this Admoni­tion engraved on their walls, What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Could you see it engraved on those walls, with an Hand writing, like what Belshaz­zer saw of old it would no doubt amaze and startle you. Look into these leaves, and see i [...] ▪ with a sharp Style engraven here! Besides. Fa­mily Prayers are no real prejudice to Saecular Af­fairs. They should not be Long, Tedious, Bur­densome; and they'le hinder no Iourney, no con­cern; all will prosper the better for them. In short, God will find an Eternity to Damn the man that cannot find a Time to Pray.

The Second Excuse.

Another man doth so excuse himself, I wa [...] Confidence for Family prayer; I would pray, but I am Asham'd.

This Excuse is little beter. To be ashamed of Prayer is to be ashamed of Christ: And it is the plain Word of our Lord JESUS in▪ [Page] Marc 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed. O direful Doom! Will not such a smart Thun­der clap, cause [...]hee and th [...] Famil [...] to fall down [...]pon their knees? Never be ash [...]m [...]d of Pray­ [...]r but be asham [...]d of sin; tis a [...] to live with­out prayer. If you have any Scoffers in your Houses, whom tis not fi [...] you should pray before, then do as Abraham did; e'en, [...]urn [...]em out of the doors. Better Turn them out, than Turn Go [...] out. They that use not Family-prayer, say to the Almighty, Depart from us.

The Third Excu [...]e.

But the Excuse of some is, I want Utterance for Family-prayer. I would pray, but I am not gif­ted for it. I cannot pray. To this I answer, we often say, I cannot, when I will not, is the Bottom of it. Suppose, a sevcre p [...]nal [...]y were by the Magistrate laid upon every prayerless Family. Daniel, because he would pray with his Family was thrown to the Lions for it. Suppose a ligh­ter punishm [...]nt far away were to be inflicted on all them who do not pray in their Family; Suppose a God, or a Fine were inflicted on you for it: Would you then continue Prayerless? Behold, the great God has by the Statute Lawes of Heaven, ordeined that a Prayerless Family sahll have all manner of Calamities inflicted on it; The Lions, the Devils of the pit below, shall devour the un­happy Master of such a Family. And will not [Page] this make you pray? Besides, When you find that you Want things, then you don't wan [...] Words; the poor man does not want words; when he is to Ask Alms. O sit down and look upon the the Wants & Woes of your poo [...] Family, you cannot then but have something to say for them. And what tho you cannot pray Quaintly? Yet you may pray Gracio [...]sly, and pray Acceptably. Florid▪ Elegant Orations in your Prayers, God expect­eth not; a few humble; penitent, broken-hearted Groans, are of more account with Him▪ Tho you Chatter like a Crane or a Swallows, [...] once Hezekiah did yet the success may be won­derful and glorious. What shall I say? Moses was unwilling to do what God bade, on this ve­ry Score in Exod. 4. 10. I am not Eloquent [...] But the reply of God was, Go, and I will teech thee what thou shalt say. O that you would make a Tryal of it. Friend, By'nd by Call thy Fa­mily together; Tell them, That you must not let them remain prayerless any longer, lest the Wrath of God break out upon them. So Fall down before the Lord among them all, and pray as well as God shall enable thee: go, I am veri­ly perswaded, God will teach thee what thou shalt say, I am sure, thou wilt never have cause to Repent of the Attempt.

SECT. XII.

YOu have not so much as a shadow of Reason to render, why you should not pray with [Page] your Families; Let me now a little repre [...] why you should; for I am

III. To propound some Incentives unto Family-Prayer.

And there are cheef [...]y Two Considerations which I have to set before you.

Consider, First, the Direful & grievous Curses which prayerless Families are exposed unto. Such Families, they are the very Suburbs of H [...] it self. A Prison, A Dungeon, is to be chosen before a Living in them. There is a Words▪ a [...] awfull Word, which a Prophet of God ha [...] written in a certain place; Methinks, that Word [...] like a Thunderbolt of Death upon the Fami­lies, in which God is not prayed unto [...] tis Written in ler. 10. 25. O Lord—pour out [...]hy fury on the beathe [...], which know thee not; on the Families which call not on thy name. Strikes it no [...] cold unto the heart of the Reader? Man▪ These are the Treful and the direful words of the Lord Tesus Christ himself: He counts thy Prayerless Family no better than a Pagan Family. And now, he speaks not as an Advocate for thy poor Family; He saies not, Lord, vouchs [...]se thy▪ [...]itty, and thy pardon to that Family; But He saies, Lord, pour out thy fury upon that family▪ because it calls not on thy Name. Alas, have yo [...] no more Kindness for your Families, than to lay them open to the Fury of a great and a terri­ble GOD? cruel people, that you are. We [Page] read in Zech. 5. begin. about a Flying Roll, Twenty Cubits long, Ten Cubits broad, entring into these and those Houses, to consume them. I am to tell you, That Prayerless Houses are to feel the force of this Flying Roll. An huge Roll of Curses belongs to that House in which Prayer is not upheld. The Curse of God is the Sauce in every Dish, the Curse of God is the Cover to every Bed, in that lamentable Family. Houses molested with Devils, are not more miserable than Houses destitute of Prayers. I have seen it in an house, where the Devils have had Possessi­on of a Child, that when Family-Prayer began, the Devils would make hideous Roarings and Noises in the Room, as being under a Vexation thereat, which was intolerable to them. Truly, The Devils have no Disturbance in Houses where Family-prayers is not maintained; prayerless houses are haunted houses, and the Fiends of Darkness reign, and ramp, there without Contro [...]l. In­deed, Prayerless Families, are not only the Ca­ges, but also the Causes of all Impiety. They bring an Irresistible Deluge of Disorder upon all the Town and Land; and cause all the Countrey to swarm with the workers of iniquity who call not upon the Lord. And as the prayer­less Householder is now cursed by God, so he will one day be cursed by all his House; he brings curses on them, and they will spend curses on him, in the Day of Vengeance. In the ever­burning [Page] lake, they will curse the day that ever they saw thy prayerless house, and, That House brought me to this Hell! This, this will be their Cry world without End.

Consider, next, the marvellous Blessings which belong to all Praying Families. It was noted a­bout the Family of Obed-Edom,in 1. Sam 6. 11. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his househould, while the Ark of the Lord was there. So shall it be noted about the Family of a praying House­holder; The Lord will bless that man and his Household, while that Prayer to the Lord is there. Family-prayers, are conjoined prayers, and united prayers; thus they become very successful pray­ers. What Encouragement is there given to them, in that promise, Matth. 18. 19. If two of you shall agree on earth, touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them. O let your Families Agree in the Asking of grace, in the Asking of glory, in the Asking of every good thing; Prayer in Confort, will obtain it all. When Cornelius was at his Family-prayer, what a signal favour did the Almighty God show unto him? Some while since, a whole Town in Swit­zerland was very suddenly destroyed by an Earth-quake, all except one peice of an house, in which a good man happned then to be at Prayer with his Family. Tis impossible to tell, O how great is the goodness which God has laid up for Houses that seek unto Him! But besides all the [Page] other comforts of a praying Householder, he has This peculiar to him, He teacheth all his Family to. A praying Parent will have praying chil­dren. David prayed in his Family, and his Son Solomon prov'd a praying young man. A praying Master will have praying Servants. A­braham pray'd in his Family, and his Man Elie­zer became a very praying person. Thus, O man, all thy young people, will be filling every corner of thy house with Prayers for thy Felicity.

O consider of these things; and such let the Impression of them upon you be; That you may by Prayers with your Families Engage your Houses to serve the Lord.

SECT. XIII.

THere are two Things more, by the Dis­charge of which, we Engage our Hoxses to serve the Lord; and those Two are in a man­ner One

Family-Instruction; and Family-Government.

I link these together, because of their near Dependance and Agreement in their Exercise. This therefore is the Address now to be made unto us,

Let Family-Instruction and so Family-Govern­ment be maintained in our Houses, that they may serve the Lord.

Let there be no un [...]aught and unrul'd Families [Page 44] among us; but let us be careful about the Edu­cation of such as belong to our Families. I be­seech you, let there be a difference between En­glish Houses and Indian Wigwams in the middest of us, and let not English Parents be as indul­gent and negligent as they report the Indians are. And give me leave to say, You that are Mothers have a special Advantage to instil the Fear of God into the souls of them that sit upon your knees. Tis said in Prov. 1. 8. My son, forsake not the law of thy Mother. Solomon was well instructed by his Mother, and it proved his eternal Benefit. Tis not for Nothing, that in the Sacred Records, when men have proved good or bad, it is noted, Their Mothers were such and such. You that are Mothers may insi­ [...]uate Religion into your Children earlier and easier than their Fathers can.

SECT. XIV.

I shall Repeat the Method, which we were in before; and under Family-Instruction take in that Family-Government which you are to be studious of. I am

I. To offer some Directions about Family-Instruction.

The Directions to be given hereabout, may [...]e referr'd unto two Heads.

First, The Matter of Family Instruction.

The Family-Instruction, with which we urge [Page 45] our houses to the Service of God, are to have [...] less than Four things composing of it.

First, There are Holy Lessons, with which we are to Instruct our Families. We are to make them hear, and make them learn those Lessons, which may give to the young ones Knowledge and Discretion. Teach them the Scriptures of Truth. Twas said to Timothy, in Cap. 3. 15. From a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures; No doubt, his Godly Mother and Grandmother were the cause of his doing so. We should procure that our Young ones may read the holy Scriptures, and mind the holy Scriptures, and know the holy Scriptures, even from a Child. Let them have by heart, here and there a Verse, or a Para­graph; Especially in the Psalms and in the Pro­verbs: if you would have them good, teach them the Psalmes of David; if you would have them wise, teach them the Proverbs of Solomon. And Scripture [...] Stories are to be told unto them, as soon as ever they enquire after new things and strange.

But while we do thus, we are also to teach them the Doctrines of God. Inculcate upon them the Principles of Religion, as often as you do the Knife on the Stone in the Whe [...]ting of it. Twas said unto the Lord Jesus, in Matth. 22. 16. Master, Thou [...]e [...]chest the way of God in Truth. Every M [...]ster should render his young ones able to say that unto himself, Master, Thou [Page] teachest the Truth of God. Especially, We should be sure that they be not ignorant of any Saving Truths. Tell them, What they are come to by the First Adam, and what they may come to by the Second Adam. Tell them what Covenant man was once, and What Covenant man is now to be saved by. Yea, let none of the Things to be believed, none of the Things to be practised, none of the Things to be pray'd for▪ be left unmentioned in your Instructions. All the Lessons of the Creed, the Commandments, and the Lords Prayer are to be laid before them. And we are to be particularly faithful to them, in the present Truths; the labouring Truths, the witnessed Truths of the Times, we should see ou [...] young ones well informed in. Give them at this day to be sensible, who is the Supreme Head, and King of the Church, and what Orders He has appointed to be observed there.

Secondly. There are ferious Questions with which we are to Instruct our Families. And there are peculiarly Two Things which we are to question our young ones about.

Some Questions we are to put unto them, First, Which Concern their Souls.

And here, yet further to particularize, We are to try them with Questions about their Vnder­standing. Our Lord Jesus asked his Disciples, in Matth. 13. 51. Have ye understood all these things? Thus are we to ask our young people, [Page] Do you understand the great Mystery of Godliness [...] O keep up the great Ordinance of Catechising in your houses. Before your little Folks have left off living upon Milk, let them be so well vers­ed in their Milk for Babes, that they may readi­ly answer any Question there. The Echoes of this Exercise, are a most refreshing Melody in the ears of God himself. Ask we our young ones, What they think of God, and of Christ, and of Themselves; and let them be able to re­found the Words of Truth.

We are to search them also with Questions a­bout their Experience. As our Lord asked His Family, in Joh. 16. 31. Do ye now believe? So should we ask our young people, Have you Experieneed a work of Regeneration in your souls? Ask them, Have you ever yet carried a labouring and heavy-laden soul unto the Lord Iesus Christ? It was the Advice of Wisdom, Know the state of thy Flocks. Thus, we should endeavour to Know the state of the Souls which we are to be concern­ed for; to know whether they are in a Natural, or a Renewed state.

Once more, We are to help them with Quest­ions about their Temptations. It was a Question once given to some, in Luc. 24. 38. Why do Thoughts arise in your hearts? Even so we should Enquire of our young people, What Thoughts are you most troubled with? Enquire, what Fears, enquire what Snares they are most endangered [Page 48] by. Be alwaies jealous, lest as the serpent beguil­ed Eve, so their minds be corrupted. Moreover Some Questions we are to put upon them, Se­condly, which concern their Lives. It was once an Interrogatory which some were put un­to, in Luc. 23. 17. What manner of communi­cations have ye? Thus we are to Examine our young people about the Words and the Works, that fill their Lives. There are especially three things which they should be Examined about; their Prayer, their Time, and their Company; Ask them, whether they live without Prayer or no? Whether in Prayer they secretly and sin­cerely pour out their souls before the Lord? Ask them, How they spend their Time? How much Idle Time, and how much useful Time, they allow unto themselves? And ask them, What their Company is? Whom they sit withal? Whether vain Persons and Fools, or the Saints which are the excellent, and all those that fear God? Our Question will prove their Safeguard, if it be well administred.

Thirdly, There are faithful Reproofs with which we are to Instruct our Families. Tis said in Prov. 6. 33. The Reproofs of Instruction are the way of life. When we give Instruction, we shall have occasion to give Reproof, too often with it. There is no Family that has not Miscarri­ages that are to be reproved in it. Young peo­ple too commonly are wild people; and with­out [Page 49] some Castigations they will rarely be kept in order. To some of them smart Wor [...]s, to others of them smart Blowes, will be too of­ten due. Tis said in Prov. 13. 24. He that spareth his Rod hateth his s [...]n; but he that loveth him, chastens him betimes. Frowns are due to all, and Rods to some Transgressors in the Family. But there are two Negative and two Positive Rules to be minded in Reproving of them.

The Negative Rules are these two.

First, Reprove not Furiously. It is said in Iam. 1. 20. The wrath of man, worketh not the righ­teousness of God. Remember, Nothing will be so well done in a passion, but what may be done better out of it. If you are to chide, yet chide not in a Fury. Do not call vile Names; much more, do not swear, do not curse, do not Rage with a Tongue set on fire of hell. If you are to smi [...]e, yet smite not in a Fury. Bloody, wound­ing, outragious Buffettings are to be avoided; lest there be cause to say of you, Curs­ed is their Anger for it is fierce, and their Wrath for it is cruel.

Secondly Reprove not for ever. Tis said in Ps. 103. 9. God will not alwaies chide, neither will He keep his anger for ever. To be alwaies finding faults, is the way never to be curing them. A perpetual Warngling is a continual Dropping, which there is no enduring of; it prejudices the minds of them that feel it, against all that shall [Page 52] be said unto them.

The Positive Rules are these Two.

First Reprove Reasonably. Let there be just Cause for it. When you reprove, it must be for a true cause. As it was said of our Saviour in Isai. 11. 3. He shall not reprove after the hear­ing of His ears. Thus, we may not go by meer Hear-say, when we reprove those that are under us. And it must be for a great Cause. Tis said of the Spirit in Io [...]. 16. 8. He will reprove the world for SIN. The sinful thing, the thing for which the wrath of God comes, the thing which the soul of the Lord hates, this we are to reprove. We must not throw away Reproofs upon Nothing, or upon Every thing.

Secondly, Reprove Scripturally. Tis said in 2. Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is profitable for Re­proof. A Reproof with a Scripture comes with a more than ordinary Majesty and Authority. When we Reprove those that are under us, First, make them read a Text which does Con­demn what we would rebuke, and then set it home with a very warm lively vigorous Appli­cation.

Fourthly, There are solemn Charges with which we are to Instruct our Families. It was the Character which the Lord gives of Abraham, in Gen. 18. 19. I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. O that this might [Page] be said of every Householder here; I know him, that he will take all of his house, one by one, and Charge every one of them to keep the way of the Lord! What saies the Apostle, in i [...] Thes 2. 11. We charged every one of you, as a father his children. We should call aside our young people, and lay upon them, the Charge of Da­vid, in 1. Chron. 28. 9. My son, know thou the God of thy Father, and Serve Him with a per­fect Heart and a willing mind; for the Lord search­eth all Hearts▪ if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee, if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever.

Charge them; and this especially about four Things. Lay upon them that Charge of God in 1. Joh. 3. 23. This is His Commandment, that you believe on the Name of his Son. Charge them to accept of Christ Jesus, as their Prince and their Saviour; Charge them to repair unto Christ Jesus for Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctifica­tion, and Redemption. Lay also upon them that Charge of God, in Mat. 6. 6. Enter into thy Clo­set and pray to thy Father in secret. Charge them to Retire for their Devotions every day; Charge them to let not a day pass them, without Crying to God for His Mercy, and Pardon, and Salva­tion. Once more, Lay upon them that Charge of God, in Prov. 1. 10. My son, if Sinners en­tice thee, consent thou not, Charge them, that they be not the Companions of Fools; Charge [Page 52] them that they do not associate themselves into an Intimacy and a Familiarity with any but such as may be sober, discreet, blameless persons. Finally, Lay upon them that Charge of God in Hag. 1. 5. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consi­der your waies. Charge them, that they Con­sider what their present Condition is, and what their future Condition is like to be; Charge them, that they consider of their past Behaviours, and of the Death, and Iudgment, and Eternity which is yet before them. A young man has be­come a real Convert by being obliged unto Con­sideration for one Quarter of an Hour in a Day. Wish for them, say to them, Oh that they were wise, that they would Consider! In a word, Let your Charge on them, be that, which Holy Bolton gave to his Children, when he dyed, I charge you, that at the Day of Iudgement, none of you dare to meet me in an Unregenerate estate.

Secondly. The Manner of Family-Instruction.

Tis to be performed in such a Manner, as may best Attain the Ends of it. Particularly.

First, We are to Instruct our Families very Seasonably. We are told in Matth, 24. 45. The Ruler over the Household is to give them their meat in due Season. There lies much in the Time we take for the Work. We should indeed have our Frequent Times, to do it: We should speak what may be for the Instruction of our Families, [Page 53] every day, and often in a day; and on various occasions be dropping our savoury Admonitions. Even when we sit at the Table, we should rare­ly Rise without feeding the Minds, as well as the Mouthes of our Attendents. Much more at the H [...]urs of Prayer, we should do something that may make them more acquainted with Divine Objects then they were before. But we should likewise have our Stated Times to do it. Especially Sacred Time will be very proper­ly a Stated Time for it. On the Dayes of the Lord, we should instruct our Houses in the Things of the Lord; that were infinitely better than to be Sleeping or Talking at an idle rate, as then too many do.

But about the Stated Time for Family-Instructi­on, there is a double Discretion to be used. It is to be dispatched in a Quiet Time, in a Time when there is no Disturbance by Passions within, or Noises without. It is said in Eccles. 9. 16. The words of wise men are heard in quiet: and no wise man will speak when there is not Quietness enough to allow an Audience for him. And it is to dispens'd in a Lively, Time, in a Time when Spirits are stirring, and Affections are vigorous. Tis said in Rom. 12. 11. Be [...]ervent in spirit, serving the Lord; thus, this peice of Service for the Lord, is to be done, when there is a Ferven­cy of Disposition thereunto.

[Page 54] Secondly, We are to Instruct our Families ve­ry pertinently. Accommodate our Instructions to their Conditions.

Are there any Vnconverted persons in our Fa­milies? Let them be Suitably Instructed. Say to them as in Psal. 34. 11. Hearken to me and I will Teach you the Fear of the Lord. Let them be war­ned of the Dangers which do threaten their mi­serable souls; and let them be stirred to the Duties that may lay them at the Pool, in the way of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Are there any Converted persons in our Fami­lies? Let them too be suitably Instructed. We read in Joh. 8. 31. Iesus said unto the Iewes which believed on Him, continue in my word. Let them be quickned to continue in their Faith, and Love and Zeal. Let them have Weapons [...]o furnish them against all their Difficulties, and Cordials to Revive them under all their Dis­couragements.

Are there any Vnfruitful Souls, in our Families? Instruct them suitably, by setting before them what is the Doom of the Barren Free, and of the Barren Ground; even, to be cut down, and burnt up for ever. And say, O glorifie your heavenly Fa­ther by bringing forth much fruit.

Are there any Back-sliding Souls, in our Fa­milies? Instruct them suitably, by setting be­fore them the Displeasure of God at such as draw­back, and His extreme Wrath on them whose [Page 55] Goodness is as the Morning cloud and the early dew; and say, Remember whence thou art fallen, repent, and do thy first works. Thus are we to suit the the case of those whom we give Instruction to.

Thirdly. We are to Instruct our Families ve­ry Diligently. Tis a thing that we are to labour in. Twas enjoind in Deut 6. 7. The words which I command thee, thou shalt teach them Dili­gently unto thy Children. It calls for our Hearts and our Pains. When we set about it, we should think with our selves, We know not how short our Opportunities may be; we know not whether we shall ever speak more to those whom we now direct our selves unto. In this as well as in other such Cases, we should hear the voice of our own Vncertainty & Mortality; tis that in Eccles. 9. 10. Do with thy might what thy hand finds to do, for there is no work, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou art going. Tis the Work of the Lord, about which we are, when we are, Instructing our Fa­milies, tis not to be done slothfully; we find in Ier. 28. 10. cursed is the man, who doth it so; tis to be done heartily; we find in 2. Chron. 31. 21. that is the way to prosper in it. O let us be as Diligent in Instructing of our young people, as the Emissaries of Hell are in Seducing of them.

Fourthly, We are to Instruct our Families by Exemple. Be Exemplary; and follow the Di­rectory of that geat man, who said in Psal. 101. 10. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. [Page 56] Let our Walk, as well as our Talk, show the young people with us how they are to walk and to please God; and let us be able to call upon them, Do you follow me, as I follow Christ. Let us give such Expressions of Love to God and his Truths and His Wayes, that our Families may come after us in the like. Let them discern how to seek the Face of God, and how to bear the Hand of God, and how to prize the Word of God, by seeing how We do it our selves. When Elisha would get for himself a double Portion of the spirit in Elijah, he said in 2. King 2. 10. If thou see me, it shall be so unto thee. O that the Sight of us, that the Sight of our Piety, and Gravity might Instruct our Houses, and help them to a double Portion of those Graces and Ver­tues which are the Fruits of the Spirit. We shou'd study an Instructive Conversation; and we should never permit a Cham, a young Cham in our families, to see us overcome with Drink, Disguised with Vice, or naked with Folly; but In all things we should show our selves a Pattern of good works.

Fifthly. We are to Instruct our Families with Authority. As the Minister is to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom tis said in Mat. 7. 29. He taught as one having Authority. So should the Householder do. And hence we are to keep up our Authority in our families; not permitting the child to be have himself proudly a­gainst [Page 57] the Ancient. It is required in Lev. 19. 3. Ye shall fear every one his Mother and his Father, the Mother is here put before the Father, be­cause commonly she first loseth her Authority: but neither Mother nor Father should suffer them­selves to be trampled upon. Tis an intolerable thing, for a saucy, impudent, unmannerly child to reply, I wont, when a Parent bids him do this or that. You sin grievously, if you do not curb and break the Wills of them that you are to bring up in the nurture of the Lord; and if you don't make 'em tremble to break any of your commands. Where­fore let there be that Wisdom, that Meekness, that Reservedness, and Seriousness in our Deportments, with which we may Rule well our own house, and have our Children in Subjection with all g [...]vity. This is that Family-Instruction and Family -Govern­ment by which we must bring our Houses to serve the Lord.

SECT. XV.

ONe might Rationally imagine, that no Exception could be taken at such a pro­fitable and necessary thing as Family In­struction is. Yet this also has Exceptions made against it; and therefore I am endeavouring

II. To Remove some Objections against Fami­ly Instruction.

Diverse things are by many pleaded, where­fore they take no care to have their Families par­ [...]akers of Instruction in Righteousness.

The First Exception.

One person will for this Plea Exempt himself. The Inferiors in my Family are very Dull: Tis an hard thing to beat into them, any sense of Eter­nal Concernments.

On this Pretense it is, that poor Negro's e­specially are kept Strangers to the way of Life: they are kept only as Ho [...]ses or Oxen, to do our Drudgeries; but their Souls, which are as white and good as those of other Nations, their Souls are not look'd after, but are Destroyed for lack of Knowledge. This is a desperate Wickedness. But are they dull? Then instruct them the rather; That is the Way to sharpen them. Tis said in Psal. 119. 130. The Entrance of thy word gives Understanding to the Simple. Be they never so simple, you may increase their Wit by God's Word. And are they truly Dull? Then be not you so too; Let your Labour be equal to their Dulness. We are told in Eccl. 10. 10. If the Iron be blunt, then a man must put to the more Strength. You must be at the Trouble to stoop unto their Capacities. Be you as plain, be you as breef in your Instructions, as they are dull in their Intellectuals. And be frequent, be patient in them; give Line upon line, and Precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Even Gutta cavat lapidem—a Stone will receive the mark of the Drop that shall often fall upon it.

The Second Exception.

Another person will for this Cause Exempt himself.

The Inferiors in my Family are very Young. Tis too soon to begin with them; we shall only make them take the Name of God in vain by teaching them to talk like Parrots of Religion, before they can con­ceive better of it.

To this I answer, No, You can't begin with them Too soon. `Twas said in Isai. 28. 9. Whom shall hee teach knowledge? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts. They are no sooner wean'd but they are to be taught; and God may give them righter and riper Con­ceptions of things, than you are well aware. What saies the Wise man, Trai [...] up a Child in th [...] way he should go. Let the first liquor that is put into them be sweet and good; and they will keep the tang of it all their dayes. Quo semel est imbuta recens—

Are they Young? Yet the Devil has been with them already. Tis said in Psal. 58. 3. They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. They no sooner step than they stray, they no soo­ner lisp than they ly. Satan gets them to be proud, prosane reviling and revengeful as young as they are. And I pray, Why should not you be afore-hand with him? And this the rather, since the Lord Jesus calleth for them. He saies [Page 60] in Marc. 10. 13. Suffer little children to come un­to me. For know, Tis not an Affront, but an Honour unto the Name of God, for such young ones to Learn the truth as it is in Iesus. It was very pleasing unto the Lord Jesus Christ, when in Matth. 21. 15. The Children cryed Hosannah to Him. If your Children do not cry Hosanna, they will call wicked Names, they will curse and lie, and take the Name of God in vain; and which is best? Iudge ye. Besides we have the Call of God, in Psal. 148. 12. Ye Children, praise the Lord.

The Third Exception.

A Third person will urge this against it.

I want Abilities to manage this work, my Parts and Gifts are too mean to go thro it.

To this I answer; God will Accept you, tho [...] you do it meanly. The Prophet made this A­pology for himself, in Jer. 1. 6. Ah! Lord God, I cannot speak. But God answered, Say not so. Tho you have but one Talent, yet let it not ly by. Though you have only Goats hair, or Bad­gers skins, yet employ them for the use of the Tabernacle. The Apostle tells the Hebrews, You need one to teach you the first principles of the O [...]cles of God; yet unto them he said, Exhort one [...]nother.

Moreover, God will Assist you to do it better. Twas affi [...]med to him in Ioshua 1. 9. [Page 61] Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good Courage, for the Lord thy God is with thee. Thus be it affirmed here; God has commanded thee, Do it as courageously and as comfortably as thou canst: His Presence will continually cause thee to grow in thy Accomplishments To him that hath shall be given. Keep watering the Olive-plants about thy Table. He that watereth shall be watered also himself.

The Fourth Exception.

A Fourth person perhaps will not blush to say, I want Opportunity to attend this Work, my Em­ployment will not suffer me.

But let no man argue so Man hast thou Time to Feed thy Family and no time to Teach them? The poorest among you all should say, as in Psa. 119. 92. The Law of thy mouth is better to me, than thousands of Gold and silver. Tis better to lay up for thy Family the Riches of God's Law, than Thousands of pounds. Nothing, no­thing should put by their Instruction in the way of peace If you do not want an Heart, you will not want a Time for the Instruction of your Fami­lies. No man could have more business lying on his hands than David had who had the Af­fayrs of a mighty Kingdom to distract him; yet of him could his own Son say as in Prov. 4. 4. He taught me.

The Fifth Exception.

Tis possible a fifth person may have uncomfor­table cause to plead,

[Page 62] I have those in my Family that will not be In­structed; I can't Order them so far as to make them submit unto it.

In this unhappy Case, What shall be done but this? We are to pray for these Creatures, that their Hearts may be tam [...]d and bow [...]d by Him, that has them in His Hand. We are also to watch when some Affliction or some Amazement is come upon them: then God opens their ear to Discipline; then the Wild Asses are in the Month where you may find them. We may likewise call in the help of some grave, pious, holy Minister, who may come to them with the spirit and pow­er of Elias, To turn the hearts of the Children to their Fathers.

Finally. If your Children refuse to be Instruct­ed, What saies the Wise man, A Rod for the fools back. If your Servants refuse to be In­structed, What saies the Good man, He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house.

SECT. XVI.

BEfore I have done, I must Endeavour

III. To propound some Incentives unto Family-Instruction.

Wherefore

Consider, first, the Needfulness of it.

Christians, Instruct your Families, for I may say, This is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. And as Gods Will, so their State [Page 63] calleth for it. O look upon the Ignorance of your Families. May it not be said of them as in Psal. 14. 2. The Lord looked on the Children— to see if there were any that did understand; they are all gone aside. Instruct them; lest they be de­stroyed for lack of knowledge. Look upon the Cor­ruption of your Families. May it not be said of them, as in Eccles. 5. 3. The hearts of the Chil­dren is full of Evil. Instruct them, lest they be the Children of Belial, to consume your eyes and grieve your hearts.

In a Word, Instruct your Families or else the Blood of their Souls will be required at your hands. It was complain'd of old, in Jer. 2. 34. In thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of poor in­nocents. What a dreadful word is that! and what a dreadful thing will it be, for your poor Families to follow you in the ever-burning Lake below; shrieking and roaring, If you had done your Duty to us, tis like we had never arrived here!

Consider, Secondly the Vsefulness of it.

Instruct your Families and it will issue in their Good. They shall be brought home to God. As he said in Psal 51. 13. I will teach them, and they shall be converted unto thee. You may see converted Children, and converted Servants, fill­ing of your Families. They may bless the name of God for ever, that ever they knew your House, or saw your Face; because you have [Page 64] promoted in them that Knowledge which is Life Eternal.

Instruct your Families; and it will issue in your Ioy. They shall afford you that [...]ight, of which the Apostle said, I have no greater Ioy. Tis said in Prov. 10. 1. A wise Son makes a glad Father. Tis a taught son that proves a wise son. What a joyful thing will it be, for you to see all your Children and Servants, calling you their spiritu­al Father, here! But what a much-more joyful thing will it be for you to meet them all at the Right Hand of our Lord in the day of His Ap­pearing!

O Consider of these Things; and go away determined, [I hope you are now determined] Thus I and my House will serve the Lord.

TIME DISCERNED.

ECCLES. VIII. 5. ‘A wise man's heart discerneth TIME’

THe Famous Writer of these Words was that Royal Preacher, Solomon. After much Experience of the World, and af­ter much Repentance for that Experience, he drew up a Treatise De summo bono, concerning the chief Good of man. The penitent and inspi­red Monarch, having arrived unto the Top of this world, pitties the poor men whom he sees toiling and sweating to get up the rocky hill af­ter him, and expecting to find Happiness there▪ & with a loud voice he gives this warning to them, Sirs, You will be all mistaken, you will meet with nothing but Vanity and Vexation here.

The Context here contains the Reflections of this wise prince on the Countenance which he [Page 66] had given to publick and open Idolatry in Israel, and the compliance which they that should have advised the contrary yeilded thereunto. Men seek out many inventions to excuse themselves from bearing an humble but a faithful Testimony against any sinful thing which their Superiors may in­vite them to. One of these Inventions is men­tioned in the fourth verse of this Chapter; it is drawn from the Vncontrouleable Power of them that sometimes enjoin a sinful thing. To this Excuse we have a two-fold Answer in the fifth verse. We have two things in it. First, the Good of Religion. Tis sai [...], Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing. q. d. Be true to Gods Commandments & thy own Con­science, let who will be offended at it; the wonderful providence of the Almighty will in the mean time be concerned for thy Safety and Security. A man gets no real Hurt by doing of his Duty. Secondly, the Need of Discretion. Tis said A wise mans heart discerneth both Time and Iudgment. q. d. In the doing of this, and every other Duty, two things are to be much regarded. Mind the Season of the duty, and mind the Manner of the duty: much harm will thereby be prevented in discharging of it. Tis the former of these two Regardables that I would now insist upon. Behold a general Rule apply'd unto a particular Case: the Case is, the Rebuking and Refusing of Sin; but the Rule is, A wise [Page] man alwai [...]s will discern his time to do what he has to do. To Discern the Time,—it must needs also signifie to Improve the Time. Wherefore the Doctrine is,

A wise man will discern and improve his Time, to do what is incumbent on him.

Our Propositions are to be such as these.

Prop. I.

The Blessed God affordeth to men in this World a Time to discharge the Duties incum­bent on them. There are two things incumbent on us; to Do good, and to Get good. The good we are to do, is to Honour God; and the good we are to get, is to Enjoy God. Those two things comprise all our Duties; and they make up the Errand which we come into the World upon. Now, while we are in this world, God allowes us a Time for this work; we have time not only in the larger sense of it, but also in the stricter sense of it; We have time not only in Duration, but also in Opportunity. There is not any Duty enjoined up­pon us, but there is a Season for it allowed un­to us. Tis an Observation about the things that shall be, in Eccles. 3. 1. To every thing there is a Season, and a Time to every purpose. Thus it may be said about the things that should be, There is no Duty, but God hath provided us a Time and a Season for it. We have some golden spots of Time, whereof we may say, This is the [Page 68] Time for such a duty; and again, This is the Time for another duty.

First, We have a Time to do Good while we are here in the world. We have a time to ex­ercise every Vertue, to use all that Piety and Charity, all that Holiness & Righteousness, which the Lord requireth of us. The Good which we are to do is expressed in Mic. 6. 8. He hath shew­ed thee, O man, what is good, to do justly, [...]and to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. We meet with many Times to do those Good things before we dye. We have now our [...]me to acquaint our selves with God, in all the me­thods of Devotion; our Time to acknowledge God in all the waies of New Obedience We have also our Time to advantage our Neigh­bours; our Time to promote the internal and eternal Salvation, and the external Prosperity of them that are about us.

Secondly, We have likewise a Time to Get Good while we are in the world. We have a Time to obtain all that Favour, and all that Fellowship with God which our Mighty Redeem­er is the Authour of. The Good which we are to get, is comprised in Isai. 55. 3. The sure Mercies of David. We have our Times to secure all those Good things. Every man of us may say, I have a Time to get my Sin pardoned; he may say, I have a Time to get my Soul renewed; he may say, I have a Time to get all the Promises of the [Page 69] New Covenant fulfilled unto my soul for evermore.

Prop. II.

It is no small part of Wisdom for men to dis­cern and improve the Time which God affordeth unto them. When the Gales of Opportunity blow in the Sails of Time, every man should see and watch his own Opportunity. To Discern the Time, is to mind the time, and to use the time, for the performance of our Duty. Now tis a wise man that will so discern the Time. Sapience or Wisdom is a Vertue of the Vnderstanding, whereby a man perceives the Dependence of things; the Co [...]nexion of things, and the Con­sequence of things being understood, therein Wis­dom is discovered. To discern the time is an in­stance of this. Tis Wisdom for a man to lay his Time and his Work together. Tis Wisdom for a man to fore-see what will be the Issue of such a Work at such a Time. But besides the Nature of Wisdom evidently appearing in this thing, we have a two fold further witness to the Wisdom of it.

First, The Testimony of Scripture there about, shewes, that it is Wisdome for men to discern and improve their time. What the all- wise, the only- wise GOD calleth Wisdom, is unquestionably to be esteemed so. The Redeeming of Time is great Wisdom in the Language and the Account of God. Twas said in Eph. 5. 16. Walk as wise, Redeeming the time—Much of the same Date [Page 70] and Tenour, was the Epistle to the Colossians. In that Epistle also we have the like passage, in Cap. 4. 5. Walk in Wisdom, Redeeming the time. Tis probable the Apostle therein has a special Reference to Persecutions, which good men were then exposed unto. To Redeem the Time, was a proverbial Phrase of old, signify­ing, To Keep out of trouble as long as one can. Thus the Chaldean-Soothsayers were told in their distress, Dan. 2. 8. I know that ye would gain the time. This was the Counsil of the Apostle, By a prudent, holy, careful, and inoffensive Carri­age towards them that would interrupt you in the worship of Iesus Christ, gain Time what you can for the quiet practice of it. Well, If it be Wis­dom to gain time for the Service of God, surely, tis Wisdom to spend time in the Service of God. It was the singular Character & Commendation of the Issacharites, in 1. Chron. 12. 32. They had Understanding in the times, to know what Is­rael ought to do. Tis an understanding man, who doth so know his Time, as to do his Work. Of a Time-losing man, the Scripture saith, He is a Fool. It saies in Prov. 18. 16. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Fool?

Secondly, The Prevention of Sorrow thereby, shewes, That it is Wisdom for men to discern and improve their Time. It is great Wisdom to prevent great Sorrow. Now nothing in the world fills the heart of man more with Anguish [Page 71] and Anger, than the Missing of Time. When a man has missed his Time for his Work, it caus­eth an unspeakable Regret within him. We read of some professors, who missed their [...] to Entertain Christ Jesus and His Mercy: with what a marvellous Agony did they cry out, in Matth. 25. 11. Lord, Lord, open to us! Well might they be called Foolish, who thus cam [...] too late. The horrour of it being once only Re­presented by some profane people, who acted the Foolish Virgins in a Play, at a City in Germany, it even kill'd a Prince that was a Spectator of it. Tis impossible to utter the Confusion which the slipping of time does put the souls of men into. When Esau had missed his Time to procure a Blessing for himself, how did he resent it? We are told in Gen. 27. 34. He cry'd with a great and exceeding bitter Cry. Alas, how should it be otherwise? The slipping of Time is an Ill, and an exceeding bitter thing. There are but two sorts of men; both of them find the Loss of time, to prove at some time or other, a sad, an evil, a troublesome thing unto them, 'Tis thus esqecially when their time is come to Dy, when their time is to be no more. As for Good men, the Loss of time usually strowes Thorns on their Beds when they come to dy. It grieves the best man to think, My Time, my Time, I have not so laid it out for God as I should have done. He was a painful & a pious Minister of the Gos­pel, [Page 72] who yet breathed out this among his last, Groans, O the Loss of Time! it [...] on my spirit now. As for Bad men, the Loss of Time flash [...] Hell fire into their spirits when they come to Dy. It causes terrible wounds▪ and pains in the departing soul of a Sinner to think I had, once a Time to Beleeve, a Time to Repe [...]t, a Time to lay up for Eternity, but now my Time is gone for ever. The sh [...]ek of a poor man going out of the world sometimes has been, A would of Weal [...]h for an inch of Time. [...], tis Wis­dom to prevent such things as these.

The Vse of these things remains.

USE.

Let us all he hence advised to Discern and Im­prove Time, which we have to discharge our D [...] ­tyes in. The most of us, tis to be [...], may discern Iudgment; we know [...] our Duty is, and How it is to be dispatched. [...] us also discern Time: Suffer we not our time to run from us, while we neglect the great Ends which we, have it for. O let not the Lord have cause to complain of us as in Jer. 8. 7. The Birds in the Heaven know their appointed times, but my people do not know.

That we may Discern time, and improve time, such Directions as these may well be followed.

Direction I.

Let us Discern our Time▪ and not Mis-spend our Time. Avoid those Time-wasting things, [Page 73] Which would serve us about our Time, as the High-way men did the poor Traveller in Luc. 10. 30. in his way to Iericho. We are all Tra­velling in the the way to Eternity; there are these and those Robbers in the way that would plunder us of our time: shun them, fly them. Count Mis-spenc [...] of Time one of the most wic­ked and woful follies in the world.

Let us discern three things in all Time, and permit no Time to be devoured by two things which we may be under Temptation to.

The things which we are to discern in all Time are these,

First, let us discern the Worth of all Time. Let not an hour pass without this opinion of it, This hour is too good to be lost. If we prise the Jewel we shall not lose it. It is for our shame that e­ven an Heathen made that complaint, Q [...]uem mi­bi dabis qui diem est [...]met? Where will you find a man that esteems his Time as he ought to do?

Ponder well what a vast price our Lord paid for our Time. We had forfeited all our Tune into the hands of infinite revenging Justice; the just wrath of God would have taken away [...]ime and Life from us long ago, if our Lord Jesus had not laid down such a price as that in 1. Pe [...]. 1. 18. Ye were redeemed, not with silver and gold, but [...] the precious bloud of Iesus Christ. O don't throw away any of that which cost so dea [...].

And ponder well what a vast price the dying & [Page 74] the damned set on their Time. We may say of it as Iob of another thing, in Cap. 28. 22. Destruction and death, say, we have heard the fame thereof with our ears. Even so, Destruction and Death set an high rate upon it. Ask men when Destruction and Death is near to seizing upon 'em, How much would you give now for a little of the time that is gone? They will reply, O, whole mountains of gold for one hour of it! Judge now as you will judge then.

Secondly, Let us Discern the Irrevokableness of our Time. When our time is once gone, it re­mains Irrevokable, and Irrecoverable for ever­more. We may say of every Time that is past, as in Psal. 49. 8. It is precious and it ceaseth forever. The Wish of Hezekiah could once bring back the shadow of the Sun, but never could any man procure a Return of his Time. Sometimes the doleful Cryes of distressed ones have been, Call Time again! call Time again! But alas, Time won't come back for Calling. Oh how should this make us to takeheed that we don't ab­use any part of our Time, I shall never have this time again! When once our Time has taken wing, what is said of Love▪ in Cant. 8. 7. that may be said of Time, If a man would give all the substance of his house for it, it would utterly be contemned, When once Time is gone, 'tis gone.

Thirdly, let us Discern our Accountableness for all our Time. God maintains us and supplies [Page 75] us with Time continually. He keeps a Sun to measure it. The time will come when He will rec­kon with us about all our Time. Tis said in Ecc. 11. 9. O young man walk in the wayes of thy heart; but know thou that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgement. In like sort, let me say, Come, squander away thy Time, even con­trive to get the dead commodity off thy hands; but know thou that in the day, when God shall judge the world, all this Time of thine must be accounted for. It was the Law of old, in Exod 21. 18. If one man smite another, so that he keep his bed, and yet walk abroad again, he shall pay for his healing and the Loss of his Time: Truly so, if we im­penitently lose any of the Time which God hath given us, He will make us pay for it, in the day of his pleac [...]ng with us. Tis said in Matth. 12. 36. Men shall give an account of every idle wo [...]d. Much more in that day shall men give an account of every idle Hour. The God that hath num­bred our Hairs, hath also numbred our Hou [...]es▪ It will be a fearful thing, if at last He say unto us, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thy life has been made up of idle hours.

These things are we to discern in all Time. For the sake hereof, let us now permit no Time to be misplac'd in such things as these.

First, Let us mispend no Time in vanity, of them that live in vain pleasures 'tis said in 1 Tim 5. 6. they are Dead while they live. They discrn [Page 76] no Time, and enjoy none. Too much Time is not to be laid out in Eating and Drinking. To affect Long Meals, or to tarry long at the Wine, does not become a Christian. Thy Soul is a lit­tle too noble a thing sure to be made the Cook of thy Body. Moreover, Too much Time is not to be laid out in Attiring and Adorning. It made an holy man among the Ancients to weep, when in a morning he [...]aw a person lon­ger in Dressing, than himself had been in praying. Thy Carcase that is to feed the Worms ere long should not put by thy cares about thy Spirit, which must be in Weal or Woe for ever. Once more, Too much Time is not to be laid out in Sporting and Gaming. There are some lawful Recrea [...]ions, of which we should be shy, lest they steal away our Heart and our Time. That bles­sed Martyr, Iohn Hus, just before he dyed, in a Letter thus bewaild himself, O beg of God to pardon me for the Time I have lost at such a Play, that yet in it self was very innocent. But there are some unlawful Recreations also, in which multitudes play away their Time. The plays which depend upon a pure Lot are such. The moral Heathen Zealously reproached them. And severe Statutes were made against them when the Roman Em­pire became a Christian. Men always loose at them, those things which are better than any that they win, their Time, if not their Soul.

Secondly, Let us mispend no Time in Idleness. [Page 77] It was an ill world where the Apostle could say, as in 2. Thes 3. 11. There are s [...]me that walk disorderly, working not at all. Every man should be able to make a good Answer to the Question which Pharaoh put unto Ioseph's Brethren, I pray, What is your Occupation? A big part of our Time should be laid out on our particular Callings. A Calling is an Ordinance of God; Adam in Pa­radise had a Labour imposed on him. Be di­ligent in some one or other. No man so fully and foully falls into the possession of the Devil, as the idle man. The Ants, the Bees, and all the Creatures exclame against him. Idleness, ti [...] thundred against in Ezek. 16. 49. as one of the Sins that brought Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom long ago; it will carry from Earth to Hell the souls of them that in it snore away their lives.

When men do'nt misspend their Time, then do they discern it.

Direction, II.

Let us Discern our Time, and Attend every Du­ty in the proper Time.

There is a two-fold Prudence which the Wise man's heart is to be no stranger to.

The First Prudence is,

Let no Duty be done out of its Time. We are told in Eccles 3. 11. God hath made every thing beautiful in the Time of it. There is a Nick of Time that we are to take for all we do. Not Snow but Fruit is beautiful in the Summer. Tis [Page 78] not beautiful for the Duty of Prayer, to be done at a sleepy time, or at a busy time. Tis not beau­tiful for the Duty of Reproof to be done at a time when it can do no good at all. Set not upon this or that Duty at a time when God calls to another Duty. Tis said in Eccles. 8. 6. To every pur­pose there is a Time and Iudgement. We may render all our Duties like Apples of gold in pictures of silver, by well timing of them.

The Second Prudence is,

Let no Time pass away without its Duty: Let none of our times be unaccompanied with the Du­ties which belong unto them. As now, there are Duties that belong to a time of Prosperity, and Duties which belong to a Time of Adversity.

Tis said in Eccles. 7. 14. In the day of Prospe­rity be joyful, but in the day of Adversity Consi­der. In a time of Prosperity: now is a time for men to Remember their Creator before the evil days come; Now is a time for men to set their heart and their soul to seek the Lord who hath given them rest on every side. In a time of Adversity, now is a time for men to bring sin to remembrance; now is a time for men to meet the Lord in all the ways of Repentance and Obedience. This is to Discern the Time. But there are especially three sorts of times which we are to fill with the Du­tyes of those Times.

First. Let the Dutyes of Worshipping times, be done in those times. We have our times every [Page 79] day wherein the Lord saith, seek my Face. Now let the Echo of our souls be that in Psal. 27. 8. Thy Face, Lord, we will seek. We have every day our times for private Prayer, our times for secret Prayer, our times for Reading of, and Thinking on the Word of God. Let those things be faithfully done in those Times.

Especially, Remember the Sabbath Day. Let Sabbath-time be sanctifyed time. On this day, ly all the day long at the pool of Mercy; Mercy, Mercy, and Salvation for an immortal soul is this day to be traded for. Tis a Time that the great God is very Jealous about. He does won­derfully curse the Souls, and blast the Houses, and ruin the Countryes where this Holy Time is not acknowledged. He will terribly break the rest of those whom His Rest shall not be regar­ded by.

Secondly, Let the Dutyes of Visiting Times be done in those Times. Tis too commonly seen that Amici temporis Fures; our Friends are our Theeves; they Steal our time, b [...]ause we don't use our time, when then they are with us. Tis observable, in Col. 4. 6. as soon as the Apo­stle had said, Redeem the time▪ he adds, Let your speech be always with Grace. That, that indeed is a rare way to Redeem the time. Let us ordina­rily study to do some good, whatever Company we come into. It was observed of that excel­lent Vrsin by his renowned Friend, I [...] was [Page 80] in his company, but I went away (Doctior [...]ut Me­lior) the wiser or the better from him. Abhor, O abhor the useless visits that are quite contra­ry to all such designs. Mourn if you have been in any Company without being profitable there­unto.

Thirdly, Let the Duties of Intervening times be done in those times. We have large Frag­ments of time, that are the Intervals of our bu­sinesses; about these Fragments of time, I would say as our Lord said about the Fragments of Bread, in Joh. 6. 12. Gather up those Fragments that nothing be lost. How many thousands of happy thoughts might we have as we are sitting in the House, or walking in the Street, other­wise wholly unimployed? The very Filings of Gold and of Time are not to be cast away. To discern our time, is to adapt our time.

Direction. III.

Let us discern our Time, and make none but Good B [...]gains about the time. The Scripture once and again tells us, as in Eph. 5. 16. that we are to Buy up the time, or buy out the time. This is to discern the Time! We must be at some Cost, and at some Charge for it, if we would not be ill-husbands of our time: We must pay down either Mony or Monyes-worth for it; we must fore go and under go many things for it. Many things must we give up, that our time so may be well-imployed. The case is ordinarily [Page 81] so, that either we must resign many Pleasures, many Profits, many Honours, or else we must part with our time. Now rather give up all Delights, than suffer precious time to be pyrat­ed away. All the things of time, are sometimes Expence little enough for time. Yea, many things must we give back, that so we may not misemploy our time. The Devil and our Lusts have been trucking for our time. The Devil, that hellish Hucster, would engross all our Time for his own. He deals with us as the Europeans dealt at first with the silly Indians, who le [...] go their [...]old, and Silver, and Diamonds for glass-Beads and tinsil-Toyes. The Answer that our Lust makes to the Tempter is, Let me have the pleasures of sin for a season, and every season of my time shall be thine. O but we should be content to give back all that Satan has proffer'd us for our time; let it be never-so-much that we might have had for the misuse of time, be­grutch it not. 'Twas the Speech of Austin, Perde aliquid ut Deo vaces If you would have Time for God, or any Good, you must part with something for it.

In a Word, Let us labour now to Regain the Time that we have been cheated of. The cheef way to do that, is, By a double Diligence for the time to come. Make up the time we have made an ill market of, by an extraordinary In­dustry and Activity in the time yet before us. [Page 82] The Israelites in their Journey to Canaan made more way the last year or two, than they had done in almost forty years before. All the many Sermons in the Book of Deuteronomy seem preach­ed by Moses in the last month or two before he dy'd. O sit down and think well, How shall I lay out my time for the best Advantage? Let that be said of us when we dye, Diu vixit, licet non diu fuit. He lived long in a little time.

To Purchase our time, is to discern our time.

Direction. IV.

Let us Discern our time, and let us Improve the Present time, to make our peace with the Eternal God.

Alas, All the sinful and woful time of our Vn­regeneracy is Lost time. One that was converted but about seven years before he dyed, ordered that Epitaph to be inscribed on his Grave, Here [...]es an Aged man who dy'd but seven years old. Thou dost not live till thou dost repent, till thou dost beleeve.

Be sure, there is no Duty so much incumbent on us, as that of Turning from Sin to God in Christ. Well, the great God hath stated the present time for the doing of it. Tis the Warning, the so­lemn warning of the Holy God unto us, 2. Cor. 6. 2. Behold, Now is the Accepted time, Now is the Day of Salvation. Let those that are not yet born-again, discern this their time. O yee souls in peril, What is it that ye resol [...]e upon? [Page 83] Your time is to Day, to Day, if you will hear the voice of God. Let me say about this Time, as Bo­az about that Land in Ruth, 4. 4. If you will redeem it, redeem it. O Delay not; Dally not, Trifle not about this grand Concern; Do not say as the unhappy Felix did, I'le mind it at a more convenient season. No, No, Discern it, that the most conv [...]nient season is just NOW. O that all unconverted men would consider the Dan­ger the Madness of their Procrastinations. Tis said in Eccles. 9. 12. Man knoweth not his time. Man, discern thy time as a flying time, and an uncertain time. A Jewish Rabbi gave that Co [...]n­sel to a Scholar of his, Besure you repent at least a day before you dy. Truly, tis a fearful thing for a man when he comes to dye, not to be able to say, Tis at least a day since that I made my peace with God. Well, who of us can say, that this day is not our last day? We cannot be sure that we repent a day before we dy, unless we repent this very day. Suppose you were to suffer an horrible Death in case you had not finished some notable Undertaking before night. O how would every stroke of the Clock strike to your very hearts within you! Behold O Sinner, be amazed, stand Astonished, and take the present time to get out of thy present state. Tis possible thou mayst be a dead man before to morrow, tis possible this night thy soul may be required. Hor­rid will thy condition be, if this happen before [Page 84] thy peace be made with GOD. There are Graves in the Burying-Place shorter than the youngest of us all. Thou mayst Conclude with saying as David to Ionathan, As the Lord lives, there is but a step between me and death. Where­fore, let me Conclude with saying as Michal to David, O save thy self to night, for to morrow thou mayst be slain. Let no man Repent too late, but let every man Discern the time. Tis the sigh of our GOD over us, O that they understood! that they would Consider their Latter END!

The TRYED CHRISTIAN. A Discourse delivered, upon Recovery from SICKNESS

IOB. XXIII. 10. ‘When He hath Tryed me, I shall come forth as GOLD.’

THere was a Man in the Land of Arabia, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright. The Church of GOD is enriched with an excellent History, in an elegant Poesie, relating the great Prosperi­ty, the sad Adversity, and strange Recovery of that perfect and upright man. Tis probable, that he was an Edomite, and the very Iobab whom Esau was Great-Grandfather unto; but this I [Page 86] am sure of, He was an Israelite indeed! From a Rich and Fair estate, He suddenly became, As poor as Iob; and while he was in this poor Con­dition, his noble Friends gave him their friend­ly Visits and Respects. Many admirable Dialogues now passed between them; wherein they endea­voured to Accuse and Convince him of some remarkable Iniquity, as the Cause of his Cala­mity; and he laboured to vindicate himself; to assert his own Integrity and Sincerity.

In our Context here, the good man is express­ing his Willingness and Readiness to appear be­fore the Judgement-seat of God; and in our Text, he declares what he expects would be the Result of his Tryals by the Lord. He comforts himself by those two Considerations. First, that God's Knowledge did reach him. He saith, God knowes the way that is in me; q. d. Tho I cannot see God, yet God can see me; and the most in­ward Purposes or Appetites of my mind, are not concealed from Him. And Next, that God's Tryal would clear him. This is the Article that lyes before us to be Explained and Improv­ed; and the Doctrine, which may guide our Dis­course upon it, is,

That Good men come forth as GOLD, under and after the Trials of the Almighty God.

It is by the ensuing Propositions that we may arrive to right thoughts about the Truth be­fore us.

Proposition. I.

There is a various Tryal which the God of Heaven causes to pass upon His people. No Christian can be without his Tryals. But there are especialy two sorts of Tryals which ou [...] God will subject us all unto. First,

There are the Trials of Divine Examinations, Which will be critical upon us. Tis said in Psal. 11. 4, 5. The Lords eyes behold, and His ey-lids try the children of men; the Lord sounds (as the French Translation hath it) both the righ­teous and the wicked. Every man in the world falls under the Notice, and so, under the Tryal of the omniscient God. The all-seeing Eyes of God, as it were, Examine us, and His Ey-lids knit themselves for a Scrutiny into our Hearts and lives. The blessed God will pass a Iudgment, after a Trial upon us; whether we truly love Him and seek Him, or no. We are told in Psal. 7. 9. The righteous God trieth the Hearts and the Reins; an Assertion, an Expression, it may be, more than seven times repeted in the Word of God! The Examination and Observa­tion of God, extends it self to the most interior parts of men; the motions of their very Hearts and Reins come under His exactest Cognizance. Every man may so far say after that godly man, in Psal. 17. 3. Lord, thou hast proved my heart, thou hast visited me, thiu hast tried me. To use a [Page 88] Similitude made Legitimate and Canonical by the Apostle himself, in Heb. 4. 13. The Sa­crificeing Knife of old, never did penetrate so far into the Bowels of the Creatures it was imploy­ed upon; it never laid them so [...]aked and open, before the standers-by; as the examining Eye of God makes a discovery of what is in our Souls and our wayes.

Secondly, There are the Trials of Divine Dis­pensations which we must have Experience of▪ God's Providences are our Probations; by them we are tried what we are. The things which be­fal us in the world, fetch out of us, those things which manifest what metal we are made of. Particularly, tis said in 2. Cor. 6. 3, 7. We are Approved by things on the Right hand and on the Left.

First, The Merciful Dispensations of God, are Trials of us: these are Trials on the Right hand. It is a sacred Proverb, in Prov. 27. 21. As the Fining-pot for silver, and the Furnace for Gold, so is a man to his praise; or so the mouth which praises any one, is to try him. As when a man is praised by his Neighbour, so when a man is Blessed of his Maker, he is then tried unto the utmost. Ho­nours from below, do Indicare virum; they soon Try & show the man that is perfum'd therewith; and the same is done by Merc [...]es from above. Therein the Lord brings us, as He did the Soul­diers of Gideon, to a River of Plenty, and He saies, [Page 89] as in Iudg. 7. 4. Now I will try them there. The Favours of God, as it were, put us into a Crucible, in a Furnace, where it soon becomes ap­parent, whether we fear him or no. They are so many Trials, Whether we will hear God speaking to us in our prosperity; or whether when we wax fat, we shall kick against the Lord.

Secondly, The Afflictive Dispensations of God, are likewise Tryals of us. And these are Trials on the Left hand. So much is intimated in 1. Pet. 1. 6, 7. Ye are in heaviness thro' many Temp­tations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than that of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, may be found unto praise. All Afflictions are Tentations; by them we are tried whether we have the Grace of God in us or no. Tis Faith, but not Faith alone, which our Trou­bles here are the Trials of. A Sick-bed is a Fur­nace, a Reproach is a Furnace, a Loss, or a Goal is a Furnace, in which tis tried whether we have the spirits, not of Bastards, but of Children in us. Hence we read of A great Tryal of Affliction. Afflicted persons may make that Confession in Ps. 66. 10, 11, Thou, O God, hast proved us, thou hast tried us as silver is tried; thou hast laid Af­fliction upon our loins. Hereby we are Try'd whether we will despise the Chastning of the Lord, or whether we will faint when rebuked of Him.

Proposition II.

[Page 90] Upon the Trials of God, good men come forth as gold.

There is that in Gold, which good men may be compar'd unto. We read in Deut. 1. 1. about the mountains of Dizahab: that is, the Golden mountains; because Gold was probably dug from thence. The Churches of God in the world, are such Mountains of gold. Every true Believer is a rich lump of Gold before the Lord. Of such persons tis said in Lam. 4. 2. They are the precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold. There are diverse properties in Gold, which a good man will have a blessed Resemblance of. I should offer you not Gold, but Hay and stubble if I should read you here a Lecture of Metallogy, or discourse to you all that I could Philosophize about this King of Metals. Let me only touch on a few common Reflections, As now,

Gold is a pure metal. Hence we read near some scores of times in the sacred Scripture, a­bout pure Gold. It will not readily admit a Mix­ture▪ or an Alloy with more imperfect Metals; unless with Silver: Especially the Dust-gold of Guinea, Gold whereof Iob saith, tis Dust of gold: wonderful is the Purity thereof! Thus a good man is a pure man; He is one of those that are called in Matth. 5. 8. The pure in heart: He is pure in his Ends, pure in his principles, pure in his practises, pure from the dross of Lust: and he is not so much Nominally as really, A Puritan.

[Page 91] Again▪ Gold is a Ductil Metal. Tis marvel­lously extensible when beaten into Leaves; twere incredible to tell how far one Grain of Gold may be extended and continued. So dense and com­pacted, and united, are the parts of it, that an Ounce of it may be beaten (I suppose) into a Thousand Leaves. Thus a good Man can be Drawn forth into large Expressions of goodness and vertue. It was said by such an one in Psal. 11. 3. My goodness Extendeth. He extends his Piety, his Charity, he extends his lnfluence far and near; and he is a Diffusive good.

Once more, Gold is a Beautiful metal. 'Tis called, Aurum, for that very cause; ab Aura, i. e. a Splendore. Tis a shining and glitt'ring thing; and hence things that are very splendid, are said to be covered with [...]ellow Gold. For this reason, an Hook of it once catch't [...] by the Lust of the Eye. Thus, a good man has a transcendent Beauty in him. To such an one, twas said in Cant. 6. 4. Thou art Beautiful. There is a Lustre on the Face, and a Lustre in the Walk of such a man; he has even the Splen­dor of A light in the world.

Furthermore, Gold is a Durable Metal. Tho' the Bible affirms that it is Corruptible, and [...] ­kerable, and Perishing, yet there is a mighty Strength to be ascribed unto it. It will endure the hottest Fire with small or no Dimin [...]on▪ and Aqua-fortis it self will not eat into it. [...]ch [Page 92] an Enduring thing is a good man. His Character is that in Matth. 24. 13. He shall endure to the end. No Fire, no Water, no Vexation shall con­sume his Devotion. He is the Overcomer, whom neither the Flattery nor the Fury, neither the Frowning nor the Fawning of any Tempter can dissolve the Religion of.

Moreover, Gold is a Ponderous Metal. Even Lead it self in its weight, is to Gold as far short as Sixty is of an Hundred; if I mistake it not. Such is the Quality, such the Gravity of a good man. A godly man is a Weighty man. Tis said in Prov. 12. 26. A righteous man is more excel­lent than his neighbour. One such man will weigh down multitudes and myriads of other men. His being a pondering man, it soon makes him become ponderous man. His unconverted Neighbourhood may own of him, Thou art worth ten thousand of us.

Finally Gold is a precious Metal. Its precious for the Vse which tis of in Nature. Rich Cordials and Medicines are to be extracted from it. Its precious also for the Price which tis of in Esteem; the Auri sacra fames, the unhallowed Appetite which men crave it with, prefers it above all common things. Tis in Scripture-phrase a pre­cious thing indeed, of which it might be said, It is more precious than gold. But of a good man might such a thing be spoken: it may be said of such a man, as in Isa. 13. 12. The man is [Page 93] more precious than fine gold; even than the golden wedge of Ophir; [i. e. Peru, as some with much pretense of Reason do conjecture it] A graci­ous man, is a precious man; all Beholders ought to put a value upon him; he is even, precious in the eyes of the Lord.

Thus like to Gold will good men come forth, under and after the Tryals of the Lord; which comprehends these two Conclusions in it.

Conclusion. I.

A good man is found good by the Examinati­ons of God. When God comes to try a good man, He finds the heart of the man to be right be­fore Him. The good man may say with him in [...]. Chron. 29. 17. O my God, I know that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness; as for mee, in the uprightness of my heart have I offered. Indeed our God uses not an Extremity of Justice and Rigour in our Trial; He would find a world of Iniquity in us, if He did; and He would ut­terly consume us. The Lord said in Isa. 48. 10. Behold, I have refined thee, but not like silver. No, the Refiner of gold or silver will not allow the the least measure of Dross therein. But our mer­ciful. G [...]d overlooks many grains of Corruption many grains of Defilement & of Debasement in us; for we all have our Grains. However upon the Trial of a good man, the good God pronoun­ces this of h [...]m, This is a d [...]r Son and a plea­s [...]nt ch [...]ld, I will surely have mercy on hi [...]; He pro­nounces [Page 94] this, I find good metal in the soul of th [...] [...]an, and he shall be mine in the day when I make up my Iewels. The Devil, the Satan, who is the Accuser of the Brethren, he may load a good man with Calumnies not a few; that evil spirit will accuse a good man as guilty of Hypocrisie in the power of it; but the Holy God brings it unto a Tryal, and then He pronounces as in Iob. 2. 3. I have tried him; and he is my servant, a perfect and an upright man; One that feareth God and es­cheweth evil; and still he holdeth fast his integrity.

Conclusion. II.

A good man is made better by the Dispensati­ons of God. It is to him that there is gran­ted the Fulfilment of that promise in Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good. As for the merciful Dispensations of God, these do encline as well as oblige a good man to all manner of Obedience; they cause him to think, What shall I render to the Lord? they cause him to say, I will fear the Lord and His goodness, I will never sin against so good a God as He. Thus we are told in Rom. 2. 4. The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. It even melts and breaks the heart of a good man, so that he cannot find in his heart after such deliverances again to break his command­ments. As for the Afflictive Dispensations of God, these also cause a good man more than e­ver to Abound in the works of the Lord; they put him upon more Thinking on his waies, and upon [Page 95] turning his feet more unto the testmonies of God. It was said in Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. A good man gets this good thereby; his Wisdom and his Vertue is thereby augmented; and he Learns Obedience by the things which he suffers.

USE.

There is a two-fold Exhortation which I must now bespeak your earnest Heed unto.

I. Let us approve our selves as Gold under the Examinations of the Blessed God. There are who take notice that the Original in Job. 37. 22. is, Gold cometh out of the North. God grant that the best Gold may here be found in our North! that you the inhabitants of the North may for your Vertues be as Gold before the Lord. Yea, that North-Boston may be like Havilah, and it may be said, The gold of that land is good; or, there are Extraordinary golden and precious Christians there.

Tis a Three-fold Counsel which you may therefore be advised with.

Counsil. I.

Beleeve, and Expect the Trials of the eternal God.

Beleeve that God now does Vnderstand what you are. It was an Article in that famous Pro­phets Creed, in Jer. 12. 3. Thou, O Lord knowest me, thou hast seen me, and tryed my heart towards [Page 96] thee. O that every one of us were enough sen­sible of that awful solemn Truth! Tis a com­mon thing to say, God knowes my heart; but who does enough lay that thing to heart? Who rec­kons any more upon it than the false Gehazi did? It was an Orthodox perswasion in Psal. 139. 3, 2. O Lord thou hast searched me and known me; thou understandest my thought afar off. Tis very certain, that every one of our thoughts are known to the infinite God, even afar off, long enough before they come into our minds. But, O Lord, who has believed our Report? Men and Brethren, do you beleeve it, and apprehend it, and reallize it. Beleeve it, that God is all Eye, and that He needs not a Glass Window in your breasts for the Exploration of you. Beleeve it, that the eyes of the Lord run to & fro, through the whole earth; and that he will not by a Mistake drop a Blessing wrong as blind Isaac did of old. Yea, let it be a frequent Meditation with you, All that I am, and all that I think, is well known unto the Lord.

And Expect that God will one day Discover what you are. There is a Day of Discovery that shall shine upon us all; and, Behold the Day comes that shall burn as an Oven, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble in it.

Expect that the great God will have a Snare in this world, for your Detection. Ever now & then there happen some Discriminating Things, That they which are approved might be made manifest. [Page 97] God will have His Times and His Wayes, possi­bly to uncase our hearts before all our Neigh­bours. It was said of that blessed man in 2. Chron. 32. 31. God left him (in one thing) to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. You may look for some Temptation before you dye, which will make the Inclinations of your souls notorious to the world; especially, If your Hearts be not right with God. It is a Simile us'd by one of the Ancients, for it; You shall have an Ape drest in the Attire of a Man, for a while imitating the Look, and shape, and Gesture of a man: but if a Nutt, or an Apple be thrown before him, he soon showes what he is. Thou Hypocrite, the Lord will have something to throw before thee, which Object will decoy thee into a natural suitable Expression of thy self; and as our Lord speaks, in Rev. 2. 23. All the Churches shall know, that I am He that searcheth the Heart.

Expect also, that the great God will have a Bar for your Detection in another world. Tis confessed by all Christians, as in 2. Cor. 5. 10. We must all appear before the Iudgment seat of Christ. O that we could every one of us now se­riously place our selves before the Iudgment seat of God! Remember, O immortal souls, that you must all very shortly appear before a Iudge who hath Eyes like a flame of fire; and you must then be exposed in the full view of Heaven & Earth. [Page 98] Remember that you shall then have no Vizard, no Disguise to cover you, but all men and Angels must hear truly what you are. It was the warn­ing in Eccl. 11. 9.—know thou, that God will bring thee to Iudgment. Even so Know thou, that thou canst not avoid the day when God shall bring every worke into Iudgement, with every secret thing. Know thou, that when the dead, small and great stand before God, then thou shalt stand among 'em! Know thou, that tho' thou shouldst then shriek, O Rocks, hide me, or O Mountains-defend me, the the Rocks and the Mountains would be deaf un­to that lamentable cry. Holy Ierom could say, Wherever I am, or whatever I do, Methinks I hear the Alarums of the last Trumpet, Arise ye dead & come to Iudgement. O that you would often Reflect upon the Day, when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ.

Counsil. 2.

Cry mightily to God, that He would give you the Gold which will endure all Tryals whatso­ever. Our Lord saith unto us in Rev. 3. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the fire. That Gold is Grace; let us buy that is, let us beg it of Him. Let us make that our servent & our frequent Prayer, in Psal. 119. 80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I may not be asha­med! Be careful and prayerful, that you may be New Creatures and have the Root of the matter in your souls: Be careful and prayerful, That you [Page 99] may have Oyl in your vessels: Be careful and pray­erful, That you may have in you, the well of water which springs up into everlasting life. Let your prayers be restless, till you find that you are indeed Born again, indeed Converted, indeed San­ctified. As for the Grace of God, my son, seek it as silver; for indeed, the Gain of it is better than fine gold.

Counsel, 3.

Often bring your selves to the Tryals of a Self-Examination. Tis the Charge of God, in 2. Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith; prove your own selves. Your souls are as Vessels, then Pierce them to see what they have. Your souls are as Metals, then Touch them to see what they are▪ Such are the Allusions of the Holy Spirit there. Know thy self, was a golden Rule of Old, and it will make a golden Saint when we make much use of that Rule, Try thy self. We are to use the Word of God as a Glass in which we are to behold our selves; and we are often to compare our selves with what is therein required of us. When we are in a Meditation, as we should every day be upon some Truths of God, we should then examine ourselves, Whether we are moulded ac­cording thereunto. And when we are under a Visita­tion, as we sometimes are, by the Rods of God, we should then Examine our selves, as they that of Old said, Let us now search and try our wayes. E­specially when we are approching to the Table [Page 100] of the Lord, Self-Examination is not then to be omitted. So hath the Apostle urged, in 1. Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. Tis a fearful Impiety and Presumption, for a man to sit down at the Holy Supper without enquiring, Have I a Wedding garment on, or no? Yea tis con­venient for a man every Evening, before he sleeps to examine himself and ask, If I dy this night, is my immortal spirit safe? O tremble exceedingly least your doom should be that in Jer. 2. 37. The Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them. Therefore be much in Exa­mining your selves.

Examine Whether you have true REPEN­TANCE.

Wherefore Try whether you are at so much pains for no Outward and Earthly thing, as you are for the mortification of every lust.

And Try whether Afflictions themselves are welcome to you, when you see you sins there­by embittered and subdued.

Examine Whether you have true FAITH.

Wherefore Try whether your Souls are ex­tremely affected with the blessed Fulness & Glory which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Try whether your hearts most affectionately close with the Gospel-way of Salvation by Jesus Ch [...]ist, so as cheerfully to venture the Lives of your souls upon it.

[Page 101] Examine, Whether you have true LOVE.

Wherefore Try, whether any thing that has a Tendency to promote the Honour of God, be readily embraced by you, as a thing more desi­rable than all the Riches in the world.

And Try whether you count no Service too much to be done for the People of the Saints of the Most High. Put the Question to your selves, and let the Preface of your Answer be that Re­quest in Psal 139. 23. Search me O God, and try me, and help me to know my self.

To be much in such Self-Examination is the way to be a Golden Christian, and indeed, none but such an one will have a Value for the Ex­ercise.

II. Let us also approve ourselves, as gold, under the Dispensations of the Blessed GOD.

Particularly,

First. Let them that are in Prosperity be­have themselves well under the Tryals of the Lord. It may be that you are come to have store of Gold; O that you may Be like what you Have! Tis possible that you have been in much Distress and Sorrow: But God has brought you forth, as tis said He brought Israel out of Egypt, in Ps▪ 105. 37. He brought them forth with Gold.

Consider, That God is now Trying of your Faithfulness. No doubt, you have sometimes promised the God of Heaven, That if you might have such a measure of Health and Strength, or, [Page 102] That if you might have such a Degree of Estate and Honour you would glorify God with a won­derful Activity. Well, saith our God, I'll try. God is trying whether you will be true to those Professions and Engagements, which you made before He so smil'd upon you. God is trying whether you will not Confirm that Observation, in Jer. 17. 9. The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

Consider moreover, That God is now trying of your Thankfulness. A very terrible Wrath is denounced against them in Deut. 28. 47. Who serve not God for the abundance of all things. God gives you an Abundance of all things, and it is to try whether you will serve Him, and praise Him for it. God is Trying whether you will now of­ten say, Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me! God is Trying whether you will now think, What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits? Let us be as Gold by affording now a good Experiment.

Secondly, Let them that are in Adversity, likewise behave themselves as under the Tryals of the Lord. We may most or all of us, Lament, I am the man that hath seen Affliction; there is a Variety of Calamity which we are try'd withal. God forbid that we should procure to our selves the Brand set upon that wicked man of old, In the time of his Distress did he trespass yet more a­gainst the LORD. Never was there in this [Page 103] world a more doleful sight than that of a Theef on a Cross, yet Neglecting and Affronting the Son of God. We that have been lately under Affliction, (particularly, under that Affliction of Sickness) have as it were lain among the pots; God has as it were laid us by among the meanest Lumps of clay; but O that we may now come sorth Doves, having Wings covered with Silver, and Feathers with yellow Gold! O that we may come forth of our Tryals more gracious, more Savoury, more Heavenly, than ever we were in our lives before; that the Iron-Age of Grief may issue in a Golden-Age of Grace, unto us; that our Adversity may procure more grace to to us, than ever the Prosperity of Solomon did gold to him. Tis to be desired, that the Transmutation of Metals may be Exemplified in us; and that the most exquisite Vitrioli [...] powder may not be so powerful, to make Na­tural gold, as the Dust of Affliction may be to make Spiritual gold of our souls. Look to it, Lest our Character be that, Reprchate Silver, which is rejected by the Lord.

The First DESIRE.

Let us come forth more out-of-Love with Gold which perisheth. Our GOD hath taught us that no gold will deliver from Death and Hell; and that no gold can be carried away [Page 104] with, us at our Departure hence. Our God hath told us, That though we should have never so much gold about us, we may in a moment be taken away from all. Wherefore Let us become Indifferent unto gold, and all the Delights of this miserable World. Look, Look upon thy most golden Comforts, and imagine thou hearest that Voice of GOD, in Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? When one of the Mar­tyrs had money proffer`d unto him, he Re­fused it, saying, The Coyn is not current, in the Countrey to which I am going. O despise all gold but what will be Current there.

The Second Desire.

Let us come forth more Admiring of, more Affected with such things as are better than gold. The Fear of God is one of those things, Whereof tis said it Job, 28. 16. It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir. Let it be then our prime and cheef Study, to be daily acting of it; yea, Since we have lately seen Time loudly calling on us to Redeem it, Let a Respect to God now ennoble all the Actions of our Lives. The Word of God is another of those things, Whereof tis said, in Psal. 19. 10. It is more to be desired than much fine Gold.

Let us then set an unspeakable Value there­upon; Yea, since we have lately seen an [Page 105] End of all Perfection elsewhere; Let the Bible of God be now more than ever the Compa­nion of your Solitary Hours.

Finally, The SON of GOD, is the Pearl of great price, which no Gold is to be equaliz'd unto. We read of a Brazen-Serpent [or more truly a Coper-Serpent] marvellously useful to Israel of old, O let us now Esteem the An­titype of that Brasen or Coper Shadow, before the Richest Gold. The holy God has newly sent me back from the Sides of Eternity to tell you, That One CHRIST is worth ten Worlds. Tis a thing whereof you have been heretofore advised with frequent, solemn, lively Warnings, from the Eternal God: As Ioshua could say, in Cap. 24. 27. Behold, this stone shall be a Witness, for it hath heard all the words of the Lord. So may I say, Let this Pulpit, and these Walls and Seats and Pillars Remember, if you have forgotten, That you have been often told, All the gold in the world is not worth one Christ. And behold, I re­peat unto you one Warning more. Let this House be a Witness, and be you witnesses of it O ye Angels that are invisible here; That it has been earnestly affirmed in our Hearing, A Christ is better than a Thousand Worlds, and they that sl [...]ight Him, will be miserable for infinitely more than ten Thousand Ages.

LIFE DESIRED. Vpon the Death of a Relation.

Psal. CXIX. 175. ‘Let my Soul live, and it shall praise thee, and let thy Iudgements help me.’

SWeeter Words than these could not come from the Sweet Singer of Israel himself. The Hundred and Nineteenth, is the longest, and yet, if the Comparison be not odious, the sweetest, of all the Psalms; and perhaps the Psalm, like the Grace wherewith it was Com­posed, has a growing Sweetness, towards the Conclusion of it. The one and twentieth Octo­nary in this excellent Psalm, is a Bundle of Hea­venly Affections; this two and twentieth Octo­nary is an Heap of Holy Petitions. There are especially Six Petitions in this last part of the Psalm. The fourth and fifth of them are in the [Page 107] words now before us. He begs, First, for his Life, then for God's Help. The Life petition`d for, may be understood as Two-fold: it is call­ed, The life of the Soul; both Natural Life, and Spiritual Life may be intended in that Expres­sion. But cheefly the former. Let my soul live; it is q. d. Let my Self live. Tis an usual Hebra­ism. In that signification it was the Choice of Sampson, Let me dy, in the Hebrew it is, Let my Soul dy with the Philistines. The Help petition'd for, has Two Things declared concerning it. We have the For-What of this Help; this is, That he might attend the Business for which he desired to live; namely, To praise God. And we also have the From-Whence, of this Help; this is, From the Iudgments of God. Thy Iudgments▪ this is one of the Ten various Phrases used here, to signify, the Wayes and Means whereby God, reveals Himself unto the world.

In short, the Doctrine before us, is, That

While we pray to live, we should account the Praises of God to be the Cheef End of our Life, in which the Judgments of God are to be sought and used as our Help.

The Propositions which may shape this Truth unto our minds are these.

Prop. I.

The Praise of God is to be accounted the cheef end of our Life on Earth. If our Souls do live in our Bodies, if we enjoy that Life which is an Union [Page 108] between Soul and Body, this is to be the End of it; That we may praise the God of our lives. It was the pious Expectation of the Psalmist, in Psal. 118. 17. I shal not dy but live, and declare the works of the Lord. This is to be the Reso­lution of every man. Can we say, I do not dy but live? We should add, I will then de­clare the Praises of the Lord. The first Question that the Thoughts of men should be employed upon is, What is the Cheef End of Man? The true and Just answer To that Question is, The Cheef End of man is to glorifie God. Well, put the Question so, What is the Cheef End of Life? The Answer to that Question too will be the same; It is to glorifie God.

To praise God, What is that? To praise God, is to Render and Procure, a due Acknowlement of His Excellencies. Indeed all the Duties of Re­ligion are Contained in this Comprehensive thing. When we own, when we serve, when we Adore the Great God in any or all the waies of His Worship, Then we praise Him; and we fur­ther praise Him, when we provoke others to join with us in doing so. This, This Praise of the LORD is the End of our Life in the World.

This is the End of our Being. We are told that We have our Being in God. Of all things whatever this is then most Reasonable, that We should have our Being for God; and our [Page 109] Being for Him, is not expressed without our praising of Him. The blessed God looks from on high upon mankind, and saith, as in Isa. 43. 21. This people have I formed for my self, they should show forth my Praise. Now that which is the End of our Being, is the End of our Liv­ing too. Two things are to be affirmed of it,

First, The Law of God doth Appoint this as as the End of our Lives. Unto every man living, this is the Voice of God, I spare thy life, that so thou mayst live my praise. It is said in Rom. 14. 7. If we live, we are to live unto the Lord. What the Apostle saith of Eating and Drinking, may much more be said of Living; as in 1. Cor. 10. 30. It must be unto the Glory of God. God gives our Lives, God keeps our Lives, and this is His reveled, His Preceptive Will concerning our Lives; Man, I suffer thy life, yea, I support thy life, that I may be praised, loved, admired by thee as long as thou livest. It was an heavy dismal Charge against Belshazzer, in Dan. 5. 23. God in whose Hand thy breath is, thou hast not glorified. The Almighty God gives us notice of this, Thy Breath is in my hand; at the same time He also requires this of us, Let thy life be to my pr [...]ise. That man makes a sacri­legious Incroachment and Invasion upon Gods Right, who makes not God [...]s Praise, the End of his living upon God`s Earth.

There is therefore, Secondly this to be added thereunto.

[Page 110] The Heart of man should Embrace this as the End of our lives. It becomes every man to say, I live that God who is worthy to be praised, may have the praises of my Obedience to Him. It was the godly purpose of the Psalmist, in Psal. 147. 2. While I live I will praise the Lord. And a kin to this is the Right Thought, which every man should entertain, I do live, that I may praise the Lord. Hence this is one of the principal Pleas which the Saints have used in their Sup­ [...]lications for their Lives. Good Hezekiah pray'd in his Distress, Lord, let me live. And what was his Argument? It was that in Isa. 38. 17. 18. The Grave cannot praise thee; the living, the living, he shall praise thee. The heart of man should readily close with such an End for the life of man. Satan saies, Thou livest only to En­joy the delights of the Flesh in the world; thou livest only to seek, to get, and to tast the saecular plea­sures provided for thee. The soul of man should rise with unspeakable Indignation at this wild proposal. On the other side, our God saies, The Business of thy life is to magnifie Mee, to make my Praise glorious. Here now, Here the Soul of every man should fall in, and Reply, This is all my Salvation, and all my Desire.

But this leads to

PROP. II.

Prayers for life are then, and only then rightly [Page 111] qualified, when they have Respect unto the Praises of God.

To clear this matter, there are these things to be conceived.

One Conclusion is, That the Living on Earth have many peculiar Opportunities to be Praising of God. Indeed, Blessed are the dead who dy in the Lord, for they too are alwaies praising of Him. But yet they rest from some Praises, when they rest from their Labours here. The departed Saints are continually shouting, H [...]llelujah, Hallelujah, before the Throne of God. The Saints, they are joyful in glory; and the High Praises of God are perpetually Proceeding from those blessed Souls. But Christians in this world have their peculiar Opportunities, to be Glorifying of Him that made them. This did the Psalmist speak in Ps 88. 11. Shall the dead praise thee? To in­stance in some particulars:

The Living here may be praising of God by the Discharge of many Relations, which the dead Saints are strangers unto. We may now praise God as Parents, as Masters, as Officers in the the Church or Common-Wealth. All those Ca­pacities will dy with us, when we shall go hence and be-no more.

Again, The Living here may be Praising of God, by Bearing many a Witness to the Truths and Wayes of the Lord Jesus Christ. We may now bestow many Rebukes upon the Errors and [Page 112] the Evils of a sinful World. We may part with and esteem, an Estate, with our Ease, and our Life it self, out of Respect unto the Name of God. But our Testimonies expire with our Lives.

Once more, The Living may be Praising of God by Advancing His Kingdom here below. In this Life we may be instrumental to Con­vince and Convert Vnregenerate Sinners, to build up the Church of the Lord Jesus, and to Do good among the ignorant by an Exemplary Con­versation. But this is to be done only below the stars.

Furthermore, There are Graces proper to this Life which God is praised by the Exercising of. The Tears of Sorrow for Sin will be dry`d up, when we come to the State in which all Sor­row shall flee away. Charity in Giving and For­giving to them that need it,—there is no occa­sion for that Charity among them that are above; they are all perfect and happy there. Patience under Tryals belongs to our present Condition only; there are no Afflictions to trouble us, when our few dayes full of trouble are passed away. In a Word. Our Spiritual Warfare is to be at­tended only in this Valley of the Shadow of Death. We cannot fight the Battles of the Lord, and there­in we cannot shew the praises of the Lord, when we are arrived at the End of our Faith the Salva­tion of our Souls. Our Fight is done, our Crown is come when we have been Faithful to the Death.

[Page 113] A Second Conclusion is, That Opportunities for the Praising of God are the things for which we should desire to be living on Earth. There is a Three-fold Desire of Life which the Living have. There is a Natural Desire of Life. This is common both to good men and bad men. Na­ture it self startles at the Approach of Death; In­nocent Nature shivers and recoyls, when this King of Terrors is ready to lay his cold l [...]y hand upon us. This was Ioab's Desire: that valiant Souldier, The Lord-General of Israel himself, in 1. King. 2. 28. being in cold blood under Ap­prehensions of Death, fled unto the Horns of the Altar, as a Sanctuary to save his Life. There is also a Sensual Desire of Life. This is that which Bad men are under the power of. Many are loth to dye because they would not leave the Pleasures and Profits and Honours which did sur­round them here. They are like the Miser who on his Death-Bed, hugg'd his Baggs of Gold, and cry'd out, Must I leave you? Must I leave you? Their Love of their Life, comes from their love of their Flesh. This was the Rich Fools Desire, in Luc 12. 20. He wished for many Years, that he might eat and drink, and be merry here.

There is likewise a gracious Desire of Life. And this is that which good men are affected with: They desire to live, because they desire to praise. They would live, because they would honour [Page 114] God in those matters & those manners for which their Lives do afford them blessed Opportunities and Advantages. Now this gracious Desire of of Life is a Regular Desire. A Desire of Life for the Praise of God, is the only Desire of Life, that will have praise of God. This was David's Desire when he was visited with Sick­ness, when he was weak, and his Bones were pained, then said he in Psal. 6. 5. O save me, for in Death there is no Remembrance of thee, in the Grave who shall give thee thanks? Such Desires are the only right and chast Desires. It is not fit for a Christian to say, I desire to live, because I am afraid to dy. Much less is it fit for him to say, I desire my life in the world, that I may turn and wind still the Affairs of the World. But This is that which Leg [...]timates the Desire of Life: As every thing is to be i [...]roved for God, so every thing should be desired for God. And thus Life it self. We are daily Praying, as he in Psal. 102. 24. O my God, take me not away in the midst of my dayes. Well, Our God enquires of us, Why art thou unwilling to be taken away in the midst of thy dayes? We should have this to be our true Account of it, Because, O Lord, I am loth to be taken away in the midst of my Praise.

PROP. III.

The Judgments of God are to be sought and used by us as our Help in those Praises of God which are the End of our life.

[Page 115] There are blessed Helps, which God hath pro­vided for us, by which we may be both Assisted in and Excited to, the work of our lives.

Behold a double Help, both implyed in the Iudgments of God. And he that shall consult other passages in this Hundred-and-nineteenth Psalm, will find both under this Notion insisted on. The Scriptures of Truth, and the Troubles of Life.

First, The Word of God is to be sought as the Help, of our Praising Him. The Prophet of old could say as in Mich. 6. 8. The Lord hath shew­ed thee, O man, the thing that good is. Thus, the Lord hath shewed us how to be praising of Him, by living to Him. But Where has he shewed it? Truly in the sacred Bible. The Bible is the Di­rectory given to us. Every Child is well taught to say, The Scriptures of the Old and New Testa­ment are the Rule which God hath given to instruct us how we are to glorify Him. To order a Life in a dark world, is as hard as to manage a Ship in a dark night, we are in the Dark about the Practises which our lives are to be employed in. What shall we then do that we may leave no part of our due Homage to God unperformed? The Apostle speaks fully to this Case in 2. Pet. 1. 18. We have a sure word of Prophecy, whereto ye do well to take heed, as to a light shining in a dark place. There, There it is: our Bible is our Pole-Star: keep an eye to That and we shall [Page 116] shape a course Right. All the Directions, all the Promises, all the Threatnings of God, will be so many Helps, of our Obedience. If any man ask, How do the Scriptures of God help men in the Prais­es of God? Know, The Scriptures themselves give an Answer thereunto, in Psal. 19. 7, 8. The law of the Lord converts the soul, the testimonies of the Lord make wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart; the commandments of the Lord enlighten the eyes. That Conversion, that Instruction, that Ioy and that Ligh [...] which the Word of God affords unto us, will be no little Help in the Praise of God.

Secondly, The Rod of God is to be used as the Help of our Praising Him. The Lord sends ma­ny Afflictions upon us. An H [...]man, is afflicted in his mind: a Iob is Afflicted in his Estate; a Gaius is afflicted in his Body, a Paul in his Credit, and a David in his Children, they live ill and they dy worse before him. What is the Use we are now to make of these things? Truly our Afflictions are to be the Help of our Devotions. It is the Call of God in Mic 6. 9. Hear the Rod. As we should hear the Voice of the Rod, so we should use the Help of the Rod. By our Afflictions we should be helped unto more Se­riousness, more Watchfulness, more Fruitful­ness. Now those things are to the Praise of the glory of the grace of God. Our Afflictions are the purgings & the prunings bestow'd by our God [Page 117] upon us. What are they for? but, That we may bring forth more Fruit: and we are told in Ioh. 15. 8. Herein is my father glorified, if ye bring forth much fruit. Observe it: a Learning the Statutes of God, is a Rendring of Praises to God; those two things are one. Now see what the Psal­mist saith, in Psal 119. 97. Tis good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy Statutes. This then is incumbent on us under every Affli­ction; Our study should be, What Advantage, what Engagement to be more holy, is now put into my hands! Every Afflicted man should ask, How may the Sorrowes of my life promote the praises of my God?

But for the Vse of these things.
USE. I.

Some Evil Desires are hence Rebuked and Con­demned. Especially two sorts of Desires.

First, Impatient Desires of Death, are to be Re­proved.

Something is to be said by way of Concession; and something by way of Correction about such Desires.

First by way of Concession, I would say; There are some Desires of Death well-becoming a Child of God. Such were the Desires of Paul, in Phil. 1. 22. I desire to be d [...]ssolved and be with Christ. When we think of the day, in which we shall go to the the Spirits of just men made perfect; and to Iesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant; When we [Page 118] think of the day in which the Lord will deliver us from the hand of all our enemies, and from the hand of SIN; O the thoughts of it should fill our Souls with Raptures of Joy! they should cause our hearts to leap and spring within us. In is an allowable thing to be almost angry with Time, to call upon slow Time, and say, Fly apaces Fly away, O Time; Come, O Eternity, come and fetch me into the presence of the Lord. The Visi­ons of the Lord Jesus may cause us to say hum­bly with aged, faithful Simeon, Lord, let thy ser­vant depart in peace. The Chariots of Death, sent by the Lord Jesus to fetch us unto Himself should be as welcom to us, as the Waggons of Io­seph were to Iacob of old. It should cause us to Rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, when we think of the unspeakable joy and the full glory which we are going unto. There are holy long­ings and lookings of Soul, with which we may cry out, Why, why are His Churiots so long i'com­ing? Why tarry the Wheels thereof?

But yet,

Secondly, By way of Correction.

If these Desires are with Impatience, much more if they are thro' Impatience, they become sinful before the Lord. The embittered spirits of Christians, have been sometimes too prone unto such Desires. It was an inordinate passion in Moses, when a froward people under his charge provoked him to say, in Numb. 17. 14. Kill [Page 119] me, I pray thee out of hand. Had God granted his Desire, he had lost Thirty years of eminent Service in the World. It was an irregular passion in Elias, when the persecutions of wic­ked men so tired him, as to make him say, in 1. King. 19. 4. O Lord, take away my life. It hath been an Observation, that Many good and, great men sit under Elias's Iuniper tree. As culpa­ble was the Passion of Ionah, when the Wither­ing of a Guord had that Effect upon him in Cap. 4. 8. He wished to dy. The like pang of Impa­tience, did that Pattern of Patience, Iob, fall into be spake as if he could hardly for bear laying violent hands upon himself. Even so far do the distempered, unbridled Wishes of many run. Their Desire of Death is a sort of Revenge on God; they would as it were deprive God of the glory which He might have of them. Compose these desires, O ye raging Souls; compose these De­sires. Allay this Fever, this phrensy. Its not on­ly an irreligious but an unnatural passion which you are carried away withal. You desire to dye▪ Well, are you sure that the Death which you de­sire now, will not prove a Death which you shall Deplore throughout eternal Ages. It is said of the Believer in Psal. 91. 19. With long life will I satisfie him, and shew him my Salvation. It is a very disordered heart that will be dissatisfied with so great a mercy.

Secondly, Vnsanctified Desires of Life are to [Page 120] be Reproved also. Of these Desires there are Three Sorts to be Reprehended.

There are, first. Carnal Desires of Life to be blamed. Some desire to live, and wherefore is it? It is because they desire to eat and drink and be merry. They cann't part with such Relations and Possessions as are here to be enjoyed. The Comforts of Life are the things that cause their Desires of Life. One once beholding his fine Ac­commodations made this Reflection thereupon, Haec faciunt invitos mori▪, these are the things that make us unwilling to dy. Unmortified Corrupti­ons are the causes of these desires. Remember what the Lord hath said in Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother, or Son or DAUGH­TER more than me, is not worthy of me. Thus may the Lord well say to the Subject of these De­sires, If you had rather be with your friends on earth, than with your Father in Heaven, you are not wor­thy to be with me at all. And this by the way is to be said of them that desire the life of their Friends as well as of them selves. It is for the Interest of the Lord Jesus Christ that the dead Children which you lament, are dead; or else they had not dyed at all. Now sais the Lord Je­sus, If thou lovest those CHILDREN, those Re­lations more than me, and hadst rather have them with thy self, to my Prejudice, than to have them with me, to thy own Bereavement, thou art not worthy to have them with me at all.

[Page 121] Secondly. There are Careful Desires of Life to be likewise blamed. Many desire to live only upon this account, Some Child, or some Charge they are concerned for. They have this or that Child which they cannot believe will be well pro­vided for, when they are dead; or they suspect what will become of such or such a Charge. There is indeed a Desire of Life on such a Score, which is not alwaies very severely to be found fault withal. But oftentimes there is too much Distrust in such a desire. Why cannot we venture our Families and the Concernments thereof, in the Hands of the faithful God? The Lord has said in Jer. 49. 11. Leave thy fatherless Children, I will preserve them alive. And he still saies, I will be a better Father, and a better Friend unto them, than thou thy self canst be.

Thirdly. There are Fearful Desires of Life which are blame-worthy too. When Death comes with that message, Set thy Soul in order, for thou shalt dy and not live, many persons are so terrified as to be even at their wits ends. O how they groan. I cannot dy! Indeed Sinners that have not been born twice, may well tremble to dy once; no body can blame them; there is a Se­cond Death, ready to sieze upon the forlorn souls that are not Regenerate. But such as have been truly turn'd to God in Christ, should not enter­tain Death with such Reluctancies. Can you not uprightly say, That if you were sure to be freed [Page 122] from Sin, you could be content to be struck by Death? O then, be cheerfully willing to Dy. Thy soul will no sooner pass into Eternity but it shall experience that thing in Rom. 6. 7. He that is dead is freed from Sin. It is often pretended by men, I would live because, I would be more ho­ly before I dy. Tis well; but there is not seldom a Deceit in the Pretence; often something else is in the Bottom; A Rebellion against the Will of God. Wouldst thou really and earnestly be ho­ly? Be willing then to dy as well as to live. Death is the way to Holiness in the Perfection of it. In short: Good was the Temper of that sick person who being asked, Which do you desire, to live, or to dy? answered, I refer it to God; and when it was again said, But suppose God should refer it to you? reply'd, I would then re­fer it to him again.

USE. II.

Let us all be now Exhorted, that the Praise of Ged, may be duly accounted by us, as the End of our Life, in our Prayers for it. Let us not shoot beside our Mark, or live beside our End. Let us pray that we may live, and let us live that we may praise. It is the most lamentable plight in the world, that a man should spend his Life in Sinning against God, rather than in Praising of Him. But alas, This is the case of Multi­tudes, Multitudes among us. How few of us [Consider of in seriously] How sew of you that [Page 123] are now before the Lord, ever seriously thought with your selves, What is the Errand that I am come into the world upon? Hast thou not lived a­bove a Score of years in the world, and never yet seriously thought, What is it that God sent me hither for? Every man here, I suppose, de­sires to live; let your Prayers express those De­sires; and say after the Psalmist, Ps. 32. 8. My Prayer is to the God of my life. But more than so, Let those Desires be for the sake of your Praises; and say after the Psalmist again, in Ps. 119. 17. Deal bountifully with thy Servant that I may live and keep thy Word.

Three things are you to be advised unto; yea Four things are to be impo [...]tunately prest upon you.

First, Mark and Prize your Opportunities to be Pr [...]ing of God. Every man has his Opport [...] ­nities. Some have an Instrument of a Thousand Strings; but the meanest of us all has an Instru­ment of Ten strings, for our God to be praised with. Let every man often enquire, What are my Opportunities to glorify God? And let every man alwaies conclude, My Opportunities are my Treasures.

Secondly. Let the Word of God Direct you in His Praises. Be often Consulting of that: Peace will be on al [...], and Praise will be from all, that walk according to this Rule. A Bible,—Christians, let That be your Counsellour on all Occasions. [Page 124] The Psalmist could say in Ps. 119. 164. Seven times a day will I praise thee O Lord; because of thy Righteous Judgements.

Thirdly. Let the Rod of God provoke you to His Praises. If you cannot Bless God for your Afflictions, which yet, I think, is a thing attain­able; nevertheless, I'm sure you should praise God in your Afflictions. Let God gain some Glory, and we shall gain some Good, by all our Suffer­ings. Take the counsil in Isa. 34. 15. Glorifie the Lord in the Fires.

To Enforce these Three Things;

Consider that Thing wich is intimated in the Text. The Lives of your Souls are enwrapped in the praises of God. Saies the Psalmist, Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee. So I may say, Let thy Soul praise, and it shall live. A prais­ing Soul, is a Thriving Soul. In this consisteth Life Eternal it self, The Life of thy Soul in the Third Heaven, will be the praise of thy God for evermore. Praise God for thy Life; it is a mercy well worth praise. Praise God by thy life; so thou wilt begin Heaven upon Earth.

But there is a Fourth Counsil which more im­mediately concerns that part of the Congregation which are of my own Age, and have therefore a more peculiar interest in my Loves and Cares.

Tis to Young People here, that I take leave to say,

Fourthly, Begin You now Betimes to live unto [Page 125] the Praise of the everliving God. My Brethren, you have not yet begun to live at all, if you have not begun to praise the Lord. You are Dead in Trespasses and Sins; you are stark dead in the rotten, hideous, loathsome Graves of your Unregeneracy, if you have not yet begun to or­der your Conversation aright, and to ponder, How may I so offer praise as to Glorify God? But is not this the deplorable Condition of many, many Young people here? Conscience do thine Office! Is not the Hour yet to come, is not the Day yet to dawn, when that young person (whom thou art the Officer of God unto) did by an hearty Covenant bind himselfe unto the Serving and the Praising of the Lord?

But what mean you, O ye inconsiderate Youths, to delay the Remembring of your Creator so? In the Language of the young Prophet, whom God sent unto the Iews of old, let me say, thus saith the Lord, Consider your waies.

Consider the Vncertainty of your Life which you have to be praising of God withal. As young as you are, you may dy before the most aged per­son here. It hath been truly noted, That The old man has Death before his face, but the young man has Death behind his back. The stroak of Death may sooner lay you in the Dust, than some whose Heads old Time hath snow'd upon. O look, and see, and let thy heart shake at the Ap­prehension of it. Thy Death stands, just behin [...] [Page 126] thee there with an Horrible Pole-Ax ready lift­ed up, saying as the Prince of old, Shall I smite them? shall I smite them? If the great God ut­ter the word, Smite, smite, thou art gone beyond all Recovery. The Blessed God hath newly caused me to look into the Coffins of two very near and sweet Relations, neither of which had ever seen Twenty Winters in the World; and with a strong hand He then said unto me, Go, Go tell the young people of Boston, and Charlestown, that this is that which they are all expos`d unto. Behold I am now come in Bitterness and in the heat of my spirit, I am come to Warn you of it, That You may dy before you are aware of such a dis­mal Change at hand. O do not procrastinate the praises and the Vertues which the God of Heaven Expects from you; put not off until, To­morrow; For tis the admonition to be now set before you, in Prov. 2. 7. B [...]ast not thy self of Tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

But Consider also, the Dreadfulness, of a Death, ensuing upon a Life not spent in the prais­ing of God. O this Dying! tis a solemn thing, 'tis, A thing by it self: What followes it? But that in Heb. 9. 27. After Death Iudgement. That Iudgment will be Eternal; and if it come upon thee before thy turning and living unto God, it will be very Terrible.

Hearken to this awful Truth and Voice of the [Page 127] Almighty God, and let thy heart quiver as under the loudest claps of Thunder at it; If thou Dy before thy peace be made with God, and thy praise be given to Him, tis impossible thou shouldst escape the Vengeance of Eternal Fire; Small Chip [...] as well as great Logs are horribly burn [...] [...] there must thou too undergo most exquisite An­guishes, for infinitely more than as many Milli­ons of Ages, as the Huge Ocean has Drops of Water in it.

O Consider, these Terrors of the Lord, and immediately set upon His Praises.

Now that you would come to these Resoluti­ons, before you go from the present Exercise! Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn from following after you; but give me leave to press upon you at least this one Consideration more.

Consider seriously, How exceeding Acceptable it will be to the great God, for such Young per­sons as you, to set upon praising of Him! Your Praises, they are very much desired by the Lord, and not a little delightful to Him. He declares My soul desires the first ripe Fruit; and He seem'd to express as it were some Hast, for the First Fruits under the Law of Old. The Lord in a sort longs to see you serving of Him with the First Fruits of your Age, and of your Praise. He saies as in Cant. 2. 14. Let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice. The Voice of your Praises makes a matchless melody in the ears of the God [Page 128] that has call'd for them. The very Chatterings of our infants are pleasant unto us; the Praises and the Devotions of young persons are so unto Our Father which is in Heaven; and he ask­eth for them with ungainsayable Importunities. 'Twas said unto a young man in 1. Chron. 28. 9. If thou seek the Lord, He will be found of thee, Even so. If thou (that art a young per­son) praise the Lord he will be pleased with thee. One that owns an Orchard full of many fruit­ful Trees, will take a most particular and affecti­onate Notice of a young Tree beginning to have some little Fruit upon it: Our Father is such an Husband man. Young Iohns, are they that prove the Disciples whom Iesus loves. Young Iosiahs will have special Comforts in this, and special Ho­nours in another world▪ And, yee Hearts of A­damant, are you not yet overcome to resolve, I will now praise and serve the great God! O let not your Answer be, I am almost perswaded; but become Altogether so. As twas said of him, Be­hold he prayes! thus let it be said of you, Behold he praises! How, How can you be deaf Adders before the Charms of these Considerations?

Lord visit the hitherto-unperswaded young people here; O make it the Day of thy power with them; and keep these things in the Imagination of the thoughts of their hearts for Evermore.

FINIS.

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