A Rebuke to Backsliders and a Spur for Loiterers, Sermon (5 of 5)

A Rebuke to Backsliders and a Spur for Loiterers · Sermon (5 of 5)

p. 217O Chriſtians, if I could but ſet on your conſciences thus upon your backs, or if you would ſet them on upon your ſelves, you would both hear of more that's amiſs in you, than now you will acknowledge, p. 218and would find no quiet till you ſet upon amending.

5. Be much converſant with ſtirring ſociety and acquaintance, and be ſtirring among them. And here I ſhall endeavour the reviving of that too obſolete practiſe, of holy and quickning diſcourſe, the neglect whereof is both a cauſe, a ſign, and an effect, of the decay of Religion among us: For the recovering and promoting of this Holy Practiſe, I ſhall give you

1. Directions for the bringing you on upon it, and the better managing of it.

2. An Argument to perſwade you to it.

For the Directions, they are theſe that follow.

1. Get your hearts well filled with the Grace of God. Mat. 12.34. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth ſpeaketh. 1. Men ordinarily fetch their words out of their hearts; as 'tis ſaid of a fiery Tongue, Jam. 3.6. It's ſet on fire of Hell, that is, of that Hell of malice, that is in the heart; ſo of an holy Tongue it may be ſaid, all the good that comes from it, is kindled from Heaven, from that of Heaven, that is in the heart. Men uſually (unleſs it be the Hypocrite) ſpeak according to what is in their hearts; the proud heart ſpeaketh proud things, the vain heart ſpeaketh vain things, and the holy heart ſpeaketh holy things. 2. 'Tis the (abundance) of the heart, that's moſt apt to come forth at the lips. In ſome hearts there is a little good, but much evil; in others, there is much good and leſs evil; 'tis that which abounds in the heart, that which is moſt in the heart, that hath the command of the tongue.

See that there be Grace in your hearts, and that the grace of God abound in you; a little grace will not do, to ſet your tongues agoing, 'tis the abundance of the heard, that which moſt abounds within, that will have the eaſieſt and moſt ordinary vent: Job p. 21932.18. I am full of matter, my ſpirit within me conſtraineth me; my belly is as wine, which hath no vent, it is ready to burſt, like new bottles; I will ſpeak that I may be refreſhed, I will open my lips and anſwer. I am full of matter, and therefore will I ſpeak; an heart full of grace, muſt and will have a vent by the ſpeech: The holy ſpirit within us will conſtrain us; where there is little good coming forth, 'tis a ſign there is not ſo much as there ſhould be within: We may pretend inability, and unaptneſs to ſpeak, as the reaſon of our barrenneſs of holy diſcourſe, that ſometimes may be ſomething that hinders, but moſtly the reaſon is, there wants matter within: We have reaſon to ſuſpect, that 'tis from want of grace, rather than from want of utterance, that no more ſavoury, and ſpiritual, and uſeful words come from us.

A full heart will be the beſt help for a ſtammering tongue. Chriſtians, let us get an increaſe of inward grace, let us get more of the holy ſpirit, of a ſpirit of life and love, and power within us, and our Friends and Acquaintance are like to hear of it oftner, and to better purpoſe, than they do. Poor creatures that we are, we are empty, we are empty. our inſides have no good filling: Be ye filled with the ſpirit, faith the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 5.18. ſpeaking to your ſelves in Pſalms, and Hymns, and ſpiritual Songs; and the more we ſpeak thus to our ſelves, the more freely ſhall we ſpeak to others: thoſe that have but little grace, are but Babes in Chriſt, and Babes are but Infants, that can't ſpeak; when the Infant is grown, then he will find his Tongue: In vain ſhall I exhort you to uſe your Tongues more for God, till you be nurſed up from Children to more ſtrength in grace: Would you ever come to be more fruitful and uſeful in your Generations? this muſt be your way to it, get you more inward grace.

p. 2202. Let your [thoughts] be working more about holy things: Thinking makes way for ſpeaking; what our thoughts run moſt upon, that ordinarily our Tongues will run upon. We cannot know each others thoughts, but we may give a near gueſs at them, by the words that are ſpoken: Men whoſe thoughts are moſt in the Earth, that are ſtill thinking of their Money, or thinking of their Trades, or their Pleaſures; they can hardly forbear to be talking of theſe things: And if our thoughts were more of God, and of our Souls, of Religion, of Righteouſneſs and Holineſs, we ſhould certainly have more of God and of Heaven in our Mouths. The Pſalmiſt, who ſaid, Pſ. 119.46. I will ſpeak of thy Teſtimonies, and will not be aſhamed, ſaid alſo, Pſ. 119.97. My meditation is of thee all the day long.

Chriſtians, get your thoughts to be well exerciſed, be much in thinking, think of the goodneſs, and kindneſs, and holineſs, and compaſſions of the Lord:, think of Chriſt, of his love, of his life, of his death, of his bowels, and everlaſting kindneſs; think often what great things the Lord hath done for your ſouls; think what ye would that he ſhould do for you: much thinking on God and his holy things, will leave an holy tincture on your hearts, will by degrees do much to the begetting holy habits and diſpoſitions in you: The Lord uſes to convey down much of his holy Image and likeneſs upon the heart by the thoughts. Friends, ſuch of you who find but little of the impreſs and image of God upon your hearts, pray conſider it, if you be not too great ſtrangers to the thoughts of God: How often in a day are your thoughts in Heaven? how very ſeldom is it, that you are ſeriouſly looking, either upwards or inwards? No wonder if your tongues be ſo ſilent of God, whilſt your thoughts are ſuch ſtrangers from God.

p. 221Chriſtians, I doubt there are many of us, that are much faulty here; that our thoughts are no more taken up or working upon things ſpiritual and heavenly; we ſhould make the thoughts of God more precious and delightſom, and more familiar and ordinary with us: we ſhould be able to ſay of our thoughts of God, as the Pſalmiſt does, Pſ. 139.17, 18. How precious are thy thoughts to me, O God; how great is the ſumme of them? If I ſhould count them, they are more in number then the ſand. When I awake I am still with thee. Thus it was with that holy man, and thus it ſhould be with us; we ſhould be much with the Lord in our thoughts; but is it ſo with us? Friends, do but trace the goings of your ſouls, for one day together, and ask your hearts in the evening, how much have I been with God this day? how often have I been looking Heavenwards? the Pſalmiſts holy thoughts were ſo (many) that he could not count them, and it may be ſome of ours have been ſo (few) that we cannot count them; we can hardly remember any ſuch thoughts we have had.

I know 'tis hard work to keep your thoughts well imployed, they will be wandering and roving more or leſs, do what you can; and you that obſerve your ſelves, cannot but know it your ſelves, how hard a work it is; and I am afraid that ſome of us, becauſe 'tis ſo hard a work, will let it alone: if their thoughts will gad, and rove, let them gad whither they will; if they will not eaſily be gotten up to Heaven, let them even ſtay below, and ſo we let them take their own courſe, and run whither they will. I pray, Friends, this once; put your ſelves every one of you to it, and ſpend this one thought upon your ſelves; think which hath moſt of your thoughts, God or this World; muſt you not, if you ſpeak truth, ſpeak the quite contrary to what the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks? whileſt he ſaid, How precious p. 222are thy thoughts to me, O God; how great is the ſumme of them? Muſt not you ſay, how irkſom are thy thoughts to (me) O Lord, how ſmall is the ſumme of them? this argues an evil temper: 'tis ſure a carnal frame your hearts are in, where ſpiritual thoughts are ſo rare and difficult: and I ſhall not wonder, that 'tis ſo hard to ſpeak, where 'tis ſo hard to think of any thing that's good: nor ſhall I hope to proſper in my exhortation, to uſe your tongues better, till you be perſwaded to exerciſe your ſelves to better thoughts.

Friends, if you would open your ears to the counſels I have given you from the Lord, and put your ſelves upon ſuch holy thoughts, your ears would open your mouths. I know not what to ſay, to make my words to ſtick upon you, and to be reduced into practice: here I come and preach to you, and you come to hear, and then away, and quickly forget all, and ſcarce beſtow (ſome of you) a ſerious thought upon it afterward. O will you be perſwaded to try what you can do, to put upon a more thoughtful life; and if you would be once brought to it, to be more ſeriouſly thinking Chriſtians, you would more eaſily come to it, to be more ſavourly ſpeaking Chriſtians. While I was muſing, or thinking, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſ. 39. the fire kindled, and then spake I with my tongue.

3. Get a zeal for the honour of Chriſt, and for doing him the beſt ſervice you can. Conſider often, wherefore hath the Lord made me, this living ſoul? Pſ. 100.3. It is he that hath made us, and not we our ſelves. But wherefore hath he made us? v. 4, 5. that we ſhould enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praiſe; that we ſhould be thankful unto him, and ſpeak good of his Name. This we are made for; and wherefore am I redeemed? why was that precious bloud ſhed for me? for what was it that Chriſt died? 2. Cor. 5.15. That they which live ſhould not henceforth p. 223live unto themſelves, but unto him that died for them. Wherefore am I called, and ſanctified, and ſeparated from the ungodly World, by the Spirit of Chriſt? why was I not left out among the men of this world? wherefore is it, that I was not left among the Drunkards and Profane of the earth, among the Heathens and Infidels, amongſt the blind and ignorant Multitude? wherefore is it, that I and my brethren in Chriſt, are called in, and are become a choſen generation, a royal prieſthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, and not left out in common with the World? wherefore is all this? Why, 1 Pet. 2.9. that we might ſhew forth the vertues of him that hath called us out of darkneſs into his marvellous light. And then conſider farther, what ſhall I do to anſwer theſe great ends? to ſerve the Lord, to live unto Chriſt, to ſhew forth his vertues and praiſes? how happy would it be for me, if I could ſerve to theſe holy ends. Is it not my duty thus to live? is not the Lord worthy whom I ſhould ſerve? is not Chriſt worthy to whom I ſhould live? what can I do better with my ſelf, then to conſecrate my life to him? O this is a life for a Chriſtian, O this is a life for the redeemed of the Lord, ſo to carry it in their whole converſation, that Chriſt may be magnified in them. O let my love, and my labour, and my care, let the ſtrength of mine heart, let the ardent zeal of my ſoul be all ſpent upon this very thing, that Chriſt may be honoured and magnified in me.

Friends, what if we were brought to this paſs, and wrought up to this holy zeal for Chriſt? what would it bring forth? would it ſuffer us to dwell in ſilence? the zeal of our hearts would open our lips, that our mouth would ſhew forth his praiſe; the tongue of the dumb would be looſed, the dumb would ſpeak, and ſpeak good of his Name; our delight would be to be p. 224ſpeaking of our Beloved. Our excuſes and pleas for our ſinful ſilence are, O I am ſlow of speech, of a ſtammering tongue; I can't ſpeak to any purpoſe, and therefore as good hold my peace: this may be ſomething, in ſome perſons; but there's a worſe cauſe lies at the bottom; thou doſt not ſo much want a tongue to ſpeak, as thou wanteſt an heart to ſpeak. Hadſt thou more love to Chriſt, more zeal for Chriſt within thee, this would open thy mouth: if thou canſt but find thee an heart, thine heart would find thee a tongue: if thine heart were as big, and as hot as that holy Prophet was, Jer. 20.…. thou wouldeſt ſay as he did, I am weary of forbearing. I cannot hold, but I muſt ſpeak; thou wouldſt then be as weary of forbearing, as now thou art weary of ſpeaking. Chriſtians, get you ſuch a zealous heart, let your hearts be once firmly ſet in you, to do Chriſt all the honour you can; be more heartily concern'd for the honour of his name, for the glory of his Kingdom, for having your hand in the propagating of his Goſpel: Be more throughly poſſeſſed and even ſwallowed up of his love, be more firmly and more paſſionately devoted to his ſervice, and I need ſay no more to you in this matter, this would do it, this zeal of your hearts would put grace into your lips.

4. Get more pity and compaſſion to ſouls. Jude 22. the Apoſtle exhorting Chriſtians, to be active for the good of ſouls, requires, On ſome have compaſſion, putting a difference; others ſave with fear, pulling them out of the fire. The meaning is, put a difference in your dealings, betwixt the weak and the willful; on the weak have compaſſion, deal more pittifully and more gently, and more tenderly with them, but more roughly with thoſe that are willful; ſave them with fear, fright them out of the fire. Compaſſion muſt be either as a means for the reſtoring of ſinners; p. 225and thus ſome muſt be dealt compaſſionately and tenderly with, others more roughly: In this ſenſe there muſt be compaſſion exerciſed towards the weak but not towards the wilfull; that is, we muſt deal gently with the one, but not ſo, but muſt deal roughly with the others: Or elſe our compaſſion muſt be our motive to put us upon dealing with ſouls: And thus, on all we muſt have compaſſion, without making a difference; or if any difference be, the worſt of ſinners muſt be the object of our greateſt compaſſion. We muſt have compaſſion on the moſt obſtinate, and wilfull ſinners, upon the wickedeſt of men; thoſe that will have no compaſſion on you, if they have you in their power; thoſe that have no compaſſion on themſelves, and their own ſouls; thoſe that are the moſt hardned in their ſins, towards theſe eſpecially ſhould be our great compaſſion; thoſe who are in the greateſt miſery, in the greateſt danger, are the greateſt objects of compaſſion.

There ſhould be compaſſion in the heart of a Chriſtian towards every ſinner; though moſt to the greateſt ſinner, yet ſome compaſſion to every ſinner, even to the ſinning Saints that are amongſt us; and this our compaſſion ſhould be an argument fetch'd out of our own bowels, to preſs us to do the beſt we can for them. What was it that mov'd Chriſt, to engage ſo deep as he did, in ſaving of Souls? 'Twas his compaſſion that mov'd him to it. Iſ. 63.9. In his love and his pitty he ſaved them: And ſuch a one, a compaſſionate one, it was requiſite that our Highprieſt and Redeemer ſhould be; one that can have compaſſion, on the miſerable; and that which was Chriſts motive to do his part, muſt be our motive to do our parts, our compaſſion to ſouls; nor muſt we have compaſſion to ſinners only, but one to another, 1 Pet. 3.8. Having compaſſion one of another.

O Friends, have compaſſion on one anothers ſouls, p. 226this will open your mouths. Doſt thou ſee a company of poor ſinners, held in the ſnares of the Devil, running headlong to the pit, deſtroying and damning themſelves with all their might? doſt thou ſee a company of blind ſinners, of ſick ſinners, deadly ſick, and ready to die of the plague of their hearts? doſt thou ſee the Devil butchering and murthering ſo many, and dragging them on, one after another, as the Ox to the Slaughter? Where be thy bowels? haſt thou no pity within thee towards ſuch miſerable ones? How canſt thou ſay, I pity them, when thou wilt not ſpeak a word to recover them out of their miſery? how canſt thou ſay, There's a poor drunkard, I pity him that he is ſo carried away, when thou wilt not ſpeak one word to reform him? how canſt thou ſay, There's a poor, blind, and ignorant ſoul, I pity his ignorance, when thou wilt not ſpeak a word to inſtruct him? how canſt thou ſay, There's a poor worldling, I pity him, to ſee how hee is eaten out of his worldly cares, when thou wilt not ſpeak a word to convince him of his danger? and how canſt thou ſay, concerning ſinning Chriſtians, it pities mine heart to ſee, how ſome of them do pine away, and conſume; what backſliders they are, how cold and careleſs and dead-hearted they are: How canſt thou ſay, I pity theſe backſliders, I pity theſe waſted and decayed ſouls, when thou wilt not ſpeak a word, to remember them from whence they are fallen, and to help towards their recovery? If thou wouldſt be faithful, who knows but thou mayeſt ſave poor, loſt, and languiſhing ſouls? doſt thou pity them notwithſtanding? wilt thou ſay, thou haſt no pity for them? thou art an hard-hearted one, thou haſt ſhut up thy bowels againſt them, who ſhutteſt up thy mouth, from yielding that help thou mighteſt for their recovery. Be pitiful, Chriſtians; pity poor drunkards, pity poor, blind, and hardned ſinners, pity poor, p. 227lukewarm, and backſliding Profeſſors; and in your pity, go ſpeak to them; parents, pity your poor ignorant rebellious Children; Husbands pity your poor carnal Wives, Maſters pity your poor Families; every one of you, pity your poor carnal friends and acquaintance; and in your pity labour their Converſion and Salvation.

O the miſerys of poor ſinners ſouls cry in your ears, you that have the heart of a Christian, pity me. Whilſt Sinners mouths are full of ſcorns at you, whilſt they will laugh and mock at you, for any good they ſee or hear; yet the miſerys their ſouls are in, cry for your pity, though ſome of them will reply to you, if you offer them a word to them about the danger of their ſtates, what is that to you? look to your ſelves, meddle with your own buſineſs; yet ſtill the more pity is to be ſhewd to them. If you would hear the voice of their miſery (& bowels have ears to bear that voice) if you could hear the voice of their miſery this would be it, O an undone, a loſt, a periſhing ſoul; a captive to the Devil, yea and not willing to be delivered, running on upon mine own ruine, almoſt paſt recovery. Is it nothing to you that ſtand by? behold and ſee if there be any miſery like my miſery? O be neither deaf nor dumb to me: open your ears and hear the cry of my miſery, and then open your mouths and tell me what I muſt do to be ſaved; but open your bowels firſt, and that will moſt effectually open your ears amd mouths.

5. Go always well provided. Get you well furniſhed with matter for holy diſcourſe, the great hindrance is the want of an heart, but in ſome, though they have a heart to ſpeak, yet they are to ſeek for matter, they know not where to begin, Mat. 15.52. Every Scribe which is inſtructed to the Kingdom of Heaven, is like an houſholder which brings forth out of his treaſure, things new and old. Here 3 or 4 p. 228things: 1. Good men have a treaſure within them; they are well furniſhed, and have in readineſs for all holy uſes: Vain men, 'tis no wonder they are vain in their diſcourſes, they have it not in them to be otherwiſe than they are; they are empty ſouls, and therefore have but barren lips. 2. Their treaſure is laid in by inſtruction, by what they have received by inſtruction, by what they have learned and heard. 3. A good mans treaſure is long a gathering; he hath within him, things new and old. 4. A good man doth retain his inſtruction; old things are not paſſed away with him; the things that he heard many years ago, they are ſtill with him; he hath hid the word in his heart, as the Pſalmiſt did, Pſ. 119.11. and where he hides it there he finds it. Of Mary it's ſaid, Luk. 2.51. that ſhe kept all the ſayings of Chriſt in her heart. 5. Out of this treaſure in the heart it is, that he brings forth, for the uſe and benefit of others: His treaſure, though it be hid in his heart, yet 'tis not buried there, but there it lies, ready to be brought forth. Pſ. 45.1. My heart is inditing a good matter, I ſpeak of the things that I have made, concerning the King, my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Where obſerve: 1. He prepares what he had to ſpeak: He did not ſpeak quic quid in buccam, whatever came firſt to mind, but he meditates and thinks before he ſpeaks. I ſpeak what I have made, made ready for my tongue. 2. He is ready to ſpeak what he had prepared; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

For want of this proviſion and preparation, ſome men are dumb and ſilent, they have nothing to ſpeak; other men, if they ſpeak, ſpeak nothing to purpoſe; to prevent both theſe, both ſinful ſilence and impertinent ſpeaking, this is the beſt courſe I can adviſe you to, go always prepar'd and well provided of what to ſpeak: provide your ſelves,

1. From the Scriptures. When you read a Chapter, p. 229any ſpecial things you read, that may be of moſt and moſt frequent uſe, lay them up in your memories; think with your ſelves, here's a word, that I may ſhortly have occaſion to make uſe of, in my Family, or amongſt others, and ſo remember it that you may have it in readineſs againſt you have occaſion.

2. From the Sermons you hear. I have told you formerly, and now tell you again, that it would be a ſpecial means for the improvement of Ordinances, and a ſpecial help to holy diſcourſe, if what you hear preached on the Lords Day, you would make the matter of your diſcourſe the week following; hereby you may the more fix what you hear, in your own hearts, and hence you may be ſupplied with freſh matter, and ſo find holy diſcourſe the leſs difficult to you. How you have obſerved this direction, ſince I formerly gave it you, whether you have put it in practice, I leave it to your conſciences to judge. Friends, if you will not take the directions given you, and put them into practice, to what purpoſe are they preached to you? I therefore exhort you again to practiſe this uſeful direction, what you hear on the Lords Days, diſcourſe of on the week days.

3. From your own experiences, of the dealings of God with your own ſouls, Pſ. 66.16. Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my ſoul. Self-obſerving Chriſtians have many experiences by them, which may be much uſeful for others. You may be telling one another, what experiences you have had, of the workings of ſin in you, and of temptations; and what experiences of the workings of grace, and of your victories over corruption and temptation, what comforts you have had, and how you come by them; what diſtreſſes and fears you have been under, and how you were relieved; what difficulties you have found in your work, how long you groaned under them, and how at length you overcame p. 230them. Many caſes you may have been in, out of which much may be brought forth, for the benefit of others, that are or may be in the ſame caſes.

4. From the conſideration of the company, that at ſuch or ſuch a time you may be like to be caſt amongſt. Some days, it may be, you may ſee your neceſſary buſineſs leading you amongſt ſinners: you muſt work with them, in the ſame field, or the ſame ſhop; or you muſt travel with them the ſame journey, and the like: theſe ſinners, whom you foreſee in the morning, you muſt converſe with on the day, may be, they may be blind, or ignorant ſinners, or profane and lewd ſinners, or mocking and ſcoffing ſinners; whatever temper they are of, the conſideration of it, will give you an hint, what to provide: for the ignorant, you muſt go provided with words of inſtruction; for the profane, with a word of reproof; for all ſorts, ſuch words as you judge moſt proper for their caſe, and moſt like to do their ſouls good.

Sometimes you may ſee, your converſe is like to be among Chriſtians; and then conſider, whether they be weak Chriſtians, and need your help, and what their weakneſſes are, and go provided of a word accordingly: a word of comfort to the troubled, a quickning word to the dead hearted, and ſlothful, a recovering awakening word to the backſliders, &c. or elſe they may be ſtronger and more judicious Chriſtians; & then your ſtudy ſhould be, to go prepared with ſuch queſtions, touching your own caſes; touching any doubts, or fears, or ſpiritual wants, or difficulties you are under, that you might receive benefit from them.

Theſe directions are all practicable, and may be exceedingly uſeful; it will coſt you pains to inure your ſelves to this holy practice, but by pains taking a while, and the help of God with you, it may come to be more eaſie: and were it but ſeriouſly ſet on foot, and carefully carried on, you cannot eaſily imagine, p. 231what an advance to you it will be in the ſtate of your own ſoul, and what a bleſſed expedient 'twill be, to propagate religion where it is not, and to recover it where 'tis fallen, and to raiſe it where it is but low.

Well, this is the ſum of all the Directions hitherto given, Go always with your bow bent, and your arrow upon the ſtring; with an heart will diſpoſed to ſpeak, and a word ready to be ſpoken.

6. Take a right method, by which you may with the moſt eaſe attain to this holy uſe of your tongues. You will ſay, 'tis hard ſervice, and ſo it is; but are you willing to try to come to it? Why what method will you preſcribe to us that we may attain?

1. Begin this practice within your ſelves; ſpeak often to your own hearts, Pſ. 4.4. Commune with your own hearts, maintain an holy diſcourſe with your ſelves. The Cock doth firſt clap his wings on his own breaſt to awaken himſelf, and then he crows to awaken others: As the Apoſtle, Rom. 2.21. Thou that teacheſt another, teacheſt thou not thy ſelf? Thou that wouldſt inſtruct another, warn and awaken another, how canſt thou do that, if thou doſt not firſt inſtruct and awaken thy ſelf? Mat. 7.5. Thou Hypocrite, firſt caſt out the beam out of thine own eye, and then ſhalt thou ſee clearly, to pull out the mote out of thy brothers eye. That's the complaint, Iſ. 64.7. There is none that ſtirreth up (himſelf) to take hold on thee. Stir up your ſelves in the firſt place, ſay to your own hearts, Ariſe ſleeper, there's a God before thee, there's a Chriſt before thee, there's a Goſpel and a Covenant of Grace before thee; lay hold on this God, lay hold on this Covenant, walk worthy of the Lord, and be faithful in the Covenant of thy God. Speak thus to your own Souls, and diſcourſe the matter, reaſon with them about it, as the Pſalmiſt reaſons with his Soul, in his diſtreſs, Why art thou caſt down, O my Soul? hope in God; ſo do thou reaſon with thy Soul, in thy deadneſs, or p. 232in thy hardneſs, or any other caſe thou art in: Why art thou lifted up, O my Soul! why ſo hardned? Fear God; why ſo proud? why ſo carnal? why ſo ſlothful? humble thy ſelf, ſhake up thy ſelf, quicken and rouze up thine own ſleepy heart.

Brethren, here's the original, of all our neglects of our duties to others, our ſelf-neglects, till we ſtir up our ſelves more carefully, we ſhall never do any thing to purpoſe at ſtirring up one another. Kindle an holy fire in your own breaſts, ſet your own affections more ſtrongly working upwards; if we can get up our own hearts, into a more ſerious lively frame, then there's hope we ſhall more effectually help up others.

2. Next ſet upon this holy practice in your Families. Inure your ſelves to be ſpeaking of God among your own, with them you can be more free and bold. There's no ſuch great difficulty for a Father to ſpeak to his Children, for a Maſter to ſpeak to his Houſhold; and by ſpeaking much to theſe, you will by degrees, grow more free and more able to ſpeak to others. Fall therefore cloſer upon this practice; Fathers ſpeak often to your Children, Husbands ſpeak often to your Wives, Wives ſpeak to your Husbands, Maſters ſpeak to your Servants, Servants ſpeak you one to another. Deut. 11.18, 19. Theſe my words ſhall be in thine heart, and in thy ſoul— Speak them to thy ſelf firſt, and then —ye ſhall teach them to your Children, ſpeaking of them when thou ſitteſt in thine houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, when thou lieſt down, and when thou riſeſt up. Charity begins at home, and ſo muſt all Religion; Religion muſt begin at home, in thine own heart firſt, and then in thine houſe, and thence thou wilt get more ability, and aptneſs to diffuſe it abroad.

Conſider, Beloved, how is it with you at your homes, upon this account? what Religion is there going in your Families? how often do your Children, and your Servants hear any gracious words from you? p. 233O Friends, do all you can, to make all yours, Partakers of the Grace you have received. Is the word of the Lord in thine own heart? let your whole houſhold hear oftner of it, as you ſit at your Tables, as you ſit at your fires, or are walking in your houſes; 'tis not now any ſtated way of inſtruction, by reading the word, repeating Sermons, catechizing, &c. that I am dealing with you about, but that in a way of familiar diſcourſe, you would be often dropping down ſome gracious words: Friends, have you a conſcience towards God? What conſcience is that, that will ſuffer you to live in the neglect of ſo known and neceſſary a duty? can you with any conſcience, withhold bread, or cloths from your own, with what conſcience then, can you withhold counſel and inſtruction? will you make yours partakers of all you have in the world, only they ſhall have no benefit by the knowledge, or the grace you have received? Let your bowels inſtruct you, to be kind to their ſouls; and if you will by any arguments be perſwaded, to be thus kind to your own, you will thereby be prepared, and get ſuch an holy habit, as will make it more familiar, and eaſie to you to live profitably amongſt others.

Beloved, Hearken to me in this thing; will you hearken and try what you can do? if ever you would ſtand up in your Generations, as perſons of any uſe, or ſerviceableneſs to Chriſt, and the intereſt of his Goſpel; if you would not ſtand in the companies you come into, as inſignificant Cyphers, or as dumb Idols, that have mouths and ſpeak not, be perſwaded to uſe your tongues to better purpoſe at your homes.

3. Next ſpeak unto your Brethren and fellow Chriſtians, to thoſe that fear the Lord. Mal. 3.16. Thoſe that feared the Lord, ſpake often (one to another.) Pſ. 66.16. Come to me (ye that fear the Lord) and I will tell you. We took ſweet counſel together, ſaid the Pſalmiſt, Pſ. 55.14. That is, we that were the Friends of p. 234the Lord, or took our ſelves to be ſuch, we conſulted together, or counſelled one another in the matters of God. It may be you may be more abaſhed, and afraid to ſpeak to thoſe that are without; you know not how they will take it; you doubt they may be dogs, that will tear and rend you; or at leaſt that they may be ſwine, and trample under feet, and ſcorn and deſpiſe thoſe holy words, you ſpeak unto them; they may laugh at you, and ſcoff at your counſels: But now with your Brethren in the Lord you may be more free, in confidence that they will accept, and take in good part, the good words you ſpeak, and will alſo be tender to you, and bear with your infirmities, if any be in ſpeaking.

Labour for a more profitable converſe, Chriſtians with Chriſtians, Believers with Believers; this will be more eaſie, becauſe you may preſume one another to be of the ſame Spirit; your good words will be unto them acceptable words, and the ſenſe of that, will invite you to ſpeak. Chriſtians have mutual need one of another, to help each other in the Lord; and yet there is a great fault amongſt us, that we are not thus mutually helpful. Like thoſe fooliſh Quakers, we have too many of our ſilent meetings, (as to our main concern) ſcarce a ſerious or ſavoury word comes from us, when we meet together.

Chriſtians, learn to amend this fault: Let us, as we have opportunity, edifie and build up one another in the moſt holy Faith. Jude 20. Let us conſider one another, to provoke to love and to good works, Heb. 10.24. Friends, do not tempt one another, (as perhaps too often you do) to be vain as you are vain, to be carnal as you are carnal. Do not chil and damp each others ſpirits, by your carnal, and frothy, and impertinent diſcourſes; but quicken one another, do what you can to whet and ſet an edge upon each others ſpirits, and holy affections. What have you nothing to talk of p. 235when you come together, but of your trades, and your fields, or of news, or of the weather, and ſuch-like impertinences? Have you not a God? have you not Souls? have you not a Country, whether you are traveling? are you not upon a Journey to that bleſſed Land? have you not Friends and Kindred above, that are worth the ſpeaking of? have you not enemies and temptations here below, an evil world to travel through, many corruptions and afflictions to conflict withal, and have you not need of mutual counſel, comfort, encouragement, and eſtabliſhment one from another? How is it that you can find room for ſo much idle talk, when you have matters of ſuch weight and moment to fill up your time? when do you uſe to return with moſt comfort, and ſatisfaction upon your ſpirits? when you have been vainly merry together, or when you have been edifying one another in the moſt holy faith.

4. Then in the next place ſpeak to thoſe which are without, to poor ſinners, that are yet in their ſins. Pſ. 51.13. Then will I teach tranſgreſſours thy ways, and ſinners ſhall be converted unto thee. Your ſpecial work poſſibly, may lye amongſt the houſhold of faith, but as you have opportunity, you muſt do good to all, Gal. 6.10. All that need you muſt be made partakers of your ſpirituals, as well as of your temporal things: Thoſe that fear God, it may be, may ſometimes hear ſome good words from you, but have you never a word for thoſe that fear not God?

O pity your poor unconverted neighbours, and in your compaſſion, do what you can to pull them out of the fire; convince them of their ſins, warn them of their miſeries, perſwade them back from the Devil, invite and allure them in to Chriſt; let them hear often, of grace and ſin, of heaven and hell, of death and judgment, from your lips. See how the compaſſions of the Church, work towards the Heathen world, p. 236Cant. 8.8. We have a little ſiſter that hath no breaſts, what ſhall we do for our ſiſter? The poor Gentiles, they have no Scriptures, no Prophets, no Ordinances, no breaſts of conſolation; we have a poor ſiſter that hath no breaſts, what ſhall we do for her? they pitied the poor Gentiles, and in their pity, they conſider what they might do for them. And why do not we carry it alike, to unconvered ſinners? we have poor children, poor neighbours, that have no eyes, no heart; that have no Chriſt, no knowledge, no grace; poor blind neighbours, poor hardned ones, poor loſt and undone ſouls; O what ſhall we do for theſe poor children and neighbours? have I never a word to ſpeak, that might do them good? ſhall I be ſilent to them, whileſt I ſee them periſhing for want of inſtruction? Chriſtians, have you the light with you? are there the words of wiſdom and inſtruction with you? is there ever a word of grace, hid and laid up in your hearts, O keep it not in, withhold it not from poor periſhing ſouls; ſpeak to poor ſinners, affright them, from their ſins, provoke them to repentance, perſwade them to pray, to hear, to read, to conſider, and to turn from the evil of their ways; and who knows what ſuch words might do to their converſion and ſalvation?

Thus for the directions for the performance and managing of this holy practice.

2. The argument that I ſhall uſe to perſwade you to it, ſhall be, from the advantage of this practice for the reviving and improving our own ſouls in the grace of God. The advantage will be great,

1. From our neceſſary preparations to this duty I have told you, that 'tis neceſſary to the better performance of this duty, to get your own hearts well furniſht with grace, to live more in the affecting thoughts of God; to get a zeal for Chriſt, to do him all the honour you can; to get more compaſſion to ſouls: without theſe things, whatever our attempts are, to converſe more p. 237profitably and ſpiritually one with another, we ſhall make nothing of it; and theſe our preparations are our improvements.

2. From the practice of this duty. Holy diſcourſe will keep our graces in action. 'Tis for want of action that our talents grow ruſty; by rubbing up the ſpirits of our brethren, we ſhall whet our own. Though the edge of your knife will be blunted by long cutting, 'tis not ſo here, the edge of your ſpirits will grow keener by uſe; your very work will be inſtead of a Whetſtone.

Who is like to grow rich in this world, he that lets his ſtock lie dead by him, or he that puts it to uſe, or imploys it in trade? thoſe that occupied with their talents, Luke 19.13, &c. made this return, Thy pound, Lord, hath gained ten pounds, ſays one; thy pound hath gained five pounds, ſaith another; but what could he ſay, that bound up his talent in a napkin? what greater encouragement to diligence in trading, then the hope of increaſe? the hope of the in gathering of the Husbandman, is his encouragement in his more plentiful ſcattering in ſowing. He that ſoweth plentifully ſhall reap plentifully, 2 Cor. 9.6. and therefore, Bleſſed are they that ſow beſide all waters, Iſ. 32.20. the communicative Chriſtian is ſowing where ever he comes, and where ever he ſows, thence ſhall he alſo reap, and gather his ſheaves into his own boſom.

Chriſtians, you ſay you have but little grace, and 'tis like enough you ſay true: but would you have more? go forth to ſow with that little you have. The more you ſcatter, the more you are like to gather. Would you have more love, and life, and power to ſerve and glorifie the Lord? be more diligent, in ſhedding abroad what you have Reſolve, no longer to keep your Religion to your ſelves, put not your light under a buſhel, put it on a candleſtick, that it may give light to others, and God will increaſe both your light and your life. 'Tis to little purpoſe, onelyonly to think of p. 238hearing more, or of praying more for a better heart, this alone, will never do; converſe more like Chriſtians, then ye ſhall be every day more Chriſtians then ye are Learn of ſinners; Drunkards converſe like Drunkards, Rioters converſe like Rioters, profane hearts have ever a profane converſe; what do their tongues run of? what is their talk, when they come together, but of their cups, and their harlots, and their ſports? and what is their ordinary fruit? why, hereby they not onelyonly propagate their own wickedneſs in others, one Drunkard makes another, and he another, and theſe more; but alſo, they every one, improve their own curſed ſtock; fomenting, and heating, and ſtirring up their own hearts luſts, and ſo make themſelves twofold more the children of hell then before. Chriſtians, learn of theſe brutes; do Drunkards converſe like Drunkards, do Worldlings converſe like Worldlings, do profane hearts uſe themſelves to profane converſes? and do you not ſee how mightily they grow, and improve hereby in their wickedneſs? what ſhould this teach you? but that Chriſtians converſe like Chriſtians. Let your Religion be the buſineſs of your communion, and then look for as much advance to your ſouls in godlineſs, by this holy converſe, according as you ſee ſinners to thrive in wickedneſs, by their wicked converſing one with another.

You ſee, Friends, I have been ſomewhat large in this direction, but is there not need of more words than theſe? is not this holy practice ſadly let fall amongſt us? doth not the world, ſomething or other of it, either quite ſhoulder it out, or thruſt it into a narrow room? Our heads are ſo full, and our hearts are ſo full, and hence our mouths are ſo full of carnal things, that there's little room left, for a few words of God, and the things of eternity to be interpoſed: And O what is the fruit? ſure that dreadful fall, which is ſo viſible, in the ſpirit and the whole practice of piety, is p. 239both the mother and the off-ſpring of this grievous neglect; we are fallen ſick, and therefore are ſo ſpeechleſs; and then we ſpend and waſte more and more by ſilence: Whilſt ſick bodies waſte by ſpeaking, ſick ſouls waſte more by ſilence.

What ſhall I ſay farther in this matter? The Lord heal a poor, barren, languiſhing people, the Lord touch our hearts with a coal from his Altar, and then touch our lips with a coal from our hearts. Brethren, I hope you come hither to learn your duty, and I hope you have a conſcience, that will put you upon the practice of what you learn; have you yet learn'd, what an advantage 'tis to have lips of knowledge, and what a duty 'tis, that your ſpeech be with grace? Remember what your Maſter ſaid, John 13.17. If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them. I would not, that a man of you ſhould be ſo unhappy, as to know and not to do. Do you know and believe, that holy communication would be an advance to your religion? then what ſhall be your practice in this matter? have you a tongue for the world, a tongue for your fleſh, and no tongue for God and your Souls? O might I hear that word from your mouths, thy word, O Lord, is within me as fire, I am weary of forbearing, I will ſpeak that I may be refreſhed; Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth ſhall ſhew forth thy praiſes.

6. Put upon ſtirring duties. I ſhall mention only two.

1. Prayer. 2. Faſting and Prayer.

1. Prayer. Prayer in the text is noted to be a ſtirring duty; there's none that ſtirreth up himſelf, there's none that calleth upon thy name, that ſtirreth up himſelf. Had they prayed, and prayed as they ought, this would have ſtirred them up, or have been their ſtirring up them ſelves, to take hold of God: But neglecting to pray, they therein neglected to ſtir up themſelves.

Prayer is a ſtirring duty. 1. 'Tis to ſtir up the Lord to their help, Pſ. 35.23. Stir up thy ſelf and awaken to p. 240my judgment, my God and my Lord. Pſ. 80.2. O Shepherd of Iſrael, thou that leadeſt Joſeph like a ſheep, thou that dwelleſt between the Cherubims, ſhine forth, ſtir up thy ſtrength, and come to ſave us. The God of Iſrael ſometimes ſeems to be, as Elijah once ſaid mocking, of that falſe God Baal, 1 Kings 18.27. It may be he is aſleep, and muſt be awakened. Though he be the keeper of Iſrael, and never ſlumbreth nor ſleepeth, yet he ſometimes carries it towards them, as if he were aſleep, and expects to be awakened by their cries upon him.

2. Eſpecially, prayer is for the ſtirring up our ſelves. There is a ſort of praying, dull, and cold, and formal praying, that's good for nothing, but to lay our ſouls aſleep. When conſcience begins to ſtir, and run upon ſinners, and fright them for their neglect of God, then they will to their prayers and blind devotions; and this muſt ſerve them, as a charm to allay and quiet conſcience, as Davids Muſick did, to drive away that evil ſpirit, that vexed Saul. Some ſinners conſciences will not let them be quiet, but dog them, and haunt them, and fright them into ſomething of religion; they dare not live without calling upon God, their conſciences will not ſuffer them to be quiet, under a total neglect, and thereupon ſomething muſt be done, which they can call praying, and then they are at eaſe, and can go on quietly in their ſins, without trouble or diſturbance; theſe mens praying ſerves them for nothing, but to lull them aſleep in their ſins.

But prayer rightly performed will ſtirr and awaken; prayer is ſaid to be, a ſtriving with God, Rom. 15.30. a wreſtling with God, Gen. 32, 24. and this is our moſt effectually ſtriving with God, and wreſtling with God, our ſtriving and wreſtling with and ſtirring up our own hearts. Praying is not the ſaying of ſome good words but p. 241the calling up all our powers, to come in and joyn in ſeeking the Lord. That you may particularly underſtand what a ſtirring duty Prayer is, conſider,

1. That in Prayer, we ſet our ſelves under the Eye of the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth. It is a drawing night unto God, a lifting up our Eyes to the Everlaſting hills, a preſenting our ſelves before the throne of God, the throne of his Grace; a ſetting all the Attributes of God before our Eyes, his Allmightineſs, his Allſufficiency, his infinite greatneſs, dreadfulneſs, goodneſs and grace, which all make up that fearful Name, the Lord our God, Deut 28.58. and ſure Friends, ſuch a ſight of the glorious and dreadful God, will be a ſtirring ſight.

2. In Prayer we come to deal with God, about all the wonderful and aſtoniſhing things of Eternity; we are to have eternal life and death in our Eye, when we pray; and what will ſtir us, if Eternity, if a ſenſe that we are now treating with the Eternal God, about the eternal things, will not? O a ſenſe of this, that we are begging for our lives, begging for our immortal Souls, begging the everlaſting Kingdom, ſeeking our eſcape from the everlaſting Fire, a deep ſenſe of this upon our hearts will awaken them.

3 In Prayer there is a ripping open all the affrightning Evils that are in our Hearts. Confeſſion unbowels the Soul, and fetches up all the filth and rottenneſs of the Heart, lays open all the deadly Diſeaſes that are in the Heart; every wicked thought, and filthy luſt, and vile affection; all the falſhood and Hypocriſie, all the pride and malice, and envy, and frowardneſs of the Heart, are in our confeſſions brought forth, and laid open before the Lord. The Devils are rouz'd that lodged within us, and were taken p. 242too little Notice of; and all the hazard and danger that our Souls are in, by theſe our wickedneſſes, will in our confeſſions be made to ſtand before our Eyes, and there cannot be ſuch a diſcovering of our wicked Hearts, and our danger that we are in, but it will affright and awaken us.

4. Prayer is the uniting of all our powers, and the engaging them all, in ſeeking the Lord. It ſtrains every ſtring, it bends all our forces upon the duty; it ſets all our faculties, our underſtandings, our memories, our wills, our affections, our conſciences on work; as the Pſalmiſt; Pſ. 103.1. Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, bleſs his Holy Name; Pray to the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, call upon his Name. Prayer is not tongue-work, or knee-work, but Soul-work; bleſs the Lord, O my Soul; and 'tis not a peice of an Heart, one ſtring of the Inſtrument, but every ſtring muſt be ſtrained and ſtruck up; underſtanding, memory, will, affections, all muſt joyn, all that is within me, bleſs his holy Name. All our faculties, and all our graces, our faith, our love, our hope, our deſires, whatever we have of God within us, all muſt be called forth to joyn in ſeeking of him.

5. Prayer is not only the employing and exerciſing our Souls, with all their faculties and graces, but the putting them forth to the height; not only the ſtriking every ſtring, but the ſtraining every ſtring to the height; the word in the original, which is tranſlated Acts. 12.5. Prayer without ceaſing, ſignifies, inſtant, earneſt Prayer; or more properly, according to the notation of the word, ſtrained Prayer, prayer ſtretched out; and this is that praying which is ſtirring praying, the pouring forth our Soul in Prayer. With my Soul have I deſired thee, Iſ. 26.9. the ſtraining and working up all within p. 243us, every faculty and grace of our Hearts, to the height; the ſtirring up all our ſtrength in the work; this is that Praying inſtantly, required Rom. 12.12. that praying fervently. Jam. 5.16. that crying, and crying mightily unto God, unto which the Scriptures promiſe Audience.

Now when Prayer hath thus rouzed up our ſleepy Souls, ſet all our Faculties and Graces a ſtirring within us, and ſo gotten an heat in the heart, by the joynt and vigorous exerciſe of all within us, in the duty, when we have prayed our Souls awake, and all our Graces awake, and our Heart is waxen hot within us, we are therein prepared and put in a readineſs and diſpoſedneſs to, and ſhall feel our ſelves bent upon, the practiſe of every holy duty, in our whole courſe.

This therefore is my next direction; put upon Praying, and ſuch ſtirring Praying. Go ſet the Lord and all his Glory before your Eyes, and get a ſenſe of eternity upon your Hearts; rip open and lay forth to the light, all that filthineſs and garbage, and rottenneſs that is within you; bend all within you to ſeek the Lord, and go cry unto him, and cry ſo loud, that your own Souls may be awakened by your cry. Strive ſo with God in prayer, wreſtle ſo with the Almighty, that your own Soul may find its Hands and Legs. Friends, do not neglect Prayer, and do not deceive and undo your ſelves by your Prayers, do not pray your Souls aſleep, do not pray your conſciences aſleep, but awaken them.

'Tis a miſerable thing to conſider, how little ſome Profeſſors are in ſecret Prayer; ſometimes they pray, and ſometimes they can't tend it; their Cloſet is ſo ſeldom viſited, that it may be ſaid of the very way to it, as of the way to Zion, Lam. 1.4. the p. 244ways of Zion do mourn, becauſe none come to the ſolemn Feaſts. The Graſs grew upon their paths, becauſe they were ſo little trod. It is a miſerable thing that there is ſo little praying, ſuch ſeldom Praying as there is; but a worſe Evil then this, is that that little which is, is worth nothing; we go to Pray, many of us, as if we had a mind to mock God, and provoke him to his Face, we go to this duty, as if we had a mind to lay our Souls to ſleep, rather then to ſtir up and awaken them; 'tis no wonder there is no more light in our Paths, when there is no more life in our Duties; 'tis no wonder there are ſo many grey Hairs on the Head, ſo many wrinkles in the Face of our Religion, when it is ſo cold at the Heart; when our ſecret receſſes and retirements to God, are ſo Heartleſs and Spiritleſs; 'tis no wonder that Sin and Luſt and vanity do ſo ſwell and abound, that Grace and Holyneſs do ſo ſink and diſappear in our converſations, when that which ſhould kill Sin, and keep Grace alive (the Soul of Duty) is ſo little to be found.

Friends, if ever you would recover the beauty of your ways, begin in Secret, revive the power of Duty; pray conſtantly, pray frequently, and be fervent in Prayer; pray and ſtrive with God in Prayer; pray and ſtrive with your own hearts in Prayer, pray and wreſtle againſt the Devil, and the World, and your Sins in Prayer; ſuch praying would make the neſt too hot for the Devil, and your Sins; ſuch Praying would cure your colds; ſuch praying in the Morning, might be a means to keep you warm for all day, and ſuch praying in the Evening, would make you awake warm the next Morning.

Therefore Friends, pray hearken to the Word of the Lord; hearken to me in this thing, put your ſelves to it, put upon conſtant ſecret Prayer, and p. 245put upon ſuch ſtirring Prayer, ſuch inſtant and importunate Prayer; what ſay you, will you do it! will you hearken to me in this thing! I tell you Friends, if I may but prevail with you in this one thing, if you will obey and practiſe this one direction, this will make all the reſt to proſper, you will deny me in nothing, if you will but grant me this; and if you deny me here, if you will go on to ſatisfie your ſelves with cold and perfunctory Devotions, if you will not ſet to it to be lively and vigorous in your ſecret duties, I ſhall look upon all elſe that I have ſaid, as loſt, and that which will come to nothing; and therefore pray conſider with your ſelves, what you mean to do in this thing; will you begin this night? go not to pray as at other times, but put on upon the life of the duty, and then I ſhall hope to ſee a bleſſed and a viſible change upon the whole frame and face of your converſation. What ſay you therefore, will you do it! I am in great earneſt with you in this thing, ſince the ſucceſs of all that I have ſaid, to the recovering the decaying intereſt of Religion among you, depends ſo much upon this one thing, and therefore once again, I pray deny me not; and that you may not deny me, take particular notice of this one word more, that I ſhall add, remember theſe words anon in the Evening; when you are going to Pray, then remember what I have now ſpoken from the Lord to you, and accordingly ſet your Hearts to it, and the Lord grant you the preſence of his gracious and Almighty Spirit, to help you herein, to the praiſe of his Grace, and the comfort and advantage of your Souls.

For the more effectual fixing of this direction upon you, and for your improvement by it, I ſhall here remember you of two Directions, which I p. 246have formerly Preached and publiſhed.

1. Be ſo earneſt and intent in this duty, that you may feel your hearts enlarged, in the lively actings and exerciſe of Grace, and ſo raiſed and warmed by your ſenſible communion with God, as may put you into a ſpiritual and heavenly frame, that if it be poſſible, you may come off your knees in a better and more lively diſpoſition of ſoul, than you had in your entrance upon your duty.

Do not ſatisfie your ſelves with the work done, but let your aims and endeavours be, to get ſomething more of God, that you may have to carry away with you, when you depart; that you may come out of your Cloſets, as Moſes came down from the Mount, Exod. 34.39. whoſe face did ſhine, and was a token, that he had been converſing with God. O let there at ſuch times, be a ſhining and a burning light raiſed up within you; come from your duties as men coming out of Heaven, with the very Sun-beams ſhining in your countenances, and with ſome tincture of Heaven upon your ſpirits. We come many times with no other ſpirits from our duties, than we come out of our Shops or Fields; with no more ſenſe and favour of God, than if we had never been near him. O 'tis a ſign that thou haſt but trifled in thy duties, that thou neither hadſt, nor much mindedſt to have communion with God in it; certainly ſincere communion with God, will leave ſome divine impreſſions behind it. Well, every time you go to pray, put hard for it, to get you into ſuch a divine and ſpiritual frame before you have done.

2. Whatever better or more ſpiritual frame you are gotten to in duty, be careful to maintain it, and keep it alive afterwards. See to it, that your ſpirits do not preſently ſink and cool, and grow dull and carnal p. 247again, when you have been thus quickened and ſpiritualized; hath there been an holy fire kindled in you? O keep it burning, keep it flaming, and let it not be covered over with aſhes; get your hearts to be alive in your duties, and keep them alive from duty to duty. In the Old Teſtament, though their Sacrifices were offer'd but morning and evening, yet the fire that kindled them, was not to go out night nor day; there muſt be fire kept alive from the morning Sacrifice, to kindle the evening Sacrifice, and fire left from the evening to kindle the morning Sacrifice; O Friends, how often is it, that though at our morning Sacrifice a fire be kindled, that it's quenched and loſt before the evening, through the careleſneſs and negligence of our hearts; Sin and the World have a whole days time to quench and put out, what an hours duty hath been kindling, and ſo at the return of our duty-ſeaſons, we find our hearts at the ſame loſs, in the ſame deadneſs and hardneſs as before. Beloved, theſe two Directions, of getting up our hearts into a lively frame in duty, and of keeping up that holy frame from duty to duty, though there be ſome difficulty, and it will coſt you pains to practiſe them to purpoſe, yet the advantage you will hereby gain, will be abundantly worthy all your pains; and therefore I pray remember them; if you do in good earneſt intend an advancing in Religion, let theſe two Directions be before your eyes every day; you have them preached to you, and you have them written for your uſe, the Lord write them upon your hearts, and hold them before your eyes. This courſe will be as the whetting our Inſtruments, and keeping them keen for our work; how much work may be done, and with much more eaſe, by a cutting than a blunted Inſtrument. Eccl. 10.10. If the p. 248Iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, he muſt put to more ſtrength; 'twill coſt you much more pains to make any work in your Religion, whilſt your edge is blunted; a dull heart will do little, and that little, not without much pains. By the courſe preſcribed whet your ſpirits, and keep them with a good edge, and then all your work will be the more eaſily carried on. To this I ſhall add,

3. Let your prayers be purſued in your practice. Whatever Grace you pray for, whatever Sin you pray againſt, follow after the one, and fight againſt the other, in your daily practice: Let Prayer and Practice joyn hand in hand, and both drive the ſame way. Think not you have done your whole days work, when you have prayed morning and evening; Religion muſt be the buſineſs of your whole time; (be thou in the fear of the Lord, be thou at the work of the Lord, all the day long, Prov. 23.17.) and not the buſineſs of an hour or two. When you have been praying for an heavenly mind, that God would help you to live in the ſpirit, to ſet your affections on things above, to have your converſation in Heaven; when you have ended your Prayer, what ſhould ye now do? Why then to thinking on heavenly things; let your thoughts run upon and be working more throughout the day, upon theſe holy things; to pray for an heavenly mind, and never to think more of heavenly things, all the day long, till you come to pray again, what will ſuch praying come to? When you pray for a willing, obedient and fruitful life, what ſhould you do? Go and take pains with your hearts, to bring them on, and to hold them cloſe to your ſeveral duties. When you have been praying againſt Sin, for power over a proud heart, or a froward heart, or a covetous worldly heart, what ſhould you now p. 249do? Why then ſet your watch againſt your ſins; take heed of every proud thought, of every froward word; take heed and beware of all covetous practices; ſet your ſelves to the mortifying of theſe ſins, to reſtraining your ſelves from the actings of them, to pray againſt pride, or to pray againſt covetouſneſs, and as ſoon as you have done, to leave your hearts looſe for them, to carry it as proudly, or as frowardly as before, to be as buſie for the world, as eager in hunting after it; what's this but to ſet your Prayers and your Practices together by the ears, to deſtroy the things you have been building, to deſtroy by your Practices, what you have been building by your Prayers? And whilſt this hath been the voice of your Prayer, Lord, deliver me from a proud, or froward, or covetous heart, your Practices ſay, I care not whether this Prayer be heard or no; I had rather be let alone and left under the power of them. If ever you would that your praying ſhould come to any thing, let your Prayers and Practices drive the ſame way. Let it not ſuffice you, to pray for a more gracious and fruitful heart and life, to pray for a more mortified heart, a more ſelf-denying courſe, but ſet to it to put your Prayers into practice. Let the ſtream of your care, the ſtream of your endeavours, run the ſame way with the ſtream of your prayers and deſires; and that's the ſtirring Prayer I would have you give your ſelves to, ſuch as may effectually overpower the ſtream and courſe of your life, and carry it on according to the ſtream of your Prayers.

O Friends! If of all that I have ſaid, theſe three laſt words might be remembred and obſerved; if in every Prayer you henceforth make, you would diligently ſtrive to get you up into a ſpiritual and lively frame. If 2. you would carefully maintain p. 250this bleſſed frame afterwards, from duty to duty. If you would 3. ſet to the practice of thoſe things you pray that God would enable you to, what do you think would be the ſucceſs? O what a cure would be wrought! O what a bleſſed change might we expect, to appear upon you and all your Religion!

2. Faſting and Prayer. In the former particular I ſpake of Prayer, as an ordinary duty, here as an extraordinary, as annexed to that extraordinary duty of Faſting and Humiliation. We may ſay of that evil ſpirit, that Spirit of ſlumber and of a deep ſleep that's fallen upon us, as Chriſt ſaid of that Devil, Mat. 17.21. This kind goeth not out but by prayer and faſting. Extraordinary Diſeaſes muſt have extraordinary Remedies.

Hitherto I have ſpoken moſtly to our perſonal Caſes, now I ſhall ſpeak with more reſpect to the publick Caſe of our People and Age, and ſhall direct you,

1. How you may moſt effectually ſtir up a ſpirit of Prayer, in your days of Humiliation.

2. How you may moſt ſucceſsfully perform this duty.

1. How you may moſt effectually ſtir up a ſpirit of Prayer in your days of Humiliation. And ſo,

1. There's ſomething in the very abſtinence, that conduceth to the ſtirring up the ſpirit of Prayer. Abſtinence is pinching upon the fleſh, and ſhould be ſo much, in ſuch days, as may afflict the body firſt, and thereby the ſoul. The abſtinence of a Faſt, ſhould be afflicting abſtinence, as far forth as the body will bear it, without prejudice to its health, and ſo becoming an hindrance rather than a furtherance of the duty.

There's a two-fold failing too common in our days of Humiliation.

p. 2511. In the time: Moſtly what we call a Day of Humiliation, comes to no more but a few Hours of Prayer. It's ſaid of a Faſt, Lev. 17.31. It ſhall be a Sabbath of Reſt to you, that is, 1. It was to be a whole day, as a Sabbath is. 2. It muſt be wholly ſpent in the proper exerciſes of it, a Sabbath of Reſt it muſt be in this extraordinary duty, there muſt be a laying aſide our ordinary works, and the whole time ſpent either in the publick or private worſhip of the day. How ſeldom is it that we hear of ſuch a Faſt! Some Hours, as I ſaid, we ſometimes ſpend together in ſeeking the Lord; but when do we keep a Day to the Lord? The morning of the day, is uſually as other mornings; we are as buſie at our Callings, and may be, more buſie to diſpatch our work out of hand; and ſo come hot out of our ſhops and fields, with our heads full, and hearts full of our worldly affairs, and as ſoon as ever the Publick Duty is over, then away to our work again. Is it ſuch a Faſt the Lord hath choſen? will ye call this a Day of Humiliation?

Chriſtians, 'tis well that you ſpend ſome Hours of Prayer, but call not That a Day of Humiliation; when ever you ſet apart a Day for Faſting, let it be a Sabbath of Reſt to you: begin it in ſecret, and ſeparating your ſelves from all your unneceſſary ordinary works, hold you to the duty of the day, (as your ſtrength will bear it) to the end of the day. Let the private part of it, both before and after Publick Exerciſes, be ſpent as your Lord's days are, in ſuitable converſes with God. Were this more obſerved, we might expect more of Spirit and of Power in the duty, and more Fruits afterward.

2. There is alſo a failing in the Abſtinence of the Day. How often have I known it, that the Abſtinence in a day of Humiliation, hath been no more p. 252than the ſparing of one Meal, which hath been made up by a larger Break-faſt, and perhaps a Feaſt, at leaſt a full Meal at Supper? and ſometimes, in the intervals of the duties, Wine, Cake, Sweet-meats, Tobacco, and ſuch like refreſhments, are allowed and uſed. No particular Rules for the degree of Abſtinence can be preſcribed to all ſorts of perſons, but this ſhould be obſerved in the general; 1. That there be ſuch Abſtinence uſed both as to quantity and quality) as may beſt ſubſerve the Spiritual duties of the day, eſpecially that of afflicting the Soul; and therefore 2. That not only our full Meals be forborn, but no Wine or ſtrong Drink, &c. no not ſo much as a Pipe of Tobacco be allowed, for the preſent pleaſure or refreſhment of it: This latter, concerning the uſe of Tobacco, I the more particularly mention, becauſe I ſuppoſe it is not ſo much thought on; many of thoſe that uſe it much, find great pleaſure in the uſe of it, and it may be can give no good account of their preſent need of it, and yet will uſe it at ſuch times. If it be really needed, as in ſome caſes it may, and by ſome perſons, let it be uſed: But if Daniel would eat no pleaſant Bread, nor Fleſh, nor Wine came into his mouth, Dan. 10.3. If the Jews be reproved, Iſ. 58.3. that in the day of their Faſt they find their pleaſure, then any thing taken as an exhilarating refreſhment, which is not neceſſary to the preſent duty, is a tranſgreſſion.

Well, this will be ſomething towards the ſtirring us up in Prayer, ſelf-afflicting Abſtinence.

2. Eſpecially, a deep conſideration of the caſe we are in, will moſt effectually do it: Qui neſcit orare, diſcat navigare; Tempeſts will teach even profane Mariners to pray; if any thing will do it, afflictions will fetch out our very hearts in our Prayers, p. 253and is not iniquity an affliction? Sure if it be, we are in an afflicted ſtate; for conſider a little again, how grievouſly iniquity doth abound! I ſhall not now lead you a voyage over the Seas, and remember you how 'tis abroad; how the Devil drives almoſt all the world before him, filling them with all unrighteouſneſs, and what a ſmall handful there are that follow Chriſt, and how very little of ſerious Religion or Chriſtianity, and how much iniquity there is in thoſe few.

Let us at preſent inquire, how 'tis with us at home; may we not take the words of the Text into our mouths, and complain, We, even we are all as an unclean thing, and our righteouſneſſes are as filthy rags; we fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind are taking us away. Who can ſay, Mine heart is clean, I have kept me from mine iniquity? who of us will not ſay, My righteouſneſs is as a filthy rag? Or if any will not ſay thus concerning themſelves, muſt not we ſay it for them and of them? To put in but a word of the profane Rout, the open enemies of Religion and Righteouſneſs, whoſe wickedneſs hath left the ſhade of the twilight, and the covert of the night, and who are grown up to that impudence, as to ſhew their ſhame in the Sun-light; not to ſpeak much neither of their Prophets and Teachers, amongſt whom (though through mercy there are that deal faithfully, yet) ſome of them cannot, others will not tell them of their tranſgreſſions, or heal their hurt; what Snuffs are there in ſome of the Candleſticks? what dark Lanthorns are many of thoſe, that ſhould be burning and ſhining lights? Seers without eyes, lame Leaders, ſickly Healers of the hurt of the daughter of our people; ſuch ſome of them are, as if God had ſaid concerning us, as Micah 2.11. If any man walking in the ſpirit of falſhood, p. 254do lie and do propheſie of wine and ſtrong drink, he ſhall be even the Prophet of this people. To let theſe paſs alſo, let us conſider how 'tis with the Sinners in Zion, with thoſe of us who profeſs to have ſeparated themſelves from the follies and filthineſſes of the Land, to the Law of their God; may not even theſe alſo complain, Even we are as an unclean thing, our filthineſs is ſtill in our skirts. What is our Religion? what is our Righteouſneſs? what a totter'd maimed thing is it? Ah, how little Religion is there in our Religion? how little of the Spirit, how little of the power, how glorious ſoever the form appears? How much unrighteouſneſs is there mingled with our righteouſneſs? is not our Gold mix'd with Droſs, and our Wine with Water? What a ſpirit of vanity, what hypocriſie, pride, headineſs, cenſoriouſneſs, peeviſhneſs, is there to be found, and all cryed up for Religion? What wood, and hay, and ſtubble is there built upon the foundation? Chriſtians and yet carnal, Chriſtians and yet earthly, and ſenſual, having not the Spirit, how much ſoever of the Name of Religion in them?

And amongſt them that were once better, how many are there that muſt go on with the complaint, and confeſs, we all do fade as a leaf, we wither, and waſt, and conſume, and are even dried away? And it is not here and there a fading leaf; does not the Tree fade? ſo that 'tis but here and there a leaf, that is not wither'd away. Were it only a few backſliding perſons, the matter were not ſo ſad; but is it not a backſliding Age, may we not be called a backſliding People, for the multitude of Backſliders that are amongſt us? ſcarce living enough to ſerve for mourners over the dead.

As I ſaid in the beginning, were it only the Wilderneſs and Commons of the world, and the Tents p. 255of the uncircumciſed that we had to complain of, it were ſad enough; but O the Field of the Lord, his Floor, his Fold, his Family, his Vineyard! What tares are there in his Fields? what a deal of Chaff in his Floor? what a general bane and rot is there among his Flock, few ſound ones left? What an Hoſpital is his Houſe, of blind, and lame, and ſick Souls? what wild Vines do fill up his Vineyard?

—Quis talia fando

Temperet à lachrymis!—

Friends, ſhould you ſee your own Houſes fallen into ruinous heaps, your fruitful Fields become a prey to the Locuſts and the Caterpillars, your Flocks dying away of the rot; if you ſhould ſee among your poor children, that were once ſtrong, beautiful, healthful, hopeful, one bewitched into a Changeling, another a Cripple, another a Lunatick, a Fool or Idiot, others poſſeſſed of a Devil, O how would ſuch a ſight rend your bowels, and tear the very caul of your heart? And is not this lamentable caſe, the caſe of the Houſhold of God?

But is this all? may we not go on with the complaint? And yet there is none (very few) that calleth upon thy Name, that ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold on Thee. O what hard work have the poor Miniſters of Chriſt to ſtir any of theſe miſerable Souls, to bring them to their ſenſes, to bring them to their knees, to awaken them to ſeek out after their recovery! They will not ſtir up themſelves, no they will not be ſtirred up by us, by all our cries and callings upon them; though we call upon them, yet we cannot bring them to it, to call upon God. Some of them will not be brought to know their diſeaſe, and thoſe that can't but know it, yet will not conſider it, p. 256nor concern themſelves ſo much about it, as to ſeek their cure, but there (poor wretches) they lye, dying away in their ſleep themſelves, and every one infecting others with the ſame Lethargy, and going on to rock one another, till even a whole Countrey become a generation of Sleepers.

How often have I heard, ſome of theſe ſleepy Souls, complaining of this dull and declining age, and yet have not had the Heart to ſay, am not I one of the ſleepers! how many have I known, that have confeſſed their own declinings, and yet away they go, and quickly forget their own confeſſions; and to day is with them as yeſterday, and to morrow is like to be as to day. O England, England, thou which wert once, as Jeruſalem, great among the Nations, and Princeſs among the Provinces, how art thou fallen? where is thy Glory? thou haſt the light ſtill with thee, but where is the love, and the life? where is thy beauty, (the beauty of Holyneſs) where is thy zeal and thy ſtrength? what are thy Sabbaths, and thy ſolemn meetings and ordinances become to thee, but even as a miſcarrying Womb and dry Breaſts? how few Children are brought forth within thee, and how many of them that are ready to famiſh at thy feet?

What ſilly Doves, without an Heart; what wandring ſtars, hollow veſſels, what ſounding braſs and tinkling Cymbals, are moſt of thoſe become, who boaſt themſelves to be thy Glory? thou haſt a few names, who have not defiled their garments, nor ſtained their Glory, nor reproached the Name of their God, but Lord how few!

How ſadly is that Scripture fullfiled in thee. 2 Tim. 3.1. &c. have not thoſe perillous times overtaken thee, wherein Men are, lovers of their own ſelves, covetous, boaſters, proud, blaſphemers, diſobedient to p. 257Parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-brakers, falſe accuſers, or make-bates, incontinent, fierce, deſpiſers of thoſe that are good, traitors, Heady, high-minded, lovers of pleaſures more then lovers of God; having a form of godlineſs, but denying the power thereof. O how art thou fallen?

Yea, and whither art thou falling? thy righteouſneſs is become as filthy rags, the yoke of thy tranſgreſſions is bound upon thee, they are wreathed and come upon thy Neck; thou art faded like a leaf; and doſt thou not ſee, that thine iniquities like the wind are taking thee away? thou mayeſt ſay this day, where is my beauty? where is my Glory? and how ſuddenly mayeſt thou be forced to take up this for thy lamentation,

O now, where is my God! for theſe things I weep, mine Eye mine Eye, runs down with water, becauſe the comfort that ſhould relieve me is gone far from me. How hath the Lord covered me with a cloud in his anger, and caſt down from Heaven to Earth, the beauty of England, and remembred not his foot-ſtool in the day of his anger? the Lord hath ſwallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pityed; he hath brought us down to the ground; he hath polluted the Kingdom, and the Princes thereof; he hath cut off in his fierce anger, the Horn of England, and he burneth againſt it, like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. He hath violently taken away his tabernacle, he hath deſtroyed his places of the Aſſembly; he hath cauſed the ſolemn Feaſts and Sabaths to be forgotten, he hath caſt off his Altar, he hath abhorred his Sanctuary, he hath given me up into the hands of the Enemy, and made me a deſolation.

Friends, open your Eyes and ſee, if the Symptoms of ſuch deſolation, be not viſible amongſt us; go into the City, go into the Villages; go into the Sanctuary; p. 258go into our Habitations, and ſee if Death be not come up into our windowes, and deſolation ready to enter; how is it, that you that have the Hearts of Chriſtians, your mouths ſhould not be ſounding with ſuch Lamentations, My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my very Heart, my Heart maketh a noiſe within me, mine Eyes do fail with tears, my Liver is poured out; O that my Head were waters, and mine Eyes were a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and Night, for the fallen daughter of my People.

O do not now any longer go about to palliate or mince the matter; O let not the blind Eye, or the hard Heart, whilſt it goes about to excuſe, aggravate our Sin and our ſhame. Our diſeaſes are too great to be palliated, and too many to be hid. He is a ſtranger in our Iſrael, that ſees not how deadly ſick we are.

Friends conſider it, and make not light of it; ponder the ſtate we are in, and give not over, till your Hearts break and bleed within you, and ſo go and pray before the Lord. Methinks it ſhould ſtir you; O when ye go to pray, carry a deep ſenſe upon your Hearts, and hear the cry in your Ears, of the Sin and the miſery of thoſe you are praying for. Hear the cry of the poor blind and hardned Sinners amongſt us; theſe ſtones cry out, their (miſery does) let fall a tear over us, lift up a Prayer for us; Hear the cry of your Enemies, who curſe you, and perſecute you for Religion ſake; their caſe calls upon you, bleſs us that curſe you, pray for us that deſpitefully uſe you, and perſecute you; hear the cry of your brethren in the Lord, eſpecially your Sin-ſick brethren, your Soul-ſick brethren, your decayed and backſliding brethren; do not their caſes cry loud in your Ears, Help, help us, by your Prayers? hear your poor Children and Families crying, what ſhall (we) p. 259do? What will become of us, if there ſhould be a going on in this ſinning and ſinking, 'till the Goſpel be taken from us? For our ſakes try what ye can do, beſiege the Throne of Grace, take hold of the God of Grace, that he leave us not, to die for want of Inſtruction. Hear Magiſtrates and Miniſters crying, We need your help as much as any; cry mightily unto the Lord for us. Hear a whole Kingdom, yea hear the whole World, crying, Pray to the Lord for us.

O Brethren, how much matter of Prayer have we, how many moving and heart-breaking caſes have we before us? Set them before your eyes, lay them deeply to heart, and this will quicken you in Prayer. All theſe caſes, and multitudes more ſend in their Bills, and paſſionately cry in your ears; now try what you can do to help in a time of need; to help a poor languiſhing Nation, to help poor Magiſtrates and Miniſters, to help poor ſinning and dying Souls; you that make mention of the Lord, now keep not ſilence; bow your knees, call up all your ſighs and groans, pour out your tears, pour out your ſouls, ſet heart to heart, and prayer to prayer, unite your ſtrength, and cry in the ears of the Almighty, O Lord behold, for we are very vile, we are very low; ariſe and ſave us, ſave, Lord, or we periſh.

2. How you may moſt ſucceſsfully perform this Duty. In anſwer to this, take theſe few following Directions.

1. Make God your Friend, and ſee that there be no ſtanding controverſie betwixt Him and your Souls. See that you be ſincere Converts to God, and have a good conſcience towards God; ſee that ye be reconciled to God by the blood of Jeſus, and be not aliens and enemies, and that matters be kept p. 260fair and clear betwixt God and your Souls. Is it peace betwixt the Lord and you, or is there not a particular controverſie that he hath with you? Conſider, if the Lord hath not ſomewhat againſt you, and ſuch as hath provoked him to anger againſt you; Get the controverſie to be taken up, make your own peace firſt, and then you will be fit to be Interceſſors for others. If I had a Petition to preſent to the King, I would not put it into the hands of a Rebel, no nor into his who were under his Princes frown; I would put it into the hands of a Favourite, and ſo ſhould have the more hope to ſpeed: If you would do your friends a kindneſs in Heaven, ſee that you hold your own friendſhip there; If I regard iniquity in mine heart, God will not hear my Prayer, Pſ. 66.18. Pray for whom you will, for your ſelf, or your friends, 'tis like to come to all one, as if you held your peace; God will not hear you, whilſt you regard iniquity in your hearts. Haſt thou Sin in thee; and Sin that thou alloweſt in thy ſelf? what ever it be, great or little, open or ſecret, purge it away, and caſt it from thee, or God will not hear thee, Prov. 15.8. The prayer of the upright is his delight. Give me the holy Souls, the humble, the tender, the watchful, the Jacobs, the Daniels, the Noahs, the plain-hearted, them that walk with God, and are highly favoured of the Moſt High, to appear before the Lord for me.

Thoſe that are in their Sins, and utterly Strangers from God, and thoſe that have declined in Godlineſs, and are become Wanderers from the Lord, what hope is there of any ſervice that their Prayers will do? God heareth not Sinners; but if any man be a worſhipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth. John 9.31.

Beloved, a poor languiſhing Nation calls upon p. 261you, for the help of your Prayers; but alas, what help is there in them? To have a company of poor hard-hearted, impenitent, and dead Sinners, or of ſick and looſe and carnal Profeſſors, to have ſuch a company gather'd together to pray; there is as much hope in it, as if the Blind, and the Lame, and the Bed-ridden of a Nation, ſhould be gathered together into an Army to fight; as great ſucceſs is like to be obteined by ſuch a ſinful congregation aſſembled to pray, as would be by ſuch an impotent Army, gather'd together to fight: One ſincere upright hearted Saint, will do more than a whole congregation of praying Sinners. Acts 27. we read of a Ship in a Storm, and a deſperate hazard of being caſt away; all viſible hope of its being ſaved was cut off: the Mariners could do little more in the Ship, and ſuch a company of profane Wretches could do nothing in Heaven: But behold, one Paul, he prays, and he prevails; the Lord gave him his life, and the lives of all them that ſailed with him; the Mariners and the Soldiers might have prayed while they would, but the Ship had been never the more ſecured from ſinking, if Paul had not been with them.

Indeed it's the duty of Sinners to be preſent in days and in the exerciſes of Humiliation, and there may be this advantage of it, They may by this means be converted, and ſo 1. There's one more added to the number of God's Remembrancers, there's one more Souldier added to the Praying Army: If there were hundreds or thouſands of Converts more brought in, ſo many would there be added to joyn in their ſtrength to wreſtle with God. 2. By every new Convert, God's Intereſt is increaſed in ſuch a people; by how many more Converts there are, by ſo much the more hath God p. 262to loſe, if ſuch a people ſhould miſcarry. Well, this is the firſt Direction, if you would that your praying ſhould be to any purpoſe, Make God your Friend.

2. Make often uſe of your Friend in your perſonal caſes, live a Praying life; thoſe that are much in Prayer, are moſt like to be mighty in Prayer. He that deals much with the Lord in prayer, will have many experiences of God's gracious dealings with him in anſwer to his Prayers. You will hereby prove, that Prayer is not ſuch an helpleſs and inſignificant Duty, as thoſe that diſuſe themſelves to it are apt to diſtruſt it to be; you will never give off your caſes for hopeleſs, whilſt there is this way open, to go to God.

He that uſes to go before the Lord, will be the more able to go with boldneſs and confidence before him. He that hath been often heard for himſelf, in his perſonal or Family-neceſſities, will ſpeak with the more confidence for his friends or people. I have ſeen how Prayer will help a poor diſtreſſed perſon, a poor diſtreſſed family, and why may it not prevail for a diſeaſed and diſtreſſed Nation? Since I have found, that the Lord hath heard me, when I have been ſeeking him for my ſelf, and for mine houſe, O what hope doth this give, that he will alſo hear me, now that I am ſeeking him for his own Houſe.

Beloved, when any of you that fear God, are under any preſſing ſtraits, and deſire the help of Prayer, to whom do you uſe to ſeek? you do not call together the lazy, and the idle, and the careleſs ones, that uſe not to call upon God; you do not ſend to ſuch, to come and pray for you; but you will pick out and call together the praying people, thoſe that are moſt converſant in this duty; what's the reaſon of this? p. 263why, your conſciences tell you, that if there be any whoſe Prayers are like to help you, theſe are they, the men of Prayer. Be you ſuch in both theſe reſpects, be ye thus prepared, Be the friends of God, and be often with God, and then I will add no more, but as the Prophet, Joel 2.15, 16, 17. Then come and ſanctifie your Faſts, call your ſolemn Aſſemblies; gather the people, ſanctifie the congregation, aſſemble the Elders, let the Bridegroom go forth out of his Chamber, and the Bride out of her Cloſet; let the Tradeſmen come out of their Shops, and the Husbandman out of the fields; let the Miniſters and people of the Lord weep before his Altar, and let them ſay, and cry, and cry aloud, Spare thy people, O Lord, heal thy languiſhing heritage, be not angry with them till thou haſt conſumed them; let not the ungodly ſay to them in thy reproach, Where is your God, your Chriſt, and your Religion? And who knows but the Lord may hear, and what ever evils be upon us, and to whatever diſtance he is withdrawn from us, he may yet return and repent, and leave a bleſſing behind him, and may be jealous for his Land, and pity his people and heal them.

For a concluſion, let me add a word or two, both to thoſe that have heard, and to them alſo that read theſe words. I am unwilling (if I could help it) to make an end before I have done, before the work be done, for which all this hath been ſpoken and written. Have I been all this while beating the Air, or ſpeaking to the Wind, or writing in Sand? Muſt I at laſt ſit down with the ſhame and the grief of the diſappointed? Mine heart and mine eye is upon ſucceſs; I have been plowing in hope, and harrowing and ſowing in hope; O thou, who art the hope of Iſrael, make thy ſervant partaker of his hope.

p. 264Succeſs is of God; Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but it is God that gives the increaſe: We are they whom the Lord hath ſet to watch and give warning, to convince and reprove, to inſtruct and exhort, but who is it, that muſt give the fruit? As hard as our work is, as ſmall ſucceſs as we yet ſee, yet therefore we faint not, becauſe we truſt in the living God, who is the Saviour.

Where is the Lord? he, who hath ſaid, My word ſhall not return unto me void, but it ſhall accompliſh that which I pleaſe, and ſhall proſper in the thing whereto I ſent it. Wherefore hath the Lord ſpoken? Is it that we may go and fall backward, and be broken, and ſnared, and taken? Is it for the hardning of thoſe that have ſinned, that they may not repent? Is it for the ſealing up of the eyes of thoſe that ſee not, that they may be the more blind? Is it for the ſearing of brawned ſpirits, that they may be more hard? Is his Light only to dazle and put out our eyes, and his ſtrokes only to hammer into more ſenſeleſneſs, and to drive away his wanderers farther from him? God forbid, God forbid, we hope better things; we long, we wait for better iſſues; and if the Lord hath any pleaſure in us, if utter ruin be not determined upon us, he will give good ſucceſs, he will recover and revive us, he will humble and heal us. Succeſs is of God, O, our God, we have no might, nor know we what to do, only our eyes are upon thee.

But though it be the Lord that gives ſucceſs, 'tis we and you all that muſt ſeek it, and be working towards it. 'Tis not the beſt Phyſician that can cure you, unleſs you take his Medicines, and follow his Preſcriptions; he that reaches down his hand to help you up out of the Pit into which you are fallen, will not lift you out, unleſs you will do what you can to help your ſelves.

p. 265In order to your ſeeking and obtaining good ſucceſs, let me ask,

1. Thou whoſe eyes are now upon theſe words, Art thou one of them whoſe doleful caſes have been here opened and lamented? Art thou a Sleeper, a loytering or back-ſliding Soul? Whilſt thou haſt been looking on this Glaſs, haſt thou not ſeen thine own face in the company? Hath not this Word found thee out, and ſaid unto thee, even unto thee, as Nathan to David, Thou art the man? Or haſt thou ſo much as asked the queſtion of thy ſelf, Am I not one of them? If thou haſt not, read over again; go back before thou read forward, conſider again and again, before thou conclude, I am none of them; whoever they be, mine heart (I hope) is right with God, I am free. Put me not off with an (I hope I am none of them) but inquire more narrowly, till thou haſt put it out of doubt what thou art.

2. If thou ſeeſt thou art one of theſe wretched ſouls, art thou content to continue thus? Is it ſafe, is it comfortable to thee thus to live? Wilt thou die a Backſlider, or but a Babe? Wilt thou venture it to continue as thou art? Art thou at a point with Chriſt, that thou wilt no more of him than thou haſt; nor ſhall he have more of thee than at this day? Shall thy fleſh and this world ſtill go ſuch great ſharers with him? Wilt not thou come back, to be only his, to be wholly his? Wilt thou ſay as thoſe Jer. 2.25. There is no hope; no hope of prevailing with me? Wilt thou ſay, I have loved ſtrangers, and after them I will go? I love this world, I love my carnal friends, I love my eaſe, and my idleneſs, and my liberty, and I can't part with them; the life I live is better than that ſevere life you call me to. Art thou indeed of this mind, and doſt mean to hold thee of the ſame mind, till thou comeſt to p. 266the Grave? Do thy tender-hearted friends weep over thee, to ſee what a Child or a Changeling thou art, and doſt thou bleſs thy ſelf in thine own heart, and ſay thou art well enough? Art thou come from the Fountain to the Ciſtern, and wilt thou never go back from the Ciſtern to the Fountain? Wilt thou dwell in thy Fools Paradiſe, and venture thy ſhutting out of the Paradiſe of God? Careſt thou not that thou periſh, feareſt thou not that thy Sickneſs and thy Sleep may be unto death? Man, what meaneſt thou? Man, what an Heart haſt thou, that either thou wilt not know thou art in an evil caſe, or doſt not regard whether ever it be better with thee? Haſt thou never a Tear to let fall over thy miſerable Soul? never a Sigh to breath out after Redemption from thy miſery? If thou ſayeſt, 'tis not ſo bad with thee, take heed; How canſt thou ſay, I am not polluted? How canſt thou ſay, I am not degenerated? See thy way in the valley, and know what thou haſt done. Jer. 2.23. Trace thy ſelf in all thy goings, and dealings with God in the world. Ask thy Cloſet, which is ſo ſeldom viſited; ask thy Bible, which is ſo ſeldom look'd into; ask thy companions, and thy unſavoury converſe with them; ask thy Family, and thy unprofitable converſe with them; ask thy Fields and thy Farms, thy Shop and thy Money, with whom thy heart hath ſo long dwelt; yea and ask thy Conſcience a little more ſtrictly than thou uſeſt to do, and ſee if all will not tell thee, the Charge of the Lord againſt thee is too true. It cannot be denied, but that thou art come to a very pittiful paſs; what, and yet no mind to amendment? When ſhall it once be? what never, what never? Muſt we leave you thus? muſt we continue preaching to you, and crying after you ſo long in vain, till p. 267the Lord ſay to us, Let them alone, ſpeak no more to them, pray no more for them, let them periſh in the hardneſs of their Hearts; Ah Friends, ſhall this be all the good we can do, to mourn over you, that we can do you no good? or ſhall there be yet hope among you, concerning this thing, that yet at length ye will repent and return?

The truth is, our ſpiritual Diſeaſes do ſo lurk, that they are not eaſily diſcerned; and having more of pleaſure in them, then of pain, the patient is impatient of his cure. Thoſe that are ſick of a ſleepy Evil, are loth to be ſtirr'd; yet a little more ſleep, ſaith the Sluggard, yet a little more of this eaſie Idle life. Jer. 4.14. O Jeruſalem, wilt thou not be made clean? by the queſtion, it ſeems they would not, and that which followes, When ſhall it once be? the ſenſe of it, is not barely, when [ſhall] it be done? but when wilt thou be willing to have it done? when wilt thou be willing to be made clean? Lord if thou wilt, (ſayes the Leper) thou canſt make me clean. Sinner, ſayes the Lord, if [thou] wilt once, I will, Be thou clean; but though God would, yet Sinners will not.

What Demas is there of you, that hath forſaken the Lord, and embraced this preſent World; what Diotrephes, that from walking Humbly with God, hath his Heart lifted up, and loveth the preheminence, that do heartily wiſh, O that my Soul and this World were once again parted? O that the Lord would humble me, and lay me low, and bring my aſpiring Heart, to the very duſt! I would rather be with poor Lazarus at the Door, with poor Job on the dung-hill, any thing, nothing, any where, no where, rather then be this rich Worldling, or thus proud in a Palace; Oh how few of all that are fallen, are willing to riſe? how few of p. 268all that are wandred, are willing to return? O how light do they make, of all our calling upon them, and after all we can ſay to awaken them, do ſleep on; after all that we can do to reduce them, do hold on their way? doſt thou not ſee! doſt thou not feel, that for thy part, 'tis juſt thus with thee? thou that art proud, or covetous, or ſlothful, and whil'ſt thou canſt thus increaſe in the World, how ever thou decreaſeſt in thy Soul, art thou not at eaſe, art thou not content in this wretched caſe? Really Sirs, I much fear, that all that hath been ſaid, and if I had the Tongue of men and of Angels, and ſhould ſpeak all that could be ſpoken by a creature, 'twould very hardly change your mind and your wayes. I have ſeen ſo great diſappointments hitherto, that I fear how it may be ſtill, and under theſe fears, my Soul travail thou in pain, and groan being thus burthened.

Lord, have I not call'd upon them? Lord have I not called after them? hath not my very Soul been poured out to them and for them? and after all, have they heard? have they repented? are they recovered? and what they will do, O Lord, thou knoweſt; but thy Servant is in great doubt, what they will do; Ah Lord, Ah Lord, art not thou he, that canſt and muſt do the cure? when Lord? when ſhall it once be? O when ſhall it be ſaid again, He hath made the blind to ſee, the Deaf to hear, the ſick to riſe and walk, and the dead to live.

Soul, art thou ſtill content, he ſhould never do ſo by thee? wouldſt thou, that the Lord ſhould leave thee this blind Soul? this ſecure and ſenſeleſs and ſleepy Creature? wouldſt thou be let lye as thou art, or be let run on as thou art going, till thou haſt run thy ſelf out of all? wouldſt thou live and die in this caſe: Is there no hope, That yet at p. 269length thou mayeſt be perſwaded, and prevailed upon? wilt thou yet ſay, no, there is no hope? I have loved ſtrangers and after ſtrangers I will go? I have lov'd mine eaſe, I have lov'd my money, I have lov'd my pleaſures, and I cannot leave them? What not for God? what not for a Soul? not for the ſmiles and ſweet embraces of thy God, nor for the peace and proſperity of thy Soul? If thou ſayeſt, God I hope may be mine however, my Soul may be ſafe however; as bad as you think 'tis with me, yet I hope 'tis not ſo bad, but that the Lord is ſtill my God, and hath ſuch hold of mine Heart, that it ſhall never utterly forſake him; Suppoſe it were ſo (which thou canſt not be ſure of) but ſuppoſe it be ſo, that the Lord is ſtill thy God, and thy Soul were not in ſuch danger of an everlaſting miſcarriage, yet is this diſhonour thou doſt to his Name, this diſtance thou liveſt from his face, this dimneſs that hath overgrown his image, thoſe defilements, wherewith thy Soul hath been polluted in the Houſe of thine Idols, that loſs that thou art at, in point of truth, tenderneſs, ſpirituality, vivacity, which either once thou hadſt, or at leaſt mighteſt have obtained, and that earthlyneſs, carnality, deadneſs that is upon thine Heart, is all this recompenced, and made up to thee? hath thine eaſe or pleaſures, or Worldly gain and greatneſs, ſo well paid thee for all this, that it hath either loſt thee or pull'd upon thee, that thou art ſtill of the ſame mind? Wilt thou yet ſay, I am content to be as I am? Ah, fooliſh Galatians, who hath bewitched you? Ah Friends, are you ſo fooliſh, that having begun in the Spirit, you will now think to mend your condition, by returning to the fleſh? what might I ſpeak to you, to ſet you into your right minds? would you be but convinced, that you are out of p. 270your minds, mad, and diſtracted Souls, there were the more hope you would come to your wits, and ſo with the prodigal, return to your Father, from whom you have been wandring.

Carnal Profeſſors, let not theſe words depart from your Hearts, till they have done their work; till they have ſhewed you your folly, and learned you the Wiſdom which is from above; till your own mouths be forced to acknowledge, I have play'd the Fool, I have wandred from my God, and turned to mine one way, and this my way is my folly; and now through the help of the Lord I will return. Wilt thou ſo? wilt thou return and recover? I will then add but this one word more, When thou art recovered, do thy beſt towards the recovery of thy brethren, pitty thy fallen Friends, and help them to ariſe; jogg thy ſleepy neighbours, and call upon them to awaken; who knowes, what a ſmall beginning may riſe to in the end? a few returned Perſons may fetch in more, and theſe more; a few Souls raiſed from the dead, may be the firſt Fruits of a more glorious reſurrection; the light and the life which is ſprung up in thine Heart, if it be well improved, may enlighten and enliven many (your zeal hath provoked very many, 2 Cor. 9.2.) O be ſolicitous, firſt for thine own recovery, and then be zealous for the recovery of more; ſo ſhall there be, after all our darkneſs, an hopeful dawning towards a comfortable day; ſo may we hope, that our ſhining lights, which now ſtand ſo thin, as a Beacon on an Hill, as a Cottage in a Vine-yard, as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers, may grow ſo numerous, that we may become a Land of Light, and our Jeruſalem may be made a praiſe in the Earth.

FINIS.