Christian Geography and Arithmetic, Doctrine 1

Christian Geography and Arithmetic · Doctrine 1

p. 58Doct. 1.

The dayes of Men are numbred, it is appointed for all Men once to Die.

p. 59I ſhall endeavour to open the point and then apply it: for the opening of it, I ſhall enquire into the import of the phraſe of numbring Dayes, or what is implied in this expreſſion of numbring our Dayes.

1. This, that our Dayes are numbred does denote the ſhortneſs of them; pauperis eſt numer are pecus.Eternity cannot be numbred, what ever is in God is incomprehenſible and innumerable, the Dayes of God are not to be numbred. We ſay he is a Poor man that can number his Flock, that can tell how many ſheep and cattel he has, the Dayes of a Man are ſoon told they are quickly reckoned up, he that hath but a little skill in Arithmetick, may caſt up the number, he that is but newly entered into the Table of Numeration may count them, if he know Units and Tens he may do it, he need not go as far as hundreds. David tells us how the account went in his Dayes, and ſince his time, the number is not increaſed, Sin has rather ſhortened them, and cut them off. The Dayes of our Years are threeſcore years and ten, Pſa. 9.10Ps 9:10and if by reaſon of ſtrength they be fourſcore years, yet is their ſtrength labour and ſorrow, for it is ſoon cut off, and we ſtee away.

p. 602. It holds forth the fixedneſs of the bounds of them: the time of their ending is ſet and fixed, and there is no paſſing beyond thoſe bounds which the Lord hath made; there is no altering, no removing of them, God is exact to his numbers, he will not upon any conſideration revoke his decree and determination in this kind; Seeing his daies are determined, Job 13.5.Job 13:5the number of his Moneths are with thee, (purely in thy power) thou haſt appointed his bounds that he cannot paſs. The time of the Iſraelites captivity was out in the Night, and though in 430 years, as we uſe to ſay, a Day would break no ſquare, much leſs a piece of a Night; yet, that the Lord might be exact to his own prefixed time, he will be at the charge to light them out rather than ſtay till the morning. So Belſhazzar was ſlain in the night, becauſe, as ſome think, then the Captivity was out. If a man could give all the World, he could not purchaſe one hour beyond his appointed time; Death's not to be delayed, it will not be bribed, it wil fetch a Man out of his bed at Midnight, and not ſtay till Morning, it will ſeize upon a Man, when he is abroad, and not ſuffer him to go home, p. 61and take his leave of his Family, and ſet his Houſe in order; it will not give a Man time to make his Will, nor to ſpeak a few words which might prevent abundance of trouble, and Law-ſuits that fall out about the diviſion of his Eſtate; where-ever thou art, what ever thou art doing, when the minutes of thy Life are expired, Death ſtrikes thee, and there is no avoiding it.

3. It ſets forth the tranſitorineſs, the ſlipperineſs, the ſwiftneſs of our Daies. How does the Scripture labour for ſimilitudes to ſet this forth! certainly to know and believe this is of very great importance to our Faith, or elſe the Spirit of God, would never gather ſo many illuſtrations from ſenſe; it would be worth while to gather them up, and open them, but they are frequently done by others, and ly ſo obvious to your ſearch, that I need not ſpend ſo much time about it; only give me leave, ſeeing it is a buſineſs of ſo great conſequence, and ſo very little minded, to deal a little plainly and pathetically with you. Alas, alas, where is that Profeſſor, that ſits down and ſeriouſly thinks with himſelf, how ſwiftly his time paſſes away? who knows not that time is ſhort, and paſſes ſwiftly away p. 62away it is a theme for School-Boyes; ay but let me tell you, few conſider it, or live under the power of it; it is a Meditation fit for the beſt Saint upon Earth, and without diſpute to live in the right belief of it, would be an eſpecial and principal means to recover the power of Godlineſs which is ſo much decayed in this laſt age.

Do you think that Profeſſors could be ſo Formal, and Secure, and Worldly, if they lived every day as their laſt, and performed every Duty as their laſt? would there not be more Zeal, and Life, and Love, and Heavenly-mindedneſs? Do you believe that we ſpend our years as a Tale that is told, as a Word, as a Meditation, ſwifter than a Weavers Shuttle; That our life is as wind, and vaniſheth away as the Cloud: That our dayes are ſwifter than a Poſte, You know how ſwift a Poſte is, he paſſes by ſo faſt, you can take no notice of him, you get but a glimpſe of him, you could not know him again if you ſaw him; ſo do our dayes poſt away, how are we hurried in haſte, haſte, poſt-haſte from one thing to another! poſte to Bed at night, put off your Clothes, poſt-haſt, poſte up in the morning and put them on again; pſt to your p. 63Meals, and poſt from them again; poſt to your buſineſs, and poſt from it; how do Sabbaths; and Sermons, and Opportunities poſt by, and that in ſuch haſt, that you cannot remember them when they are gone! it may be in twenty four hours you have forgot all. How many Sermons that you have heard have lived a monethmonth with you? What was the Meſſage of God to you this day monethmonth? the Matter as it was paſſing by did much affect you, you were much taken with it, and thought you ſhould have known, and remembred that matter as long as you had lived; but it ſeems it went by in ſuch haſte, the time of the Meeting paſſed away ſo ſwiftly, that it has happened to you, as to a man that looks his natural Face in a Glaſs, Jam. 1.24Jas 1:24he beholdeth himſelf, and goes away, and ſtraight way forgets what manner of man he was; ſo you have forgotten what manner of matter it was that you heard, that you were ſo affected with, and melted under, that your Soul did ſo fully cloſe with, & you could ſo evidently witneſs to the truth of it; how lively, it was repreſented to you, how experimentally you did receive it, what goodneſs you taſted in it and thought that p. 64taſte would have never gone out of your mouth; now no impreſſion remaining, the Text and every word of the Sermon ſo poſted away, ſo far gone that they cannot be recalled or recovered. If a Painter would take the Picture of a Man, the Man muſt ſit in a ſteady poſture, but our Comforts periſh in the uſing, they are not ſitting Comforts; we are ſo interrupted, crowded, that we get little of the company and enjoyment of them Solomon had a mind to have the comfort of Wine, and he got it alone, for he acquainted his heart with Wiſdom, and was freed from thoſe exceſſes, extravagances, and diſturbances which commonly keep company with the drinkers of Wine, but he concludes that all was vanity and vexation of Spirit, and there was no profit under the Sun. A man can have no time to ſit with his comfort and enjoy them, but he is either interrupted, or the comfort is gone. But to leave this Similitude, he ſayes, his dayes are ſwifter than a Poſt: It is well obſerved by Mr. Caryl, that a Poſte ſtaies to change Horſes, but the Chariot of the Sun, which is the natural meaſure of time, never ſtaies, but is in continual motion: I might add this alſo, that the p. 65Artificial Meaſures of Time, which are continued by men, are in continual motion; the Sands in the Hour-glaſs are always running, or elſe it is of no uſe; the Wheels in the Clock and Watch are alwayes moving, or elſe they are of no uſe at all; if the Watch be down, it is good for nothing, for it's only uſe lies in motion. You may ſee this Similitude of a Poſt excellently laid open by Mr. Caryl upon the place, as alſo thoſe two more which they find in Job 9.26. My dayes are paſſed away as the ſwift ships, & as the Eagle that haſteth to the prey. Ships upon the Sea under ſail before the Wind paſs away very ſwiftly, and leave no impreſſion: The Eagle is a Bird of the ſtrongeſt Wing, the ſwifteſt Fowl, and a greedy Fowl; ſhe ſoares aloſt, and is quick-ſighted, and ſoares down upon her Prey, as a Thunderbolt, as a Bullet, as an Arrow, and ſhe leaves no impreſſion in the Air. Now, ſaies Job, My dayes are paſſed away as the Eagle that haſteth to the Prey. I ſhall forbear the Proſecution of other Similitudes; our dayes are compared to Smoke, to a Dream, to a Shepherds Tent, to a Vapour, to a Shadow, to a Flower, &c. the aptneſs of p. 66which Similitude I leave to your own conſiderations.

4. This, that our dayes are numbered does likewiſe imply thus much, that our work is numbred to our day, our work is cut out for the day; God makes no empty dayes, as every day has its trouble, ſo every day has its work. To every thing there it a Seaſon, Eccleſ. 3.1.Eccl 3:1and a time for every purpoſe under the Sun; and it is as true, that there is a purpoſe for every Seaſon, as well as a Seaſon for every purpoſe; and happy is that man that knows his Seaſon for his purpoſe, and his purpoſe for his ſeaſon, that knows his day for his work, and his work for his day, and does his dayes work upon his day; when our work is finiſhed, then our dayes ſhall be ended: But alas for wicked men, their dayes end before they begin their work; they do work that God never allotted, or allowed any time for: There is a time to build, and a time to plant, and a time to morn, &c. but there is no time to ſin. Some know their work yet do not do it, and theſe will be beater with many ſtripes: The great Correction-houſe of Hell is prepared for thoſe that would not work whil'ſt they had p. 67day, and time, and light, and opportunity, and aſſiſtance, and whatever might have an influence upon the promoting of their work; Be ſure thou examine the work thou art about, and ask thy ſelf ſtrictly theſe two Queſtions.

1. Is this work for any time, is it to be done at all?

2. Is this work proper for this time; does the work and the time correſpond and ſuit one another? it may be ſinful thoughts ariſe when thou art at Duty, let them know there is no time allotted for them, much leſs at ſuch a time; it may be worldly thoughts come in about thy family and calling, let them know there is a time for them, but they muſt keep their place and due diſtance at ſuch a ſeaſon; perhaps ſome good thoughts may come in, which yet are not ſuitable to the work which thou art engaged in, tell them, they ſhall be encouraged in their proper time; God is a God of order and not of confuſion and diſtraction; there is a time to Read, a time to Hear, a time to Meditate, a time to Pray, a time to confer about good things, and theſe duties help one another in their place and order. But it is not unuſual for him that ſometimes transforms himſelf into an p. 68Angel of light to inject even good things in an unſeaſonable manner which tend only to diſtraction, and not to edification and promoting Communion with Gods and he is a Wiſe Chriſtian that knows how to manage himſelf, that there may be no interfering of duties. I cannot but break out and tell you, how hard a thing it is to be a right Chriſtian, a Chriitian indeed, even-ſquared according to Goſpel-rule and proportion. The miſery of Man is great upon him, becauſe he knows not his work and his time; the Devil takes, great advantage of poor Chriſtians that have ſtrong affections and but weak judgments, and does ſo bewilder them and caſt ſuch miſts in their way, even upon this very account that we are ſpeaking of, that I begin not to wonder at the many complaints I daily hear from Chriſtians of unbelief, unprofitableneſs under ordinances and the means of grace diſcontentedneſs & falling out with their conditions; they are much unacquainted with their proper, work in its proper ſeaſon; Satan is a Spirit of diſorder and confuſion, and he knows how to entangle the belt duty thou doeſt, and perplex the moſt regular exerciſe of thy Graces: the only way thou haſt to help p. 69thy ſely is ſeriouſly to conſider, whether this and the other notion and ſuggeſtion comes from God; is this according to rule, does the Goſpel bid me think this, and ſpeak this, and do this; to the Law and to the teſtimony. Let me take my Bible into my hand, and ſee whether I can find a fixed, a ſtated rule for ſuch imaginations, for ſuch perplexities, for ſuch becalmings, for ſuch expreſſions and actions; what faith the Scripture; and how readeſt thou; my Lord and Saviour anſwered the Devil ſtill, with a Scriptum eſt, Mat. 24 22.Matt 24:22it is written; if I cannot tell him, it is written? I may ask him the queſtion, is it written? Doſt thou ſpeak from the Word of God? Doſt not thou wreſt the Word of God? Doſt not thou add nor diminiſh? Does the Lord indeed require and call for this thing at my Hands? is it any part of that work that he has appointed for me in my Day, that I ſhould at any time diſtruſt him, or look upon his care as inſufficient either for my Soul or Body? are not the alſufficient merits of the Lord Jeſus tendered to me without any exception, but what I make within my ſelf? Does not he command me to believe, and is not this my proper work that I ſhoud be found labouring p. 70in? is there one in the Book of God that does incourage me to queſtion either his ability or willingneſs to ſave me? it is the work of Satan to make obſtructions in a Man's own ſelf, and then to lay them at God's door; but is it any part of my work to believe him of regard him? it is thy every dayes work to believe with all thy Heart; and if thou canſt ſay, that thou art willing to give up thy ſelf to the Lord Jeſus be ſaved and ſanctified by him, to be pardoned and purged by him, to bring nothing to him, to keep nothing from him, to deny thy ſinful ſelf, thy righteous ſelf, and (if he call for it) thy natural ſelf; thou mayeſt conclude thou art in thy proper work which is ſuitable for every ſeaſon, and that thou art obſerving the order of God, and appointment the Lord Jeſus; Job. 6.29.Job 6:29for, This is the work of God, ſaith our Lord, that ye believe on him whom he hath ſent. And what ever it is that does obſtruct and hinder this work, comes from Satan and not from God; it is a work that was never numbred out by God for thee to do for it is according to his mind and pleaſure, that every one ſhould ſay as his Apoſtle Paul did, the Life that I live it is p. 71by Faith in the Son of God; and the work that I do, is to be alwaies exerciſing and putting forth Acts of Faith upon the Lord Jeſus. And as for the concerns of my Body, is it any part of my work or duty, according to Goſpel-rule, to be carking, and caring, and vexing my ſelf, how I ſhall maintain that; what I ſhould Eat and Drink, and wherewithal I ſhould be Cloathed? has not he engaged his Providence for me? is not his expreſs word, and is it not my proper work to believe it? be content with ſuch things as ye have. Heb. 13.5Heb 13:5For be hath ſaid, I will never leave thee nor forſake thee. Hath he given me a Kingdom, and will not he give me a ſtaff to walk to that Kingdom? as I have heard it well obſerved by a worthy Miniſter, will he give me Heaven, and will not give me Earth? will he give me an inheritance and will he not give me ſpending money? can I truſt him for my Soul, and can I not truſt him for my poor frail Body? Is not food and ralment within the Covernant as well as life and Salvation? Did he ever put me upon ſuch work as this, as to get my own Breads, and leave me to my own Hands. Its true, as he has told me, that in the ſweat p. 72of my Brows I muſt eat my Bread; but he never ſaid I ſhould do it in the care and trouble, and grief of my Heart, I muſt work indeed, but the care of me lies with him, he is bound to maintain me, it is not my labour, but his bleſſing that muſt do it.

I am but a journy-man, the work is not mine but his; I muſt be at his allowance, he has: ſet me my dimenſum, my task; and it is purely in his diſpoſal how I muſt be maintained, what he will give me of theſe outward things, whether much or little: he knows beſt my conſtitution; what I can bear, what may be convenient for my paſſage; what may be helping and not clogging in my journey to Heaven, and if I have but little of the preſent World; I muſt not call it Poverty, but Diſcipline. I conclude therefore, it was never intended by the Lord to be any part of my work, or to take up any part of my time, to ſret and perplex my ſelf, how I ſhould have proviſions to carry me or my Family through the wilderneſs of this World. But to proceed, this very thing of not numbring the work to the day, and ſo anſwering the deſign of God in giving the day, is that which proves fatal p. 73to Perſons and People, and becomes their utter ruine.

How does our Saviour weep over Jeruſalem and breaks out into theſe mournful expreſſions. Sayings, If thou hadſt known even thou at leaſt in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the day ſhall come upon thee, that thine Enemies ſhall caſt a trench about thee, and compaſs thee round, and keep thee in on every ſide; and ſhall lay thee even with the ground, and thy Children within thee, and they ſhall not leave in thee, one ſtone upon another. Good Lord, what is the cauſe of all this miſery? why will thou deal ſo ſeverely with thine own and only People? ſurely there is ſome great things in the bottom; What have they done? Doſt thou ask what have they done? It, is for ſomething they did not do when they had an opportunity on purpoſe given for doing of it. Becauſe thou kneweſt not the time of thy viſitation. God gave them his Ordinances, the means of Grace, he waited a great while upon them, to ſee whether they would profit under them, and prove an holy and reformed People; but they not minding the Lord's end in being at ſuch charge p. 74with them, continued a careleſs, formal, worldly, contentious, and a very unholy ſinful People; yea, grow worſe and worſe, therefore &c. The Lord help us, my Brethren, to know the day of our viſitation, our tranquillity is lengthened out, our liberties continued, we enjoy Sabbaths, and Sermons, and Ordinances, one Exhortation and Admonition after another, precept upon precept, warning after warning; we have alſo ſome leſſer corrections and chaſtiſements intermingled, and what is all this for? Eccleſ. 2.1.3Eccl 2:1Eccl 2:3that we ſhould bring forth fruit to God, that we ſhould become an heavenly and ſerious People, that our Faith might grow exceedingly, and the charity of every one of us all towards each other might abound.

But if we go on as we do, bringing forth ſo many truits of the fleſh, remain carnal, frothy, ſo lukewarm, & indifferent in the things of Religion, dead under the opportunitie of life, with ſo much formally in Duties & under Ordinances, turning as a door upon the hinges, neither well with the means of Grace, nor well without them: with ſo much outside in our ſervices and performances, ſo little preſling after inward communion, p. 75with God with ſo little zeal for the Name and Honour, and Truths of God, ſo little ſence of the ſins of others, to mourn over them reprove them, of the ſuffering of others, to mourn with them, and bear their burthens; ſo great lovers of the World, ſo deſirous of having much, ſo little contented with our conditions; (what, never an Heart moved yet at the hearing of all this, is there none cry guilty) ſo unjuſt, equivocating, overreaching, and unwatchful over our tongues in trading and bargaining; ſo little thinking of the Royal rule, to do as we would be done by ſo vain in our Diſcourſes, ſo upcircumſpect in our Converſations, ſo ſenſual and unmortified, ſuch giving liberty to the fleſh, indulging and making proviſion for it, ſo comformable to the World, with ſuch Symptoms of Pride in Heart and habit, with ſo much envying one another, back-biting and evil ſpeaking, ſo little true Hearty Goſpel-love amomg Profeſſor and Chriſtians, that all pretend to be followers of the ſame Chriſt, and hope to live in one Heaven, with ſo much carnality; in having the Faith of Chriſt with reſpect of perſons, in being factions and making parties and ſidings, p. 76and keeping up Nick-names in Religion, (a ſore evil) ſo ſparing and niggardly in your Almes-deeds: and which is the ground of all the former, ſo little in your own Hearts by ſelf-reflexion, ſelf-examination, ſelf-humbling, abhorring and abaſing; and laſtly; ſo little delight and joy in God, and a continual eyeing and looking up to the perſon of Jeſus Chriſt who is at God's right hand, at the Glory he is in, the work he is there doing for his Saints, intercedeing and preparing; together with the great Power and Glory he ſhall ſhortly appear in, Heb. 9.28Heb 9:28when he comes the ſecond time to Salvation and judgement. I ſay, if we ſhall continue thus guilty, as you have heard in the particulars mentioned, and many more I might add, together with the daily grieving the Holy Spirit of God by not praying for it, not watching, obeying, and quenching its motions; you may very ſuddenly expect ſuch ſharp and aſtoniſhing diſpenſation as make me even tremble at the very thoughts of them; read over the Book of the Lamentations, and weep as thou reads: I remember what the Prophet ſaid to Hazael, you may turn to it, 2 Kings 8.11, 12. Take another Text or two to ſhew of what p. 77concern it is, that men ſhould know how to number their works to their time and ſeaſon, Rev. 2.21, 22. And I gave her ſpace to repent of her Fornication, and ſhe repented not, bebold I will caſt her into a bed; and them that commit Adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repin of their deeds, and I will kill her Children with Death, and all the Churches ſhall know, that I am he which ſearcheth the reins and Heart; and I will give to every one of according to your work. Do you Engliſh and apply this Text, you have heard it read to you; but hold ſits before you leave it, pray tell us what ſhould be the meaning, of that expreſſion: and all the Churches ſhall know &c. God forbid that there ſhould be any Churches or members that ſhould not be right in this principle, to acknowledge God to be the ſearcher of the Heart.

The Omniſcieney of God is confeſſed by all that are not profeſſed Atheiſts; but cannot tell what to make of that expreſſion, that all Churches ſhall knows; if it had been thus, and all the World ſhall know, or all the wicked of the Earth ſhall know, or, & all the Enemies of God ſhall know, we ſhould not have wondred at it; give us your thoughts about it truly, Friends, I cannot but be troubled p. 78at what my preſent apprehenſions are will tell you what the Lord ſets upon my Spirit, his Bleſſing go along with in there is in Churches ſo much lukewarmneſs, ſuch reſting in formes and external ſervices, ſuch ſinful tolerations, and hearing with ſin, ſuch keeping and covering iniquity in the skirts of Churches not making uſe of Goſpel-rule; to keep themſelves clean and pure, and to purge out Iniquity; as here the Church of Thyatira ſuffered that Woman Jozabe which called her ſelf a Propheteſs to teach & ſeduce my Servants to commit Formcation, & to eat things ſacrificed to Idol I ſay there is ſuch failings in member of Churches, ſo little exerciſe of Diſcipline, ſuch Hypocriſy, ſo little love to and care of one another, ſo little of the Power and Life of Godlineſs that it makes it too apparent, that the Lord is not ſo acknowledged and owned to be the ſearcher of the Heart, ſo as he ought to be; external priviledges are ſo truſted to without eyeing God in them, ſuch things are done and ſuffered in ſhort; ſo little fear, reverence and delight and ſo much ſhew, officiouſneſs, outſide, external pomp, as if the Lord were indeed like one of us, taken with appearance p. 79and looked to no more than barely the work done; nay, indeed as if he were like one of the Idol gods of the Heathens, that had eyes and ſaw not, ears and heard not; as if things might be concealed and kept from him. There is no reſpect of Perſons with God, when he comes into the Church, he has not regard to him, that wears the goldring, or him that that fits in the higheſt place, or her that wears the beſt gown; but to him or her that is of a pure, holy, contrite, humble Heart, that fears God, and trembles at his word: not hath he laid down one rule for the rich, and another for the poor; no Man's greatneſs can compound for him to have abatements made to be connived at and little notice taken of him, if he do make a trip, or prove a little ſlack in his place & duty. And now obſerve what follows in the very next words; and all the Churches ſhall known &c. And I will give to every one of you according to your Works; I will deal with you not according to your fair ſhews, and fine appearances, and ſpecious pretences, and good language, and honeſt expreſſions: truſt ye not in lying Words,Pro. 7.4Prov 7:4 Saying, the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord &c, the Church p. 80the Church-priviledges. I will examine your waies and your doings, whether they be ſuitable to your Profeſſion, your practice anſwerable to the Principal you hold, then I will bleſs you and dwell with you, and make you my reſt and habitation; but if I find you to be ſuch as are evil doers, that commit iniquity, that fail in the weightier matters of the Law, in the execution of Judgment and Juſtice and Mercy. See ver. 5.6, 7. if you are worldly and carnal, and do not make ſtreight ſteps for your feet, then I muſt puniſh you as Sinners, I muſt be juſt; I muſt reſpect my own Name. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth, therefore will I puniſh you for all your Iniquities. I muſt not be partial, to allow ſin in a Child, and puniſh it in a ſtave, to judg ſinners and let Saints go free when they tranſgreſs: your relation to me, your priviledges cannot ſave you from the rod. I have heard it excellently obſerved by one, that the Temple of the Lord was never intended to be a Sanctuary for the prophane and unholy, to ſave them from the hand of Juſtice;Mr. W. let no wicked Perſon from hence take occaſion (as the Lord knows they are too apt in this looſe corrupt Genetation) p. 81to blaſpheme the waise and Saints of God; becauſe the People of God have their ſailings, and there are Hypocrites among them (as there was one Judas in Chriſt's Family) therefore they make a mock of Holy Profeſſion; and Saintſhip; and pleaſe themſelves to play upon the borders of that unpardonable ſin; they do deride the very Actings and Breathings of the Holy Spirit of God, becauſe of ſome that are but pretenders to it, but never had it; let me tell thee, O thou that draws ſuch conſequences and concluſions, that the Goſpel is an Holy Goſpel, Religion is a real and ſubſtantial thing.

There are Ordinances of Chiriſt, which we muſt be walking and waiting upon God in; and if we that profeſs the Goſpel do not walk according to it, we muſt repent and ſue out our pardon; God will ſcourge and correct us ſeverely, as he has done in all Ages, and we muſt juſtify him in it; and he will make us know, that it is an evil and a bitter thing to depart from God, and to bring reproach upon Religion and the Name of God, and to open the mouths of ſuch as thou art. p. 82I will not name thee, but would willingly know by what name thou conceives thy ſelf to be called in Scripture and would deſire others that they would likewiſe conſult Scripture, and find out thy Character there; but I would tell thee further before we part that if we do tranſgreſs, we pay dear for our sin; Repentance is too great a rate to be given for the moſt profitable Corruption upon Earth; we are chaſtened of the Lord, that we might not be condemned with the World: Beſides, know this, that if we be true Saints, though we may have our infirmites, and muſt repent of them conſequently; ſo antecedently, we muſt be ſuch as do ſincerly reſolve againſt all ſin, that do not allow, or indulge our ſelves in the leaſt evil, that carefully avoid and ſhum the occaſions of ſins, that hate every falſe way; We muſt be ſuch as muſt have reſpect to all Gods Commandements according to our Light in them, and Knowledge of them, not be found neglecting any thing that we know to be a Duty; we ſhould be very careful of our words, how we ſpend our time, and be continually preparing for our dying hour. And if there be ſuch as are indeed very Hypocrites among p. 83us, as there has been in all Ages; and will be to the end of the World, and no avoiding it; (for we cannot know mens hearts; and for external Worſhip and Holineſs, a wicked man may do them as well as a Saint nay, a Hypocrite may poſſible do them better than a Saint, becauſe he does not carry weight with him, he takes no heed to the heart, which is the principal thing in a Duty) I ſay grant there be ſuch, if they diſcover themſelves in groſs impieties, and prove obſtinate; the Goſpel has given Rules for Admonitions, ſharp and cutting Reproofs, even to the quick for withdrawing from them, Titus 3.foreignTitus 3for caſting them out of the Society of Gods people, and Goſpel-Profeſſors, and delivering of them up to Satan; and if they do remain covered and concealed till the Judgement of the great day, then the Lord will diſcover them, and them a portion in the loweſt place in Hell.

The Scripture ſeems to make them the freeholders and firſt-born of Hell, Mat. 24.51. He will appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites, there ſhall be weeping and ganſhing of teeth. Well therefore, thou mighteſt ſpare thy ſelf the expence of a great many words; for buſineſs p. 84is quickly ſummed up; either thou calls a true Saint an Hypocrite, becauſe of his infirmites, and ſome Hyporiſite which diſcovers it ſelf in him, which he repents of, which the Lord gives him a pardon for, cleanſes him from, and at laſt receives him to his Glory; and if this be thy Caſe, I am much afraid thou wilt come under the laſt of that Scripture, which I will take the pains to turn to; it is in the Epiſtle of Jude ever. 14, 15. Behold, the Lord cometh, with ten thouſand of his Saints, to execute vengeance upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their bard ſpeeches which ungodly ſinner have ſpoken againſt him; But

Secondly, If this be thy Caſe, that thou calls thoſe Hypocrites that are indeed ſo, what need thou be ſo concerned, both God and Man are againſt them, they have ſhame here; however, the Lord does moſt ſeverely tourment them to all Eternity; thou might ſpare thy bad Language, they are puniſhed enough without it. But

Thirdly, If this be thy mind, to take occaſion hence to ſpeake evil of Religion, and holy Profeſſion, the Graces and p. 85Fruits of the Spirit, & make a mock and deriſion of all theſe, that becauſe many men that pretend to Religion, are very wicked men, therefore to caſt off all Religion, and Zeal, and Love to God, and Faith in Chriſt Jeſus, and the workings of the Spirit, as Fancies and Shadows having no ſubſtance or reality in them; then I muſt needs ſay, that thou art in the high way to Atheiſm; and I do nor know how I am fallen upon it, but I cannot poſſibly avoid it, according to my caſting up the Account, it amounts to neither more nor leſs, thou art a down-right Atheiſt: I did not think I ſhould have had occaſion to have uſed this word, for I do not love words that carry reflection with them; I have been ſtudying the ninth Verſe of the Epiſtle of Jude, railing Language does not become my Mouth; I confeſs I may be miſtaken in my caſting up, and I ſhould be glad to ſee where my Errour lay, that I may rectifie it; I can ſay I love Truth better than Opinion, or my own Conception and Imagination. Methinks I hear thee diſowning the name and thing, & pleading for Righteouſneſs; and Honeſty, and Worſhip, and Sacraments; &c. The truth is, thou haſt now p. 86confimed me fully in judgment of thee; for the Scripture is not more expreſs in any thing than in diſcovering a ſort of people that plead for a Form of Godlineſe, that they may more effectually oppoſe the power of it; that uſe the name of God, that they may fight againſt the Nature, Word, and Works of God; that pretend to ſet up Chriſt, that they may deſtroy his Perſon and all his Offices; Men of corrupt minds, Tim. 11.3. Titus 1.16 Phil. 3.19.Titus 1:16Phil 3:19reprohate concerning the Faith; That profeſs they know God, but in works deny him, being abominable, diſobedient, and to every good work reprobate; Enemies to the Croſs of Chriſt. If ſo be then that thou art an Atheiſt, the Scripture in plain terms calls thee a Fool, Pſal. 14.1. Thou haſt read the place, but I will read it to thee again, The Fool hath ſaid in his heart, there is no God; He has no fear of God no awe of the great God upon, his Spirit, no ſenſe of his Holineſs, Power, Juſtice, Omniſciency his Word, his Will, his Works, what he hath done, what he will do; what joy he hath laid up for the Serious, Sincure, Humble ſeekers of him, and that truly believe on the name of his Son, and are careful to maintain good Works; what torment he has prepared for the p. 87wicked, and diſobedient, and thoſe that believe not and obey not the Gospel, which he has revealed and ſufficiently made it evident to be his will. But I muſt leave thee and anſwer thee no more having reſpect to both thoſe Rules of the Spirit of God, given forth by Solomon; Prov. 26, 4, 5. Anſwer not a fool &c. What I have more to ſay about thee, ſhall be only to God, ſo as I am taught Jude 9. the laſt words of the verſe. I now return from whence I have digreſſed beyond my purpoſe and intention, but ſometimes we may be moſt in our way when we ſeem to be out of it: the Lord has various methods; a word out of courſe, a word by the way, ſometimes does more good, as God can bleſs it, than that which ſeems to lie moſt direct and in order, intended and prepared: I am an admirer of Method, and am no friend to Fooliſh Preachings to impertinencies, and repetitions that proceed frorn emptineſs and barrenneſs of matter, but, I muſt confeſs, I have often thought what there might be in the fooliſhneſs of Preaching; it pleaſes God by the fooliſhneſs of Preaching, to ſave that do Believe. When a guſt of the Spirit comes, when zeal and Affections are ſtirring, and p. 88tranſport a Man, he is driven out of his road.

But to the points I was telling you the great danger Men were brought into, when they did not lay hold of their ſeaſon and opportunity, did not number their work for their day, were not wiſe but fooliſh, in letting time go and leaving work undone. I have one Scripture more which I have promiſed you, and that is in Rom. 2.4.5. Or deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſs, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering, not knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth thee to Repentance? But after thy hardneſs and impenitent Heart, treaſureſt up unto thy ſelf wrath, againſt the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. The Lord did ſpare thee, and continued thy life to thee, day after day: thou hadſt much time, and many advantage, and thou didſt not conſider for what end God did this to thee: he laid out time for thee, and thou ſhouldeſt have laid out work for that time, have filled the veſſel of time with good actions, the fruits of Righteouſneſs that thou mighteſt have ſaid with the Spouſe, Here are all manner of pleaſant Fruits new & old, which I have laid up for thee! O my Beloved. But inſtead p. 89of this, thou art laying a foundation for everlaſting miſery by thy hardneſs and impenitency; thou art doing a work which thou wilt find wages for, the wages of unrighteouſneſs. Becauſe to every purpoſe there is a time and judgment, Eccleſ. 8.6, 7, 8, 9.12Eccl 8:6Eccl 8:7Eccl 8:8Eccl 8:9Eccl 8:12therefore is the miſery of Man great upon him; For he knoweth not that which ſhall be, for who can tell him when it ſhall be? For Man knoweth not his time, as the Fiſhes that are taken in an evil net, and as the Birds that are caught in the ſnare; ſo are the Sons of Men ſnared in an evil time, when it falleth ſuddenly upon them.

I now come to the Application.

Ʋſe 1.

Are our dayes numbred in this ſence as you have heard, then it affords matter of Humiliation to Saints, & Churches, that they have not numbred their Daies and their work better; truly my Brethren we had better confeſs our own ſins, than have other folks to confeſs them, to charge our ſelves is the way to be diſcharged both by God and Man. I have ſometimes thought that if the People of God had been more in condemning p. 90themſelves, they would not have been ſo much condemned by the World; let us ſay as the Church of old, As for our tranſgreſſions we know them. I remember what I have met with in a learned Author, who writing freely of the faults and miſcarriages of Miniſters, comes to anſwer an Objection which Miniſters, comes to might make againſt his publiſhing their failings to the World, who were ſo ready to be offended with them, and to ſtumble at every thing; or if he would have diſcovered them, he might have writ in Latine, and ſo they might have been concealed from vulgar notice; he anſwers to this purpoſe, ſaies he, if we had ſinned in Latine, then our Sins might have been reproved in Latine; but ſeeing our failings have been obvious, let out acknowledgements, Confeſſions and Repentace be ſo too; it is no diſparagement or leſſening to any Man that is guilty, to make confeſſion, but an effectual way to remove Reproach and Scandal, and to ſilence accuſers: accuſations have little place either with God or Man, where perſons are willing to accuſe themſelves; though there are ſome that are come to that height of Wickedneſs in this Age, which is ſo fruitful p. 91of Monſters; that take occaſion from the confeſſions of ſin which God's People make to him, to charge them, as it were out of their own Mouths as the vileſt Creatures on Earth; to draw out an accuſation againſt them out of their own Confeſſions; a Bill of inditement againſt them, from what they do acknowledge of themſelves: but theſe Men are little acquainted with the Scriptures, and the Myſtery of Godlineſs. The Lord tells us that his waies are not as our waies, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. He that confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſin ſhall find Mercy; by God's own appointment confeſſion is clearing. Indeed I grant that among Men, confeſſion of the party is evidence in Law; but in the Court of God, at his Tribunal, confeſſion of the party takes away evidence: there is no more danger of our confeſſion of our ſins to God, in the World's hearing, than of doing it; in private in Satan's hearing. Its againſt all reaſon to charge a Man that is charging himſelf; if you would take a way ſins teſtimony, joyn teſtimony with it; among the Latines two Negatives make an affirmative, but among the Greek's, two affirmatives make a Negative; if the World accuſe us, let p. 92us accuſe our ſelves too, and this is the way to be cleared; a Chriſtian is never ſo much in his Glory, as when he is juſtifying God, and condemning himſelf. It will ſilence the railing Raſhakehs of this Age, for profeſſors to charge themſelves deeply and particularly before God; we have ſinned, we have done fooliſhly, we have broken thy Covenant, we have ſinfully complied, we have been too much partakers with wicked men of their wickedneſs, we have been unprofitable, careleſs, worldly, covetous, greedy after the World; with our tongues have we diſhonoured God, and our Converſations have been ſuch as have but given too much occaſion to the Wicked to blaſpheme; we have given them juſt cauſe to open their mouths againſt Religion for our ſakes, we have not diſcovered that humility, meekneſs, impaſſionateneſs, weanedneſs from the world, mortification of fleſhy luſts, that might have been attractive and alluring of others to a good likeing of the profeſſing of the Goſpel and Chriſtianity; we have been ſeeking our ſelves, and ſetting up our ſelves, when we ſhould have been ſeeking and ſetting up the intereſt of the Lord Jeſus; we have practiſed p. 93that in our ſelves which we have condemned in others; and never any People had more pretious opportunities and improved them leſs; we have put Death far from us, and lived as if this world would never have an end, and as if the World to come would never have a Beginning &c.

Now for others to lay theſe things to our charge, makes us odious and ugly; But for us to charge our ſelves will make us look lovely and Beautiful: there is a vaſt difference between others ſpeaking of us, and our own ſpeaking of our ſelves though the words be the very ſame. The ſtory of Jonah if another had writ it, would have made Jonah appear very deformed; but as he writes it himſelf, it rendershim a true penicent: let us lament our not doing our work in our day, our not minding our work and ſeaſon and making them meet; what a deal of work might we have done more than we have, if we had forted, and counted, and numbred our work aright! we have been confounded as the Builders of Babel. We have done much that needed not have been done; and we have been doing of one thing when we ſhould have been doing another; we have been repenting when we ſhould have been believing, p. 94and believing when we ſhould have been repenting; we have been caring when we ſhould have been truſting; we have been weeping, when we ſhould have been rejoicing, and rejoicing when we ſhould have been mourning, we have been doing and undoing; and as a Man that has loſt his way, travels hard, but is no nearer his journeys end, may it may be comes to the place, whence he firſt ſet forth. I aſſure you it is matter of trouble to conſider what confuſion we have brought our ſelves into, and upon our Spirits, for want of this wiſdom to number our work-daies; we have been a diſorderly People; we have not put our general and particular callings into good method, we do things in the firſt place which ſhould be done in the ſecond, and that in the ſecond which ought to poſſeſs the firſt; let me tell you Earthly cares, will not ſit comfortably and thrivingly in the firſt, nor Heavenly thoughts in the ſecond, becauſe the one will be too high, and the other too low for their elevation; it is a deſlowring of early morning-time to; lodge the world with it, and it is a diſgraceing of the things of God, to preſent them with the ſmall reliques, and ſtale afterlings of your time, I am p. 95perſwaded this is the very thing the Pſalmiſt aimes at in this Text, that he might have wiſdom to know his time and his work, and the proper work for the day; that time might not be done before the work was done; and that work might not be miſplaced and miſlaid; it muſt needs therefore be our great folly and loſs, who are guilty of ſo much miſplacing: why muſt worldly thoughts come in, in the morning as ſoon as thou art awake, and defile, blaſt, and canker thy Soul, when good thoughts would have edged it, prepared it, and put a ſavour, upon it which would not have worn off all day? why muſt thy counter come up ſtairs into thy cloſet, & the concerns of thy calling look upon thee whilſt thou art praying and meditating and converſing with God, and about the condition and ſtate of thy Soul, and its Everlaſting well-being? we ſhould be Heavenly-minded in Earthly imployments, and we are Earthly-minded in Heavenly imployments; get as much of Heaven as ever thou canſt to attened thee in thy wordly matters, it will wonderfully facilitate and preoſper thy work, it will make it go on with eaſe and pleaſure; a Bible upon a loom or ſhop-board p. 96never hinders work; Meat and Morning Prayer never hinder work; holy ejaculations, and good diſcourſe, will not weaken the hands that labour, a ſerious thought in the midſt of thy worldly buſineſs never cauſes interruption or diſorder.

And as you muſt take heed of miſplaceing your work, ſo be careful you do not miſplace the diſpenſations and providences of God to you, for this belongs to the numbring of your daies: for you are apt to call your good dayes your bad ones, and your worſt dayes, your beſt. The account will never come even when receipts are placed as disburſments do not expect a right ballance; you have had many dayes of Affliction & Sorrow and pain, your hands have been, alwaies full; now if you reckon all theſe dayes as bad dayes, you do not number right. Again, you have had a few Sun-ſhine dayes, you have enjoyed proſperity, and you call theſe good dayes: whereas it may be theſe have been enſnaring and ſtraitning to your Souls, and the former have been quickning, purging, cleanſing, and inwardly comforting; the dayes which the Children of Iſrael ſpent in the Wilderneſs were not their worſt p. 97dayes, for there the Lord fed them with manna, bread which came down from Heaven. The wilderneſs-grape is the ſweeteſt grape, the beſt vineyards from thence; Rock-water is the pureſt water, and no honey ſo ſweet as that which came out of the Lyon; though no affliction for the preſent ſeems joyous but grievous; Heb. 12.11Heb 12:11but the peaceable fruits of Righteouſneſs which it yieldeth afterwards to them that are exerciſed therein, make amends for all: it may be when thou conſiders it well, Job 29.4.Job 29:4thoſe dayes of thy youth when the ſecret of God was upon thy Tabernacle; thy Children about thee, when thou waſhed thy ſteps with butter, & the Rock poured thee out rivers of Oyl &c, will not be accounted & numbred for the beſt dayes; thou wilt ſee cauſe upon due reflection to confeſs, that thy Spirit was more dull and heavy, and ſlothful, thou was not ſo lively in duty, didſt not enjoy ſo much Communion with God, as thou haſt done in ſome other dayes that were more dark and cloudy, and at great deal more pinching, and painful to go through: thou mayeſt remember in thoſe ſhining dayes what expence thy watchfulneſs put thee to. How thou was continually upon thy guard, leſt p. 98thou ſhould be enſnared, and thy affections be carried beyond due bounds; it's difficult caſe, where we are ſo deſirous to drink much and yet can but bear little; to reſiſt is troubleſome, to yield is dangerous; to love the Creature no more than it ſhould be, and to love God as much as he ought to be: thou canſt tell likewiſe that in thoſe other daves of ſtraitneſs and want, and ſickneſe, and diſgrace, and perplexity; though they were very ungrateful and unpleaſing to the outward man, thou had frequent viſits from God, corruption did not ſo work and ſtir in thy heart, Satan was not ſo buſie to defile thee with his temptations; thou hadſt many a comforable half-hour which no body ſaw or took notice of; thou couldeſt pray then, thou couldeſt pour out Prayer, thou waſt all Prayer; thy Prayers came from thee like hot burning ſparks out of a flaming furnace, or like darts out of a Gyants Hand, with ſuch a jerk of the Spirit after them that they fell not a whit ſhort of Heaven; what wreſtling was there then of Faith, what ſtrugling then of hope, what working and ſtriving of patience! then thou came to know effectually the meaning of thoſe Scriptures,

p. 99Hope maketh not aſhamed, we are ſaved by hope, in patience poſſeſs ye your Souls; thou then felt more charity, more bowels, more compaſſion, more fellows-feeling of others troubles; then thou came to know better the meaning of that Text, which perhaps in thy fair Dayes thou never conſidered ſo much; Remember them that are in Adverſity, Heb. 13Heb 13as being your ſelves alſo in the Body, having paſlible, weak Bodies ſubject to all the like miſeries, which you ſee in others; and what the Preacher intended when he exhorts to give a portion to ſeven, and alſo to eight, for thou knoweſt not what evil ſhall be upon the Earth; whether ſuch evil may not be in the World that, may bring thee to like need.

How was thou then weaned from the world, how didſt thou contemn it, the pleaſures, honours and riches of it! thou did experience the mutable and tranfitoty Nature of them, thou gave earneſt heed to our Saviour's Counſel, Mat. 6…Matt 6Lay not up for your ſelves treaſures on Earth where moth and ruſt corrupt, and where thieves break through and ſteal, but lay up for your ſelves treaſures in Heaven where neither moth nor ruſt can corrupt nor thieves dig through and ſteal; and then p. 100thou conned over the Apoſtle Pauls hard leſſon, 1 Cor. 7.291 Cor 7:29and got it pretty perfect That they that had Wives ſhould be a though they had none, they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not, they that buy as though they poſſeſſed not, for the faſhion of this World paſſeth away. Thus though there was a decay upon thy outward-man by reaſon of Affliction, yet the inward man was renewed day by day; thoſe dayes which helped thee nearer Heaven, and made thee more fit and more willing to die, were good dayes now painful and tormenting ſo ever they were in the paſſing through them; and thoſe dayes which delighted thy fleſhly deſires and carnal part, which were very pleaſant to the outward-man, but did make thee neglect duty or ſlubber it over, did deaden thy Spirit in it, and cauſed a decay in thy zeal, and Love and delight in God, and made thee leſs mindful of the great concerns of thy pretious Soul; thoſe dayes though ſeemingly happy and bleſſed in their ſpending, were not ſo good dayes: be careful therefore of reckoning and numbring right about your conditions, and out ward ſtates and beings in the World, and mourn over the diſorder thou haſt put p. 101thy ſelf into, by not placing thy condition right, and placing thy ſelf aright in it; but by buſtling and quarrelling at ſome times with thy ſtate, and thy over pleaſedneſs again another time with it. Thou haſt been ſtill diſturbing and doing harm both to thy ſelf and others; what hard and loud words have paſſed between thee and thy adverſe ſtate? have hot ſome over-heard thee ſaying, that thou thought no Bodies condition was worſe than thine; none ſo ſtraitned, none ſo perplexed; what ſickneſs thou didſt undergo what pain thou went through, what poverty and pinching thou endured, what croſſes every way thou met with; and wiſhing thou had had not been born, or that thou might quickly die, and be removed out of this troubleſome World, or that God would but be ſo kind to thee, that thou might but live as ſuch and ſuch do, though their conditions are not looked on as the beſt &c?

And to anſwer this chiding temper, has not that witneſs for God in thy own Conſcience, and of his kindneſs to thee in every condition, made this ſmart reply? Oh what a murmuring unbeleeving Creature art thou! What, nothing p. 102but complaints: look about thee, canſt thou find nothing to thank God for? is thy caſe ſo bad, that all comfort is ſhut out of it? thou art out of Hell, which thou deſerves every moment, that's a Mercy; art not thou in health? many would give thouſands to enjoy as much of that as thou doſt; art thou harbourleſs & knows not where to have a lodging to night? that's the condition of many a good Soul where cruelty and perſecution Reigns; art thou hungry and knows not where to get bread this day? it's a great Mercy to have bread for the day, and a greater to be able to beg and believe on God for bread for the day, a leſſon which I heard a worthy Miniſter ſay, Mr. Bthe Lord had taught him, and an high piece of Learning it is. The Apoſtle knew what he ſaid, and that it was a great degree he had attained to, when he profeſſed? I have learned in the things wherein I am, Phil. 4.1.foreignPhil 4:1therewith to be ſelf-ſufficient; there is a kind of ſelf-ſufficiency in every good contented mind, he is rich not that has much, but that does not deſire much. Art thou thirſty and knows not where to get ſome good water? art thou cold, and knows not p. 103where to get a covering to keep thee warm?

But for thy Spiritual eſtate, art thou tempted? ſo was Chriſt, who was in all points tempted, likeas we are, that we might come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, and has promiſed, that he will not ſuffer you to be tempted above what you are able; and is it your miſery that you are called to follow the Captain of your Salvation in the honourable path of ſuffering the highway to peace, and reſt, and Glory? Art thou under the tidings of his love? did not the Lord Jeſus cry out, my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Art thou unwilling that the Lord ſhould make a trial of thy Love, and faithfulneſs to him, whether thou will abide for him; and that by endear himſelf more to thee, and prepare thee for fuller manifeſtations, and them for thee? Doſt thou complain of an hard unbelieving Heart? its a mercy thou feels it to be ſo how many hard Hearts in the World that are not felt! they that can ſay and cry out, ſave us Maſter we periſh, ſhall never ſink; if there be ſenſe there is life, though that life may be a very ſickly p. 104Life: thy condition is ſaſe though it it may be very uneaſie; where there is the root of the matter, where there is the living ſubſtance, if circumſtances be a little troubleſome it may be born: better a little crying here than weeping and wailing hereafter; pains and pangs, and gripings here are kindly, and not at all dangerous. To conclude this, wilt thou for the future keep a better account of thy condition? wilt thou number and place the Providences of God towards thee in better order? this right reckoning will reconcile thee to all the difpenſations of God, and make you long Friends; this will be your Wiſdom, and, this is your way to true Wiſdom; and ſo much for this Ufe of Lamentation, and Humiliation, It is much to be bewailed, and that becauſe of bad conſequences, that Chriſtians do not number their dayes, their duties and their diſpenſations better. The exerciſe of ſuch Wiſdom as this.

How lovely would make Profeſſors to look, and how peaceably would it make them live! it would make Religion look very beautifully and put an attractive and alluring vertue into the Converſations of Men; but we may p. 105cry out of our folly, our Childiſhneſs, our weakneſs of judgment in the things of God; our walking by ſenſe, and reckoning by that, and leaving out Faith, without which there is nothing but diſorder; it is that which ſets all right, puts every thing in its proper place, and keeps Time and Eternity in their due conjunction, diſtinction, and neceſſary aſpects one upon another: I now come to the

2. Ʋſe.

An Uſe of exhortation, that we would learn this bleſſed Art of numbring our daies, this Chriſtian Arithmetick; I ſhall indeavour to lay down ſome Rules of direction for our better numbring of them.

Rule 1.

Of Arithmetick: number the dayes that you have paſt, and what of that?

1. How many they have been, ſome of you have paſſed a great many Dayes, and Weeks, and Months, and Years; it is a long time you have been in this World, are you yet weary of it? how p. 106many dayes would you live longer, and how would you imploy thoſe dayes? or do you conſider that you cannot live alwayes?

2. How many changes you have ſeen and paſſed through in thoſe dayes; How many conditions and places you have been in, how many removes you have made, what toſſings to and fro, how many ups and downs, what obſervations you made in your paſſage; how much your paths you have walked in reſemble the journeyings of the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſs; how, that which is, is that which has been, and there is no new thing under the Sun; how many in thy time have come into the World, and grown up, and grown old, and gone out of the World, ſome at one age, ſome at another, and very many that lived never to ſee thy years; how many Friends and intimate acquaintance thou haſt buried, with whom thou haſt Eat and Drunk and Lodged, and now thou walkeſt over their Graves; how many relations of thine have left this World; Husband or Wife, or Children, or Father, or Mother, (and doſt thou hereupon enjoy thy preſent Relations in any of thoſe Kinds as if thou had none;) p. 107How many of thy own Neighbours, and School-fellows living; how time has hurried ſome to their Graves, others at a great diſtance from thee, others to beggary and a mean condition, though ſome are got to great eſtates, and ſet an inch above their Neighbours; How many great ones thou haſt our-lived, and how many changes of Government thou haſt ſeen in thy time.

Governments are heavy things, and as it were unmoveable, guarded both by the Laws of God and Men, and are as the Mount that might not be touched; yet an ordinary Man of an ordinary age does ordinarily outlive four or five Governours or Governments, ſo that thou obſerves changes in Publick, and changes in thy Private ſtate. What a change did Job ſee in his Condition (take him either as a Publick or as a Private Perſon? time was when he could ſay. Job 21.7.Job 21:7He had his Children about him, he waſhed his ſteps with Butter, and the Rock poured out Rivers of Oyl; when he went out to the Gate of the City, when he prepared his Seat in the ſtreet, the young men ſaw him and hid themſelves, the aged aged aged aroſe and ſtood up; The Princes refrained talking, &c. But now p. 108all on a ſudden he becomes as low as he was high, and in a moment as it were, the caſe was altered with him that he complains that they that are younger than he had him in deriſion, whoſe Fathers he would have disdained to have ſet with the Dogs of his Flock, they ſpared not to ſpit upon him, &c.

3. How quickly they are gone; many years even among men, are but as yeſterday, when they are paſt, but as t'other day. It is but a little while me thinks, ſaids he, ſince that ſo many years ago I lived in ſuch a place, converſed ſo and ſo, did this and the other thing, how faſt does time paſs away; It is but as yeſterday ſince I was a Child and went to School, and now I am grown old, I can remember it as well as if it were but yeſterday: My life has ever been poſting, as a Dream, as a Tale that is told; the Dream ends, and the Tale is concluded inſenſibly before we are aware. The whole time of this World is but as a Dream; The proper time of awaking will be at the Reſurrection; then Men will know whereabout they are, and what they are, then they will be out of the hurry of time, and have leiſure in Eternity (which is a fixed now wherein they ſhall ſtand ſtill) to behold p. 109themſelves, and underſtand themſelves, their ſtate and way. Juſt as in a Dream, a man ſeems to be very buſie, hard travelling, in the midſt of a crowd of people vehemently purſuing an Argument, driving on a Bargain … ſolemn Funeral, pleaſant at a M…ge, caſt down under a ſad Providence befalling him, much refreſhed with good News, telling great ſums of Money, ſate at a good Banquet, &c. but when he awakes, all is vaniſhed away as a conceit, and the man is naked in his Bed, very ſtill and quiet, and it may be finds himſelf hungry, and knows not where to get ſix-pence: Even ſo it is with Men in the World, they are much in agitation and motion, cumbred about many things; but when they come to dye, which is the time of awaking, then they are ſeen naked, their ſtate and condition is known; no more to do with the World, or worldly things, no eating, or drinking, or buying, and ſelling, or converting; if they have Chriſt their Friend and Advocate, and be found upright, and lovers of God? then to glory with them, and everlaſting joy; but if they be found wicked and Hypocrites, then to everlaſting confuſion: But to conclude this Similitude.

p. 110A Man when he is dreaming, by ſome noiſe or jog may be a little awakened, & come to himſelf, but may quickly go to ſleep and fall a dreaming again the ſame Dream: So dreamiſh Profeſſors that are very buſie w…g to and fro in the Earth in a ſleepy condition, and minding the things of it, may by ſome awakening Ordinance or Providence, by ſome amazing Judgment, come to themſelves, and ſit down, and think other thoughts than they did before, let the World ſtand ſtill, and have to do with God; but aſſoon as the noiſe is over, they fall to dream again.

In the great Plague and Fire in London, there was ſuch a noiſe, that I believe there were very few but were awakened, and for the preſent, left off dreaming; but how quickly did ſecurity & ſleepineſs creep on, & they fel to dreaming again one after another, to building, to buying, and ſelling, &c. (which at the beſt are but dreamiſh things, and may prove much worſe, if you do them as they did them in the dayes or Noah, and Lot;) I wiſh with all my heart, the next Jog be not ſo hard, and the cry ſo loud, that inſtead of being kindly awakened, they be not mazed, and ſtunned, and p. 111deaf, and diſabled from getting up, and putting on their clothes.

4. How irrecoverable they are, and lever to be recalled; If I would give all the World I cannot call yeſterday back, nor be placed where I was yeſterday morning. He that cries out, Call time again, call time again, is as unlikely to be heard, and anſwered as any man I know; …ay, but cannot you ſet me one day or two backward, place me where I was but t'other morning, that I may paſs over thoſe three or tour hours as I did then, No, I cannot do it; And this is the firſt Rule in this Chriſtian Arithmetick; Number the dayes that yon have paſt, this will make you wiſe.

Rule 2.

A ſecond Rule in Arithmetick. Number the dayes that you have loſt, this will be a ſpecial means to lead you to Wiſdom. What have your paſt days been filled with? have not you loſt weeks, and moneths, nay years? Conſider this well, and you will be able to tell me, I need not tell you what thoughts it will work in you, and what wiſe Counſels it will put you upon; have not p. 112many of thy dayes been filled with nothing but vanity? ſome men do nothing at all, many worſe than nothing, the moſt do ſomething that is not their proper work to do, but belongs to others; canſt thou ſay that any day of thy life has been as well filled with good as it ought to have been, or as it might have been? if thou had thy beſt ſpent dayes to ſpend over again, couldeſt thou not ſpend them a great deal better? no ſuch cauſe of mourning as for loſt time: was not thy Childhood, and thy Youth vanity? has not the World had many an hour that God and Chriſt ſhould have had, and ſhould have been improved for the promoting of thine eternal welfare? How many idle dayes, and play-dayes haſt thou made? how many needleſs Journeyes, Viſits, Walks, and Diſcourſes haſt thou made? How many unneceſſary deſigns & unprofitable labours? May it not be ſaid of much of thy buſineſs thou haſt been imployed in, as ſome ſaid of the Womans pouring the Ointment on Chriſts Head; Mat. 14.4.Matt 14:4why was this waſte of time, might it not have been made better uſe of?

p. 113Rule 3.

Third Rule of Arithmetick; Number the work you have done, and how you have dont it; what will this do? you will tell me what it will do, if you obſerve it; you will find upon Examination, that put all your good works together, and allow for dammage, for the Hay and the Stubble, the Dregs and the Droſs, and they amount but to very little; you will ſee how much mending all your work needs; what mourning over, and begging pardon for the defects and failings about it; time runs, and work ſticks, and that which we thought we had done well, muſt be done over again: how ſhould this awaken us, and quicken us; when we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable ſervants! when we have done the beſt we can, we have not done that which is our duty, when we have done the moſt we can, we have not done all we ſhould, ſtill ſome work lies before us, and it may be very little time; will not this conſideration to make men make much of time, and not prodigally throw it away as they have done? becauſe ſo p. 114much is required to ſurvey and mend old done Deeds.

Rule 4.

Number the Sabbaths, the Sermons, the Opportunities which you have enjoyed. This a fourth Rule in Chriſtian Arithmetick; and what will this tend to? You will tell me when you have well conſidered it. Reckon how many of Gods Embaſſadors have been ſent to thee with ſeveral Meſſages, and with the ſame meſſage over and over again; how many years of the dayes of the Son of Man you have ſeen: how long you enjoyed ſuch a Miniſtry in ſuch a place, and ſuch a powerful Miniſtry in another; and now what am I the better: God will expect an account of me; is it not high-time for me to conſider what return I can make: what profiting, and progreſs I have made in the knowledg and fear of God, and Faith in his Son Jeſus Chriſt; to what degrees and meaſures of patience, Meckneſs, Hope, Love, Heavenly Converſation, crucifying the fleſh, looking for the appearing of Chriſt, and aiming at his Glory in every thing I do &c.

p. 115Many an exhortation and motive and direction and encouragement have I had about all theſe and much more, many a time, and that with a great deal of preſſing: God may call me to even accounts with him, the very next hour for any thing I know, and how ready am I for it! Oh for a little time for this work! I have cauſe to be afraid, that I ſhall be found much in arrearages to God, and that there are ſome hundreds of Sermons I have heard, that I can remember neither Text, Doctrine, Reaſon nor Uſe; nor have any real impreſſion remaining upon me from them, a dram of habitual vertue or ſtrength by them: Oh that God would not clap me up, and make me bankrupt, that have taken up ſo many goods of him, and am not able to make him any payment, the goods are embezeled; Oh that I had time to make my compoſition with him, to ſue out a releaſe and diſcharge from him! I am undone if I be arreſted before this be done, for I cannot pay twelve pence in the pound; Lord ſpare me a little time that I may repent in, and make money of all that I have that I may bring to thee; I will not keep or conceal one peniworth from thee, I will p. 116give thee a true account in whoſe hands they are, whom I have traded with; how I have been cheated by Satan, by the World, and moſt of all by a deceitful heart of my own that was bred up with me, and which I have given much truſt to: I could no ſooner have any of Heavens commodities come in, but preſently they were purloyned from me by the means of my deceitful, hard, vain, idle, fooliſh Heart; for whilſt I ſlept and was careleſs, Mat. 13.19.22, 25.Matt 13:19Matt 13:22Matt 13:25the wicked one came and catched them away, or the cares of this World, and the deceitfulneſs of Riches ſpoiled them, and ſo I got no profit by them; my baſe Heart did betray me to all this miſchief and loſs: and now Lord be pleaſed to ſpare me a little, that I may mourn over and bewail my great loſſes, that I may call my treacherous wicked Heart to an account; that I may ſeriouſly and ſeverely examine and ſearch it, that I may bring it to confeſſion, and acknowledgment, to deep ſorrow and repentance, to ſincere and holy reſolutions of a faithful improvement of any opportunity and ſeaſon of Grace, that he ſhall hereafter be pleaſed to put into my hands; and now conſider, beloved, whether the making up accounts do not require p. 117ſome time, how needful it is to be done, conſidering how large our receipts and credits are, and laſtly how little aſſurance we have of time to do it in.

Rule 5.

The fifth Rule of Chriſtian Arithmetick is, number and compare your dayes with the daies of thoſe that liv'd in the firſt age of the World; compare the length of thy time with the Patriarchs lives; and what will this do? thou wilt ſee it will have very good influence on a wiſe improving of time; they lived ſix, ſeven eight, or nine hundred years; and thou wilt never reach one hundred, it may be not half an hundred: a ſerious meditation of this will work in you, one of thoſe two uſeful conſiderations.

1. How long a time had they to glorify God in, in compariſon to what I have; how did they live to his praiſe and honour in proportion hundreds of years as it were before I had a being, and hundreds of years after my being ended; how many opportunities had they of ſerving God more than I have, how much work did they do in their generation for God more than I what large returns did they make from Earth to Heaven above what I do; what p. 118need have I to ply my work, that have not one day for their ſeven to work in; time is ſhort with me, for though they had much, yet, they had none too much, and how ſhould I look to it, that I have not too little for my buſineſs.

2. How long a time were they kept in this World and out of Heaven, above what I ſhall be; how tedious was their journey, and how was their pilgrimage lengthened out: they had but as it were newly ſet forth in the time that I am got to my journeys end in; their work was much greater, their ſtay in the vineyard protracted and drawn out, their ſitting in Heavenly places adjourned, prorogued and ſuſpended; one generation of Saints in theſe latter daies after another paſſes to Heaven, even fourteen Generations in the time that ſome of them got thither; how did they expect the accompliſhment of the promiſe one hundred years after another! their daies were many and evil, they were ſinfully evil, and they could not chuſe but be penally evil. The flood came upon the old World and drowned it becauſe of ungodlineſs; how long were they made to wait for the inheritance: now in our daies the World is ſoon weary of p. 119us, and we are ſoon weary of it, and we are quickly gone out of it; we ride Poſte through it, from one ſtage to another, through Child-hood, Youth, middle Age, old Age; ſome ride but one or two of them, and are preſently caught up to Heaven.

Rule 6.

The ſixth Rule of Chriſtian Arithmetick, is this; number and compare the certainty of your works with the uncertainty of your time: I am ſure my work will laſt as long as my time laſts; but I know not whether my time will remain as long as my work laſts; and therefore I have no need to ſpend time without work, ſeeing, I have work enough to ſpend my time in; but may not have time to finiſh my work in.

Rule 7.

The ſeventh Rule in this Chriſtian Arithmetick is; number and compare thy dayes with Eternity, an age breaks no ſquare in Eternity: for a moment of time, is more unto all that time that hath been ſince the Beginning of the World, Mr. G.and ſhall be unto the end of it, than all that time is unto Eternity; becauſe a moment by repetition will meaſure p. 120all that time; but all that time will never by any repetition whatſoever meaſure Eternity: it is not the leaſt part of it; a Man that ſhould have ſinned the firſt moment of the Worlds Creation, and ſhould have had his puniſhment deferred till the laſt moment of the Worlds duration, his puniſhment ſhould have been ſwifter in regard of Eternity; than his puniſhment in regard of all that time of the World's continuance, that ſhould have ſinned the firſt moment of time, and have been puniſhed the very next or ſecond moment. Obſerve that expreſſion of Peter, 2 Pet. 3.8.2 Pet 3:8Beloved ſaies he, be not ignorant of this one thing; and what is this one thing, that is ſo ſpecial a thing, that of all other they ſhould not be ignorant of, namely this, that one day is with the Lord as a thouſand years, and a thouſand years as one day; in the point of Eternity, a day and a thouſand years are all one, and that which happens in a thouſand years, is all one as if it happened within a day; and ſo on the contrary, to him that ſtands upon the pinacle of Eternity, and loooks down thence below upon the ſhreds and ſnippets of time: and therefore mark but that the Prophet Ahijah ſaies in regard p. 121of the feſtination of God's Judgment upon the houſe of Wicked Jeroboam. 1 King. 14.14.1 Kgs 14:14The Lord, ſaies he, ſhall raiſe up a King over Iſrael, who ſhall cut off the Houſe of Jeroboam that day; but what … even now. He ſtood upon the pinacle of Eternity; and therefore that ſnippet of time which ſeemed to the World a great while, was nothing to him: which made him when he had ſpoken of cuting off the Houſe of Jeroboam that day, to uſe the revocation, but what? even now, that day and even now is all one to Eternity. And the ſeeming contradiction of the Preacher tending to illuſtrate this very thing, is well worth the obſerving: He had ſpoken of the not ſpeedy executing ſentence againſt an evil work, that it encouraged ſinners to go on in their ſins, but in the next verſe he anſwers thus: Though a Sinner do evil an hundred times, Eccl. 8.12.Eccl 8:12and his dayes be prolonged; yet, ſurely I know it ſhall be well with them that fear God, but it ſhall not be well with the wicked neither ſhall he prolong his Daies, which are as a ſhadow? How is it true that he may prolong and not prolong his dayes? How but only that though they may be prolonged in regard of us, that have but a p. 122few ends of time, yet they are nothing in regard of the Ball of Eternity, which is alwayes winding and never unwound, in this regard he ſhall not prolong his dayes, which are as a ſhadow, as as meer vanity to this Eternity, and anſwerable to this is that like place of the Prophet Habbakuk: Hab. 2.3Hab 2:3The viſion ſaies he, is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it ſhall ſpeak, it ſhall not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, becauſe it will ſurely come, it will not tarry? How! but only that which is a long tarrying to time is no tarrying to all Eternity: and this is the ſeventh Rule, which if it be well obſerved will make us quickly remove our dwellings out of the hurry of time, unto the borders of Eternity, ſtill waiting every hour when we ſhal lanch forth into that Sea, and be ſwallowed up of that Ocean.

Rule 8.

The eight Rule in Chriſtian Arithmemetick is this; number and compare your daies with the age of the World: if the whole Age of the World be ſo little compared with Eternity, and thine Age ſo ſhort compared with the Worlds age, How ſmall a thing is thy life compared with Eternity! ſee Eccleſ. 1.4. p. 123One generation paſſeth away and another cometh, but the Earth abideth for ever; add to this what is read Pſal. 102.25. &c. Of old haſt thou laid the foundation of the Earth, and the Heavens are the works of thy hands, they ſhall periſh but thou ſhalt endure: yea, all of them ſhall wax old like a garment, as a veſture ſhalt thou change them, and they ſhall be changed, but thou art the ſame, and thy years have no end. If thou ſhould have been born in the beginning of the World, and have lived to the end of it, it is but a moment, and yet how narrow a ſpace of the World's age doſt thou live.

Rule 9.

Number the obſcurity of thy dayes; and ſee what influence this will have, and what advantage to true Wiſdom: the World knows little of thee, and thou but little of it, how many thouſand years paſſed in the World, and millions of People acted upon the ſtage before thou came into it; Now thou art in being, what a poor obſcure Creature art thou, little acquainted with what is done out of thy ſight, it may be thou art a ſtranger to him that lives next door to thee; Oh my Brethren, if this thing p. 124well conſidered, taking in the thoughts of the acquaintance & knowledg which the Saints will be priviledged with in Eternity, they ſhall ſee as they are ſeen; and know as they are known, face to face, behold all things in God, ſit down with Abraham &c. I ſay, the comparing of thoſe things, how inconſiderable would it make this pitiful life to appear, and what cloudy obſcure, ſcanty daies would theſe ſeem to be: the greateſt Monarch in the World in all his Glory is no more to be compared, for ſplendor; intereſt and excellency to the loweſt Saint in Heaven, than a Beggar in a dungeon is to be compared with ſuch a Monarch; what a vaſt compaſs will every Saint have in his Eye? what reflexions of joy and glory from an innumerable company of Saints and Angels! what true eſteem and unparalel'd Affections from Thouſands and Millions of Glorious Creatures! What conſtant and eminent diſcoveries and manifeſtations of Love from the Father of Glory, the Lord of Glory, and the Spirit of Glory: much more happy than the Servants of Solomon, Kin. 10.for they ſtand to hear the Wiſdom of of one that is greater than Solomon may, Solomon himſelf in all his glory is not p. 135to be compared to one of theſe. If perhaps through thy parts and Worldly advantages, thou come to be ſeen a little above thy Neighbours, and to be talked of by a whole Countrey by the Generality of the People there, how many are there even in that Countrey that never heard of thee, take no notice of thee, how many Enemies haſt thou and envious ones that hate thee, and would if they could overturn thy little honour: what watchfulneſs and circumſpection hadſt thou daily need of becauſe of thy observers; how hard it is not to give a ſlip, harder not to have it taken notice of & hardeſt not to have it magnified and multiplied and made uſe of by cenſurers (moſt of whoſe Religion lies in obſerving the failings of the Godly) to reflect upon thee, and the profeſſion it ſelf that thou art under; what flatteries and pretended Friends, what troubleſome viſits, what variety of occaſions and diverſions; what neceſſity continually of diſpleaſing ſome, and an utter impoſſibility to pleaſe all: many have complained that they have ſet up more ſail than they could keep up, and wiſhed with all their Hearts they might walk upon the ground again ſafely p. 135and ſilently, and never more be carried upon the uneaſy and uneven ſhoulders of popularity: Again, what ſollicitouſneſs to improve rightly ſo large advantages and opportunities of ſervice, and to be found faithful ſtewards of the manifold gifts of God.

Conſider now in how much greater excellency and infinitely higher place thou wilt be in Heaven if thou be a Saint; and freed from all the forenamed inconveniences, and a thouſand more; and then ſay it may well ſtand for one Rule about numbring dayes, to reckon the obſcurity of them.

Rule 10.

The laſt Rule in Chriſtian Arithmetic, is this; Number thy dayes to Eternity, duly conſider what mutual aſpects Time and Eternity have upon each other. All the uſe of dayes is for Eternity; what-ever is looked upon as a means to an end, is upon that account leſs excellent than the end, and if it be not imployed in order to that end, it becomes of no uſe; all that time that has not a fair and favourable look upon Eternity, is loſt time, what-ever uſe it was put to; that p. 135day is a Cipher, and ſtands for nothing in the Calendar, wherein nothing is put that has reſpect to another World. He that conſiders how great a change his laſt day will make with him, will have ſomething to do for his laſt day in every day.

The whole life is but a Contemplation of, and ſhould be a Preparation for a dying day. He is a Fool that is merry, and makes much of himſelf in his Inn, and knows not that he has any thing when he comes at home; what-ever pleaſure thou mighteſt take here in eating, and drinking, and viſiting, and entertainments, and riches, and relations, and rayment, and eſtate, &c. as ſoon as ever thy breath is out of thy noſtrils; Good Lord, what a change is here all on a ſudden! now no more Meats nor Drinks talked of, no more uſe of Wine, and reviving Liquors, not a word more of Diſcourſe, not a dram of Mirth; Friends depart, Relations go out of the room, no more Viſitors, his deareſt Companions give over thoughts of having any more to do with him, & greateſt Dealers will have no more Accounts with him; his dear Relations that a quarter of an hour ago would have parted p. 136with their own lives to have ſaved his now begin to conſult to have his Body removed out of ſight, and put into the cold ground, a Companion for Worms which they ſo friendly embraced and kiſſed a little while ago, & there it may rot, and at the Reſurrection go to Hell, for any thing they can help it; his Soul immediately goes to God, and appears before his Tribunal, where there is no talk of, no profit in Gold or Silver, or thouſands by the year; nor coming in here as Agrippa and Bernice came into the Common Hall,foreign. with great pomp and fancy, no reſpect to him that wears the Goldring; no diſcourſe of Trades, or Feaſtings, or Houſes, or Apparel, or Children, or Relations, but of a good Conſcience; how thou ſtood affected towards a perſon thou will ſee there, The Lord Jeſus Chriſt the Son of God; what Communication thou hadeſt with him, during the time thou waſt upon Earth, what Apprehenſions thou hadſt of him, what Adreſſes thou madſt to him as a Mediatour, an Advocate, and Saviour; what Faith thou haſt had in him; whether there was an agreement made between him and thee whil'ſt thy dayes were in being, that thou, wouldſt p. 129give up thy Soul, and Body, and Sins to him, thy Unrighteouſneſs, and Righteouſneſs, and that he would undertake to ſatisfie the Juſtice of God, and appeaſe his Wrath for thee, and reconcile thee to his Father, that he would cloth thee with his Righteouſneſs, and ſanctifie thy Nature by his Holy Word and Spirit, that he would make thee meet to be a partaker of Glory, and preſent thee blameleſs and unreproveable in the ſight of God, and give thee a full poſſeſſion of an everlaſting Kingdom, and Glory with himſelf; what fear thou hadſt upon thy Heart in thy dayes of the Great God; whether in every thing thou didſt in Natural, Civil, and Religious Actions thou didſt deſign and aim at his Glory; How thy Affections were placed, and what kind of love paſſed between thee and the World, during their abode there; what acts of Self-denial, and Mortification thou put forth, what exerciſe of Heavenly-mindedneſs; what Duties thou didſt, and how they were done; how thou didſt honour God in the Conditions he placed thee; what patience and contentedneſs in a low condition; what humility, meekneſs, and repentance in an high condition; how p. 130thou bore ſickneſs; and ſtraits, and how thou uſed thy riches, and how honeſt thou waſt in thy dealings. There will be no diſcourſes there of ſuch vain matters as are here below, but as Paul diſcourſed of Temperance, and Righteouſneſs, and the Judgment to come, of Uprightneſs, and Sincerity, and unfeigned Repentance, and a true and full cloſing with the Perſon of Chriſt, the Son of the Living God, equal with the Father, the Mediatour for poor Sinners, the Saviour of all that truly believe on his Name and come to him; what Obedience thou manifeſted to his Laws, how thou loved him and kept his Commandments, how thou loved the Brethren and there by manifeſted thy being paſſed from Death to life, how fruitful thou waſt in all good works, and thereby didſt juſtify thy Faith to be ſound and true, and of the right kind; how willing and deſirous thou was to do much for God, and how little thou didſt eſteem thy ſelf the better for what thou didſt, but how much thou didſt abhor thy ſelf and hate thy ſelf, for thy daily defects, manifold infirmities, and much unſuitable carriage to ſuch great goodneſs, and loving kindneſs and unworthineſs of ſuch rich p. 131Grace, and Mercy &c. Of this Nature will be the Diſcourſes then, and the more thou haſt been exerciſed in theſe thing, the greater will be thy conſolation: Oh my Beloved where is that Profeſſor that lives under the ſerious frequent and powerful meditation of theſe things; this and the other work I am imployed in, this and the other thing I am diſcourſing of; if God ſhould now cut off the threed of my Life, what ſhould I be advantaged hereby, would it turn to my advantage when I come in the preſence of the Great God, ſhall I be glad that I was exerciſed, or rather wiſh that I had never medled or been concerned in ſuch affairs and matters? our dayes are not intended to be the dayes of Noah and Lot wherein Men built and planted, and bought and ſold, and married and were given in Marriage, (all theſe Lawful things and not one of them ſinful) that is, that did do all theſe things as the work of the day, for themſelves and reſted in them, & rejoiced themſelves in them; and did not do them with reſpect: to another Life, with ſuch fear, regularity, moderation, righteous principles, and deſigns as would have yeelded them comfort: p. 132(when thoſe dayes had been cut off) in another world; Luk. 17.28.Luke 17:28& are we not fallen into ſuch dayes as Noah's and Lot's were eating & drinking &c. Eating & Drinking is an unlawful thing if you do not do it to the Glory of God, and honour God in it: obſerve it, as there is no time allotted for ſin, ſo neither are there any dayes allowed for the doing of lawful and good actions, if they have not a reference to Eternity; thy Prayers and Almes and duties are not numbred aright, if they be not numbred for God and another world; if they be numbred for thy ſelf and thy preſent intereſt, they are quite loſt, and which is worſe do become ſin, and ſo prove mortal and damning: Mr. G.you ſee how neceſſary it is to number every day for Eternity; if thou mindeſt this Rule, thou wilt reap much fruit hereafter from thy common and worldly actions, becauſe hereby thoſe actions which otherwiſe are but common and worldly actions, as the actions of our ordinary and homlieſt callings, we ſhall ſanctifie them, and tranſlate them out of themſelves, and their own baſe Element, into an higher Orb and Element, viz. to go as for actions, truly holy and Religious, and p. 133parts of God's own worſhip before him, and rewardable as ſo at his hand's, what a comfort might this be to Men in going about worldly callings, to the very Shuttleman and Sheerſman, Spinſter and Carder, and the verieſt drudge and droil in the ſervileſt condition? what a comfort this, to conſider, that if they do but honeſtly and faithfully, in obedience to God that hath ſet them in thoſe callings go about them, they might ſanctifie thoſe, and the like actions, and tranſlate them, out of a Worldly into an Heavenly Orb and Element, and Glorifie God (and by that thou provideſt for Eternity) as well in their proportion by thoſe actions, as the Angels that ſtand continually before God, do by their ſtanding and praiſing and ſinging Hallelujahs to him. The poor Servants that in obedience to God do faithful and honeſt ſervice, (be it in never ſuch drudgeries) to their Maſter, are ſaid to adorn thereby the Doctrine of God; Titus 2.10. And is not this a working? a numbring time, and work for Eternity? thoſe that honour him and his Goſpel, he will honour them another day.

What a comfort is this, that meer p. 134drudgeries, and Worldly Actions that, might ſeem only to ſmell of the World, and this preſent life and time, that theſe being gone about in the Obedience and Fear of God, baulking iniquity and injuſtice in them, may go for Holy and Heavenly actions; The actions of the vertuous Woman, Prov. 31. a Man would think were the actions only of a meer worldling, V. 13. &c.ſhe ſeeketh wool and flax &c. yet thoſe and ſuch-like, are all the actions for which, ſhe is called a vertuous Woman in the Beginning, and to have done vertuouſly above all in the latter end: Many Daughters have done vertuouſly, V. 29.but thou excelleſt them all; and the next verſe ſhews the reaſon, becauſe ſhe did theſe in the Fear of the Lord; A Woman that feareth the Lord ſhe ſhall be praiſed: V. 30.ſhall have praiſe at the end of dayes. Another Woman there may be that may do the ſame things, may ſeek wool and flax, and work willingly with her hands, may riſe early, put her hand to the wheel &c, and yet may be a meer ſcraper, a meer worldling, a meer progger for Earthly traſh and ſubſiſtence for theſe dayes, a meer vitious and not a vertuous Woman; Why? Becauſe ſhe does them not from the ſame ground p. 135out of obedience and fear of God, and reſpect to another World; but from a prophane heart, greedy of the world: ſo how many precepts are there in Proverbs that might ſeem to ſmell of meer worldlineſs, as that of taking heed of ſuretiſhip, and that of diligently looking after the ſtate of their flocks and looking well to their herds: Prov. 6.1.Prov 6:1And yet no Worldlineſs that Solomon meant in them, C. 27.23.but rather Heavenlineſs: mark his General rule in the Begi… the Fear of the Lord is the Beginn… Wiſdoms; 1.7.all other precepts are to be performed by vertue of this general precept, and guided by it.

Let this laſtly be added, that you may ſee how neceſſary it is to number time and dayes (and what-ever fills them) for Eternity; if we do not do it, we ſhall loſe the comfort of our beſt and moſt ſpecious Actions.

To be painful in the Miniſtry, to be forward in Works of Charity &c. How goodly and how good are theſe Actions in themſelves; and yet ſpend my Spirits I may, conſume and wait my ſtrength I may, in the Miniſtry, and yet if I do this as a task only that the world looks I ſhould diſcharge, or to get my own maintenance, or to ſet up my own p. 136credit, and not chiefly in all this, my labour be guided by that which he I that was ſo laborious in the Miniſtry was guided by. To me to live is Chriſt, (the honour of Chriſt) and to die is gain; (here is Eternity in the caſe) I loſe all the comfort I might have in this ſo good an Action, and the reward I might expect from Chriſt in the other World. So … Works of charity, I may do many things, I may feed the hungry, … the Naked, entertain good Miniſters and good People, build Hoſpitals &c. and yet if by-reſpects (which ſuppoſition, I put not that the world ſhould in ſuch caſes where Good appears be ſuſpicious, but that Man that does Good ſhould look ſtill to his own Heart which is deceitful) if I ſay, by-reſpects ſway too much, and theſe things be not done chiefly in obedience to God that he might be glorified, and that we might lay up a good Foundation for the time to come, 1 Tim. 6.19.1 Tim 6:19that we might lay hold upon Eternal Life; and that we might make to our ſelves Friends of the unrighteous Mammon, that when we want they may receive us into Everlaſting habitations; We loſe the great comfort that we might expect from ſo good actions. To p. 137conclude this Point, if you be careful obſerve this rule of making all thy time, all thy dayes and actions, look with their Faces directly upon Eternity, and the World to come; thou wilt meet with wonderful advantage and benefit by it; thou wilt bring all thy works into a narrow compaſs, into a ſingle channel, into conſtant view and observation? Thou will render all thy Duties and performances, all thy labours under the Sun to be more ſweet, more eaſie, unperplexed, and affording much peace, reſt, and tranquillity to the Soul; by a perfect removing the fears of future evils, (publick judgments, poverty &c.) and eſpecially of the day of thy Death which by this means will be ſo facilitated and familiarized, that it will become rather a day deſireable, than formidable, nay, thou will look upon the day of thy Death, as better than any of the dayes of thy Life; theſe and other things, I might enlarge upon, and they do indeed deſerve a ſerious diſcuſſion: but I deſign brevity, and therefore haſten to the ſecond Obſervation, which I ſhall but touch upon, and that is from this conſideration, that the Pſalmiſt prayes for teaching, and inſtruction p. 138in this point of numbring Dayes; which is ſo plain, ſo common, ſo ordinary, ſo obvious a thing; beſides that he had numbred them, in ver. 10. The Dayes of our years, &c.