An Earnest Call to Family Religion, Text (5 of 6)

An Earnest Call to Family Religion · Text (5 of 6)

p. 210Object. Some poor Creature may put in and say, Sir, you have with much Importunity and Zeal stirred us up to the performance of Family-duties, and in particular that of Prayer, and I have with diligence attended to what hath been spoken, and cannot but acknowledge there is much strength in those Arguments which have been us'd and urg'd for the pressing it upon us; so that I am convinced of the goodness of the thing, and own it to be my Duty, and would be glad to do it if I could, but I am not in a capacity, my ignorance is exceeding great, and my parts full out as little; I have no such Gifts as other Men have, and so tremble to think of undertaking so great and weighty a thing as this; should I make an attempt, for certain I should most shamefully miscarry, and render my self ridiculous; it is p. 211to be fear'd, that this is really the case of too too many in this City, yea, and possibly of some in this Congregation.

Answ. To such an one I will answer in these following Particulars.

I. Thou who makest this Objection art a very great Object of Pity, and I do heartily pity thee. What! O Man, canst thou converse in the World, and discourse with thine Acquaintance, manage thine Affairs, and carry on thy Trade, and yet not Pray? Canst thou deal with thy Customers, and not with thy God? Thou hast scarce thy Fellow in any sort of Wretches; there is not a poor Creature in Town or Countrey that wanteth Bread, and hath a craving Stomach, but he can beg, though he doth not know one Letter in the Book, yet he can ask for an Alms; nor is there a Malefactor in danger of his Life, but will find something to say for himself; though he cannot make out his Innocency, nor clear himself of the Crime laid to his Charge, though he hath nothing to say why the Sentence of Death should not be past upon him, yet he can fall down upon his Knees and say, Mercy, my Lord, Mercy; and canst thou not do as much when thy Case is as bad, and worse? Thy Soul, Man, is ready to starve, and so are the Souls of thy Family, all in extream necessity, and canst thou not beg? Thou art worthy of death, and so are they, Sentence hath been already past, and hast thou not any thing to say for the staying of the Execution? Thou and thy Family have a great number of great wants, and canst thou not ask a supply when it may be had for asking? Thou art a poor, sorry, pitiful Creature indeed, if there be one in the World. It is a thousand pities thou shouldest have a Family, a Wife and Children, who p. 212canst neither provide necessaries for their Souls, nor beg for them. Thou hast indeed but little, very little love and kindness for thy self, and Family, in thy heart, and as little brains in thy head, who canst not go to God, and speak a few good words for them.

II. Since thou dost not to this day know how to Pray, I advise thee to learn to do it, and that speedily, for it is high time; when thou wast young and little thou didst not know great A. but now thou canst read distinctly, roundly, yea, and write a legible hand, how came that about? thou didst learn it. So when thou wast first bound an Apprentice to thy Master, thou couldest do nothing at thy Trade, no, not a stroak, thou wast a very Ignoramus, thou couldest not tell the Price of those Commodities which thou wast to deal in, much less judge of their goodness; nay, thou couldest not so much as tell their Names, but now thou art expert and skilful, and there are very few Persons that can out do thee in thy business, and how came this about? thou didst learn it. In the present Case, go thou and do the like: thou sayst thou canst not Pray, I say, go thou and learn to Pray; be thou who thou wilt, for thy Worldly Quality I am sure thou art not too good for it, and I hope thou art not too old; beg therefore of God, that he would teach thee; the Disciples desired this very thing of Christ, Luke 11.1. Lord, teach us to Pray, as Iohn also taught his Disciples, and without more ado he did it, go you and do likewise; fall upon your knees, and say, Lord, I am a poor ignorant Creature, I do not know how to Pray, O! do thou teach me. And for your comfort and encouragement know,

First, It is the work of the Spirit to assist poor Souls in Prayer, it is one of the works of his Office, p. 213Rom. 8.26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities, for we know not what to Pray for as we ought; that is as much as thou canst say of thy self; neither know how to Pray, to Pray as we should, nor what to Pray for, but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Secondly, God hath graciously promised this Spirit to his Church, and Children, and that under the very notion of a Spirit of Prayer, Zech. 12.10. I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem a Spirit of Grace and Supplication. He will give much of it, he will pour it out.

Thirdly, God is most ready to make good his Promises, this in particular. He is both faithful, and free, Luke 11.13. If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your Children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Go therefore, and beg of God, that he would give this Spirit to thee.

III. Do thy endeavour, making use of those means by which an ability to Pray, I mean the gift of Prayer may be in some measure attained, for we are not to please our selves with expecting much, and doing nothing, idle hopes are vain; if you ask me what means you should make use of, I briefly answer.

First, Carefully observe others, Godly Ministers, and Christians, when thou hearest them Pray, mind how they pour out their requests unto God, and get something out of their Prayers which is proper for thee; as when Persons are in a Garden where they see variety of curious and pleasant Flowers, they will pick one here, and another there, for themselves; do the like with those apt and pertinent expressions which thou hearest from others, make them thine own, only in using them, let tongue and heart go together.

p. 214Secondly, Be very conversant in the holy Scriptures, and there take notice of precepts and promises, and turn them into Prayer, begging that God would give what he commands, and perform what he promiseth; in particular acquaint thy self well with David's Psalms, in which you will find abundance of excellent matter both for confession and petition, for prayer, and praise.

Thirdly, Be much in studying your own and your Families State, and consider how matters stand with you, seriously think what sins there are, and what afflictions, what wants, and what dangers, and thereupon go to God, and beg of him the pardon of those sins, and power against them, beg the sanctifying of those afflictions, that they may be wholsom, though bitter, and out of the eater there may come Meat; make a thankful acknowledgment of the Mercies you receive, and give unto God the glory of them; Petition for the gracious supply of those wants, and prevention of those dangers, from all these things you may gather together a great deal of fit matter for Prayer, only still beg of God that he would by his Spirit assist, influence and enable you to make a right use of it.

IV. I dare assure thee, that if thou wilt sincerely and in good earnest set thy self about the work, God will not be wanting to thee; do thou in obedience go out to thy duty, and he will graciously come in to thy assistance; our endeavours indeed and utmost activity lay no obligation upon him, but his own grace and goodness do induce and move him. David said, Psalm 138.3. In the day when I cried thou answer'dst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul. Do thou, O poor Soul, take encouragement from thence, direct thy Prayer to God, and look up in the day that thou criest unto God, he may answer p. 215thee too, and afford thee that which at present thou labourest and groanest under the want of, and as he strengthned David with strength in his Soul, so he may bestow upon thee a competency of gifts, and the assistance of his Holy Spirit.

God doth now by me call you out to the performance of this Duty, Family Prayer, but you complain of an unfitness for it, and not without cause; well, remember God did once immediately call Moses out to a great work, publick work, to go and speak to Pharaoh, and in the name of God to command him to let Israel go; he was very unwilling to comply, but as thou complainest of inability, so did he, thou thinkest thy self unfit to be the Families mouth to God, Moses thought himself unfit to be Gods mouth to Pharaoh, Exod. 4.10. O my Lord, I am not Eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken to thy Servant, but I am slow of Speech, and of a slow Tongue, far from being fit to be sent upon God's Errand to so Great and Proud a Prince; but mark what God answered him, ver. 11. Who hath made Mans mouth? or who hath made the dumb or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. I that made the mouth can mend it, I made the Instrument, and can tune it, I can supply the defects, and cure the infirmities of it; if it be a flow tongue I can quicken it, I can put to it eloquence, and nimbleness.

Bring this now to the case in hand, it is thy duty to pray in and with thy Family, thou art now loudly call'd to it, the great God calls thee to it by me, and I do not in the least question, but if thou hast any sense of a Deity, thine own Conscience hath called thee to it many and many a time before now, and I pray thee to bethink thy self, did no body else, did p. 216thy Wife never desire it of thee? did thy Child never beg it of thee? did none of thy Friends who lov'd thee, put thee upon it? and hast thou not done it yet? how inexorable art thou, how hard thy heart? What! so loath to come to thy duty? yea, to that which is thy priviledge as well as thy duty, this is quite contrary to the Wisdom which is from above, which is easie to be intreated; take shame to thy self, and mend now, go home, and in good earnest fall to the work, and I dare say God will be with thy heart, yea and with thy mouth too.

V. Practice will be accompanied with improvement, use doth greatly facilitate things. How aukwardly doth a Child move the feet when it first begins to goe? who can observe it without a smile, but yet in a little time it hath got the knack of it, and can move them regularly, nimbly, and with strength, and knows how to walk and run as well as others. There are indeed difficulties in Duty, but to the sincere Soul the difficulties wear off, and the duty will grow easier and easier, the way of the Lord being strength to the upright, so that therein they go from strength, to strength. After that upon the Commandment of God, Moses had once gone in to Pharaoh, and spoken, we do not read of his complaining any more, no, not though God told him that he would harden Pharaoh's heart, yet as often as God ordered him▪ he went, not desisting, till Pharaoh commanded him to see his face no more.

Therefore begin, Man begin, and see what will come of it; fall to work, you will find that your labour is not in vain. The Scripture saith, ye shall know, if ye follow on to know the Lord; and I may say, ye shall pray better and better, if ye will but follow on to pray, by means hereof you will attain p. 217to a greater knowledge of God, and more intimate acquaintance with him, and your own hearts, and you will find inward increases and growth in grace, and a changing of you into his Image, from glory, to glory, and that will help toward the production of a more holy boldness toward God, and a greater Parrhesia, liberty or freedom of Speech, and your hearts will be more inlarged; as Sin grows by acting it, so doth grace, yea, and gifts too. Trading tends to thriving, to him that hath, shall be given, i. e. to him that useth what he hath as he should; the consciencious performance of duty is the way to bring down from God a blessing upon your parts. I will add but one thing more.

VI. Supposing thou shouldest never be able to do thy work so well as many of thy fellow Servants can, yet do not lay it aside, but do it as well as thou canst. The Apostle Paul speaks of diversities of gifts, and diversities of administrations, and diversities of operations, 1 Cor. 12. So there is a diversity of degrees, in Gods conferring those gifts upon Men; good and faithful Servants are not made equal, as we read in the Lords intrusting them with Talents: one had five, another had but two, yet both faithful and industrious; the wicked and sloathful Servant had only one, yet he should have traded with it, though he had but little to do, he ought to have been doing. So it is here, God is pleased to give large parts to some, so that they have a quick and fertile invention, and an answerable elocution, they can speak their minds freely, and cloath their conceptions with apt, yea, curious expressions, so as to charm the ears, and delight the hearts of those that joyn with them; but thou art poor, and barren, …at a great loss both for matter and words; be humble upon this account, and little in thine own eyes, but not altogether discouraged, p. 218but fall to thy work, Man, Trade with thine one Talent.

What though thou dost not Pray so as to raise the admiration, and gain the applause of them that hear thee? is it not very well if thou canst so pray as to find acceptance with God? what though it be jarring in their ears, so long as it is musick in his? know thou hast to deal with a good Master, the God of all grace, who, if there be a willing Mind, doth accept according to what a Man hath, and not according to what he hath not. The poor Publican was very short, he had much to desire, yet little to say, his dejected looks and sorrowful gesture spake more than his Tongue did; but though he was short, yet he was sweet, we read but of one Petition that he put up to God, God be merciful to me a Sinner, but he accompanied it with his heart, and it came before God as incense, who sent him home to his house justified, Luke 18.13.14. God took away the filthy garments, he came in, and put on him a Robe of Righteousness. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit, a broken and a contrite Heart, O God, thou wilt not despise, Psalm 51.17. despise it! no, no, he is so far from that, that he requires it, and approves it, and will bind it up. A broken Prayer from and with a broken Heart, makes Melody in Heaven. God will count it his delight. Alas! he seeth not as Man sees, looks not at the flourishes of words, but at the life, fervency and Zeal of the Soul, for those flowers may be strewed upon a dead and rotten carcass. Indeed, if a Man bring the Torn, and the Sick, and the Lame for an Offering to the Lord, when he hath better, it shall not be accepted, Malach. 1.13. but if that Torn, and Lame, and Sick, be the Male of the Flock, if it be the best he hath, God will receive it graciously, and have respect p. 219to the Person, and to his Offering, and Grace will say he hath done what he could, as our Lord pleaded for the Woman, when his Disciples did absurdly trouble her, Mark 14.8. Not only those Richer Persons, who brought Gold, and Silver, and Silk, and Precious Stones to the service of the Tabernacle were welcome, but those also who came with their Goats-Hair, and Badgers-Skins, if they had no better. I am willing to hope, that by what hath been said, the mouth of this Objection is stopt, the edge of this Argument blunted, and so this untoward rub removed which lay in the way of thy Duty; therefore I beg earnestly of thee that thou wouldest defer no longer, but get up, break thro' all opposition, and since God hath said, seek ye my face; let thine heart answer, thy face, Lord, will I seek. Before I go off from this Subject, I shall direct my Discourse to two sorts of Persons.

First, I would speak something to you whose hearts God hath touched, so that you love your work, and do it, making Family-Prayer your every day business. I bless you in the name of the Lord, and the God of Heaven bless you; while I beg it for you, may he bestow it abundantly upon you, and pour it out till you be rich in blessings; the good Lord strengthen your hands and hearts more and more in this work, and encourage you by his gracious answers; may you find by frequent and large experience, that he hath not said to you, seek ye my face in vain. The Lord teach you to pray, and assist you by his Holy Spirit? the Lord send you help from the Sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Sion; remember all your Offerings, grant you according to your own hearts, and fulfill all your Petitions, which are according to his Mind, and Will; may you by the Bucket of Prayer draw Water with joy p. 220out of the Well of Salvation; let him never turn away your Prayer, nor his Mercy from you.

Secondly, Do you also suffer the word of exhortation, who have your lines cast in those Families in which there is Prayer, and the Worship of God; do you take special notice of it, as a choice mercy, and accordingly value it, and bless the Lord for disposing you so graciously, planting you not in a dry and barren Wild…erness where there is no Water, but in a Paradise, an Eden that is so well water'd. You that are Wives, and Married to Praying Husbands, do you bless God, and you Children who have been begotten by Praying Fathers, and you Servants who work for, and wait upon Praying Masters, let all that is within you bless his Holy Name, and see to it that you improve the Mercy, lose not such a Season, such an Opportunity. Oh! how much good may you get, how much the better may you be, in case you be not wanting to your selves? and who can tell how much Mercy such an Husband, such a Father, such a Master, may obtain, how many Blessings he may procure at the hand of God for you? read what the Queen of Sheba said to King Solomon, in the 1 of Kings, 10.8. Happy are these thy Men, and happy are these thy Servants, which stand continually before thee, and that bear thy Wisdom. She had seen the House he had built, and the ascent by which he went up to the House of the Lord, and the Meat at his Table, and the sitting of his Servants, and the attendance of his Ministers, and their Apparel, but there was something above all this that she admired. She did not look upon the happiness of his Servants, as consisting in beholding the greatness of his State and Honour, and the Splendour and Glory of his Court, or in feeding every day upon his Royal Dainties, p. 221and Drinking his Generous Wines, but in hearing of his Wisdom. I may as well, yea, and much more say of you, in case you are your own Friends, happy, thrice happy are you, who live in such a Family (though as the lowest and meanest Members of it) in which you may every day hear the Master of it speaking to God, and conversing with Heaven, and every day perfuming the House with the precious Odours of his gracious and holy Prayers. So much may suffice to be spoken concerning that great and excellent Work of Family prayer, and Oh! that it may not be in vain as to any of you, if it be, you must answer for it another day.

But that is not all, Christians, the whole of your work doth not lye in Prayer, this you must do, and not leave the rest undone, no, none of it undone… I remember the holy Apostle Paul speaking of Epaephras, whom he calls a Servant of Christ, and of them, a Citizen of Colos, a Member of their Church, and Teacher, much set for their good, saith, Col. 4.12. He always labour'd fervently for them in Prayer, that they might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God; which is a great thing, and deserves our utmost endeavours, and his so labouring in Prayer for them to this end, spake him a good Man, and a singular Friend of theirs; and it is my Hearts desire, and my frequent Prayer that it may be so with you. And this should be the Desire and Prayer, the Care and Endeavour of every one of you who are Godly Parents, and Religious Governours of Families, that both you your selves, and all those that are yours, may be perfect and compleat in all the Will of God; that the Divine Will may be known by you, and likewise conform'd and liv'd up to, for, He that knoweth his Masters will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes; when God takes his Rod in p. 222Hand, Luke 12.47. Now, Family-instruction is one part of the Will of God concerning you who are Parents and Masters, yea, and Mistresses too.

You are Priests in your own Houses, and as such ought not to be without your Sacrifices; Prayer is your Duty.

You are Prophets also there, and though it would be folly in you to turn Enthusiasts, and Predict Things to come, yet you ought not to be without your Teachings▪ and wholesom Counsels; and in one respect you will not. You that are Parents will, as soon as may be, teach your Children to speak and go, and when through Age and Discretion they are capable, you will bring them up to some Imployment and Trade or other, that they may afterwards arrive at some considerable Quality and Estate in the World, at least, that they may be able to earn their Bread, and get their Living without being chargeable to your selves or others; and shall this be the utmost Extent of your Care? Will you not teach them the fear of God, and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? Will you not labour to bring them to a good understanding in the matters of Religion which are of highest importance, and shew them the way they should take in order to their coming unto Glory at the last? If you are guilty of neglect herein what satisfactory Reason can you give of being so? Here I cannot forbear telling you, that it hath often, and often been to me great matter of grief to see Persons grown up to Man's and Woman's Estate, yea, to grey Hairs, that could not read a Word, nor tell a Letter, whereupon I could not without just indignation reflect upon their unnatural Parents, who were so brutishly wanting to that love, kindness and pity which they ought to have had for them; and now I make it my Request p. 223to you, yea, the poorest among you, that you would take greater and better care of your Children, see that they be taught to Read, and then that they Read the Bible; do this though you pinch for it in other things, yea, though you spare it out of your own and their Bellies; and if you cannot possibly do it out of your sorry pittance, beg the Charity of those you know, who may help in that without prejudice to themselves, a little matter will do, and this will turn to a greater account than relieving common Vagrants. And so for you that are Masters and Mistresses, and have Apprentices bound to you, I own it that they are bound to give you reverence, and to serve you with all diligence and faithfulness, and so let them in the fear of the Lord, but withal do you know and consider that you are obliged to take care of them, and teach them, what? Your Trades? And the Mysteries of them? Yes without peradventure, your Indentures tell you so; and if you do it not you deal falsly, but you are also to instruct them in the greatest and best Trade, that of Godliness, that with Heaven, in order to their being wise Merchants, and getting the Pearl of Price. That Family-instruction ought to be carefully attended to, I shall briefly prove.

1. By Scripture Precedents.

2. By Scripture Precept.

First; By Scripture Precedent, or Example. This hath been the practice of good Men recorded there, of a great Character, Eminent for their Faith and Holiness. You have in these Discourses already heard of that great confidence which God had in Abraham, who was called the Friend of God, and Father of the Faithful. God said, He knew him that he would command or order his Children, and his Houshold after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord. p. 224And we must conclude, Divine Wisdom, which is Infinite, is not, cannot be liable to a mistake, neither as to things nor Persons. Now we read in Gen. 14. that when his Kinsman or Nephew Lot was taken Captive and carried away. Abraham arm'd his trained Servants, and pursued them unto Dan; your Bibles in the Margin have it, his instructed Servants, some render it his Catechized Servants, those, say some Learned Expositors, whom he had well taught and instructed not only in Domestick Business which concern'd the House, nor only in Military Affairs which related to War, but likewise and principally in Religion, and the Law of God.

So again, Solomon the wisest of meer Men, at least in his time, was called Iedediah, the Beloved of the Lord, and that he was so appear'd by God's appointing him to succeed in the Throne as King of Israel, and chusing him to Build the Temple, both which were demonstrations of that particular kindness God had for him. And he was dearly beloved of his Father and Mother; now the Love which they did bear him was evidenced by his gracious Education, and in their Parental Care for the right bringing of him up, Prov. 4.3, 4. I was my Fathers Son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my Mother, he taught me also, and said unto me, let thy heart retain my Words, keep my Commandments, and live; get wisdom, get understanding, &c. One saith, Doubtless his Father David being a King had Nathan the Prophet, and the best and most accomplished Persons the Kingdom could afford for the bringing up of his Son for whom he design'd the Crown, yet he did not leave it wholly to them, but would himself have an hand in the work, yea, a main one. Neither did his Mother think her self excused, but as she had brought him forth, so she would bring him up, as p. 225you may see in Prov. 31.1. The words of King Lemuel the Prophecy which his Mother taught him. But passing from that, we will consider,

Secondly; Scripture Precept. And as I desire you to imitate and follow those good Examples, so to remember and conform to holy commands given out from God by his Servants, who wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. I shall only mention that one which we have, Eph. 6.4. Parents provoke not your Children unto wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is a Scripture that deserves to be written in Letters of Gold, and to be deeply imprest upon the Minds and Hearts of Parents. I cannot lightly pass over it; two things are remarkable in it.

First; A Prohibition.

Secondly; An Injunction.

First, Here is a Prohibition; something forbidden, and carefully to be avoided; Parents provoke not your Children unto wrath. It may be, this will sound harsh in the Ears of some, who have better thoughts of themselves than they do deserve, or any body else have; they may be apt to conclude that Paul did forget himself here, and should rather have said, Children provoke not your Parents unto wrath To avoid that is their Duty and Interest; but the Apostle knew what he did, when he said, Parents provoke not your Children unto wrath; though you are above them, older and stronger than they, though they have their dependance upon you, though you at present give them their Maintenance, and must hereafter their Portion, yet provoke them not, do nothing to incense and inrage them. A Wasp is a very little feeble Creature, yet do not anger it, for it hath a Sting. Do not irritate your Children by too much severity; remember the Authority you have p. 226over them is Parental, therefore your Government should be sweet and easie; you should so carry as to be both fear'd and lov'd at the same time; and in order to that not rule with a Rod of Iron, but draw and bind them to you with the Cords of a Man, those of Reason and Kindness; more particularly, do not provoke your Children.

First; Not by unreasonable requiries, and hard commands; lay not a Man's burden upon a Child's Shoulders; exact not that which is above their ability to do.

Secondly; Do not make unequal distributions of your kindnesses among them, being all Honey to one, and all Gall to another; remember they are equally yours; though your Affections may incline more to one than another, yet conceal it as much as you can, unless their goodness and obedience make an apparent difference.

Thirdly; Provoke them not by giving them undue, unreasonable Correction; the Rod is sometimes as necessary as Bread, but it must always be used with a prudent love; let not your Rod be too smart, nor your Hand too heavy; convince them that your chastening of them is not for your pleasure, but for their profit.

Fourthly; Provoke them not by calling them reproachful Names, as Fool, Blockhead, Rascal, or the like, which may expose them to the slight of others, to the contempt of your very Servants; while you hate their offences be tender of their Reputation.

Lastly; Provoke them not by continual chiding, and threatning, finding fault with every thing they do; overlook some smaller faults, and wink at others, knowing your selves are not blameless; let not the Poyson of Asps dwell under your Tongues, p. 227nor all your words be as sharp Swords, but draw them to their duty, keep them at it, and encourage them in it, rather by love than fear. By provoking your Children unto wrath by all or any of these ways, you create to your selves more grief and sorrow than you at present are aware of▪ for by rigour and severity the minds of your Children may be alienated and estranged from you: through your imprudent and unnatural Carriage, it may come to pass that instead of loving, reverencing and honouring you as Parents, they will only fear and dread you as Tyrants; so that in after-times when you shall need them as Staffs in your Hands for support, they may prove Thorns in your sides piercing you thorough with many sorrows. Well, remember provoking your Children to wrath is forbidden, therefore carefully avoid it.

Secondly; In that Scripture there is an Injunction, or something commanded; that is, the bringing of your Children up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. The Greek hath it, foreign. The nurture and admonition of the Lord. The former word Translated Nurture doth signifie such Education or Discipline as is convenient or fit for young ones, made up of wise Instructions and needful Correction. The latter word by our Translators, rendred admonition, may be looked on as being of a double import, and signifying,

1. A putting something into the Mind.

2. A putting of the Mind into a right frame.

First then; It is the Duty, and should be the Endeavour of Parents to put something into the Minds of their Children, to stock them well, to instil and drop into them something that should be there, something that will be proper for them, and do them good; that those choice and excellent Cabinets may p. 228be filled with Spiritual Riches, with goodly Pearls, yea, the Pearl of Price, in which by Nature (as it is now corrupted) there is nothing but filthy dross and dung. Now there is in them nothing but Vanity and Folly, false Notions, wrong Conceptions of things; and it is pity such vain Thoughts should lodge there, a thousand pities they should continue and abide there; labour to get them out by degrees, as soon and as fast as you can, that so instead of them, and in their room, you may happily introduce those things which are precious, and of value, viz. the Truths of God, Right, Orthodox and Saving Principles: get into these narrow-mouth'd Bottles drop by drop, as they are capable of receiving them, the true Notion of things; for good Principles do directly tend to the producing of good Practices; and a Divine Light set up in their Understandings may keep them in the way of Peace, and out of the path of the Destroyer, for by means thereof they will be put into a capacity of discerning the way in which they ought to go. Ignorance may be the Mother of a silly Devotion, that O Papists we will grant you, but, God having told us, His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, we cannot but look upon it as the Highway to Perdition. Since without knowledge the Heart cannot be good, we will not stick at concluding, that without it the end cannot be peace.

Secondly; It is the duty, and should be the endeavour of Parents to put the Minds of their Children into a right frame, to cast them into a due Mould, and set them in a proper posture. It is now a dark Mind, there is blackness of darkness in it, your work is to illuminate it, and to set up there the Candle of the Lord. It is a corrupt Mind, the Scripture tells us, The Mind and Conscience is defiled, your work and p. 229duty is to cleanse it, and rid out all the filth that is there. Now that I may afford you all the help that I can in order thereto, I shall propound and offer some things to your Consideration and Practice, speaking first more generally, then more particularly; in general, I advise these four things.

First; See carefully to it, that the Holy Scripture be read in your Families. The Bible is the Book of Books, may as well be so called as the Canticles is the Song of Songs. There is an inexhaustible Treasure for the inriching of the Mind, and a Golden exact Rule for the ordering of the Life. That is the most blessed and full Revelation of the Mind and Will of God concerning us▪ whereby we may by Prayer and Study come to know what things we are to believe as God's Truths, and what to practice as our own Duties, what to reject as Errours, and what to avoid as Sins. There we have the great things of the Law for our Direction, and the precious things of the Gospel for our Consolation; these are able to make us wise for Salvation, and thoroughly to furnish us for every good work which our heavenly Lord and Master hath cut out for us.

This is part of the description of a blessed Man, that his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in that law he doth meditate day and night, Psal. 1.2. And it is the Will of God not only that you your selves should know them, such Monopolizing is not grateful to the King of Glory, but also teach them your Children, Deut. 6.6, 7. These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart to know them, and to love them; but to have them in their own Hearts was not all, it was not enough, no, no, read on, thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest in the way, and when thou lyest down, and p. 230when thou risest up. The Word of God is to be the matter of our Meditation, and of our Discourses at all times, and in all places, I mean, in the Morning, and in the Evening, at home, and abroad. This alone is excellent Food, and to other discourse it is an excellent seasoning. Paul in his Epistle to Timothy speaks of his having known the Scriptures of a Child, ab incunabulis, almost from his Cradle; he did, as it were, suck them in with his Mothers Milk, but how came that to pass? By means of Parental Care, the Teachings and Instructings of his Parents, for certain, of his Mother in that young and tender Age.

Secondly; Look diligently to the Catechising of them. Blessed be God that Exercise hath been for some Years kept up in our Congregation, and is now singularly well performed by my worthy Brother, Mr. Alexander, whom you have chosen and called to that and other Ministerial Work among you; the Lord grant his Blessing both to him and to it, that there may be much good fruit thereof seen and felt both in young and old; and by the way I cannot pass it by in silence, that it is some trouble to me there are no more of your Children and Servants brought into it; and I cannot but reckon it a bad sign of proud or slothful unwillingness in them, or else of a wretched neglect or carelesness in some of you. But I advise and earnestly desire you as to be thankful for, so not to rest in what is done here, but come out to our help, and do your duty at home, teach you your Children and Servants their Catechism, and examine them in it your selves. In the Assembly's Catechism (which is us'd in our Congregation, and which I commend to your Family use) you have a Body of Divinity summarily contained, the main Fundamental Principles of Religion, necessary p. 231to be known in order to Salvation, methodically propounded, and also brought into so narrow a compass, that they will not oppress and burden the memory, but if blessed of God, mend both head and heart. To the want of this we may, I doubt not, in part impute it, that there among us so many wicked and profane persons, so many Sons and Daughters of Belial, so many ungodly, impudent and debauched Young ones; Hos. 4.1. There is no knowledge of God in the Land; to be sure then there is a great deal of villany; yes; verse 2. By swearing, and lying▪ and killing, and stealing, and committing Adultery they break out, and Blood toucheth Blood. Darkness being in the Mind, the Works of Darkness will be in the Life: an uninstructed Head, an unsanctified Heart, and a wicked Life go together; through this means so many precious Souls go down to Hell, and are for ever lost, they perish for lack of knowledge; for lack of this the Labours of Ministers are no more successful. Want of Family-Instruction is one great reason of so much unprofitable Hearing.

3dly. Take all possible care, that none under your Charge prophane the Lord's-day: That is a day which God hath sanctified, by chusing it out of the rest of the days, and setting it apart for holy use; and it is his will that all his People should sanctifie it too; as he hath made it holy, they must keep it so: We are to call it a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and honour it, or, him; i. e. Honour God by honouring the Sabbath, not doing our own ways upon it, nor finding our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words. There are ways, and pleasures, and words proper for that day, but they must not be our own, no, nothing of our own, it must be the way of God, and the pleasure of God, and the word of God that we are for upon that day, and not our own; Isa, 58.13. Neither our p. 232corrupt sinful thoughts, the froth or scum of our depraved Nature, nor our worldly profits, nor our sensual pleasures; we must bring our thoughts, our minds and hearts, and strength with us, but lay them at the foot of God, devote them to his service, and engage them entirely about his work. Upon that day we are not of a due elevation till above our selves, and above the World; nothing of our own is to be minded or done by us save works of Necessity and Mercy: It is God's day, and therefore to be employed about the things of God, thoughts of God, discourses of God, the Service and Worship of God should take up the whole of that holy day: To do worldly business, to follow bodily recreations upon that day, is no less than Sacriledge, a robbing of God. Therefore take care of your Families as to this; do not you set your Children or Servants about the affairs of your Callings on that day; see also that they mis-spend it not themselves, but in the performing acts of duty, preparing to wait upon God in the way of his Publick Ordinances, and thither do you carry them with you, not suffering them to stay lazying, sleeping, or playing at home, or to go rambling abroad whither they themselves please; no, no, in this case put on the Spirit of Elijah, and be very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts; see that That day be kept for God, and when you and your Families are at home, exercise your selves and them unto Godliness. The continuance of Religion in England doth under God very much depend upon a care of keeping the Sabbath. Many years ago when I was a young Man, Famous Mr. Newcomen of Dedham told me this passage: This Question was put in the Conclave, What is the best way to reduce England to the see of Rome? To this every Cardinal was to give his Answer, beginning at the youngest. Many Expedients p. 233were propounded, at length an old Fox stood up, and said, Take away their Sabbaths, and that will effectually do it: This Invention was hugg'd, this Medium resolv'd upon, and not long after came out the Book of Sports. O holy Mother Church! whose Interest is promoted by such unholy means. And let me tell you, I do never expect to see Religion flourishing, nay not living long in that Family, in which there is not due regard had to the Lord's-day. Therefore as in all other things, so particularly in this, I do advise and earnestly beseech you to be as tender and careful of the Interest of the great God as you are of your own, and more too.

Fourthly; When you have been waiting upon God in the ways of his Publick Worship, and have had the Counsels of his holy Will made known to you, and the great Mysteries of Religion opened, at your return to your own houses, do you retire your selves and be alone with God, lest by being in company with others, and falling into discourses of another nature, you lose the things you had heard, and those impressions wear out that were made upon you; and also allow convenient time to all in your Families for their Private Devotions, remembring they have precious immortal Souls, the Salvation of which they are as much concern'd to work out as your selves are of your own. I have somewhere read of a King (I wish there were more like him) who, while he was teaching a poor Boy that belonged to his Kitchen, being askt the reason why he did so, answered, The poorest hath a Soul as precious as mine, and cost the same price, no less than the Blood of Christ. And when you see a fit season, call them all together, and bless God for the Truths you have heard, and pray that he would bless them to you, and bring them back to your own and their minds by the repetition of them; and demand p. 234of them an account, which to do is a very probable way to keep them from sleeping in the Congregation, and from a supine carelesness, and vain foolish absurd gazing about, and also of imprinting something upon their minds and thoughts, which may have a powerful influence upon their hearts and lives, and do them good afterward, yea as long as they live; and when this is done, praise the Name of the Lord by singing of a Psalm, and pray to him for acceptance of, and a blessing upon what you have done, and so commit your selves and yours to his Fatherly Protection in the Night, and his gracious Conduct the following Week; in the course whereof let there be nothing contradictory to your Lord's-days profession, or inconsistent with it. I beseech you draw an eaven Thred in Religion. These four things which I have spoken to you, are good for you, and necessary to be done, but they are generals: Therefore now I shall proceed to some more particular Directions, for the Instructing of your Families, which I would have you carefully to observe, and the great God shine upon your endeavours, that so they may prove very successful to your comfort and joy.

First; Begin with instructing them about the Being of a God. Though this Truth be ingraven in their hearts; though the things that are made do plainly Preach to them his Eternal Power and Godhead, yet be not you silent, but speak the same thing to them over again and again, and so betimes, even as soon as ever you can; principle them against that brutish, yet growing Atheism; which is an Enemy to all Religion, and opens a wide and effectual Door unto all Villany and Profaneness. That Person who denies the Being of a God, is a sit Tool for the Devil to make use of, yea to imploy about his worst Services, and basest Drudgery.

p. 235And thou Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Fathers, said good David; 1 Chron. 28.9. Know there is a God, and in particular know him that hath been, and is thy Fathers God, and let him be thy God too. Love him, chuse him, cleave to him.

Shew them the Heaven and the Earth, and the things that are in them, and that these could not make themselves, but must of necessity be made by another; how many second Causes soever may be enumerated, we cannot take up our rest in any of them, but must pass thorough them all, and ascend to the first Cause, and that first Cause that ens entium, that Source and Original of all Being, is God, and besides him there is none else; Ier. 10.11. The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth, even they shall perish from the Earth, and from under these Heavens.

Tell them, that upon this God all things that are have an absolute and necessary dependence. The Beam doth not more depend upon the Sun, than the Sun and all do upon God; for them to subsist without him is a thing utterly impossible; if he should withdraw his hand, Man would crumble, Earth would sink, the Heavens would shrink, and the Angels themselves drop from their present height into that first nothing out of which they were fetch'd by the Divine Power.

Let them from you know, that they themselves are his Off-spring, and indebted to him for their Being, being by him formed in the Womb, and brought out of it; and that he hath looked after them, and taken care of them ever since: when they hung upon the Breasts, he carried them in his Arms, and taught them to go, and held their Souls in Life, and provided for them ever since, and therefore they are not their own but his, he hath the Sovereign Right p. 236to them, and to Reign over them; and that upon this account they are bound to love this God, and to fear this God, and to serve and honour him as long as they have any Being.

Acquaint them with his being an holy God, in his Nature, in his Will, in all his Ways and Works, glorious in Holiness, and of purer Eyes than that he can behold Iniquity; and that he hath given out a Law that is holy, just and good, which they and all are bound to obey, the Commandments of it not being grievous.

And that he is every where present, observing how his Will is observed, and his Law obeyed, and his Creatures order and demean themselves; he takes notice both of the Evil and the Good, of them that fear him, and them that fear him not, and doth so strictly observe, that he sets down in his Book of Remembrance those that fear him, and think upon his Name, and can set the sins of the wicked in order before them, yea the same order in which they were committed, with all the circumstances that cloathe them.

And that he hath appointed a day wherein he will Judge the World in Righteousness by the Man whom he hath ordained, and bring to light the hidden things of dishonesty, and render unto every one according as their Works have been, whether good or evil; Rom. 2.7, 8, 9. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory, and honour, and immortality. eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the Truth, but obey Vnrighteousness, indignation and wrath: Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil, of the Iew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Iew first, and also to the Gentile; for there is no respect of persons with God. That he hath p. 237an Heaven for the good, no other than the Habitation of his own Holiness and Glory, in which there are many Mansions, and Crowns, and Thrones, with unconceivable Felicity; in his presence a fulness of Joy, and at his Right Hand Pleasures for evermore; and besides that, an Hell for the wicked, a bottomless Pit, where there is a gnawing Worm that shall never die, and a Fire burning that is unquenchable, in which they shall for ever fry, scorch and burn without being ever consumed, and consequently they shall have weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of Teeth.

Secondly; Instruct them concerning the miserable, lost and undone condition of all Man-kind by reason of the Fall of the first Man.

That when God had formed Man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life, so that he became a living Soul, he was pleased not only to make him upright and in his own Image, induing him with all Natural Excellencies and Perfections befitting one who was to have Communion with his Creator, and Dominion over this Inferiour World, and to put him into a state of Happiness, appointing Paradise for the place of his Residence, or Royal Seat; but also to enter into a Covenant of Friendship with him, thereby binding Man to a continuance in a course of Personal and Perfect Obedience to his great Lord, and thereupon by promise insuring to him an endless duration of his Life and Happiness, but withal threatning that in case of failure and disobedience, He should die the death; viz. Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal.

That this Covenant was not made with Adam alone, but with all Mankind who were to descend from him, and were considered as being then in his Loins, and He as the great Parent and common Person p. 238representing them, and so Adam breaking the Covenant by transgressing the Law of his Creation, and in particular, that positive Law which commanded him not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, All Mankind sinned in him, and fell with him in that first Transgression, and so all the World is bebecome guilty before God, and obnoxious to his Justice and Wrath; all the World is become filthy and abominable. Primitive Righteousness is lost, and the Primitive Order broken, and we are all unclean; all of us by principle and disposition Children of disobedience, and all by Nature Children of Wrath.

And bring this home to them, and let them know that it is as much their Case as the case of any persons in the World, that they have the guilt of sin upon them, the sentence of Death denounced against them, a vile Heart and Nature within them, the Seed and Principle of all sin, which renders them prone to all manner of evils, even the vilest and most monstruous. This will tend to the hiding Pride from them, and preventing those high towering Conceits which they are ready to hugg and swell with through their self-unacquaintedness; this may awaken them to the greater vigilance and care, and bring them to keep a stricter Eye upon their hearts; and this may keep them from being much taken with, and doting upon those trifling childish vanities and youthful follies which the Souls of others are so much addicted and devoted to, while they hear there are things of infinitely greater importance and nearer concernment unto which they must attend.

Thirdly; Make it much your business to convince them of the evil of Sin. In order to their loathing it and themselves for it before God, do you, as much as you can, set it before them in its ugliness and deformity; look upon it in the Glass of God's Law, p. 239and of Christ's Blood, and then draw its picture and shew it to them. History tells us, this of the Lacedemonians, that when they saw a filthy drunken Sott stagger and reeling in the Street, vomiting like a Dog, falling and tumbling in the Mire like a Swine, they would run into their houses, and fetch their young Children to the door, that they might behold how much he was unman'd, how like a Beast he made himself (and by the way know, it is far better to be a Beast than to be like a Beast) that so they might betimes learn to abhor and detest that brutish practice. Do you do the like, I mean, make unto them a true representation of the odiousness of Sin in general, yea, and of some Sins in particular, specially those which are most rampant, raging, and abounding in the times in which they live, and those Sins too with which they are most in danger of being infected; paint them out in the blackest Colours that you can, as black as Hell, for indeed so they are. You cannot disparage Sin beyond its demerit; you cannot speak too bad of it; you cannot make it look worse than it is. As we cannot exceed nor rise too high in the commendation of God; our greatest words are too little, our highest thoughts are too low. Angelical conceptions of God are infinitely short of his Perfection. He is exalted above all blessing and praise. So on the other side, we cannot speak too much in the dispraise of Sin; our greatest anger against Sin is not hot enough, and our sharpest words against Sin are not keen enough. There is not to be found so great an evil in all the World as Sin is.

Afflictions are not so bad as Sin. Poverty, Plague, Fire, Sword, Famine, all the desolations that be made in Towns, Cities, Countreys, not matter of so great Lamentation as Sin. They are Physick to p. 240cure, this the Disease to destroy; they are Fire to purifie, this is Filth to pollute. Death it self doth only kill the Body, Sin ruins the Soul. Death sends the Body to a Bed of Dust, but Sin, if unpardoned, unmortified, sends both Soul and Body into a Bed of Flames.

The Devil himself is not so bad as Sin: For he was an excellent Creature, a glorious Angel: There never was any thing of goodness in Sin, nor ever will. He was the Workmanship of God himself, but God had no hand in the making of Sin. It was Sin that turned him into a Devil.

Hell is not so bad as Sin: For though it be a place of gross utter Darkness, yet there is seen the Purity and Holiness of God in his hatred of Sin, the Justice and Righteousness of God in the condemning and punishing of Sin; there he declares his Wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness; but there is no good, not the least good in Sin, it is a meer Anomia, disobedience to, and transgression of such a Law as is holy, just and good, it is evil throughout, only evil, and that continually.

Sin is evil in its Nature, being contrary to the pure, holy, infinitely perfect and glorious Nature of God. There is nothing in all the World contrary to God but Sin, and what Sin hath made so. Its Nature is so bad, that nothing can rectifie it, nothing can mend it, nothing make it good: It is so bad, that God would not allow it a place in Heaven; and the day is coming after which it shall be found no more upon Earth, but be for ever confin'd and shut up in Hell.

Sin is evil in its Consequents and Effects. Indeed, who did ever gather Grapes of Thorns? How can any good Fruit grow upon this Root of bitterness? Let me briefly name some of those Mischiefs which p. 241Sin hath done, and still goeth on to do in the World.

1. Sin hath defac'd the Beauty of Man, sullied and stain'd his Glory, thrown him down from his Excellency, turn'd the Nazarite into an Ethiopian; so that he, who at first was but a little lower than the Angels, is now become like unto the Beasts that perish, yea worse than they.

2. Sin hath spoiled Man's Communion with God, which was inconceivably more and better than the Delights of Eden, or his Dominion over the Creatures. As his Holiness did consist in his conformity to God, so did his Happiness in Communion with him; but as soon as he had committed Sin, that stood as a middle Wall of Partition between them.

3. Sin hath broken Man's Peace, that Peace which once he had with God, and sown Enmity: So that God is angry with him, and he a Traitor, a Rebel against God. That Peace which was once in himself: The faculties of his Soul were once harmonious, Reason sitting in the Throne, Judgment ruling and governing, the Will and Affections knowing, keeping their place, and following the Dictates of the Understanding, but now there is discord and jarring; the Understanding mistakes, the Will and Affections mutiny, so that frequently there are disorders and confusion in the Soul. And oh! how dismal are the Contests oftentimes between a Man and his Conscience; he crosseth his Conscience, and that will not bear it; he wounds his Conscience, and then that rageth and storms, and laies about it as a fury; and wheresoever he goes, it follows him with its clamours, so that he becomes a terrour to himself.

4. Sin hath brought in all the Troubles of Life. How many are they, and how great! Who can understand his Errours? who can sum up his Sorrows? Most come into the World crying, and go complaining p. 242thorough it. In sorrow do Women bring forth Children; some are grieved because they have none, and some more, because those they have are so bad. How are the endeavours of many vain and unsuccessful, their hopes blasted, and their expectations disappointed! how are some wasted and consumed with sickness, others ground and tortur'd with pain! Now a Fire comes and devours your pleasant things, burying your Habitations in their own Ashes, and then a War, which knows no compassion, but turns fruitful Lands first into Fields of Blood, and then into Wildernesses.

5. Sin hath introduced Death, and Arm'd against us that King of Terrours. Had not Man made Sin his Work, he had never receiv'd Death for his Wages; had not Sin been, Man had either continued in a perfect and Paradisical State upon Earth, or else been translated into the Region of Light, and Life, and Love above; but now if ever he would come thither, he must walk thorough the dark Shades, and be dissolv'd in order to his being glorified. We now mourn over a dead Friend, a dead Relation, let us remember that Sin kill'd them, Rom. 5.12. By one Man Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin, and so Death passed upon all Men, for that all have sinned.

6. Sin hath digg'd Hell. This is that Tophet which is mentioned in Isa. 30.33. that is made deep and large, the Pile whereof is Fire and much Wood, the Breath of the Lord like a Stream of Brimstone doth kindle it. The Hell in the Conscience, which some Men do feel now, and that Hell into which all wicked wretches shall be tumbled at the last, are both of them the fruit of Sin.

Now, my Friends, will you be careful in this matter? will you consider, what Natures all brought into the World with them, how Sin dwells in you p. 243and yours? Oh! shew unto them the evil that is in it, and the mischiefs that come by it; for by doing so, you take a course to damp the Tinder that it may not catch Fire when the Spark is struck, and to arm them against Temptations, when they come out in their greatest violence; this will tend to the preserving them from the path of the Destroyer, though it be such a beaten Road, and so full of Travellers. This was the Antidote that secur'd Ioseph from the Poison that was offer'd him in the Cup of Fornication. He was shreudly assaulted, and that more than once; the on-set was renewed day by day, and he was in his youthful Blood, and on that account a great deal more in danger of being prevail'd upon, and wrought to a compliance; but it was labour in vain, he looked upon the vile sinfulness of the thing, and that was more powerful to affright him from it, than the Charms of his Mistress were to allure him to it; and therefore with a (Pathos, or) Zeal of Soul he cryed out, Gen. 39.9. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? He saw such a filthiness in that Sin, as that he loathed to touch either it or her that had tempted him to it, but fled from them both.

Fourthly; Be much in acquainting them with our Lord Iesus Christ, and the way of ruin'd Man's recovery by him, and by him alone. He being the only Mediator between God and Man, and the only Redeemer of God's Elect. Let them know that by Nature, and by reason of Sin their case is extreamly deplorable. When once our first Parents had transgrest, it was dark round about them; nothing offer'd it self to their Eye that had a promising aspect. God that had been before their chiefest comfort, was then their greatest terrour; his Voice that had been so sweet and pleasant to them, was then in their Ears like p. 244Thunder. As soon as Adam heard it, he was afraid and hid himself; but as deplorable as sinful lapsed Man's case is now, blessed be free and rich Grace, it is not desperate, unless he himself by obstinate impenitency and unbelief do make it so. There is hope in Israel concerning this thing, because all-sufficient help is laid upon One that is mighty.

1. Though God was greatly affronted by the work of his own hands whom he had so obliged, and by that affront had been so highly provoked, yet being a God of bowels, whose compassions do not fail, in wrath he remembred mercy; and though he had no yearnings over the sinning Angels, but immediately banished them from his presence, threw down from their first estate, and with indignation tumbled them into Hell, where he hath clapt upon them everlasting Chains, in which he reserves them to the Judgment of the great day, yet he had it in his hearty to pity and shew kindness to fallen Man; it was the fixed resolve and purpose of his Grace to mend the marr'd Girdle, and to repair the broken Potsherds of the Earth, and of many among them to make Vessels of Honour fit for his Use and Service here, and for his Kingdom and Glory hereafter.

2. For that great and most blessed End he chose and sent his own Son, his only Son, his infinitely beloved Son, who was the brightness of his Fathers Glory, and the express Image of his Person, Man not being in a capacity to help himself, nor all the Angels in Heaven able to relieve him; their back was too weak to bear that burden of guilt which lay upon him; and their whole Stock too little to discharge those Debts which he had contracted; and their Arm infinitely too short to reach him, and draw him out of that horrible Pit into which he had cast himself and all his Posterity. Now I say, when things p. 245were at this pass, God was pleased to send his Son to humble himself, to empty himself, to become poor, to become our Brother, and to assume our Nature with its sinless infirmities, and to be in the form of a Servant, of no reputation, made under the Law, that he might fulfil all Righteousness, and be the End thereof for Righteousness to all that are found in him, and to be made sin for us, i. e. a Sacrifice for sin▪ that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him; a Ransom▪ that he might be a Redeemer.

3. The Son of God being thus chosen by the Father and sent did come, he most readily and freely came in the fulness of Time, and according to the Counsel of Peace which had been between them both, he came to do the Will of God▪ he was incarnate, was manifest in the Flesh, yea in the likeness of sinful Flesh, and was numbred among Transgressors, the Iniquities of all his People were laid on him, and he did bear them in his own Body upon the Tree, becoming obedient to the Death, even the Death of the Cross; he did die, the Prince of Life did die, his Blood was shed, that therein might be opened a Fountain for Sin, and for Vncleanness.

4. Neither is there Salvation in any other; there is no other Name under Heaven by which Man may be saved, but his; no Blood by which he may be washed but his, nor Righteousness by which he may be justified but his; and therefore it is altogether in vain, meer lost labour to look for Salvation any where else: Whither shall we go, Lord? said Peter, with Thee alone are the words of Eternal Life. And as it is in vain, so it is altogether needless; for Christ is able to save to the utmost all those that come unto God by him. Mark it, them that come unto God by him, them without exception, all them, one and another, be they never so many, and be they what they will, p. 246never so bad, he is able to save them, and that compleatly, to the full perfection of Salvation, to the utmost of their dangers, to the utmost of their desires, to the utmost of Eternity, he is the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him; and truly be that hath a Salvation which will reach as far as Eternity, doth not, will not need one any longer.

5. This Salvation doth come most freely from him to all th…se that humbly seek it, Zech. 9.9. Behold thy King cometh unto thee, he is just, having Salvation. He comes to poor Sinners, and brings his Salvation with him. He once came into the World in Person, to work Salvation for them, he still comes by his word and Spirit to bring Salvation to them. We before said, he is able to save, and he is full out as willing as able; Oh! that lost ruin'd Sinners were as willing to accept Salvation, as he is to bestow it; indeed what should hinder his being willing, all the charge is over, it did cost him a great deal, but it will cost him no more, no more blood, no more sweat, no more tears▪ no more sighs, no more sorrow or shame: it is having the joy that was set before him, it is seeing the fruit of the travel of his Soul, that will issue in his satisfaction. It is but his own taking possession of that which he purchased for himself, and giving his People possession of that which he purchased for them. Hence we have reason to conclude that his heart is in the work, and that he doth it with joy and delight; be much and often in speaking to your Families concerning this most sweet and precious Iesus, and the good will which he bears to the Children of Men. How he stands with his gracious arms stretched out to receive and embrace them that are willing to accept of him, and of Salvation, upon the terms propounded in the Gospel, and hath given us his faithful word for it, which p. 247he can no more deny, than he can deny himself, that whosoever cometh to him, he will in no wise cast out, tho' he hath been never so vile, though his Sins have been never so great, yet if he will but come, he shall find Grace to welcom him, and meet with a most kind reception; he will spread his skirt over him for the covering of his shame and nakedness, and his wings too for the security of his Person, and the healing of his wounds.

5. Carefully instruct them about the Covenant of Grace, that there is a two-fold Covenant.

1. A Covenant of Works.

2. A Covenant of Grace.

A Covenant of Works, which had Grace in it upon this account, that God should deal in a Covenant way with Man, which he needed not to have done. He was Mans Creator, gave him his being, and therefore was his undoubted and Sovereign Lord, and might have proceeded with him altogether in a way of Sovereignty, exacting obedience of him, and let him refuse it or fail in it at his peril. It was a gracious condescension in God to act in a Covenant-way, and oblige himself to reward man for his obedience, this is called a Covenant of Works, because therein Life was promised to Man upon the terms of his personal perfect obedience, and his perseverance therein. Now this Covenant was transgress'd and broken by our first Parents, soon after that it was made; so that no good, no happiness is to be hoped for from it, by us, or by another; the Penalty indeed threatned, upon the breach thereof may be most righteously exacted, and so it will of all those who are found guilty, and continue still under it, not having fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hopes set before them, i. e. not having closed with Christ, and by Faith taken Sanctuary in him, p. 248but no life is to be had by it, the Law cannot justifie because it is grown weak through the flesh, Rom. 8.3. weak to the purpose of justification, and this was by accident, through Mans fault, Mans weakness is the reason of the Laws weakness, the Law was able to have justified innocent perfect Man, but it cannot justifie lapsed sinful Man. Homo est impotens ad praestandam legem, Lex ei Vires dare non potest; Man is too weak to perform the Law, and the Law cannot give him strength. In a word, Man being now fallen, corrupted, infeebled, and throughout depraved, he cannot possibly keep the Law, and therefore that cannot justifie him.

But there is another Covenant, rightly called a better Covenant, which God hath been pleased to make better for us as the case stands, for it containeth in it better Promises, Heb. 8.6. and is in the hand of a Mediatour Jesus Christ our fast Friend, a Covenant by which David saw all his Salvation secur'd, and in which he summ'd up all his desire, knowing it to be everlasting, ordered in all things, and sure, 2 Sam. 23.5.

In this Covenant (as in all) there is a mutual stipulation, it hath its requiries, and its promises, by it Man is ingaged to believe in Jesus Christ with all his heart, to accept of him, and close with him as he is by the Father and himself offered in the Gospel, to receive him in all his Offices, as Prophet, to Teach, and as King, to Govern, and Command, as well as Priest to Attone, and Interceed and Bless; and thereupon it promiseth Salvation, it requires repenting of Sin, and forsaking it; and thereupon it promiseth Mercy, and the blotting out of Transgressions, it requires returning to God, and the performance of sincere obedience, and to every one that doth so, God engageth himself to be their God, for this is a Covenant of Reconciliation, he p. 249engageth to pardon their Sins so fully, so abundantly, that they shall be as if they had never been, white as Snow, and to receive them into favour, and to love them with an everlasting love, and to give them grace, and glory, Crowning at length, and satisfying them with happiness.

All those that have not laid hold upon, and are not in this Covenant of Grace, are to this day under the Covenant of Works, and so in a state of Damnation; and all those that are in the Covenant of Grace, must come up to the terms of it. Let Men in this erroneous, teachie, froward, quarrelsom Age say what they will, and make never so much noise, the Covenant of Grace hath its Conditions, though blessed be God, what it requires it gives, and we must carefully look that we come up to the terms of it, and that there be in us an answerableness to its requiries, if ever we would share in the blessings of it. He that believeth shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned; repent, and your Sins shall be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, but except ye repent, ye shall all perish. Christ will be the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that they obey him, but he shall at the Great Day be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel. And then it will appear, that Obedience and Holiness are something, that to fear the offending of God, and a diligent care of pleasing him, were other manner of things than many mistaken Persons do now take them to be. Let your Families know that impenitency doth bind upon Men and Women the guilt of all their Sins, and that without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord, and that Christ came to save from Sin, as well as Wrath, and to Redeem, p. 250not only from Hell, and Condemnation, but likewise from a vain and vicious Conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18.19.

Sixthly, Frequently put those who are Members of your Families, and under your charge, in mind of their being in Covenant with God, and of their having been Baptized, and so received the Seal or Token of the Covenant, inculcate this in your Discourses with them. I hope that all your Children and Servants (to you I now speak, who are Members of this numerous Congregation) have been made Partakers of that great and precious Ordinance, and you ought to tell them of it again, and again, for by that means you may do them much good, in making them serious and thoughtful; let them know from you, that they were not by their Parents left at liberty to chuse whether they would be the Lords, or not, whether they would serve him, or not, whether they would bow their necks to the yoke of Christ, or be the Sons and Daughters of Belial. But their Parents, whose they were, and who had a right to dispose of them, did, in conscience of their own duty, and in dear love to them, bind them to God betimes, they did devote and consecrate them to God, they did as it were, Seal Indentures between them, and God; so that now they are Gods Covenant People, his Covenant Servants.

And tell them that being in Covenant with God, they shall have all the good of the Covenant, all the Mercies and Blessings of it, in case they do not deal falsely therein; they may rejoyce in it, as that which is security enough, they may live upon it, and that comfortably in the worst times, and they may plead it with God, and say with David, remember thy word unto thy Servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

p. 251But that it will be sad and dreadful for them to sin against it, I mean wilfully, sins in them are of a deeper die, and have a louder voice than the Sins of others in the World, and by them God is justly more provoked: meerly to break one of Gods Commandments is nothing near so bad as to break Covenant with God, that is an accent upon the head of Sin, and doth greatly aggravate it; and those Persons that are guilty thereof, may expect, and with trembling think how severe God will be at last, and what fierce wrath he will pour out upon them, when he comes to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant. Labour to convince them what a dismal thing it would be for them to withdraw themselves from God, whose they were by Covenant; for them who had been in their Infancy by their Parents given up to God, now to run cross to them, and to null what they had done as much as in them lies, and to give up themselves to Sin, and to the Devil, and to sell themselves to do evil; this is a throwing dirt in the face of their Parents, as if they had chosen ill for them, and bound them to a bad Trade, and an hard Master; and this is a reproach to God, as if he had been a Wilderness to them, and a Land of Darkness, and they had found iniquity upon him, and this cannot but be an high provocation, and must needs raise storms of wrath and fury.

Seventhly, Be very much and often commending to them the Service of God, and the Yoke of Iesus Christ, that they may not be prejudiced by wrong notions, nor mis-led by misapprehensions of him, as the unprofitable Servant pretended to be, who looking upon his Lord as Austere, and made up altogether of Severity, therefore would do nothing for him, but e'en buried his Talent in a Napkin. That Gods Service is perfect Freedom, and p. 252then do Men and Women walk at liberty, when they keep his Precepts. Whereas the Service of Sin is no better than Slavery, and its work a drudgery; the Sweet-Meats of Sin are wrapt up in a Curse, and its most pleasant ways lead down to the Chambers of Death. Whereas the Yoke of Christ is easie, being lin'd with Love, and his Burthen is light, having both Wings, and the Shoulder of God to help them to bear it. In the service of Sin a poor Creature spends all at his own cost like the poor Israelites under Pharaoh, and his Cruel Task-Masters, who were not only forced to make Brick, but likewise to find Straw to make it with, and then the Wages given at last will be death. Whereas God doth cut out Work for his Servants, and give them strength to do it, he chalks out their way, and inlargeth their hearts to run it, he giveth power to the faint, when they have none of their own, he supplies them with enough, so that Paul said, He could do all things thro' Christs strengthning him.

Shew to them the reasonableness of the Law of God, which hath been given out to Man for the Directory of his Life, and the Rule of his Actions, that it is pure, and perfect, and worthy both of our obedience, and our Love, yea, doth and will afford great, singular delight to a person of a right frame and constitution; and well it may, seeing the Law is holy, and the Commandments holy, just, and good, Rom. 7.12. It is such a Law was fit for God to give, and fit for Man to receive; it being purity throughout, and is suitable to the Nature of God, who is an Infinite, Holy, and Righteous Being. It was also suitable to the Nature of Man, possible, easie, pleasant to him before he was degenerate, corrupt, and depraved. Let us run through the Commandments, p. 253and at the first view it will appear they are not grievious, as the beloved Disciple saith, 1 Iohn 5.3.

What can be more reasonable than that we should have and own, love and trust in, fear and serve him for our God, and him only who is God indeed, and God alone, besides whom there is none else? What could with greater reason be forbidden, than the making of any Graven Image, or the likeness of any thing which is in Heaven above, or in the Earth beneath, or in the Waters under the Earth, so as to fall down and Worship them? for what can be more ridiculous, than to give Divine Honour to that which Man himself gave being to? what more gross and egregious nonsence, than to call that a God, part of which is consumed in the fire? Is it not reasonable that we all should sanctifie the name of God, and not prophane it nor take it in vain, and that we should cheerfully spend some time in his Service, who is the great Lord of time, and keep holy the Sabbath Day, laying out that seventh part of time which he hath chosen and sanctified, and set apart for himself in his service and Worship? what exceptions can be made against Honouring our Fathers, and Mothers; Childrens honouring their Parents, Servants their Masters and Mistresses, Inferiours their Superiours, Subjects their Governours? what more just than that Men should not kill others by violence, nor themselves by intemperance, and excess; nay, that they should not hate one another, nor be angry without a cause, nor too much, nor too long? What also can be with reason objected against that Law of God, which forbids Rapine, Theft, Robbery, Adultery, and all Uncleanness, all Reviling, Slandering, Backbiting, and bearing false witness against our Neighbours, and also coveting those things which are not our p. 254own, but commandeth us to sit down contented with those things which we have, whether they be more or less, till God shall please to carve out for us a larger and more liberal allowance. Surely as to all these things, save only the seventh part of time, the light of Nature would dictate and lead to the practice of them. Reason it self doth suggest and teach, that to be religious, righteous, good, temperate, chast, kind, meek, humble, and lowly, is fit for Men; it highly becomes them, and doth greatly conduce and contribute to their honour, and peace, and prosperity, to their welfare and comfort every way; these things give them boldness, make their faces shine, and commend them to all that know them. But on the other side, injustice, oppression, disobedience, drunkeness, uncleanness, theft, lying, subornation, perjury, false witness, swearing, debauchery, and prophaneness of all sorts do offend Heaven, and Earth, they tend to the dishonour and displeasing of God, and to the undoing of Persons, and Families, yea, to the ruine of Societies, and Kingdoms, and the whole World, for these things sake the wrath of God comes down upon the Children of disobedience. To shut up this particular, let them know, there is none of Gods Commandments but what doth evidently and directly make for Mans own good, it tends to the preserving of his Name, that it may be like precious Ointment, without a dead Flye in it, and of his Life, that his days may be long in the Land, and of his Health, that his life may be comfortable as well as long; and of his Estate, that that may prosper and increase, and not be blasted with a Curse, and so consume and melt like Snow before the Sun, they have a benign and kind influence upon Mans whole interest, Godliness being profitable for all things, for p. 255Soul, Body, and Calling, for Time, and Eternity, for the Life that now is, and for that which is to come; and there is nothing can be named, by which we can possibly so much promote our own good, as by a cordial and constant respect to all God's Commandments; we shall not then be ashamed nor repent. Oh! how sweet and pleasant will it be when we can in truth say with holy Paul, Herein do we exercise our selves, to keep a Conscience void of offence both toward God and toward Man, Acts 24.16.

Eightly; Acquaint them with the present Advantages that come by Religion, and a consciencious performance of Duty. God's Israel have their Manna now, and their Clusters by the way, in the Wilderness, as well as a Land flowing with Milk and Honey at the last. As there are some drops before the Storm, so First-fruits before the Harvest. David saith, God's Commandments are right and true, more to be desired than Gold, much fine Gold, sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb, and that in keeping them there is great reward, Psal. 19.11. There is Meat in the very Mouth of duty; he doth not say, there shall be a great reward, though that is true, it shall be in Heaven, but there is so. God is now a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and are careful to obey him; his Servants shall not stay for all, but have something down, the Feast is to come, but there are foretastes at present. We frequently see that Sin doth carry its punishment along with it. Soon after Cain had kill'd his Brother, the Innocent Blood cried, and Judgment was in part Executed. Quickly after Iudas had play'd the Traytor, God made him his own Executioner. While Belshazzar was impiously Carousing in the Vessels of the Sanctuary, there was an Hand-writing upon the Wall, and that very Night was he slain. So God hangs up p. 256some Notorious Criminals, as it were in Chains, in terrorem, that others might be warned and frighted, and some restraint laid upon, and bounds set to wickedness, which would otherwise overflow all, and that some order might be preserved and kept up in the World.

On the other side, God doth even in this Life frequently reward good Men, and both give them Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Things, and outward Blessings in Earthly Things, thereby making it evident to all that have Eyes in their Heads and will observe, that it is not in vain to fear God. And though his upright Iob's are not so sordidly Mercinary as to serve him meerly for hire, yet he is so infinitely good and gracious that they shall not serve him for nought; but while they walk before him in their Integrity, and make it their desire and endeavour to please, and obey him, he watcheth over them with a never-slumbering Eye, and takes special Fatherly Care of them, and doth them good; they have peace in their Breasts, and Families, protection about them and all that they have, and also Food convenient for them, a supply of all their need. And though some others of his People who are dear unto him, and exceeding precious in his sight, have but little, a very little of this Worlds Goods, but from Hand to Mouth, yet they can be cheerful, sitting down to a Dinner of Herbs, and eat them with a merry Heart, giving God thanks, because they know they have the love of God in it, and the Blessing of God with it, and by consequence that little which they have is better than the Riches and great Revenues of many wicked; their Brown Bread is better than the others Venison, which is pepper'd hot with a Curse, and their Cup of cold Water is better than the others most generous Wine, p. 257because the Wrath of God is dropt into it, and all shall at last be dearly paid for, when Divine Justice shall bring in the Reckoning.

Shew them that the Service of God, and a care to please him, is the way to get the good things of the World, both the Creatures, and the Comfort of them; for, as we before said, Godliness hath the Promises of this Life, i. e. both of Life it self, and what doth appertain to it. And as it is the Blessing of God that maketh Rich, so his Blessing is upon his People, upon them, and only upon them. Others have no Interest in the Promise, and therefore cannot lay claim to the Blessing, nor groundedly expect and hope for it. Profane Esau would fain have had the Blessing, he ask'd it, he beg'd it, he wept for it, but alas! it was gone before, Isaac had past it to his Brother Iacob, and he was not to be alter'd; Esau had contemned the Birthright, and sold it for a Mess of Pottage, and therefore he should not have the Blessing: He found in his Father no place for Repentance, although he sought it carefully with Tears: Profaneness excludes from the Blessing.

But withal, take some pains with them, yea, do all that you can to keep their Hearts from being ingaged to the World, and their Affections from being wedded and devoted to these sublunary Enjoyments; do not commend to them fine Cloaths, gorgeous Attire, and outward Bravery, that is the way to make them proud, but the Robe of Righteousness, a putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith and Imitation, and a being cloathed with Humility. Do not commend to them earthly Riches, which reach not the Soul, which are uuncertain, and take unto themselves Wings and flee away, leaving the poor Owner in a worse condition than they found him but commend to them the good part that shall never be taken from them, p. 258the Riches of Faith, and an Interest in the Promises. Not worldly Grandeur, which is so slippery, nor high places from which so many tumble, and fall, and break their Necks; but great goodness, great measures of Faith and Holiness, great serviceableness in their several places; labour to convince them of the littleness, and vanity, and nothingness of those things which the bewitched worldlings do so madly dote upon, and so idolatrously hug, and pursue still after with so much eagerness, as if they could never have enough; and indeed let them get never so much of them, they will never find enough in them, but in the fulness of their sufficiency they will be in straits, Iob 20.22. Such Men are in straits during that fulness of sufficiency; though they have abundance they do not think it enough, their condition is high, and their outward comforts are large, but their spirits are too big for their condition, and so they are pinch'd and pain'd like a Gouty Foot in a narrow and little Shooe. And many times God chuseth that as his Season, for the making both his Power and Anger known upon them; when they are at the full they are eclipsed, when their Cup runs over, he empties them, when they stand st…utting and vapouring as Nebuchadnezzar in his Palace, Is not this great Babylon which I have built; then Divine Providence trips them up, and lays their Honour in the Dust.

Turn away their Eyes from beholding these Vanities, and direct them to more noble and amiable Objects that do better deserve their Love, and will requite it at a greater rate; make them to know there are other manner of Beauties and Glories to be had, and therefore to be sought and looked after, those Riches and Honour which are with Wisdom, durable Riches and Righteousness, Prov. 8.18. Tell them that one Drachm of Saving Grace is better p. 259than Thousands of Gold and Silver; that Christ is better than Creatures, God better than all the World, and his Favour than Life, his Smiles than the brightest Sun-shine; therefore Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt, and rather chose to suffer affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a Season, Heb. 11.25, 26. And David counted one day in God's Courts better than a Thousand elsewhere, and would rather be a Door-keeper in the House of his God, than dwell in the Tents of Wickedness.

Once more convince them, if it be possible, that beginning with God is beginning at the right end, this is the best method, and will be most successful. To set our Affections upon things above is the directest and most compendious way of attaining those things which are here below. Let a Man make sure of Christ, and he may very well trust God with all his outward concerns. The Lord is my shepherd; let that be the Proposition, and then, I shall not want, is a good conclusion by no means to be denied, Psal: 23.1. whereas setting Affections upon things below is the way to miss of those things which are above. Dunghil-rakers do not find the Pearl of Price. Saul indeed seeking the Asses, lighted upon the Kingdom, but I think the Bible affords not such another instance. Paul tells us, Destruction is the end of those whose God is their belly, and who mind earthly things. Minding earthly things as the chiefest good is the high way to Beggary and Ruin in the end. They that will be rich fall into Temptation, and not seldom under Heart-wounding, Heart-breaking Disappointments. Our dear Lord Jesus, who is the faithful and true Witness, and the wisest Counsellor, hath given us excellent Advice commended by a sure and comfortable p. 260Promise; Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you, Mat. 6.33. All these things added? Yes, so far as your Heavenly Father sees them necessary for you, nay more, so far as he seeth them good for you; no good thing shall he with hold ▪ and truly that is far enough, farther than so they are not to be desired, farther than so they are not worth the having.

Lastly; In your Families, and among them who are committed to your Charge, direct your Speech very much to the great things of the other World, and that recompence of Reward which is to come. God took Abram after Lot was separated from him, and said to him, lift up now thine Eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward, for all the Land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever, Gen. 13.14, 15. So do you take the Members of your Families, and bid them lift up their Eyes, and look off from this dirty World, up to that glorious Canopy over their Heads, the Firmament bespangled with Sun, Moon and Stars; that is but the Floor or Pavement of the Presence Chamber of the King of Glory, the Bride-Chamber of the Lamb, the Seat of the Blessed, which he will give for an Everlasting Inheritance unto them who have chosen, and love, and obey him. Be often and often discoursing to them of Heaven, the Company there, the Imployment there, the Felicity and Satisfaction there, the Vision and Fruition that the Saints shall have there of God and Christ, whom they shall see not as in a Glass darkly, but Face to Face, the sweet Fellowship and Communion they shall there have with God in the greatest Intimacy, without the least disturbance or interruption; there being no sinful withdrawings p. 261from God on their part, and no angry withdrawings from them on God's part, and no Enemy to divert the Mind, or break the Peace, or abate the Delight, but a fulness of Joy they shall have in the presence of their God and Saviour, and at his Right Hand Pleasures for evermore. Let them know what you can of the greatness of those Preparations which he hath made for them that love and fear him, even such things as Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor hath entred into the Heart of Man. There is an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for them▪ As there are all dimensions in the love which Christ bears to them, heighth, depth, length, and breadth; so there are in that Happiness and Glory which he hath prepared for them.

Mind them of the nature of this their present Life, that it is but transitory, in a continual flux, we die daily; look how much we have liv'd, so much we are already dead; our Candle is burning down into the Socket, and the Oil of our Lamp spends apace; not a Day, Hour nor Minute passeth over our Heads but it bringeth us nearer to our Grave, which is the House of all the Living▪ and unto it we are continually travelling. It is a troublesome Life; sin deserves it should be a lamentation thoroughout, and God might make it so; however they will find it checquer'd; be their Morning never so fair and serene, yet their Day will be overcast before Night comes; and though at the first setting out they have a pleasant Gale, yet they must expect to meet with many a furious Storm before they come into their Harbour. Children come crying into the World, Men and Women go sighing thorough it, and groaning out of it. Many are the afflictions of the very righteous, though God will deliver them out of all. It is an p. 262uncertain Life. Who knows what is in the Womb of Providence, or what may be the product of a day? we are but short-sighted, and cannot tell what stands at the Door, ready to draw the Latch. Samson found Honey in the Carcase of a Lion, but many find Wormwood and Gall in the very Hive where they expected Honey, and what they did hope would have been their greatest comfort doth prove their bitterest vexation, their greatest torment; and what wise Man would take up with such a Life, since a better may be made sure of? But again, this is but a short Life, a span long, three or fourscore Years to come seem a great while, but when past, they are as a Tale that is told. Few and evil, said good Iacob, have the days of the years of my Pilgrimage been; and truly, since sin and sorrow do make them evil, it is a Mercy that God doth make them few. But since our Lives are short, we should not be covetous, for a little will serve the turn, a little will serve to carry us thorough our Journey. See that there be but Oil in the Vessel against the Bridegroom's coming, and then it is no great matter though there is but a little Meal in the Barrel, let them have their Bellies filled with hid Treasures whose Portion is in this Life; let them hunt after great things here, who are to have their good things, their all here.