CHAPTER VIII.

 

 How many shuffle together a company of false signs of closing with CHRIST! How do they count them true and infallible, which are not so, and so deceive themselves, as if they had CHRIST and real grace within them! Excuse me, if I bring in some of their pleas, and answer them briefly.

 

 1.’ I see a beauty in the Church and people of God.' So did BALAAM: “How Godly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river' sides, and as cedar trees besides the waters.

 

 2.’1 have some sights of another world, and I desire to spend an eternity with the saints.' So had BALAAM; and did not he desire so much “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.”

 

 3.’ When I think of the day of judgment, I am affected with it; whereas before I was sottish, and secure.' So was FELIX. “As PAUL reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, FELIX trembled.”

 

 4.’ I am an orthodox Protestant.' So thou may be a Teacher too; thou may not only ”know God's will, and approve the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the Law, but confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the Law,” and yet fall short of CHRIST, and of heaven.

 

 5.’I live inoffensively; none can lay any thing to my charge.' But was not PAUL, ”touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless,” at the same time he was persecuting the Church of GOD

 

 6.’ I have obeyed the commandments of God for a long time.' So had the young man in the Gospel: he said unto CHRIST, “All these things I have kept from my youth up.”

 

 7.’ I have joy in the ordinances of GOD: the word of the LORD is sweet and precious. I know the time when it was not so.' But did not HEROD “hear the word of God gladly”'

 

 8.’But I pray, and pray oft, as well as hear, and therefore is it not well’ It may be ill enough, it' thou hast no better evidence. “When you make many prayers,” (when you multiply prayer, when -you add prayer to prayer,)” yet I will not hear.”

 

 9.’ I consult Ministers for my soul, and have high attainments.' But wherein dost thou go beyond those of whom it is said, ”They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.” If thou hast nott better things than these, thou hast not savingly closed with JESUS CHRIST; for as yet thou hast nothing that accompanieth salvation; from which salvation cannot be separated.

 

 O! I cannot but pity these almost-Christians. Almost Christians, and almost saved. I may say they are not far from the kingdom of God; and yet in a sense they are farther than any others. Our great difficulty is to undeceive these; I mean to take off these fig-leaves with which they have covered themselves. It is hard work to persuade a proud Pharisee that all his righteousness will not stead him, that he must fling away all, that he must have something else to show for heaven and glory. How have men fled in our faces, when we have told them, that yet they have nothing that is essential to a Christian, no more than a picture has of the essence of a man! You may imagine a man that has bestowed twenty or thirty years in building, how loath he is to pull down all again. Though he fears the foundation’is but on the sands, lie will rather venture, than begin all anew: he is even ashamed to unravel all the clue of his ungrounded confidences. What! Begin upon a new bottom! No, not he; and so CHRIST and he part. He takes his supposed grace to be CHRIST, or at least, that there must be CHRIST where such changes are and so cries out,” Soul, take thine ease; thou hast Gods laid up for many years;” yea, for eternity.

 

CHAPTER 9:

 

Their Ungodliness, their Ignorance, their Errors, &c.

 

 HAVE not many who professed religion been ungodly men, *, men without worship! If to deny or with bold any part of that honor that is due to GOD, be un

 

godliness; how much ungodliness has there been, and is there still among us Which of us path not been guilty of not giving God his right or due honor Have not we sucked in ungodly principles As, that it is in vain to worship GOD, there is no happiness (comparable to what the world doth afford) in communion with GOD; this world must be looked after, whatever becomes of conscience. Have we not been guilty of ungodly thoughts Have not we thought that God is not so harsh, but we may take liberty in sinning; that he taketh no notice of what we think, speak, and do. Have not we spoken ungodly words Have not we uttered those hard speeches which ungodly sinners speak Have not we spoken against GOD's servants Yea, have we been afraid to speak against his servant MOSES And have not many of our deeds been ungodly God has always been sorely provoked by ungodliness: the flood swept away the world of the ungodly. But yet we might have been ungodly under the Law at a cheaper rate than under the Gospel; because the Gospel gives us more clear and certain notions of GOD's excellency and glory, and lays more obligations upon us to respect GOD, and therefore is called ”a doctrine according to godliness.” “The ungodly shall not stand in judgment,” neither in the world to come nor in this world. The day of judgment is appointed on purpose to take vengeance of ungodly persons.

 

 First, Have not some been, and still are, altogether ignorant of GOD May it not be said to many of us,'“ Ye worship ye know not what” Do not many professors worship GOD upon no other account than the Romans did their JUPITER, or the Ephesians their DIANA, and because lie is the God of the nation wherein they were born; because he was their -forefathers' GOD. Have not we worshipped GOD by tradition, more than out of conviction of judgment Has not our worship been”to the unknown GOD” GOD is truly, in a scriptural sense, unknown to all that do not know him experimentally and practically. Now,”have we tasted and seen that the LORD is gracious” Have not we said we knew GOD, and yet kept not his commandments He that says so ”is a liar, and the truth is not in him: hereby know we that we know Him, if we keep his commandments.” If we do not thus know GOD, we are none of his children. He has no child so little, but he knoweth his Father: u they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest.” Our being the people of GOD in profession, will not secure us from ruin.” My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The LORD JESUS will come in flaming fire, to render vengeance on us; for lie will so deal with all” that know not GOD.”

 

 Secondly, How erroneous have we been! None can be such a stranger to our Israel, as to be ignorant that a spirit of delusion has been let abroad, from Dan to Beersheba, so that the pillars of religion are shaken, the most concerning truths questioned, if not exploded with scorn. Have not some made GOD the author of sin- Have not some denied CHRIST's Deity How many have denied the Trinity of Persons Haw many, under pretence that the law of works binds not, have abrogated all the laws of CHRIST -How many have, under pretence of advancing the SPIRIT'S testimony, cried down all marks and signs How many have held, that the doctrine of repentance, fasting, and humiliation, are too legal for the spirit of a Christian How many have been altogether for inspirations, and professed themselves above the sphere of ordinances How many have accounted it their highest perfection to sin away all tenderness of conscience

 

 How many thousand souls have perished by these delusions And what A dishonor has come to the Christian religion by reason thereof, I cannot express. `Certainly,' (says BISHOP HALL,) `there is more deadly mischief, and higher offence to God in them, than in those practical evils, which honest hearts abhor. These, as they are immediate fruit of our spiritual part, so they more immediately strike at the GOD of spirits in his truth and holiness; and as religion is the highest concernment of the soul, so the depravation of religion must needs be the most dangerous and damnable.'

 

 But, alas! How little have we been affected with the flood cast out of the serpent's mouth after the woman Though the trumpet has sounded, ”Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth,” because of spiritual plagues, we have been puffed up, and have not mourned. We have not considered this judgment as coming from the LORD, as a token of his wrath, in giving up so many of our countrymen”to strong delusions, to believe a lie.” We have showed little zeal for GOD's glory, that has been blemished by these detestable things; neither have we pitied the many that have followed these pernicious ways. How little have we mourned for them, though the Apostle says,” their damnation slumbereth not.”

 

 How few means have we used for their reducement! Hardly put up a prayer for them not admonished them, but let them alone to perish in their delusions; not so much as requested an able Minister to have recourse to these poor deluded souls, in order to the turning them from the idols of their own brains.

 

 How little have we endeavored to strengthen ourselves, to prepare antidotes against this infection! We have not studied the Scriptures, that we might warn the unruly, and resist gainsayers, and be established in the present truths but, though we have seen so many shipwreck their faith and consciences, yet we have been high-minded, and have not feared.

 

 Have we not been guilty of not expressing our dislike of the ways of heretics as we should We have not shunned them as we ought. To maintain a party, to strengthen a faction, how have we too much countenanced them! Their fellowship has not been enough avoided. How little have we regarded these apostolical injunctions -cc Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. And, if any man obey not our word, note that man, and have no company with him,. that lie may be ashamed.” We have shunned the house where one with the plague-sore dwells; -but we have not withdrawn-”from them that cause to err from the words of knowledge.”

 

 What shall I say We have not so heartily and vigorously” contended for the faith which was once,” and but once, ”delivered to the saints,” as we ought. The LORD humble us for our lukewarmness. Sure we have not been ”valiant for the truth upon the earth.” I do not in all this go about to justify undue rigors. GOD knows we have been too severe against some things of less moment; we have had too much zeal about mint and anise; wehave been too imposing of what lies dark and obscure in the book of God, and this while the enemy's tares have been suffered to grow, and the' fundamentals of our religion endangered. But that which has been England Sin, is, too much permitting and countenancing damnable doctrines. When God Has said,”Who is on my side Who” We have hardly answered for ourselves: we have been doubtful in the faith; not quite on, nor quite off; but staggering and tottering. Our religion has beenr rather opinion than faith; so that we have stood looking on as neuters; whilst heretics have ”made merchandise of souls with feigned words.” The great truths. of God have- lain loose upon our hearts; they have not been ”fastened by the Master of the Assemblies, as nails in a sure place;” and having little experience of what we profess to know, hence lukewarmness followeth of course.

 

 O how, by reason of the great defection amongst us, has the ”way of truth been evil spoken of!” The common enemy fasteneth all upon religion. They will not distinguish between truth and error; but if any that had been called a Christian fell into any damnable errors or practices, all Christians suffered thereby. And though some amongst us have, by confessions of faith, and otherwise, borne witness against errors, yet doubtless our consciences will tell us, that we have not by fastings, prayers, studies, and all endeavors, improved all our time and spirits for drying up the flood of the serpent, the souldestroying flood, as we should; but if we have had any spirit, we have let it forth upon them that have crossed us about little points, rather than against them who have shaken the foundations of our religion.

 

CHAPTER 10:

 

Their Want of Love to GOD.

 

 WANT of love to GOD is another great branch of ungodliness abounding among the professors of religion. This is so great a branch of ungodliness, that CHRIST has reduced all the commandments of the first table, concerning the worship of God, to this,-” Thou shall love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and all thy might.” Indeed every one pretends to love GOD: I hardly ever met with a person but said he loved GOD. But GOD may say truly,’ How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me' GOD is used and the world is enjoyed. If GOD comes empty-handed, or with his hands full of trouble, farewell. They like God whilst they enjoy their pleasures too; whilst they may not be infringed. Let but a few things be considered, and we shall see how much want there is of love to God in CHRIST.

 

 1. Whom we rove we are not ashamed of. The mother's love is such to her child, and GOD'S to us. He is not ashamed to be called our GOD. But do not we conceal our title to GOD in some companies' How do we throw off our livery, and dare not to be known to have walked with GOD!

 

 2. Parents are troubled when, their children are dishonored, and so children when their fathers; but are our souls vexed with the filthy conversation of’the men of Sodom Where are the rivers of waters Where is the horror because men keep not GOD's commandments

 

 3. Did we love GOD, we should trust him. We dare trust our very lives in a friend's hands; but we dare not so trust God. What would a man give that he had but his life and health in his own disposal! When he is poor, he had rather it was in his own hand to supply his wants, than in GOD'S;- for he thinks it would go better with him. We trust GOD for little. We think ourselves quite undone, when we have nothing save a God and a promise to trust to.

 

 4. How little do we joy in the presence of GOD and CHRIST, and grieve for their absence! Is God All in the want of all, and is God the All in the enjoyment of all Can we say, ”Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us” When we have no fig-tree left, can we ”rejoice in the God of our salvation” Can we say, ”Take all, Ziba, now that my LORD is come, now that the LORD stoops to dwell in houses of clay” O Worldlings! take your riches, and make the best of them; I envy you not; I have enough in God. Do we so grieve for the absence of GOD and CHRIST, that nothing but GOD and CHRIST can make, amends O that our happiness, life, comforts, were folded up in GOD and CHRIST! Can we live no more without GOD and CHRIST than a beam without the sun

 

 5. True lovers are thoughtful to please the beloved. Are we so to please GOD A true lover of God• is always proving”what is that God, and acceptable, and perfect will of GOD.” He is still searching, that he may know more wherein he may please God, as willing always to be more useful for GOD; but how seldom do we ask our hearts, what way we may walk in all well pleasing

 

 6. True lovers are open-handed, and bountiful to God. They bestow readily and freely any thing they have on him; they will part with their Isaacs, their dearest things. Will we When God calls for limbs, can we say; farewell to them Are there not some things so dear to us, that we cannot spare them to CHRIST Are we so taken with CHRIST, that, our hearts are disengaged from the love of other things Is every thing vile but CHRIST Is all you part from instantly supplied in the love and smiles of

 

CHRIST

 

 7. True lovers are wont to praise each other. But how seldom do we set forth the praises of CHRIST Love is full of eloquence. DAVID thought seven times a day too little, and therefore lie called all the creatures of heaven and earth, air and sea, to praise God; the Gods in the deep must not be silent. True lovers praise GOD as much as they can; they exalt GOD to the utmost of their power, and then, from a sense that GOD is above all their praise, they would have every thing that has breath to praise the

 

LORD.

 

 8. Did you love GOD, you would love every thing of GOD. Do you love his justice, his holiness True love to CHRIST sticks not barely in the person of CHRIST, but reacheth to all that have an union with him. Do we love CHRIST mystical, as well as personal Are we of catholic spirits The Apostle is peremptory, and brandeth them all as liars that pretend to love GOD and CHRIST, and do not love their brethren.

 

 9. True lovers of God thirst after nearer communion with God: “My soul followeth hard after thee.” The soul still encroacheth upon God: “Let me see thy glory,” says MOSES; though he saw more than mortals were commonly permitted to behold: yet much would have more. ”As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth ally soul after thee, O GOD. My soul thirsteth for GOD, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God A true lover of GOD is under a holy impatience till he ceaseth to see darkly in a glass; he would fain see with open face.’ O!’ says such a soul, I the distance between CHRIST and me is too great; I cannot but groan earnestly, when I consider I ain absent from the LORD, whilst present in the body. LORD, I will die, that I may enjoy thee; I will not live, but I will die; I desire to die, that I may see CHRIST; and refuse to live, that I may live with CHRIST.' The contracts and espousals content not the true lover; but he longs for the marriage-day. Here are clouds that oft pass betwixt GOD and my soul. O that I were above them! Here, if I see and enjoy, the fear of losing so sweet a sight abates the comfort of fruition; but then welcome an eternal day, that shall never have a night.

 

 10. If you loved GOD, his commandments would not be grievous to you. Love cannot be easily posed: love has a kind of almightiness in it; so that heavy burdens are made light; and almost impossible things become feasible. But of how many things do we say, I What a weariness is it!' How are you haled by conscience, and by the terrors of the Law, unto duties How, like slaves chained to gal-, lies, you must work, though sore against your will Did you love, you would count nothing tedious, save dullness in his service. Sin would only be, the weight. O the burden of formality, pride, and anger! But his” yoke is easy, and his burden light.”

 

 11. Did you love God, you would be jealous lest it should go ill with GOD's affairs. The loving mother trembleth lest the child should suffer when she is from it. But, alas! how few are there whose hearts tremble because of the Ark! Do you really fear, lest formality should eat out the power of godliness; lest your trades should spoil your communion with GOD

 

 You may easily imagine, the want of love to God must needs be a great provocation. What an indignity is it to the husband, that the wife loves the slave before him The world should be your slave; but it has got the heart; and CHRIST must ”stand without doors till his locks are wet.” O that God should stoop so low as to love you. This Godly fabric of heaven and earth had not been erected, but as a stage whereon the LORD God Almighty would show his love to you. And did he not, in the fullness of time, purchase you by the blood of his first-born, yea, by his only begotten SON, and for this very end, that he might gain your love, as well as reveal his own love Sure you should cast back GOD's beams of love upon himself. This is all he expects: “ My son, give me thine heart.” All the command he lays upon you is, in one word, to love him. God might have commanded our children to be sacrificed, to pass through the fire. O what a favor is it to love the LORD! That GOD will honor us so far as to, suffer us to love him! And yet we love any thing, any sordid base lust, rather than GOD. God would have us to love him”with all the heart, with all the soul.” The LORD would not lose one grain of our love. O that we should deny him that which he (with reverence be it spoken and thought on) is so fond of!” And now, Israel,- what doth the LORD require of thee, but to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul God requires not the cattle upon a thousand hills, or rivers of oil; only love me: love me heartily, constantly. And yet we deny him this! I hate myself that I love the LORD so little, so seldom. It was he that made me, and not I myself; he path wonderfully formed me, wonderfully preserved me, and showed many wonders in the deeps to me. O! what shall I do to love the LORD Let me love nothing if I love not thee; nay, love nothing until I love thee! O that you would grieve abundantly for want of love to GOD! You have passed as through the Red Sea, you have been as the flaming bush. God has looked after you, as if he minded none but you; you have been as the signet on his right hand. And what, not love the LORD Shame upon you, that you can dote upon the dark, filthy world, and neglect the LORD of glory!

 

 All the affections you have, God gave them (when he gave thee a reasonable soul) but for this end, that you should place them on himself, and not on his enemy. Is it not hard measure that God should be denied love, when he gave you power to love Believe it, whatever you do for the LORD, unless you love him, it is not accepted. ”Though you give your body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth you nothing.” Whatever a man gives me, if his heart be not in it, I slight it: GOD much more. The holy Apostle counts him worthy of a curse, that loves not JESUS CHRIST. ”If any man love not the LORD JESUS, let him be anathema maranatha. ” And is it not” sad to be cursed to the coming of CHRIST He deserves it that loves not CHRIST; and he must and shall be forced to own the righteousness of GOD in sentencing, him to eternal flames, who might have been secured against them, had he but loved CHRIST more than a base dunghill lust.

 

CHAPTER 11: Their evil Surmises of GOD.

 

 EVIL surmises of GOD are another piece of ungodliness, found too frequently among even such as have the root of the matter in them. I shall the rather insist on this sin, because right thoughts of God are the fuel which maintains the fire of religion; without which it soon decayeth, and is extinguished.

 

 1. Do not we miscall God's tokens of love Has not God sent thee many tokens by his SPIRIT, to assure thee that he owns thee, and delights in thee as his own For thee to question thy relation to him upon every turn, must needs be grievous to him. How grievous then is it for thee to deny all his tokens of grace and love to thy soul, and to count them but delusions, but the works of the infernal Spirit, transforming himself into an angel of light You that are husbands, wives, parents, children, cannot endure to have your love and fidelity suspected upon every base suggestion and whisper. Believe it, GOD takes notice, and lays to heart all your jealousies of him, all your base unworthy censures of him.

 

 2. How ill are GOD's providences resented! although God has told you there is a beauty in their contexture; that things present and things to come are yours; that all shall. work together for God; that your providential enjoyments, that your changes, as well as your settlings, your wants as well as your abundance, shall all be sanctified to you; yet how few, with that blessed man, bless the. Loran when taking away! And, with ST. PAUL, rejoice, yea, ”glory in tribulations!” God assures you that your sickness, reproaches, wants, shall do you God; yea, death shall do you God; all shall be God, or do you God. All shall be food, or physic; out of the eater. Shall come forth sweetness; your very thorns shall drop honey, shall bear grapes; yet, notwithstanding, what hard thoughts have you of GOD under such dispensations! Didst thou only accuse thyself, judge thyself, abhor thyself, it were well; but thou fallest upon God himself, by questioning his love from these providences. Deny thyself what thou wilt, but beware of a denial of GOD'S love, and of the SPIRIT of grace that dwells in thee. O that all doubting Christians would consider this (too seldom suspected) unkindness of theirs towards God! O take up, and keep up, better thoughts of God, whatever his carriage be towards you! ”Though he slay you, yet trust in him.” When will you be as DAVID, who, though-beleagured with enemies, yet kept up God thoughts of GOD: he doubted not of God's favor and protection. ”I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; in this will I be confident.” In what Why, that” the LORD is my light, and my salvation, and the strength of my life.” 

 

 GOD has not spent all his stores; he has enough for me: “he will not suffer me to be tempted above what I am able to bear; but will, with the temptation, make a way for my escape.” Thou canst entertain God thoughts of GOD in fair weather, but let them fall in a storm. Whilst the candle of the LORD shines on thy tabernacle, whilst thou hast dews on thy heart, melting and enlargements in ordinances; so long thou canst keep up God thoughts of GOD and his love; but let the scene be altered,-let the sun wrap up itself in a cloud, and then not only grace within is questioned, but the love of GOD without.”I am cast out from before thine eyes; his mercy is clean God.” But, alas 1 how ignorant art thou of the methods of GOD! Doth not he chasten every son that he receiveth Should not lie have liberty to use what rod he pleases, whilst all are for thy profit, that thou may partake of his holiness

 

 3. How do some draw sad conclusions from God's providential dispensations concerning his intentions for the future! When they lose dear relations,-a husband, a wife, a sweet child snatched away, and perhaps by inadvertency; then no sooner can we enter into the house of mourning, but we hear cries from you,’ This is God's severity!' Whereas you should entertain other thoughts of GOD; viz., That now he is removing the idols of jealousy; now he is weaning your hearts from creatures, that he may have all your love: he knew how much spiritual communion you have lost by the company of your relations, and now he himself would have more of your company; he would have you to delight more in himself; lie has dried up the stream, (a weak, unsatisfying stream,) thatt you may drink, and drink abundantly, of the crystal waters that drop from the blessed Fountain immediately. Now GOD has a blessed design of grace, to prepare you for glory; he is making the earth a howling wilderness, that you may long for Canaan; he is leaving you to naked walls, that he himself may fill them. Few put these comments upon GOD's providences towards them; but commonly take all in the worst sense.

 

 Are there not some that are apt to question the love of God to them, from the blasphemous thoughts and injections that they are harassed with What Because

 

SATAN is your adversary, must God therefore not be your friend Because SATAN doth tempt you, will it therefore follow, that God doth not love you Were we not wonderfully prone to evil surmises of GOD, we should not make SATAN's malice a ground to doubt of the love of GOD.

 

 O how is SATAN gratified hereby! He is the great accuser, the great tale-bearer, that separateth choice friends. Believe it, the false witness which he brings is against him who has given you wonderful proofs of his love towards you. It is the enemy that veils and obscures the work of the SPIRIT what he can. Hence you doubt of the acceptance of your persons and duties:’ There is a cloud hangs over my prayers, that they cannot pass up; if I come to CHRIST, he will not look on such a wretch as I am.' Many such hard thoughts of CHRIST are suggested by SATAN, and too soon entertained by us. Whilst so, you can never thank GOD for any mercy; for you doubt whether it be a mercy to you.

 

By giving way to these jealousies, you dam up the springs of praise that should flow from your lips day and night. Hereby you will also be hindered from waiting on the LORD with a free and cheerful spirit as you ought. O that this cursed God-dishonoring sin were quite rooted out of the hearts of Christians! Surely it is a provocation to God, and ”let it be for a lamentation.”

 

CHAPTER 12: Their Unthankfullness.

 

 UNTHANKFIJLNESS is another piece of ungodliness that the professors of religion are very guilty of. Praise, or thankfullness, God expects as acknowledgment, as high rent, to be paid him for all we hold of him. But how has this been denied! And thereby how justly have we forfeited all into the hands of GOD! Though the paving of this rent-penny be the only heavenly work that can be done on earth,-the only joyful employment that shall last to all eternity; yet, how unthankful are the most of us! The very heathens will rise up in judgment against unthankful Christians: they had their hymns to their gods. PLATO, when ready to die, gave GOD thanks for three things:-That he was made a man, that he was born in Greece, and that he lived in the time of SOCRATES. How much more should our lips” show forth the high praises of God,” who has made us not only men, but new men! That we are born of God, adopted the children of the Most High, and regenerated by the Spirit; that we have breathed not in Greece, but in England! O the riches of free grace! That our mothers conceived with us in this place of light, and at such a time when the nation was most enriched with the light of the Gospel! Why had not God brought thee out of the womb when this land was over-run with Paganism, with Popery Why had not the LORD shut thee up with the rest of the world in darkness, and in the shadow of death O’that when the Gospel shines but upon a little spot of ground, which GOD has enclosed for himself, and styles it his pleasant place, his garden, thou shouldest be the man born there! That when the rest of the world is like the barren mountains, that GOD should bring thee forth in the place of his tabernacle! And yet thou, ungrateful wretch, wilt hardly confess, that”the lines are fallen happily, and thou hast a Godly heritage.”

 

 How seldom is such language as this heard from thee Blessed be the LORD that my lot is fallen in so”fair a ground; blessed be GOD that I was born in England, and not in the wastes of Arabia or America. Thanks be to the LORD that I have had more than the light of the sun, moon, and stars, to conduct me to JESUS; that so many wells of salvation have been opened unto me, which have been shut unto the most of the world.'

 

 If PLATO thanked GOD for living in the days of SOCRATES, we may say, that greater than SOCRATES have been among us. We have had those ”with whom we have taken sweet counsel, with whom together we have God to the house of GOD;” who have been burning as well as shining lights; many examples of close-walking, heavenly Christians have we enjoyed, such as have had the wisdom from above, and more pure learning than ever SOCRATES or PLATO could pretend to. The society of how many heavenly, serious, active Christians have we been blessed with, such as have been faithful admonishers,-such as would not suffer sin to rest upon us,-such as have daily told us, Here is the way, walk herein. O the helps we have had! But O the cursed unthankfulness of our hearts towards GOD, notwithstanding his bestowing upon us so many lights to guide us, so many fires to warm us, and so much salt to season us!

 

 I. Instead of giving GOD the glory of all, how have we sacrificed to our own nets, and to other instruments! We have praised ourselves rather than GOD for what we have; we have not ascribed the glory to God, but to instruments; like unto that Cardinal, who writ down what such a LORD did for him, and what such a Pope conferred on him; whereupon another inferred, This man remembered his friends, but forgot GOD. ”SAUL has slain his thousands, and DAVID his ten thousands;” but GOD has little or no share in the triumph.

 

 2. How sensible are we of our wants and straits, but how unaffected with the Godness of GOD towards us! How full of complaints are we, but empty of acknowledgments! Has not the want of some one thing. robbed us of the comfort of all our enjoyments, and GOD of the praise that was due to his Name We have been (such is wayward nature) more troubled for the want of some one thing, than thankful for many mercies. Like HADAN one MORDECAI not bowing to our desires, has made us

 

heavy and senseless under all our honors, and GOD's vouchsafement. Like ARAB, we have been more dejected for want of NAROTH's vineyard, than we have blessed GOD for a kingdom.

 

 3. Are not we oftener, longer, and heartiest in the petitionary part of prayer We are still craving the supply of wants; but too seldom blessing GOD for what we are stored with. Our petitions are long, but our praises are short.

 

 4. Do not we setup our rest in being glad of mercies and deliverances Whereas it is one thing to be glad of a deliverance, but another thing to be thankful for it. Then are they glad; but that will not serve the turn: it is a return of a higher nature which GOD looks for.” O that men would praise the LORD for his Goodness.”

 

 5. Have not we neglected to make catalogues of the mercies we have received, to help our memories This GOD path ordained for a law, and a statute for Israel. What was this That they should write it, what GOD had done for them; and so provide that the generations to come might know what GOD had done. But, alas! how little care have we, that whatsoever GOD does may be for ever to his glory! How unjust are we unto our children, and the generations to come, in depriving them of a faithful record of GOD's mercies to us, in which GOD speaks to them, as well as unto us. How injurious to them!’ By such a faithful record, they might read the right way, in sailing heavenward; by our falls, they might know where lie the rocks and quicksands; and by our deliverances, where out-gates are to be found.

 

 6. Have not we neglected to call on others to join with us in blessing GOD When did we make a collection of praises from our friends, that would gladly have been in the choir A thankful heart is filled with enlarged desires, that others, that all, would join in the work of praising God. A gracious heart doth not think it enough to praise GOD alone; though it would be praising GOD, were there none in heaven or earth to bear him company.

 

 But I shall speak more particularly, and instance in some of those choice personal mercies, to waive national ones, for which the best of us are too unthankful. How have we forgot the deep pit, and miry clay, out of which we were digged! Have we not been unmindful of the blessed jubilee, when the prisoners were let out of the prison-house PAUL remembereth many circumstances of his conversion: the place wherein,-” in a journey nigh to Damascus;” the time when,-” about noon;” the manner how,-” suddenly there did shine from heaven a great light round about me, and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice.” He remembered also what lie was before conversion: “I was a persecutor, a blasphemer, and injurious.” But how have we forgotten that the LORD, by his blessed SPIRIT,” translated us out of the kingdom of SATAN, into the kingdom of his dear SON!” It was he that made Jordan to give back, and delivered us from Egypt and the wilderness, that we might inherit the God land.

 

 How little do we bless GOD for CHRIST! Though he be the Stream that alone refresheth the city of God, yet how seldom is his love, his condescension for us, with his bleeding and dying for us, remembered by us with hearty thanksgivings!

 

 How little do we bless GOD for the Covenant of Grace; the bow in the cloud, after a deluge of sin and misery, the forfeited lease of eternity renewed,-the Magna Charta of the city of GOD! And in particular, for the promise of the SPIRIT, in all his offices and operations, for the application of the purchased possession

 

 How little do we remember to thank the LORD for outward blessings! You began perhaps with a little, as JACOB, and now behold you have two bands: a troop of children, friends, and an estate to maintain them. When others have had one mess, you have had BENJAMIN'S portion,-riches and GOD too; estate and CHRIST too; peace, and the God of peace too; the world, and a God title to it. And yet do not you seldom cry out,” Bless the LORD, O my soul! and let all that is within thee praise his holy Name” How seldom do you consider who has maintained you all this while Who has delivered your, and ”pulled you as brands out of the fire” You have had the sentence of death in yourselves; you have been, with DAVID and PAUL, in the mouth of the lion, and yet saved; near to perish by the sword, fever, or other dangers, and yet your lives given you for a prey: but how soon have you forgotten the wonders shown unto the dead! O, the many preventing mercies that you have been made partakers of! Has not GOD secured you in many travails! How many have died much younger than you, whilst the LORD lengthened out your days in order to repentance! How many have died in an instant, and been snatched away without any warning of death's approach, whilst you have had many an harbinger, to give you to understand its nearness to you! How many have been crushed by falls from houses, or by other accidents hastened to their long home, whilst GOD is long-suffering to, you! How many have you seen led to shameful and violent deaths, whilst you have been kept from such dismal ends! And yet how seldom do you admire his providence, and preventing loving-kindnesses! You have a guard of angels to attend you day and night, to secure you from danger; but how little do you bless the LORD for the heavenly host! And yet, if you do thank GOD for some outward mercies, perhaps for ease from the stone, gout, colic; if you thank not GOD more for deliverance from hell, from the guilt and power of sin, than for outward blessings, you discredit GOD, and his choicest mercies, by under-rating spirituals to temporals.

 

 We should have blessed GOD for his rod, as well as his staff; for both are mercies: but how unthankful are we even for sufferings. for righteousness' sake!”In every thing give thanks: “ as you should not be partial in your obedience, so neither in your thanksgiving. How little have we imitated the ancient Christians, whose mouths were always full of Thanks be unto GOD!' When they heard of persecution or protection, crosses or comforts, they still cried out,”GOD be thanked!” How unlike are we to MR. BRADFORD!’ If,' said be, the Queen will release me, I will thank her; if she will keep me in prison, I will thank her; if she will burn me, I will thank her.' Thou shouldest say from thy heart,' Though sick, though scorned, though threatened, though”all the day long counted as a sheep to the slaughter,” yet blessed be God that I am”counted worthy to suffer for his name;” blessed be GOD that he” counts me a son, and chasteneth me for my profit, that I may be partaker of his holiness;” blessed be GOD that I am chastened, that I may not be condemned.' But we have been too backward to glorify God in Zion, much more in the fires. The Apostle PETER would not have” any man suffering as a Christian” to be” ashamed;” but to”glorify God on this behalf,” and to rejoice, in as much as he is a partaker of CHRIST'S sufferings. But GOD knows how far from praises we have been when the storms have been high, and threatened our tabernacles.

 

 How has God charged us to remember mercy, and to praise him for it! ”Ye that fear the Lo RD, praise him; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD! Praise thy God, O Zion!. Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him according to his excellent greatness.” Doth not the innumerableness of GOD's demands of praise and thanksgiving, aggravate our neglect of this duty What provision has CHRIST made against this sin Has not he appointed the Sacrament of his Supper, on purpose to remember him and his saving benefits ”Do this in remembrance of me.” But have not many been so unthankful, that they have neglected this great ordinance, which was appointed to strengthen their remembrance of past mercies I wonder not that many complain of their decays of love to GOD, whilst they forget his wonders of grace and love to their souls. Did we oftener recount the mercies of GOD, they would work endearments betwixt GOD and our souls; did. we consider, what a wonder it is that GOD should draw us out of nothing,-that He who stoops to behold the things of heaven, should put his finger to our workmanship,-that He should curiously work us as needle-work in the dark vaults of nature,-and that when we were fuller of sin than the toad of poison, yet He should feed and clothe us,-the fire of love to God would burn within our breasts. How is God provoked by this sin! GOD took it ill of the Israelites, that they” remembered not his hand, nor the day in which he delivered them.” How much more do we grieve the LORD, who remember not the Godness of the LORD in Canaan, yea, in Zion Our SAVIOR was grieved that his disciples remembered not the”five loaves,” and the”seven loaves,” and”how many baskets they took up.” Innumerable greater favors has GOD showed to us, and yet we forget them. How have we forgotten the God that bridled nature's proud waves, and said,” Hitherto shall you go, and no farther!” When we were ripe for judgment, then mercy stepped in; and yet how slow to give thanks! Hardly one of ten blessed God for cleansing mercy as they ought.” Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine” This makes me fear people have not had a deep sense of the stains of nature, for that their SAVIOR is, no more thanked. Was it not God that brought you to such a parish, to such a Minister, and to such a text And did not he, by his almighty power, enable thee to believe and apply Was it not he that broke thine heart, when as hard as the nether mill-stone And what! Forget the wonders of the LORD in the deep This vexeth the LORD to the heart. Did not he cause the walls of Jericho to fall,” as by the voice of rams' horns,”-by weak, inconsiderable means Did he not alienate thine heart from those idols that were dearer to thee than thine eyes Did he not present the face of CHRIST as lovely to thy soul, who before was despised and rejected And has not CHRIST fed thee with fresh supplies of free grace that have watered thy soul every moment How many doubts has CHRIST answered How many scruples has he, by his HOLY SPIRIT, satisfied thee in And yet, O wretched heart, how unthankful hast thou been! Thou hast forgotten all his benefits. How just is it with God to plague us for this our unkindness. Wonder not that the showers are withheld, that the LORD causes the sun to set on the Prophets at noon-day, that the manna falls not before your doors. You have not”taken care for the fragments, that nothing be lost.” GOD's mercies have been lost upon you. Our waters were become wine, our gleanings were better than the world's vintage. God dealt with us as sons; but now if he draw in his hand, and” make his garden as a desolate wilderness” for this sin, who can say unto God, ”What doest thou” Must not all of us put our mouths in the dust Did not we sit under our own vines Had we not our solemn assemblies Did not ”we go in troops to the house of the LORD” Did not fear come And had not the Churches rest Did we fear the shaking of the spear Might we not have been as holy as we pleased Had not we as much liberty as we desired But O, then how unthankful were we! How troubled were we that every MORDECAI did not bow; that every one would not be of our mind! GOD knows what a controversy there is with the land, for the unthankfulness of them that dwell therein.

 

CHAPTER 13: Their Neglect of Prayer, especially of Secret Prayer,

 

 NEGLECT of prayer is another part of ungodliness too common even among the professors of religion. Request and thanksgiving are (says one) like the double motion of the lungs, by which they suck in, and breathe out the air again. In the petitionary part of prayer, we desire either the bestowing of some God thing, or the preventing or removing of some evil; and in the gratulatory part of prayer, we return the praise of what we received from GOD, to GOD. Though the thanksgiving part of prayer be most, yet the petitionary part of prayer is too much, neglected. It is ungodliness to go about any business, or journey; to fix our abode, to use any creature, food, or physic, without asking GOD's leave and blessing in prayer; yea, it is a branch of Atheism: this irreligion is laid at the door of Atheism by the Psalmist. Is it not a just cause of lamentation, that so many should be guilty of such ungodliness

 

 Are there not many that never prayed in all their lives ”Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob!” Do not many clearly evidence that they are prayer less souls, by their disobedience to the preceptive, their impatience under the providential, will of GOD ”She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near unto God.” By their entering into so many temptations: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation,” By their being deceived, and laboring to deceive others in the things of GOD: “The Pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the

 

LORD.”

 

 Doth not this sin speak high contempt of GOD That God is not entertained,, so much as in thought Yea, doth not it speak the heart's denial of GOD What says the Psalmist ”The fool has said in his heart. There is no GOD; he calls not upon God.” To live without prayer, is to be dead while alive; for it is to live” without God.” The families that know not GOD, and call not on his name, are the same. What! Will ye not do so much as pray unto GOD What can you do less for GOD, than by this homage to own him for your Maker Or less for your own souls than to beg their lives of him, whose hand of justice is lift up against them Their souls, and theirs only, shall live that seek the LORD. No malefactors die more unlamented than those that, when cast, will not beg for their lives.

 

 How many also are there that have cast off prayer! How many have restrained prayer! When they have thought they have prayed themselves out of affliction, they had no more to say to God till tinder affliction again; and when they have for some time prayed for deliverance to no purpose, “This evil is of the LORD; why should I wait any longer” This is worse than not to pray at all. Not to pray at all, notes only the neglect of duty; but to cast off prayer, a distaste of duty. But I shall be more particular:

 

 Though prayer be the only key to unlock the storehouses and treasuries of all blessings, yet how little has this key been used! I shall waive public and private, and only instance in secret prayer, and that both sudden, and composed, and solemn. How few have made conscience of ejaculatory prayer! How seldom have we darted up our souls to heaven! As, when we are hearing:’ LORD, set home this word upon my heart.' When in prayer our hearts are melting:’ LORD, suffer not my heart any more to be hardened from thy fear.' When we are about our worldly employment:’ LORD, keep my heart with thyself.' Are not some of us wholly unacquainted with this kind of praying’ Not such a dart' (says one)’ to be found in all their quiver.' They know not how, in the midst of their worldly business, and company, yea, in the midst of their solemn religious duties, in hearing, reading, confering, praying, to send their thoughts to give GOD a visit, though a short one, in a desire or two; to speak at least one or two heart-words unto him. Have not most contented themselves with their solemn visits of GOD, and between their solemn duties scarce ever conversed with GOD What account shall we be able to give of our thoughts (the first-born of our souls) from morning to evening Is not this the highest improvement of them, to send them in embassies unto heaven, and by them to converse with GOD Do not the best of us find strangeness apt to grow between God and our souls, between our set duties And may we not impute that strangeness to our omission of these more transient and occasional talkings with GOD How many precious things in Christian conference, in sermons, in our solemn joint prayers, are lost, for want of present lifting up our hearts to God, for his presence therein, and blessing thereupon! How many blessed motions of the HOLY SPIRIT, suggested to us in our particular callings, are quenched, for want of these sallies of our souls to heaven, for more grace, that these sparks may be kept alive, yea, blown into a flame! Neglect of this kind of prayer is no small provocation; it grieves God; there is much unkindness in it, that GOD should be so gracious as to let his door stand wide open at all times, and that he should assure us of welcome whenever we come, and yet that we should not step in so much as with a desire, hour after hour; though we may thus visit him, and not neglect any business we have in hand, or be uncivil to any company.

 

 How few have made conscience of closet-prayer Though CHRIST takes it for granted that his disciples will thus pray, and has annexed a sweet promise to the due performance of this duty. ”When thou grayest; enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy FATHER which is in secret, and thy FATHER, which seeth in secret, will reward thee openly.” Retire thyself, get thee a place, set thyself a time, wherein thou may make it thy business to fray to God. Yet how is this duty wholly neglected by some, and too seldom performed by others! SATAN prevails with some to put off this duty from time to time, by telling them, either that they will but play the hypocrites therein; or, that the time is not convenient, by reason either of some bodily, or of some spiritual distempers; or that this and the other worldly business must of necessity be dispatched at such a time.

 

 O how little do such love the LORD, that are afraid to talk too often in secret with him! But, alas! How many omit closet-prayer altogether! Some content themselves

 

with praying with others, either in the church, or in the family. How can such look upon themselves as Christians, whatever profession they make What! a Christian, and yet never desire any privacy between GOD and thy soul A Christian, and yet find no errand to invite thee to speak to-GOD alone: Sure thou rather seekest to approve thyself to men, than to Gov. The true lover delights to visit his friend when he may find him alone; like that God man, who, when the set time for his closet-prayer was come, would break from any company he was in, with this speech,’ I have a friend that stays for me: farewell.' Others put off this duty, by pretending they pray always; every hour they are darting up ejaculations to heaven. As the pretence' of every-day Sabbath, comes just to no Sabbath; so the continual praying of some, comes to no praying at all.

 

 Ejaculatory prayer should not hinder, but rather fit for, solemn set praying. Fire must be kept upon the altar continually, but that must not hinder the morning and evening sacrifice. True Christians cannot be satisfied with a bit and away, but they must have their set meals. Others look at closet-prayer to be but a free-will offering, (as they term it,) which they may offer if they will, but will not own it a duty. Surely, such are little sensible of their heart-plagues, or else they would alone”make prayer and supplications.” In all my observation, the ruins of Christians have begun in their closet-neglects; either by omitting the duty totally, or by careless, formal, customary management of it.’ The truth is,' (says a late writer,)’ this is the first step towards apostasy: backsliders grow first out of acquaintance with God in secret; then, delight in this duty declineth by little and little; then are they less frequent in their visits, upon which followeth a casting off the duty; and yet they may appear great zealots in public ordinances; but if they recover not what they have lost in their secret trade, they will, ere long, break here also.'

 

A hundred things may keep thee, and hold thee to public duties; but herein is the trial of thy uprightness; what thou dost in secret for GOD, and with him. When the masters part, (the two great ones,-God and the world,) then is the trial of thee, whose servant thou art; but O when the Master• is alone, then he is most neglected.

 

 When alone, thou art fittest for this duty of calling upon GOD; then thou past a discharge from the cumbers of the earth. A heathen (Scipro) will tell thee:’ I have never better company than when I have no company, for then can I freely entertain my own thoughts, and converse with all the learned that have been in former ages.' But thou art called to greater honor, to improve thy solitude to converse with GOD; when alone to have thy Father with thee.

 

 Yea, God communicates most of his affections to his people when they are in secret: when DA VI v was” in the night-watches, then his soul was filled with marrow and fatness.” Not that he wanted God's presence in the day; for seven times a day he praised GOD; but this day-sacrifice yielded hire not that sweetness tasted in the night, when he was sequestered from all company and business.

 

 How few have observed the fittest time for secret prayer! GOD would have us, in this sense, watch unto prayer; GOD would have us early to tell the world whose servants we are, and that we dare not undertake any business without first engaging GOD with us; that we dare not enter on SATAN'S territories without CHRIST, our great champion, with us. This post should be sent to heaven in the beginning of the day; for no sooner in the morning do we begin to live, and stir, but we need fresh succors from heaven.

 

 A true Christian counts that the sweetest air, which is the fruit of prayer, and all things relish well with him that run through this golden channel; therefore he is up early in his closet, that he may receive all, this way, from the LORD'S bounty and faithfulness. Therefore, no sooner doth he open his eyes, but he opens his heart to God; and before he dresses, he must to heaven in secret ejaculations; at least before he goes to his closet, to pour out his soul more plentifully before GOD. He expecteth no God day, unless it be begun with a God duty, and therefore says, a My voice shall thou hear in the morning; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee.” DAVID” prevented the dawning of the morning;” nay, he prevented God, 1:e., his providences and favors which he expected: he loved to have them in the channel of prayer.

 

 But, alas! how do we shuffle with GOD by deferring! And hereby many mischiefs attend. The world, that pest of souls, is admitted before we have got our antidote against the infection of it; hence deadness of heart ensues, multitudes of worldly distractions, so that after a time, the soul has no mind at all to speak with GOD; bat though it must to the closet, yet there is it filled with wandering, discontented, and worldly thoughts; so that the time which should be spent in communion with GOD, is taken up in driving these fowls from the sacrifice.

 

 Besides, GOD is a holy GOD, and jealous for his Name; and he esteemeth it a reflection on him to be so neglected, that he must be served last of all, and therefore withholds his influences from the soul; and then no wonder if thou be soon overcome with a world of impertinent thought. By neglect of early going into your closets, you honor the world too much, as if it were more worthy, of your time and strength than the LORD is; whereas you should profess that all your hours are GOD'S, and therefore you dare not but “honor him with the first fruits of all your increase;” you will thereby sanctify all the harvest, all the vintage, by presenting GOD with the green ears.

 

 You neglect the fittest season, for then the mercies of the night smell sweetest, which after awhile, like flowers, will lose their scent with us: whilst the iron is hot, it is our business to strike: his mercies are renewed every morning; so should our praises.

 

By entering on business without calling on God, you declare you need not the LORD's assistance, and that you can make a shift to live without him; whereas GOD feeds us from hand to mouth, and has not left any stores with us, that we may make our address to him night and day, who must water us every moment. Poor souls! did you but see your dangers, by reason of the three brigades of enemies,-the world; the flesh, and the Devil, you would not be so fool-hardy to venture abroad, until you have besought GOD to help poor, indigent creatures. Remember, you want as soon as you wake; and those things you want which none but GOD can supply. You need divine power to follow your callings.

 

 By neglecting this season, the Devil and the world have often made you forget, or omit, the duty for the day. You have no leisure in the morning, and what then The Devil fills thy hand with unexpected business, that the excuse grows stronger and more plausible. But must we serve the slave, and neglect the LORD of glory

 

 But, O! What hazard dost thou run, not only by preferring other things and business before GOD, but by neglecting the first hour of the day, when thou art not sure of a second! Thou proposest such an hour to pray; but what is thy life save a vapour, which may expire before that hour

 

CHAPTER 14: The Miscarriages of those who do pray, about Prayers.

 

 THERE is not only ungodliness in not praying, (prayerless souls worshipping GOD no more than beasts,) but in praying amiss. And O how many ways do we fail about this duty, both before, and in, and after!

 

First, How do many fail before their entrance upon this duty of prayer!

 

l. By neglect of meditation. Few can say, `Consider my meditation.' Have not we rushed upon this duty before we have meditated of the God we were approaching to What a holy GOD he is, and how unworthy we are to take his name into our mouths What a consuming fire he is, and what dry stubble we are

 

 Have we not rushed into GOD's presence, as the horse rusheth into the battle

 

Have we considered that his eyes are piercing as flames of fire” That all things are naked and open” (as it were dissected)” before him, with whom we have to do” We have not set GOD before our eyes. Our thoughts would not be so low, so earthly, so distracted, did we believingly consider into whose presence we are coming.

 

 Have we considered GOD's almightiness That he can do more for us than we can ask or think He that cometh to GOD (in prayer) should believe that GOD is, that he is the strength, of Israel. Pardon of sin, and victory over it, are mercies beyond the creature's power; but “the LORD's arm is not shortened, that he cannot help.”

 

 Have we meditated on GOD's bounty, pity, and tender compassions As one more ready to give than we to ask; as one who giveth liberally, and upbraids not with our oft coining We want vast thoughts of the Godness and mercy of GOD; we have base, beggarly thoughts of GOD, as if we should trespass too much upon him, and weary him by coming too oft to his door.

 

 Have we mused upon the faithfulness of GOD Who is under engagements to relieve us, to ease us, to be found of us, when we seek him with our whole hearts. “And this is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, lie heareth us.”

 

 Have we meditated of the Way, by whom we must come to GOD How daring are souls to venture on an absolute God! How is the new and consecrated way neglected How is CHRIST laid by, as if there were no need of a Mediator, or of an “Advocate with the FATHER!” How seldom do we pass through Golgotha to the heavenly Jerusalem; and see that “none can come to the FATHER, but by the SON!” We see not our need of incense and odors to he mingled with our sacrifices. Little do we consider, that the opportunity of speaking with GOD is the price of blood, of the precious blood of the SON of GOD.

 

 Have we meditated on our sins; on those to which we are by nature and custom most addicted; and of those with which we have, since the last duty, polluted our souls From the want of meditation hereof, arises formality in duties; the heart is not humbled in confession, neither is the soul importunate with the LORD for pardon and victory.

 

 Have we made conscience to meditate upon our wants; what graces we most needed,-what we are most defective in From this neglect, we pray as if we did not pray; without zeal, earnestness, and importunity; whereas, had we viewed our want of GOD, of his grace, SPIRIT, protection, mercy, and presence, we should pray as for life; and those straggling, vain thoughts, would hereby have been suppressed. When the malefactor is begging his life at the bar, his soul is not running adrift after every feather, but he minds his business; it is life, and his life that is in danger; and therefore he gathers up all possible arguments that may induce the Judge to abate the rigor of justice. But how oft have we been on our knees, and have been ignorant of what ailed us, so that we might truly say, we knew not what to ask When you go to your markets, you consider what you and yours want; but do we so when we go to our spiritual markets

 

 Have not we neglected to meditate of the mercies of GOD, which we have received Hence we come either customarily before God, or not with that holy boldness, as we should. One mercy opens a door to another;” the valley of Achor was given as a door of hope to Israel.” Forgetting the returns of prayer, makes our hearts ache, and knees faint. We should book the passages of God's grace; how” he remembered us in our low condition;” how he has visited us day by day; when we have come in as the parched ground, we have found God a dew to us, and springs of water have appeared in the wilderness; when we have come in before GOD with our shackles on Cue feet, with irons that have entered our souls, GOD has made it a jubilee,-he has proclaimed the acceptable year,-he has let us out of the prison-house, and has set our feet in a large place; when we have come in before GOD with guilt on our souls, and with fearful expectations, how has GOD given us the white stone, and sent us away with his blessing, and with gladness of heart. The neglect of our diaries of the providence and mercies of GOD, makes us more like slaves than children.

 

 Have not we neglected to meditate on the great and wonderful things that have been done upon the prayers of GOD's people We should have in everlasting remembrance what a powerful engine prayer is. It has held the hands of the Almighty: JACOB and MOSES prevailed over God. It has been a key to open and shut the heavens: ELIAS “was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months: and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” And O what wonderful things has God promised to a praying people! “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and spew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” “Whatsoever ye ask in my name, I will do it.” Here was more than HEROD offered: that was but” half the kingdom;” here is a “Whatsoever.” Did we appear before God with these instances of grace and promises fresh in our thoughts, we should not say, “What a weariness is it!” or that” there is no profit in serving God;” and gallop through our duties as we are wont.

 

 2. Another neglect before prayer is, the not stirring up our graces before we set upon the duty. We too much rest on habitual preparation, whereas actual is necessary. He that leaps immediately from the shop to the throne of grace, and labors not to quicken his dull soul, and to leave worldly businesses behind him, no wonder if he lose the duty,- and provoke the LORD, rather than be accepted with him. The well is seldom so full, but that you may, nay, you trust, throw in a little to fetch up the more. It is thought, by the redoubling of DAVID'S charge, that he found not his heart in a God frame for exalting God, and therefore cries out so vehemently, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise his holy Name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

 

 Secondly, How have we failed, when we have entered upon the duty! And that in invocation, in confession, in petition, and thanksgiving.

 

 1. In our invocation. We call GOD, Father, and yet how unlike are we unto him: we resemble not him we call Father; we reverence not him we call Father; we trust not in him with that confidence we would in our fathers of the flesh; we fear, when we ask bread, he will give us a stone; we have lower thoughts of GOD's bowels than our own; we think ourselves more pitiful than GOD himself. If I were a mother, and my child in distress, I should deny him nothing.

 

 2. In our confessions of sin we are not full, and free, and ingenuous. We sit, with RACHEL, upon some idols: we do not” declare our ways unto him,” but rather” cover our transgressions,” as ADAM. Few can clear themselves as JOB did. You will perhaps confess,” We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep;” but still in generals. DAVID was in this gravelled: “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long.” But you descend not to particulars; or if to particulars, yet the Benjamin is reserved; loath to let Benjamin go; loath to confess envy, pride, breach of vows, want of love, or loving the rich only, neglecting the poor. You will confess what every man knows you are guilty of, or what every man is addicted to; but you shame not yourselves, by instancing in the particular neglects and omissions, by which you chiefly provoke the LORD. The Agags are not brought to execution; the best of the cattle are kept back; one wedge is hid in the tent. Or if you confess particularly, yet it is without hatred of the sins confessed. You confess sin, yet hug it, plead for it, within one quarter of an hour, you confess sin, but without self-abhorrence; you loathe it not as the plague of your hearts. 111 abhor myself,” says JOB. This implies a dislike, a hatred, an indignation against, an utter alienation from, and an opposition against sin. GOD knows how little of this is mixed with the confessions of most persons.

 

 3. In their petitions. Both matter, and manner, and end. Have not we been faulty in the matter Have they been always for the best things Life, liberty, estate, are desired; but grace, victory over pride, passions, and worldliness, lie unsought for. We fail also when we pray simply that we may not suffer; for there is no foundation in the promise for such a prayer, and we may not pray save for what God has promised.

 

 Have not we failed in the manner Have we always prayed with earnestness, humility, faith, and sincerity Has the whole man been employed Few can say, “With my whole heart have I entreated thy favor.” Alas! few pray effectually. The heart and soul are not at work in the duty. It is the effectual fervent prayer that avails. We pray as if we had a mind God should deny us. We are too much like children, scribbling over a piece of paper, which, when they have done, they lay it aside, or tear it, or think no more of it. We have not continued in prayer; we have not backed our prayers with prayers; reinforced them; we have soon fainted; we have not been the right seed of JACOB: “I will not let thee go, until thou bless me.” We soon faint, and our desires expire.

 

 Have we not failed in the end May I not say, as the Apostle JAMES, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.” Has not our level been too low We should have made Gore's glory our end, and we have made ourself, barely to quiet conscience, or to obtain pardon of sin, rather than purity of heart and life. You have been perhaps earnest for the pardon of your own and England's sins, and yet selfish in all. You fear (and well you may) temporal plagues; you are afraid that Sodom's sins may bring down fire and brimstone; and therefore, for your own sakes, rather than Gore's, you pray, and with some vehemency; but your end is still too low. Never do you pray aright, until you pray more for CHRIST'S sake than for your own,-for his glory, rather than for your own present, future, temporal, or eternal advantage. It is one thing to seek ourselves, and another thing to seek God in a duty.

 

 4. In our thanksgivings. Who is free from guilt in the gratulatory part of prayer Some bless God for justification and sanctification, and are strangers to these privileges; yea, if catechized, know not what these mercies are, no more than parrots know what they prattle. Others, if like the lepers they are cleansed, yet return not to bless the LORD; they are large in petitions, but very sparing in their praises. Unthankful beggars are an abomination to God and man. We should be thankful for the least mercy; but though we have had the honor to be admitted in the presence-chambers as favorites, yet we are sullen, and slow to return praises for such a vouchsafement. You have not come to dry breasts; you are every day full of mercy; but, alas! “you render not according to what you have received, therefore wrath is against you.” Hast thou had no meltings in prayer, no enlargements, no desires to fear the LORD, no importunities, no wrestlings Why yet it is mercy that thou livest upon the patience and bounty of GOD; it is much that thou shouldest have a being, and be preserved to this day; it is a wonder he should feed thee, clothe thee, protect thee, strive with thee, suffer thee, who art but dust and ashes, to speak with him. The last night thou mightest have lain on a bed of fire, or by the hedge, or have been in the great deeps; but, alas few so ready to praise as to pray. We are too much like the vagabonds: when we have what we come for, away we go, and come no more until pinching necessity drives us; yea, we too often aggravate our miseries, and overlook the benefits we enjoy, that are mixed with our crosses.

 

 Thirdly, How have we, when our prayers have been ended, failed of our duties towards GOD, by running posthaste from the throne of grace to the world! Not considering how our hearts were in time of duty; whether straitened or enlarged, whether composed or distracted; whether we had the face of GOD towards us, or his face veiled; whether we were lively or lifeless, dead or quickened, serious or light; what faith was stirring, what repentance exercised. The Church and people of GOD observed their hardness in duty: “ Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear” We should look back upon our prayers, that we may be humbled for all our vain thoughts, untowardness, distractions, and unbelief in the duty, and we should do it then, whilst we are in the highest capacity to know the miscarriages of the soul,-what the aggravating circumstances thereof are; and not only in order to humiliation, but reformation, that for the future we may not dare to touch the mount of God's presence with such beastly frames.

 

 In case we were in a God frame in the duty, did we labor to retain the influences of the ordinance upon our hearts Did not we let the fire go out again Have not we, like some in a great sweat, God into the open air too soon, and took a cold That is dangerous. DAVID was more careful to maintain his fresh and lively frames, and therefore he entreated the Lo RD to”keep the same in his servant's heart for ever.”

 

 How have we been faulty in not believing that our prayers shall be answered! We direct our prayers unto God, but we do not look up until GOD look down. We do not hearken what GOD the LORD will speak. PAUL observed how long the LORD was silent to his prayer “For this I besought the LORD thrice,” and yet no answer. O when shall we resolve, with HABAKKUK, to “stand upon our watch, and look and see what he will say to us” The neglect of this has bred so many formalists in our

 

congregations. After we have put our prayers into God's hands, we never mind them more. We would be angry with beggars, if they begged an alms, and away presently, as careless of answers.

 

 The sincerity of thy heart would be more evidenced, if thou didst consider what returns thou hast, that thou may bless God for them, and improve them for God, and in case of denials, be of a troubled spirit, as HANNAH was, for that her prayer for a child was so long denied.

 

 What mournings hast thou for that thy pride, worldliness, unbelief, and hardness of heart, are not yet pardoned and subdued Thou continuest in the road of duty, but observest not whether GOD hears thee or not. SAUL went beyond thee: he observed, and was troubled “that GOD answered him not by URIM, nor yet by Prophets.” Have not we by carelessness, by returning to our vomits and mire, intercepted our own prayers

 

Have not we torn our own petitions, and snatched them out of GOD's hands Behold, ”the LORD's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

 

 How seldom have we taken BERNARD'S advice in his gloss upon,”Let us lift up our hearts with our hands;”

 

' That is,' says he,’ let us pray and endeavor. We love to employ God to subdue our sins: but we sit idle; we hate taking pains; we are not co-workers with GOD. Prayer is a key to open heaven to believers; but it may be so managed as to open hell to thee.'

 

 CHAPTER 15:

 

Their Slighting the written Word of GOD, especially in not reading and meditating on it as they ought.

 

 SLIGHTING of the written Word of God is another piece of ungodliness, which English professors of religion have been very guilty of. There is not a surer sign of despising any person, than the setting light by what he says unto us: for according to the honor we give unto the speaker, the words spoken will be of weight with us. But, alas! How has the Bible, GOD's written word, been undervalued by us!

 

 How little have we credited GOD'S written word! And yet it is natural for us to believe whatsoever is said by one, of whose truth we are confident. Have not scripture affirmations been doubted of by us How little has our knowledge of them been attended with building a Christian life upon them as a foundation Have we believed that scripture commands come from GOD, and are most just and fit for him to lay upon us Has this belief brought forth obedience Have we believed that scripture threats are God'ss threats, and will therefore be performed to every impenitent sinner And has this belief kept us from sin, or promoted repentance Have scripture promises been believed to be GOD'S promises, and that therefore all shall certainly be performed to those that perform the conditions And has this belief stirred us lip, and helped us to perform the conditions

 

 God has magnified his word above all his Name; but so have not we. We are apt to be afraid at the appearances of GOD in the Scripture; and yet God appears more in the glory of his majesty therein, than in all his other works, whether of creation, or of common providence. GOD maketh more account of his written word than of heaven and earth. He had rather lose heaven and earth than “one jot or tittle of his word.”

 

 But have not we accounted it no great matter to swerve as little from the written word of GOD Yea, have not we made a light matter of leaving undone what is therein required, and of doing what is therein forbidden Were the Scriptures high in our esteem,-did we look upon God's testimonies as wonderful things, our very souls would be in keeping them.” Thy testimonies are wonderful, therefore doth my soul keep them.”

 

 Have not we been willingly and contentedly ignorant of Scripture discoveries So is not the scholar, of those notions which he valueth. Have not our hearts cried out many times unto the Bible,” Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of God's ways,” either as to worship or manners; and that because knowledge is an obligation, yea, a provocation to duty, and a sting in case duty be neglected

 

 How have we been guilty of not reading the Scriptures as we ought! That every one ought to read them is so evident, that there is no way for the Papists to keep men from believing this truth, but by keeping them from reading the Scripture. No business can discharge us from this duty, and yet how is this duty neglected!

 

 Many, notwithstanding their resolutions, never set upon reading the Bible over. They have seen no excellency in this book; they have seen more in a piece of philosophy, in a rational discourse of divinity, in an ingenious history, in a politic discourse, yea, in a play; like the politician, who preferred an ode in PINDAR before DAVID'S Psalms.

 

How many read the Bible too seldom, thinking it too much to read it daily,-to spend one hour therein every day! Have not some spent several hours in a day, in reading some God books of men's inditing, but not a quarter of an hour in reading God's book’ I even hate mine own works,' said LUTHER, `and oft times wish they were burned, because I fear lest they should withdraw men from reading the Scriptures.'

 

 How much greater is the number of those that have not read the Bible aright Are not all of us of this number When have we prepared for the reading of the Scriptures,

 

as becomes those that are going in unto Got) So going into the sanctuary, where the word of God was kept, is termed.

 

 Have not we read fearlessly When we were going to take the Bible into our hands, have we trembled at the word, lest we should not sanctify the name of GOD; yea, lest we should take the name of God in vain in our reading

 

 Have not we read heedlessly Not diligently marking the duties commanded, the sins forbidden, the rewards promised, and the punishments threatened therein Have not our thoughts been wandering, and not fixed upon what we read When did we attend to Scripture words as heedfully as BENIADAD'S messengers did to the words of AHAB

 

 Have not we read unbelievingly Not believing that the SPIRIT of GOD, the inditer of every word in this book, did particularly intend our God in every verse; that in the Scripture, life and death is set before us; yea, that Scripture words are our life

 

 Have not we read for wrong ends Either to satisfy our curiosity, and not to regulate our hearts and lives; or to have matter of discourse, but not matter of practice; to have Scripture at our tongues' end, not in our hearts; or only to know, being ashamed to be ignorant of those things which all Christians know; and to be able to say nothing of such matters, which we cannot but have occasion divers times in company to talk of, but not to do When did we read the Scriptures with this particular intention, That they might be” a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our paths” That we might thereby be helped” to order our conversation aright.,” When did we read the Bible with the same attention, reverence, and resolution to follow every rule therein, as we think we would if we had lived when CHRIST was upon earth, received a letter from him, directing us what to believe and do, that we might be saved Or as we think we should a book writ immediately by the finger of God, as he wrote the ten commandments in two tables Why, the Bible is God's letter to every one of us in particular, written by himself, though mediately; “I have written to him the great things of my law.” To him; it is in the singular number, because to every man and woman particularly. When did we read the Bible, as children read the last will and testament of their deceased parent.

 

 Have not we read the Scripture without begging of God his SPIRIT, to help Its to understand what we read, and to practice what we understand; at least, not so importunately as we would, if we ’bad been begging’ for our lives at the bar of a Judge Have not we sown this seed among thorns, in unploughed hearts, and have not so much as prayed to God, to take away the heart -of stone, and to give a heart of flesh, a teachable, pliable, tractable spirit, ready to receive every divine impression O when shall we make conscience of reading the Scriptures daily as we ought I The Emperor of Heaven,' says GREGORY the Great, `the LORD of angels arid men, has sent to you that which concerns your life; and will you (still) neglect to read it with a fervent and zealous spirit’

 

 How guilty have we been in not meditating on the word of God as we ought! How little, if at all, have we dwelt in our serious thoughts upon the matters contained in the word of GOD, to the end we might understand how much they concern us, and that our hearts may thereby be raised to holy affections and resolutions! Though meditation be commanded as a chief means sanctified by GOD for the keeping of his word; though we cannot be holy and happy without it altogether; though it be one of the most profitable duties of a Christian; though it be the duty by which the soul digesteth truths, and draweth forth their strength for its nourishment and refreshment; yea, the duty by which all other duties are improved: yet how much is this duty neglected by all sorts of men, because, though it be delightful to the spirit, yet it is tedious to the flesh!

 

 Have not many been long professors of religion, and yet if they would tell the truth, they never spent one hour together in meditating on the most weighty scripture truths: on GOD, on man's estate by creation, the fall, regeneration, on CHRIST, on the vanity of the creature, on the beauty of holiness, on death, on judgment, on heaven, and hell

 

 How few have managed this duty aright! Has not that which we call meditation been study only Has not some controversial point, or some nice speculation, been the matter of our meditation Hereby we evidence that we have not so great spiritual hunger after righteousness as we should.’ Hungry men (says one) do not use to stand and pick bones, when they have meat enough to eat.' Has not our end in meditating been only the increasing our knowledge, and not the improving out knowledge Have not we begun this work without GOD When we were going about to meditate, have not we neglected prayer for help from heaven to go through with the work, though without GOD we can neither know, resolve upon, nor perform what is God; for from him, yea, from his own God pleasure, comes both the will and the deed. Have not we idled away our meditating seasons, if we have sequestered ourselves from worldly businesses, and company, for meditation at any time, by suffering our thoughts to wander up and down to no purpose, to be sure not to fetch in considerations for the stamping holy impressions upon our hearts and lives Have not we in meditating been without a due sense of GOD's presence May not we cry out, Surely the Lo RD was in such and such a-place, where I have been meditating, and I knew it not, 1:e., I considered it not Hath not the work of our understanding, in this business, been to retain, and not to convey truth into the heart', Have our understandings represented what should work holy affections and resolutions aright Have they presented things God, of a divine and heavenly nature, as God, CHRIST, and heaven, in their beauty Have they presented things in their nature simply evil, as sin; God's wrath, hell, at their worst Have not we left off meditating before we attained the end of meditation, before holy affections and resolutions were wrought 

 

 Have not we rushed out of this duty, as well as rushed into it Have not we God from this work, as a bird out of the snare, with joy and speed Have not we ended as well as begun this work without GOD Not praying to GOD for strength to perform what we have been enabled by grace to resolve upon for GOD; and for pardon of what has been amiss in the duty O when will we be prevailed with to make conscience of this duty of duties’ I once more entreat thee,' to use MR. BAXTER'S words,’ as thou art a man that maketh conscience of a revealed duty, and that darest not wilfully resist the SPIRIT; and as thou art faithful to the peace and prosperity of thine own soul, that thou speedily and diligently set upon it.'

 

 O what a mighty blessing is it to have such a book, wherein is written by GOD himself the counsels of his will concerning man's eternal salvation! What a sin is it, then, to have low, mean, yea, vile and base thoughts of it! Is not our slighting the word of the LORD the cause of all the wickedness in our hearts and lives Whence are all our omissions and commissions, but because we make a light matter of sinning against the Scriptures Certainly this great provocation has a great hand in our miseries, and threateneth utter ruin to us.” Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: therefore, as the fire devoreth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff; so their root shall’be rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the Law of the LORD of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.