The first Particular Opportunity to be redeemed.

1. The Morning of our Age: the Time of Youth, and Health, and Strength: this is an Opportuni­ty of providing for Eternity: this is a fit Season of working out our Salvation; of laying up in store against a Time of Sickness, an Hour of Weak­ness, and the Day of Death. This is a Time, wherein^[a] both Body and Mind are strong and vi­gorous. [Page 23]This is an Age meet for Impression, ca­pable of Instruction, and fit for Action. The Wise Man calls young Men to redeem this choicest Part of their Time: to think of him early, who lov'd and minded us so early (Eccles. 12.1.) Remem­ber now thy Creator in the Daies of thy Youth, [thy choice Daies] while the evil Daies come not, nor the Years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no Plea­sure in them. The Daies of Youth are good Daies: the Time of Health and Strength is a good Time in­deed: Now the Understanding is quick and per­ceptive, the Memory strong and retentive, and the Body able and fit for Service and Employment, The Daies of old Age, they are evil Daies: then the Eyes grow dimm, the Ears deaf, the Hands tremble, the Legs are feeble, and the Memory fails. Old Folk they can't do as they have done: they can't follow the Markets, and manage House-hold-Businesses, and order the Affairs of their Fa­milies and Callings, with such quickness and dis­patch as formerly. Now, if Old Age be unfit for any Action, then to be sure 'tis most unfit for the Exercises of Religion; it is most weak and strength­less here. Pray tell me, what wilt thou do to re­member thy Creator then when thy Memory fails thee? Wilt thou be fit to turn to God, when thou art unable to turn thy self in thy Bed? how canst thou serve the Lord thy God with all thy Strength, when almost all thy Strength is gone?

Such of us as have been prodigal of this precious Time, let us lay our Loss to heart, and mourn in secret for it. What a sad Consideration is it, that many of us have made our selves uncapable of taking Solomon's excellent Counsel. They that have al­ready spent their Youth in youthful Lusts, they are not in a Capacity of remembring their Creator in [Page 24]the Daies of their Youth. All that such can do, is only, with an holy Shame, and Godly Sorrow, to remember in Confession before God, that they have not remembred what in due Time they ought to have remembred; and to beg of God, that for Christ his sake he would not in Judgment remem­ber their non-remembrance; but that he would in Mercy remember them, though they han't as they ought remembred him.

But now for such, as have not as yet past the Daies of their Youth; O let them prize, and present­ly improve these precious Daies and Hours; O [...] (as the wise Pittacus once said) know Time, know this particular Time; lose not, if possible, a Minute of it. 'Twill be grievous to^* possess the Sins of your Youth in your Old Age.

Now for your encouragement to redeem this Part of your Time, consider seriously these few Things;

1. That the early Redemption of your youthful Daies, for the Honour, and Worship, and Ser­vice of God, will be very pleasing and acceptable to him. God of old required that the first ripe Fruits, and the First-born should be dedicated to him: and his Sacrifices he would have to be young; to shew that he delights in the Flower of Age, and well ac­cepts the^† kindnesses of our Youth. As in the distilling of Waters, that which is drawn off first, is the strongest, and fullest of Spirits; and the last is the weakest and smallest: Or, as in the pouring out of a Bottle, or drawing out of a Vessel (to use^[c] Se­neca's [Page 25]Similitude) that which is purest and clearest comes forth first; and that which is thickest and most dreggy, sinks and remains at the Bottom: so the^[d] best of our Daies run out first, and the worst at last. Now 'tis a Disgrace to God, to give him the Devil's leavings: it is a Contempt cast upon God, to give the Devil the Flower of your Age, and him the Bran. Suppose a Landlord should come to his Tenant, and entreat him to set before him some­what to eat; and he should reply, Excuse me, I pray Sir; there are a Company of Villains and Var­lots, which I am at present providing for; but if you will be pleased to stay a while, you shall have those broken Scraps which they shall leave: would not this be a strange, rude, unseemly Behaviour? Thus, thus it is with the most of us: God is our great Landlord, and he comes, and moves, and so­licits us to serve him: but we have fleshly filthy Lusts that war against our Souls; and yet these must be straight provided for: they must have the Strength of our Bodies and of our Souls. This is unworthy, dishonourable Dealing with God, and we little think how ill he takes it at our hands. But how welcome are they to God, who prefer God before the Devil and the World; and honour God with their very first choice, and virgin Love! Who do not stay, as it were, till they are weary of Sa­tan's Service, and then take a new Master; but fol­low God even as soon as they can go, seek and en­quire early after him, and bind themselves in their Youth to him.

2. The well-redeeming of your younger Daies, as it will be most acceptable unto God, so 'twill make you more useful and serviceable unto others. Thou canst hardly do any considerable Service either to God, or the Church, or the State, if thou ma­kest it late before thou beginnest to be well employ­ed. He can do but a little Work, that takes none in hand till the Sun is a setting.

3. The redeeming and husbanding of the Time of thy Youth is apt to prove most profitable to thy self. The earlier Men set out in the Morning of their Age, the farther they may walk in the Waies of God's Commandments in the Day of their Life, and make more Progress in the Path of Holiness. The sooner you begin, the more work you may do, and so may receive the greater Reward: Yea, be Gainers here, as well as hereafter, by being thus busie betimes. He that makes Religion his Busi­ness in his Youth, may easily lay up a Stock of Grace, and of comfortable Experience, which may be of much use to him. If thou beginnest young, thou maiest get abundance of Grace into thy Heart before thou art old: Thou maiest go from one Degree of Grace to another, from Strength to Strength: thou maiest be almost a perfect Man in Christ Jesus, by that Time others are but new-born Babes, if thou wilt but begin betimes. But a late Christian cannot probably be an eminent Christian; As a Man that begins the World late, can hardly grow a very rich Man: Or, as we say of Bees that swarm late, they get not any great Store of Ho­ney. Manna was not to be met with but in the^* Morning: Who would misspend, or neglect the Morning-Season of his Life, and lose that Portion [Page 27]of heavenly Manna, which he might have gathered and gotten in it? Who would have a thin Crop, and lean Harvest, by later sowing his Seed? Sow early, that you may reap the more plentifully.

4. Consider moreover, that they that redeem the Time of their Youth, are likely to redeem their riper Years: They have not only more Time to get good, but a greater Disposition, and a stronger ha­bitual Inclination to be, and to do good. A young Saint, and an old Devil; is a cursed and an absurd Proverb: There is the greatest fear that a young Devil will prove an old Beelzebub. Who can ever expect, that a Tree that is^[e] barren in the Sum­mer, should bare and bring forth Fruit in the Win­ter? It is said of the Trees of Righteousness, that they shall bring forth Fruit ^* in old Age: not then begin to do it, but shall continue still to do it.^† It is good for a Man, that he bear the Yoke in his Youth: It is true of the Yoke of Christ; They that bear it in their Youth, there is hope they will count it an easie Yoke, and not offer to throw it off afterwards.^{[f] ‖} Train up a Child in the Way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ^[g] What the Vessel is first season'd withal, it will have a taste of a long Time after. Remember God in your Youth, and you will hardly forget him ever after.

5. Consider once more, 'tis plain and evident some young ones have redeem'd the Time of their Youth: do you follow and imitate their Example. Holy David was able to say,^* Thou art my Hope, O Lord God; thou art my Trust from my Youth. ^† Good O­badiah feared the Lord from his Youth. It is said of Abijah the Child of Jeroboam, that in him there was found some good Thing, some Seeds of true Piety toward the Lord God of Israel; that is, in regard of the Worship of God: and it is the Com­mendation of this young Man, that he was not on­ly truly Godly, but pious and religious in a wicked and flagitious^‖ Jeroboam's House. You know,^(*) Sa­muel in his Childhood ministred before the Lord. And^(†) Timothy ^[h] from a Child had known the holy Scriputres: He began betime in Religion, in holy Learning and Knowledg; and gave such Proofs of forwardness therein, whence it might be, and was prophesied concerning him, that he would become an eminent Instrument in the Church of God, in communicating to others the Light of saving Knowledg, wherein himself so early had made so good a Beginning, so great a Progress.

We read of the elect Lady's Children^‖ walk­ing in Truth; that is, in Sincerity and Integrity of [Page 29]Faith and Manners, or ordering their Actions as the Truth prescribes, and living according to the Rule of the Gospel. Our Saviour Christ was ear­ly about his Father's Business: we find him at it^* at twelve Years old.^† 'Tis said of that good King Josiah, that in the eighth Year of his Reign (which was the^[i] sixteenth Year of his Age) while he was yet young, he began to seek after God. Certainly his Heart was seasoned with the Fear of God in his Childhood, when first he began to reign: But now in his Youth, as soon as he could get the Reins of Government in his Hand, he began to seek after God: that is, to endeavour the Setling of the true Religion, and publicly to manifest his Faith in God, and Zeal for his Glory: And in the twelfth Year (when he had attained to more Authority) he began to act most vigorously against Idolatry: And in the eighteenth Year he had quite purged the Land, and the House of the Lord. v. 8.

And it's well known concerning our English Jo­siah, King Edward the sixth, that he was most ex­emplarily holy in the Daies of his Youth. How did he honour the Bible, and Word of God!^[k] When one of his Play-fellows proffer'd him a bossed-plate [...] Bible to stand upon, and heighten him to take down somewhat he desired, which then stood above his Reach; perceiving it a Bible, with holy Indignation he refused it, and sharply reproved the Owner thereof, as counting it unfit to trample that under his Feet, which he was to [Page 30] treasure up in his Head and Heart. And upon the Day that he was crowned King of England, when three Swords were o [...]ered him, to signify that he was King of three Kingdoms, England, France, and Irland; ^[l] he is reported to have sad, There is one Sword wanting yet: and being asked what that was, he said it was the Bible: that Book is the Sword of the Spirit, sa d he, far to be prefer­red before all these. He was constant, fervent, and successful in his private Devotions.^[m] How did his faithful Prayer wonderfully recover Sr. John Cheek his School-master, who by his Physicians was quite given over for a dead Man! How did he promote and carry on the Re [...]ormation of Religi­on, from Idolatry and Superscition, in this Land and Nation! And when the Emperour Charles the fifth sent an Emba [...]adour with a menacing Message of War, in case his Cousin the Lady Mary should not be admitted the free exercise or the Mass: and the Counc I thinking it fit to gratify the Emperour, engaged arch-Bishop Cranmer, and Bishop Ridley to press the King with Pol [...]tick Reasons for the to­leration thereof; the King refused upon Scripture-Grounds to condescend there into: and when he found them still urgent, and very importunate with him; at last he [...]ilenced them with his Tears, and stopt their arguing with his Weeping, and forc'd them to weep in company with him. It is^[o] reported of the early and eminently holy Mr. Joseph Allein, that, when but a School-Boy, he was observed to be so studious, that he was known as much by this Periphrasis (the Lad that [Page 31]will not ^[p] play) as by his Name. And when in the University; he so demeaned and carried him­self, that he deserved to be called the Scholar, who by his good Will would do nothing else but pray and stu­dy. Yea so early, as about the eleventh Year of his Age, he was noted to be very diligent in private Praier, and so fixed in that Duty, that he would not be disturbed, or moved by the coming of any Person accidentally into the Places of his Retire­ment. And 'tis remarkable, what is storied^[q] of a young Child, who died about five or six Years old, that he would so beg, and expostulate, and weep in Praier, that sometimes it could not be kept from the Ears of Neighbours; so that one of the next House was forced to cry out, The Praiers and Tears of that Child in the next House will sink me to Hell: because the forward Piety and Devotion of the Child, did reprove and condemn his neglect of Praier, or his slight Performance of it. And to what a Degree of good Understanding and holy Affection had^[r] that child of Mr. Owen the Mi­nister arrived? who was but about fourteen Years old when he died: and in his Life time would often [Page 32]write very serious Godly Letters to his Brother, which shewed his great Piety, and happy improve­ment. And how savourily and spiritually he exer­Cised himself in Meditation notably appear in this Instance; that though he much delighted in young Lambs, yet one Day his Mother bringing a Lamb, newly fallen of an Ewe of his; and shewing a little Displeasure, that he should take no more notice of her bringing it to him: He told her, that as he saw the Lamb in her Arms, he was thinking of the Lamb of God, how he presented him to the Father: and that the Lamb his Mother brought him, was but a poor thing for him to rejoice in, for he had far higher Matters for his Joy. Some young ones have redeemed the Time of their Youth; O do you so too. Be able to say upon better Grounds than the young Man in the Gospel, that all God's Commands you have kept from your Youth up. The Time of Youth is a special Sea­son of doing, and receiving good: That's the first.

The second Particular Opportunity to be redeemed.

2. As the M [...]rning of our Age, so the Morning of the Week, the first Day of the Week, is a special Time to be redeem'd. Let this Day be religiously observed by us, which was applied and consecra­ted, separated and appropriated to sacred Uses, and holy Offices, by the blessed Apostles; who were either commanded by Christ to do it, when for forty Daies after his Resurrection he instructed the Apostles, and^* spake to them of the Things per­taining to the Kingdom of God: Or, having received the holy Ghost, Christ's Agent or Advocate, pro­mised and sent to inspire their Minds, to teach and [Page 33]shew them how to manage Affairs, and order Matters relating to the Church; were extraordina­rily guided, and divinely directed by the Spirit of Christ, in this weighty Business of the Surrogation and Substitution of the first Day in the place of the Jewish seventh Day Sabbath, which was partly a Ceremonial Rest, and was joined with the Ceremo­nial Law, (^[a] the Services and Rites whereof were to be observed in the Tabernacle and Temple upon this Day) and was a distinguishing Sign, and Part of that Partition-wall whereby the Jews were sepa­rated from the Gentiles; and was therefore fit to be now removed and laid aside: And were more­over plainly lead to it by the Providence of God, which imprinted and put a most not able Character and sig­nal Honour on this Day, and made it more excel­lent than any other, by Christ's Resurrection, and Apparitions, and the Spirit's Mission upon it; which were a remarkable pointing, and special singling out of this Time; and a clear Intimation, that this very Day should be publickly kept, and uni­versally observed, in perpetual Honour of the Lord Christ.^[b] As the Sacrament is called ^* [...], the Lord's Supper, not only because it is kept in Remembrance of the Lord's Death, till his com­ing again; but because it was instituted by the Lord himself: So the first Day of the week is expresly stiled^† [...] the Lord's Day; not only because it is observed by the Church in Memory of the Resurrection of the Lord Christ; but because it was appointed by the Lord Christ, because he was the Author and Ordainer of it, either immedi­atly [Page 34]by himself, or mediatly by his Apostles. And we cannot imagine, that there shall ever occur a sufficient Reason for the ^[c] Alteration of this to any other Day; for we can never look to receive a richer Benefit in this World than Redemption by Christ, who rose from the Dead; and Sanctifica­tion by the Spirit, sent down from Heaven on this very Day. We can never have greater Blessings to remember on another Day, and therefore the Sanctification of this Day must be perpetuated to the End of the World.

On this Day especially the Apostles performed those Offices, which are most proper and most agree­able to a Sabbath-Day. ^* There was a Convention and Congregation of the Disciples on the first Day of the Week, to break Bread; and St. Paul preacht to them the same Day: And though the Apostles preached, and celebrated the Lord's Supper on o­ther Dates of the Week; yet why are the4se Things mentioned as done on that Day particularly and re­markably, unless it were for some singular Emi­nency of this above any other Day; and because they were bound to do those Duties on this Day more than on any other. And the Apostle gave express Order, that^† the Collection for the Saints, a Work especially fit for a Sabbath-Day, should be made particularly on the first Day, that is,^[d] every first Day of the Week; which was the fore-ordain'd and [Page 35]customary Day of the Christian, religious, Church Assemblies. Ʋpon (or^[e] against) the first Day of the Week, every Person was to lay apart what God should move and encline him to offer.

The Preparation and Separation of it was to be at home, every Week: but the Collation and Contributi­on to be in the Publick Congregation, every Lord's Day. For,^[f] it was not reasonable for any to come to the Lord^* empty, upon the Day of the most so­lemn Christian Assembly. And this Day was ap­pointed for the Oblation of their Alms, because of the inestimable Benefits, and infinite good Things we this Day had bestowed upon us.

And the Church of Christ has constantly observ'd this high Day, ever since the Apostles Daies, and spent it in Reading, Exhortation, Praier, Sacra­ments.^[g] The Primitive Christians were sus­pected to worship the Sun, because they used to celebrate the Sunday. It was an^[h] usual Questi­on put of old by the Heathen to the Christians, be­fore ever they offer'd to torture and martyr them; Num Dominicum servasti? Did you keep the Lord's Day? To which they answer'd, Christianus sum, intermittere non possum. I am a Christian, and dare not omit, or give over the Observation of it.

This is a Day, in which God is to be solemnly worshipped and served; and Christ to be pbulick­ly [Page 36]magnified and glorified: A special Season to be laid hold on, a particular Opportunity to be im­proved for our Soul's Good. This is a special Day of Grace, in which (as I may say) the Mint is go­ing, and in which we may take our Stamp of Ho­linefs.^[i] This is the gainfullest, the joyfullest Day of the Week: a Day of Harvest, wherein we are to lay up in store for the whole Week, nay, for our whole Lives. This is a Market-day for our Souls, in which we may trade for Eternity. This is a Day in which we may hear and understand the Things that be­long unto our Peace. Pious and pathetical is that of the divine and holy Mr. Herbert,

This is a Day, in which the most precious Com­modities that ever the World saw, or heard of, are set forth: in which the Riches and Treasures of the Gospel are opened, Christ himself offered, his Merit and Spirit tendred; Pardon and Grace, Light and Life, Strength and Comfort held out and exhibited. This is a Day, in which no Pando­ra's [Page 37]Box is opened, but in which the Cabinet of God's Jewels is unlocked, and his precious Gifts and Graces dispensed. This is a Day, in which a spiritual Mart, a divine Fair is publickly kept: in which, with the wise Virgins, we may buy Oil for our Lamps; buy spiritual Eye-salve, to anoint our Eyes, that we may see (as our Saviour counsels ex­cellently); buy the Truth (as the wise Man advises us) and be perswaded so well to like it, as never to sell or part with it: buy Wine, and Milk, and Bread, to fill and satisfy our empty, hungry, and thirsty Souls: buy white Rainment, that we may be clothed, and that the Shame of our Nakedness may not appear: buy the Christian's compleat Ar­mour, that we may be furnished for our Warfare, and well provided against the Assaults of our Spi­ritual Enemies: buy Gold tried in the Fire, that we may be rich: yea, in which we may buy the Pearl of Price; in which we may receive and lay hold on Christ, and all his Benefits; and embrace and ap­ply the great and precious Promises of the Gospel. This is a Day, in which the Word of God's Grace is opened and applyed; and the holy Sacraments, the Seals of the Covenant, frequently administred: in which we have the Priviledg of hearing God speaking unto Sinners, and wooing and beseeching Rebels to be reconciled: and in which we may en­joy the glorious Liberty of speaking our selves to God, with an holy Boldness at the Throne of Grace; and pouring out with one Accord our Supplications and Souls in Praier to him. This is a Day of solemn Rest from servile Offices, and world­ly Works: A Time of drawing nigh to God, and of meeting the Lord in his own Ordinances; of joining with the Saints and Servants of God, in the Worship of God, in Praiers to God, and the [Page 38]Praises of him: of having Communion and Fellow­ship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, through the blessed Spirit; and of enjoying a kind of Heaven here upon Earth.

The Lord's Day, you see, is a special Season of Grace and Mercy: O let's be spiritually thrifty of this Opportunity: Let's not live as if we were of the same Mind with the modern carnal Jews, who think (as the learned^[k] Buxtorf tells us) that sleeping excessively on their Sabbath is a great Honour dòne to God.

Let's not content our selves with an idle Rest: Let our Rest be the Rest^[l] of Men, and not of Beasts; and the Rest of holy Men, as holy: Let's not only cease from secular Works, but exercise our rational and spiritual Faculties in heavenly and di­vine Employments; and set our selves to Works of Piety, Charity, and Mercy. Let us redeem this Time out of the Hands of the Devil, the World, and our own carnal, cozening, corrupt Hearts. Do not offer to work the Works of your Calling, the Works of the Flesh, the Works of the Devil, on the Lord's Day: Take heed of serving the Devil more upon the Lord's Day, than on any other Day, than on all the Days of the Week besides. Let not the Lord's Day be leisure for the Devil; as if the first Day of the Week were Daemoniacus potiùs quàm Dominicus; the Devil's and not the Lord's Day. Let not any Temptations, or Delusions of Satan, keep and detain us from the publick Ordinance, di­vert [Page 39]our Attention at it, and hinder our Spiritual Benefit by it. Let not any Recreations, and sen­sual Pleasures, upon this Day especially, hinder the Performance or Family-Duties, and private re­ligious Exercises. Let not vain Thoughts this Day lodge within us, and justle out heavenly Medita­tions. Let not worldly impertinent Discourses, up­on this Day, shut out more profitable Christian Conferences.

The Lord's Day, it is the most considerable Ad­vantage, the most notable Opportunity that is af­forded us, and the best Price that is put into our Hands all the Week long. You have several Mar­ket-daies in the Week, for civil Affairs, and world­ly interests: but you have this one only for spiri­tual and eternal Interests and Advantages. O do not neglect so great Salvation as is this Day offered and tendred to you. Having such an excellent Price in your Hands, O be not such Fools as not to make a good and a right Use of it.^[m] Mr. Ri­chard Capel, pressing the strict Observation of the Lord's Day, would usually say, that we should go to sleep that Night with Meat in our Mouths (as it were) The Lord's-day being our best Opportunity; if we mis-spend that, we cannot be said to redeem the Time.

Now that we may redeem the Lord's-day to good Effects, and useful Purposes, let us not be wanting to put our selves in a sit Preparation for the due Observation of it: not only by previous Medi­tation of the Day, and the Duties of it; but by ordering aright the constant Course of our Con­versation, and labouring for habitual Sanctifica­tion. [Page 40]Let us every Day live as those that expect to have Communion with God the next Lord's-day. Let us act so regularly all the Week, that nothing may be done by us, which may breed any strange­ness between God and us, and hinder our delight­ful Converse with him on his own Day: that on that sacred, separated Day, we may not bring the fresh Guilt of any gross and wilful Sin along with us, which may make us blush and be ashamed to come into his Presence. Let us walk so circum­spectly every Day, that upon the Return of his own Day, we may meet him with a pure and clear Conscience, with clean Hands, and clean Hearts, and may be made joyful in his House of Praier. That we may keep the Lord's-day holy, let us strive and study to live holily all the Week; and be so provident and diligent, as to finish and dispatch in the six Daies all kinds of secular Works, and common Employments; that no Sin committed on the one hand, nor any Business of our Calling omit­ted on the other, may disturb and slacken our At­tention, distract and discompose us in the Exer­cise of our Devotion; but that we may cheerfully and fruitfully spend the Lord's-day in the Lord's Work. Let us every Day carry our selves so spiri­tually, and perform our Closet and Family religi­ous Duties so conscionably and constantly; that we may be the fitter and readier to spend this choice, select Day in the solemn Worship and Ser­vice of God; and may go through the several Du­ties of it with less Tediousness, and more Delight. Let us be with God some part of every Day, that so we may grow into Acquaintance with him; and may taste the Sweetness, and experience the Gain­fulness of Communion with him; and long for the return of the Lord's-day, that we may meet and [Page 41]enjoy him in the publick Ordinances, and have Opportunity of larger and freer Converse with him. Let us pray to God every Day, that so, by using our selves to the Duty, we may be the bet­ter disposed to join in Praier with the Congrega­tion on the Lord's-day. Let us read the Bible e­very Day, and daily do whatever we know to be our Duty; and this will make us more apt to hear, and the better prepared to receive the Word that is preached on the Lord's-day.

And when the Lord's-day comes, let us get up as early as may be, that so we may have the more Time before us to work the Work of God in: And take some Pains to prepare our selves in private, for our better Attendance upon the publick Ordinan­ces; and timely ^[n] resort to the Place of publick Meeting; Follow the Counsel of holy Mr. Herbert;

And when thou art come into the Church, watch over thy Behaviour there: make thy self all Reve­rence [Page 42]and Fear. Open thy Ears; but shut thy Eies to all distracting Objects.

As the same Divine Poet pathetically expresses it.

Let God and Angels see your most devout Behavi­our, and serious Composure, the whole Time of Praier: And give all diligent close Attention to the Word of god, read and preach'd. Do not carp and catch, jest and jear at the Preacher's Language or Expression. Do not shew by your vain and prophane Carriage, your ridiculous Gestures, and unseemly Actions, your Laughing and Whisper­ing, Toying and Talking, that you slight and contemn the^[o] Foolishness of Preaching.

And when, on the Lord's-day the Lord's Table is richly furnish'd with a spiritual Banquet, make not needless and frivolous Excuses to absent your selves from this Marriage-feast. If any croud in, that have not a Wedding-Garment; let not this make you stay out, that have one. Lose not your Portion of this heavenly Food, because of others imprepa­ration. Though others eat and drink their own Damnation, let your Faith feed on Christ to your own Salvation. By your frequent receiving of this Sacrament, shew your real Sense of your own need of it, your high prizing and valuation of it, your hearty Thankfulness to Christ for it, your Obedi­ence to your Lord, who does not only vouchsafe it as a Priviledge, but command it as a Duty: Do this [Page 43]in Remembrance of me. Perform this easie sweet Com­mand of thy dying Lord and Saviour, who has freed and delivered thee by his Death from the heavy Yoke and grievous Bondage of Jewish Sacrifices and Observances. O let our Hearts, at such a Time, be broken and bleed at the Remembrance of our Sins, which brake Christ's Body, and shed his Blood. Behold in the Sacrifice and bloody Death of Christ, represented in this Sacrament, the odious­ness and baseness of your own Sins: and resolve to be the Death of that, which was the Death of Christ; and rather to die, than willingly to do that for which Christ died. Abhorr the Thoughts of wilfully choosing so great an Evil, as once brought so great a Punishment upon so great a Person as the holy Je­sus, the well-beloved Son of God. Consider seri­ously upon this Occasion, that if God would not spare Christ, when he, who knew no Sin, was, by voluntary, charitable Assumption of our Guilt, to answer for our Sins; to be sure then he will not spare us, if we wilfully run on in Sin, and obsti­nately allow our selves therein, notwithstanding so convincing a Demonstration of his sin-hating Holi­ness and vindicative Justice. Upon due Meditation draw this Conclusion, (which is the excellent Rea­soning of the^[p] learned Grotius) that if God would not pardon the Sins, no not of penitent Persons, unless Christ did substitute himself in their Room, and stand in their Stead, to bear the Punishment; much less will he suffer unreclaimable Rebels, and contumacious Sin­ners to go unpunished.

When Christ is set forth, in this Sacrament, cru­cified before your Eies; think, how he intended and aimed at our Mortification and Sanctification, in his Death and Passion:^* Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar People, zealous of good Works: ^† Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree; that we, being dead to Sin, should live unto Righteousness. Let us yield, that Christ should have his End in his Death; and never allow our selves to live in Sin, which will render us uncapable of receiving the Benefit of Christ's Death. Think, how the Unholiness of our Lives is a greater wrong to Christ, than the Jews being the very Death of him: because (as the^[q] learned Dr. Jackson notes) it is more against the Will, and Liking, and good Pleasure of our Saviour; whose Will was regulated by Reason, and was a constant Rule of Goodness: for, though a painful, shameful Death, and that inflicted by his own People, went much against his human Will; yet he chose rather to die, and to suffer the most afflictive Circumstances of Death for us, than to suffer us to live and die in our Sins, and in the Servitude and Power of Satan.

Shall we pretend, when we approach to the Ta­ble of our Lord, affectionately to remember a lov­ing dying Saviour, and to desire to have his Me­mory continued and transmitted to Posterity; and yet so much forget him, upon the return of any Temptation, as to repeat that which was the Death of him? Shall we weep at the Sacrament, and seem to be hugely troubled for those Sins which were the Cause of Christ's Sorrows; and yet go about again [Page 45]to destroy, and to crucify Christ afresh? Shall we commemorate at the Lord's Supper our wonderful Redemption by the precious Blood of Christ; and when we have done, shall we do the Devil more work and service than the Lord Christ? O what a Reproach is this to Christ, and what a Sport to the Devil, that they, that pretend to remember Christ's Dying for them, should not find in their hearts to live to him! ^[q] St. Cyprian brings in the Devil boasting and bragging against our Saviour, and insulting o­ver us silly and sinful Wretches, in this manner; I have endured no Buffetings, nor born Smitings with the Palms of Men's Hands: I have suffer'd no Scourg­ings, nor under-gon the Cross for any of these: nor have I redeem'd my Family with the Price of my Passion and Blood-shedding: yet shew me, O Christ, so many, so busy, so painful, so dutiful Servants of thine, as I am able to shew thee every where of mine. Bring forth, if thou canst, such a Number of Persons, who devote themselves, and give their Labours, Estates, and Time to thee; as I can easily pro­duce of those, who do all this to me.

When thou professest to remember that Christ died for thee, O die to that for which he died: Offer thy self to him, and lay out thy self for him, who once offered himself for us, and in the Sacra­ment offers himself to us. Think no Duty too much for him. For Shame, for Shame, do not [Page 46]serve any longer a bloody Murtherer, instead of a blessed Saviour and merciful Redeemer.

Let our Thoughts and Meditations dwell upon the Demonstration, given us in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, of Christ's exceeding, incompa­rable Love to Mankind. See there, how contrary the sweet and kind Nature of Christ is, to the cru­el and execrable Nature of the old Tyrant, the De­vil: For (as the learned^[r] Dr. More very well observes) whereas the Devil (who by unjust Ʋsurpation had got the Government of the World into his own hands, tyrannizing with the greatest Cruelty and Scorn, that can be imagined over Mankind) thirsted after hu­mane Blood, and in most Parts of the World required the Sacrificing of Men; which could not arise from any thing else but a salvage Pride, and Despight against us: This new gracious Prince of God's own appointing, Christ Jesus, was so far from requiring any such villain­ous Homage, that himself became at once one grand and all sufficient Sacrifice for us, to expiate the Sins of all Mankind, and so to reconcile the World to God. Shall not all this disengage us from Sin and Satan, and win and gain us over to Christ?

And let Christ's Death make thee study to do something answerable to the dearest Love of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has dealt so graciously with thee, as to transfer the Punishment from thee upon his Son; and so bounti­fully with thee, as to give his own Son for thee, and to thee. O bless and praise God, by studying to do such good Works, as may provoke others to bless and glorify him.

And when you come home from the publick Ordi­nance, take heed you do not entangle your selves [Page 47]with Businesses, or Recreations; which have as much Power to render the publick Duties ineffectual, af­ter, as before their Performarsce: But carefully spend that which is not Church-time, in Meditati­on, Praier, Reading, savoury Speeches, heaven­ly Discourses, and the conscionable Performance of such Duties as tend to your own and others Edi­fication.

Let Magistrates redeem the Lord's-day, by perso­nally frequenting, open owning and countenancing the publick Worship of God, and Ordinances of Christ; and by improving the utmost of their Po­wer for the Glory of God, and Honour of Religi­on, in the zealous Prevention, or speedy Refor­mation of the horrid Prosanation of the Lord's-day; and vigorous promoting the general Sancti­fication of it: out of serious Consideration, and a strong Conviction, that the Preservation and Conti­nuance of Religion doth much depend upon the due Observation of the Lord's-day: And that a Dis­esteem, and Neglect of the Sanctification of that Day, does quickly cause a lamentable Decay of Christian Piety, and hasten the infliction of^[s] fear­ful Judgments upon a Land and Nation.

Let them do this, in imitation of the brave and holy-spirited^* Nehemiah, who testified against, and contended with the notorious Profaners and Viola­tors [Page 48]of the Sabbath-day; and would not suffer the open selling of Victuals, and Wares; the trading with Commodities, and carrying of Burthens, and doing the servil Works of their ordinary Callings on that Day. Did not your Fathers thus, saies he; and did not our God bring all this Evil upon us, and upon this City? yet ye bring more Wrath upon Israel by pro­faning the Sabbath.

Let Magistrates see to the Observation, and look to the Sanctification of this Day; and so become the happy Instruments, and blessed Means of the sub­sisting and flourishing of Religion in the World; of keeping up in the Minds and Hearts of Men a Sense of God, a Sense of Sin, a Sense of Duty to God and Man, a Sense, or believing Apprehension of a certain Reward or Punishment, a Sense of Heaven and Hell, a Sense of Eternity: of beget­ting and preserving a Tenderness and Quickness in Men's Consciences, which are apt to be roused and awakened under every Ordinance: of maintaining the Life of Religion and the Power of Godliness: of upholding the outward Worship and Service of God, and heightning and increasing the inward Ho­nour, and hearty Love and Fear of him: All which depend, in a great measure, upon Magistrates secu­ring, what lies in them, the due and sacred Obser­vation of the Lord's-day.

Let Ministers redeem the Lord's-day; not by com­posing their Sermons, or committing them to their Memories on that Day, (which Toil and Task is fitter to be the Labour of other Daies) but by striving to work their Sermons and Discourses up­on their own and others Hearts and Consciences. Let them spend that Day in^[u] wrestling with God [Page 49] in secret, for Assistance in, and a Blessing upon their publick Employment: In first confessing their own Sins in their private Closets; and in begging divine Gifts and Graces, to make them able Mini­sters of the New Testament; in setting right their aims and ends in all their Exercises and Underta­kings; and in imploring the special, spiritual, gra­cious, powerful Presence of God with his own Or­dinances. And then in humbly consessing the Sins of the People in the publick Congregation, in earnest­ly praying for their Souls, and praising God for his wonderful Mercies in the Mediator, for the happy Restauration of sinful and miserable Mankind, and the Communications of himself to the lost World by Jesus Christ: In propounding and pressing the most sound and solid Reasons; the most convin­cing, cogent Arguments, to engage them to their Duties; and in giving, with the greatest Expres­sion of Affection, the most proper Directions, and seasonable Counsels, to guide them in the Way to Heaven.

And, Let the People redeem the Lord's-day, by pri­vately reading, or hearing read, some Part and Por­tion of Scripture, which would season their Hearts, and make them more teachable, when they hear the Word publickly read or preach'd: By praying for themselves to the Shepherd and Bishop of their Souls; and by praying for their Minister to the chief Shep­herd, that Shepherd both of Shepherd and Sheep, of Pastor and People, that great Prophet and Teacher of his Church; that he would teach their Teacher, instruct their Instructor, and so lead and guid him by his Word and Spirit; that he may safe­ly conduct them by sound and seasonable Doctrine, and winning Example, in the Way everlasting. Yea, Let them redeem the Lord's-day, by attend­ing [Page 50]on the Lord without Distractions; by joining in the publick Prayers; by being present at publick Baptism, that they themselves may be minded and remembred of their own Baptismal Vow and Co­venant: By worthy and frequent receiving the ho­ly Communion of the body and Blood of Christ; By diligent hearing the Word preacht; By serious Meditation on it, and conscionable Practice of it; and by charging themselves, and humbly desiring God to help them, to walk worthy continually of the Means, Mercies and Priviledges they enjoy: By maintaining heart-warning Conference; By charitable Visitation of, and Ministration of sea­sonable, suitable Counsel and Comfort to any sick and weak, afflicted or distressed Persons: By ac­knowledging all their Offences to God, and A­mendment of the same; and by endeavouring hear­tily to reconcile themselves charitably to their Neighbours, where any Difference or Displeasure has been.

You that are Masters and Governours of Families, redeem the Lord's-day for your selves, and cause your Families to redeem it. The Lord of the Sab­bath commandeth, that thou, and thy Son, and thy Daughter, thy Man-servant, thy Maid-servant, and all within thy Gate, keep that Day holy. Set not, suf­fer not your Servants to work, nor your Children or Servants to play on this Day. Be as much asha­med to see your Child or Servant steal and take God's Time to themselves, as you would be to find them pilfering or stealing from your Neighbour. You can keep your Servants close to your own work all the Week-daies: See that they neglect not the Work of God on the Lord's-day. Will you make them labour for you six Daies together, and will not you cause them to serve God one Day in seven? [Page 51]Be at least as much concern'd in Case of neglect of God's Service, as you are at any Time when your own Work and Family-business is neglected. Do it for God's sake: Shew that you love the Honour of God, and not only respect your own Commodity, and look to your own Advantage. Do it for your Servant's sake: Make it their Business to do God Service, that they may be approved and rewarded by him. Yea do it for your own sake. Make your Servants God's faithful Servants, that so they may prove more faithful to you; and that God may bless them in your Service; and that your Work may thrive and succeed in their Hands. On this Day especially, call thy Family, thy whole Family to Family-duties: prepare them for, and hasten them to the publick Ordinances. It is reported of^[w] Dr. Chaderton, the first Master of Emmanuel-Colledg, that he was married three and fifty Years, and yet in all that Time he never kept any of his Servants from the Church, to dress his Meat; saying, that he desired as much to have his Servants know God, as himself. And it was the Custome of the Reverend and pious^[x] Dr. Gouge, to forbear providing of Suppers the Eve before, that Servants might not be occasioned thereby to sit uplate: nei­ther would he suffer any^[y] Servant to stay at home for dressing any Meat upon the Lord's-day, for the Entertainment of Friends, whether they were mean or great, few or many. Take your [Page 52]Family to Church along with you; and when you return home again, examine, catechize, inform, instruct them, recapitulate the Sermon, read the Scripture and good Books to them, whet practical, profitable, necessary, saving Truths on them; sing Psalms among them, and pray most heartily and affectionately with and for them.

And you that are Servants, who have little leisure, most of you, on other Daies; and who live, too many of you, in such profane and ungodly Families, where you hear not so much as one Praier put up to God, nor one Line of the Word of God read, nor one serious Word spoken of God all the Week long: what reason have you carefully to redeem the Lord's-day? to redeem it in publick, by devoutly attending to the Prayers that are made, and the Word that is both read and preacht in the publick Congregation: And to redeem it in private, by ta­king all possible Occasions to retire and go aside by your selves, to consider in secret the needs of your Souls, to examine your Hearts and States, to re­view your Lives and Actions, to humble your selves in Confession of Sin, and to pour out your Souls in Prayer for Pardon and Grace; to read the Bible, and some instructive, practical Wri­tings of the most judicious, experimental Divines; apt to inform your Judgments, and to work and prevail upon your Affections: to set your selves to meditate of God, to draw out and engage your Hearts to God; rather than to lavish out, and throw away those precious Hours, in foolish Talk, and frothy Discourse; or in gadding abroad, and walking idly in the Fields, and recreating your Bodies rather than your Souls, and in thrusting God, and turning Religion wholly out of your Minds and Hearts, and nourishing your selves in [Page 53]Ignorance of God, and Unacquaintance with him, and in Encreasing the Atheism of your Hearts and Lives, and hardening your own and others Hearts, through the Ensnarements of the World, and the Deceitfulness of Sin.

But, it may be, you will say, you are hard wrought all the Week long; and you have reason to take your ease and pleasure, and to rest and recreate your tired Bodies one Day in seven, that so you may endure your Labour, and go through all your Work the better.

I answer; that your very Cessation in any mea­sure from your wonted Labour, is an ease and re­lief to your weary Bodies: and that the very change of your Work and Occupation from secular servile Employment to spiritual divine Worship and Service; and the Diversion of your Minds from worldly Businesses to the Offices and Exercises of Religion (if you would but acquaint your selves with them, and use your selves to them) would be delightful and refreshing to you: And the Peace and Quiet, Joy and Comfort of a good Conscience, in the faithful Discharge of your Duty to God, and a tender Care of your immortal Souls, would strengthen and hearten you to bear all the Burthen of the hardest Labours of your domestick Ministeries; in consideration, that your heavenly Father, Lord and Master, will accept and reward your Works of Piety, and bless and prosper the Works of your Hands, in the Houshold-businesses, and Family-employments, incumbent on you, and belonging to you. Rather break your Sleep, to rise the ear­lier, than lose the Opportunities of that Day: Or, chuse to leave, and live out of those Families, in the which you are forced to live without God, are debarr'd from his Service, and can have no Li­berty [Page 54]allowed you to mind God and your Souls, on a Day that was purposely ordained and appoint­ed for your spiritual Proficiency and Improve­ment.

Let the Poor of this World redeem this Day, by ta­king this Opportunity to labour spiritually for the Meat which perisheth not, but endureth to everlasting Life; and by hearing the Gospel preach'd in this Season to them, to become rich in Faith, rich in Grace; to know, and to partake of the Grace and Favour, the Love and Kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, though he was rich, yet, for our sakes became poor, that we through his Poverty might be made rich. You that are poor, and mean, and low in the World, and who cannot take so much Time as others to worship and enjoy God on the Week-Daies, see that you well improve this Day. Now you are released from secular Businesses and common Services, and your Bodies rest from their hard Labours; be sure that you spiritually busie, and holily employ your selves in the Service of God.

Let me likewise charge them that are rich in this World, to redeem this choicest Part of their Time; and in it to endeavour to be rich toward God, rich in God; to lay up for themselves a Treasure in Heaven; to obtain the true, certain, durable Rich­es; which, when they fail, will never leave them; but when they remove, will bear them company in­to the other World.

And here let me hint to you of the Gentry, what^[z] Dr. Paul Michlewait once urged and pressed in a Sermon at the Temple; that Gentle-folk, of all People, are obliged to a strict observation of the Lord's-day. [Page 55]The Gentry, in comparison, rest all the Week long: their Cheeks are not moistened with Sweat; their Hands are not hardened with hard Labour; they are not tired and wearied out with pains-taking: They who take their Pleasure, and recreate them­selves every Day in the Week, have nothing to plead for Recreations on the Lord's-day. Though, for my own part, I should be far from indulging a Liber­ty to any, to take such Recreations as hinder the De­votions due to any part of the Lord's-day, and are Impediments to the Sanctification of it aright. Let all industriously redeem the Lord's-day.

And take we heed we redeem it not by halves: but let's religiously observe, and covetously redeem the whole Lord's-day.

We are bound in justice to God to do it; because God has set a Day, not a Piece of a Day, apart for himself, and requires this Portion and Tribute of Time to be paied to him, who has graciously gi­ven us all our Time. We should be as much, yea more afraid, to steal God's Time, than Mens Goods. Do not only observe the former Part of the Day, repairing to the Church or Chappel in the Mor­ning, but commonly and customarily absenting your selves, and growing quite weary of any such Duty in the After-noon: for God has allotted and appointed a seventh Part of our Time for his own Worship and Service: but if you keep only one half of the Lord's-day, you give God but a four­teenth Part of your Time: Nay, of one Day in se­ven, I fear, too many spare him no more, than that Time only, which their Morning-Attendance takes up in publick on the Lord's-day. And here I appeal to their own Reason, whether it be a meet and fit Thing, that rational Persons, created by God, and redeemed by his Son, should afford to [Page 56]the Worship and Service of God and Christ, and the great concerns of their immortal Souls, but two Hours at most of the whole Lord's-day; and it may be no more of the whole Week) and shall spend those Hours in a formal, customary, cold and heartless Worship of an infinitely holy and just Deity, the tremendous, impartial Judg of Angels and Men.

Grudg not to give God one whole Day in seven, who largely and liberally grants and allows six whole Daies in seven to you: and who designs a greater Benefit and Advantage to you by your Ob­servation of this one Day, than possibly can accrue to you by the carefullest and painfullest worldly Improvement of all the rest. O believe, and consi­der, that the taking out of this one Day, and setting it apart for such an excellent Service, and high Em­ployment as you are called to in it, is certainly the greatest Gift of all. How can you be loth to spend one Day in seven in Familiarity with Heaven, in communion with your Maker, and Fellowship with your Saviour? Let us all call the Christian Sab­bath, the Lord's-day, a Delight: take as much Contentment and Satisfaction in doing on this Day the Exercises of Religion, as Men usually take in doing the Works of their ordinary Calling: take as much Pleasure in God's Service, as others take in Sin and Vanity. Let us spend the Lord's-day, as becomes those, who profess that they love God better, and delight in him more than in any Thing in the World: Spend it as they that are glad of so ho­nourable, and profitable, and pleasurable an Em­ployment, as the publick and private Worship­ing of God. Let us go to the House of God with Joy. Let the Church, on the Lord's-day, be a Banquetting-house, and not a Prison to us. Do but bring your selves to spend the Lord's-day with [Page 57] Delight, and then you will keep it to the End of it.

The Jews were bound to keep a whole Day holy, in a grateful Memory of the lesser Benefits of the Creation, and their Deliverance out of Aegypt: And shall not we solemnly observe the whole Lord's-day, in a thankful Remembrance of greater Bles­sings? not only of the Goodness of God in our Cre­ation, but of his Grace and Mercy in our Redem­ption, and Deliverance from Hell, and Death e­ternal. We have greater Engagements to do it, than they: not only greater Motives, but greater ^[a] Means too. We have greater Variety of pu­blick Exercises on the Lord's-day, than they had on their Sabbath: We have more Scripture to reade in private than they had: We have the Old and New Testament; many Expositors upon them; many good Practical Theological Tractates written: We have more Knowledg afforded us than they had; more Grace offer'd us to do the Duties incumbent on us: Now we that have more Means and Helps, how can we offer to put God off with less Duty, and smaller Service, and shorter Perfor­mance?

Nay the very Heathens, guided by the Light of Nature, held it reasonable, that the Daies conse­crated to their Gods, should be devoutly, and to­tally observed with Rest and Sanctity.^[b] Macro­bius tells us, that, on their holy Daies, the Peo­ple came together to spend the whole Day in learn­ing Fables, to be conferred upon. and will you, that call your selves Christians, refuse to come to­gether on the Lord's-day, to spend one Hour in [Page 58]the Morning, another in the After-noon, in learn­ing the Mysteries of the Gospel, and in receiving sa­ving Instructions out of the Word of God?

You that give your Bodies two Meals every Day, will you feed your Souls but once on the Lord's-day? Give me leave to deal with you in the winning Words of that sweet Singer of our Israel: Speak­ing of the Lord's-day, saies he;

Consider, that your own, and your Families spiri­tual Necessities do require and call for a most strict Observation of the whole Lord's-day, and a faith­ful Improvement of all the Helps and Advantages of it. The Works of your Callings, and your world­ly Occasions and Employments, do, in a manner, take up six Daies of the Week; and you have but one whole Day in seven to provide for the Needs of your immortal Souls: Now the Necessities of your Souls are far greater than those of your Bodies: your spiritual, eternal Estate, is of nearer and higher Concern than your outward and temporal Estate: And will you not labour then to improve every Hour, and endeavour to redeem every Minute of this one Day? Do but seriously think with your selves, how much work you have to do in this one Day; and then tell me, whether in reason and Pru­dence you can spare any Part of it, yea or no. What [Page 59]have you to do for God, for your selves? What for your Families? for your Children, and Ser­vants? How many and great Mercies of God, to­wards you, and yours, and all Mankind, are you bound to recount, and to be affected with on this Day? Ought you not still, on this Day, to remem­ber and consider, and solemnly and heartily to bless God and Christ, for the capital Mercies of Creation, and Redemption, and for the gracious seasonable Sending of the Holy Ghost; and to spend some Time in speaking highly and honour­ably of these Benefits, to the Praise of your Ma­ker, and Glory of your Redeemer? Are not you ignorant of many Things, in which you ought to be informed? and have not you need then to spend some Part of the Lord's-day in reading the Bible, and some select Books of sound Divinity: in hear­ing the Word preach'd, and in Conference with godly, understanding, and well-experienced Chri­stians? Are you not too great Strangers to God, and your selves? and have not you need then to improve some Portion of this Seasonn in Meditation and Self-examination, that you may get more Ac­quaintance with God, and your own Hearts? Have not you the Sins of the whole Week past to confess to God in secret, and to beg the Pardon of, every Lord's-day? when you have leisure from your bo­dily Labour, is it not fit you should take some pains in conquering the Corruptions, and mortisy­ing the Lusts of your own Hearts, and in wrestl­ing with God in Praier for his Strength and Grace? Can you idle away your Time, and take your Pleasure on the Lord's-day, when you have Fami­lies to inform, and Children and Servants to cate­chize and instruct? Let your Consciences tell me, whether it be better, on the Lord's-day, to spend [Page 60]your Time in unnecessary Divertisements, in fruit­less Visitations, in vain and frothy Discourses; to talk freely together of worldly Businesses; to judg the Preacher, to censure your Christian Neighbour: Or to commune with your selves, and to labour to edify your own Families: To teach your Chil­dren the Doctrine of Adam's Fall, and of the Re­demption wrought by Christ: To acquaint them, what Sin and Corruption they brought with them into the World; and how they have encreased it since they came into the World: That the Wages of Sin is Death: To tell them what Christ has done and suffered, to free and deliver them from Sin and Death; and what they must do, to be capa­ble of partaking of Christ's saving Benefits: To ground your Servants in the Principles of Religion: To take account what they remember of the Ser­mons they heard that Day, and to examine how they have profited by the publick Ordinances. You see what a great deal of Work you have to do, and what a little Time you have to do it in: You have but one whole Day in seven; It concerns you then to be very saving of this whole Day:^[c] To be as far [Page 61]from disputing, whether it be not lawful to use Recreations and Sports on some Part of it, or to employ some Hours of it in any unnecessary world­ly Businesses; as from putting the Question, Whe­ther it be not lawful vainly to spill your own Blood; or to make a refusal of Gold that is offer'd you, and to cast it contemtuously into the Dirt.

'Twill but little avail you, to make the utmost worldly Advantage of all the other six Daies, if you make not a sufficient spiritual Improvement of this, which is more considerable than all the rest. What would it profit you, if, as God made the World in six Daies; so, you could gain the whole World, by working hard the six Daies; if, by gross neglect of the Lord's-day, you at last lost your own Souls?

The Church of England, in her pious and useful Homily of the Time and Place of Praier, declares, that in the fourth Commandment God has given express Charge, that his obedient People should use our ^[d] Sabbath-day (which is now our Sunday) holily; and rest from their common and daily Bu­sinesses; and also give themselves wholly to heaven­ly Exercises of God's true Religion and Service.

And in his Majestie's Royal Proclamation for the Observation of the Lord's-day, all his Majestie's Subjects are bid to take notice, that, by the Law, the resorting to divine Service, enjoined on that Day, does comprehend the entire Day, and entire Service, both Morning and Evening.

Yea, every Lord's-day Morning, you your selves make this open Confession, and publick Praier, in the Congregation, after the Reading of the fourth Commandment; Lord, have Mercy upon us, and encline our Hearts to keep this Law: As much as to say; Lord, we acknowledg we have neglected this thy Day: We pray thee, pardon all our un­christian Sabbath-breaking, for the Time past; and give us Grace, to observe the Christian Sab­bath better for the future. Now will you confess in the Fore-noon, and transgress in the After-noon? Will you beg pardon in the Morning, and sin a­gain the very same Sin before Night? Will you o­pen your Mouths, to ask God's Grace, to sanctify and keep holy the Sabbath-day; and, it may be, profane it in a graceless manner, as soon as you are out of the Congregation?

If the Lord's-day ought to be observed at all, it is to be kept both Parts of the Day. And for those that commonly stay away in the After-noon, I would ask them, what their Employment is at home in the mean Time? Do not some of them spend the Af­ter-noon in sleeping, or walking, or talking, or drinking, or gaming? while others are jointly con­fessing, and praying, and praising, and hearing? If God requires a Day, is this to sanctify a Day to the Lord? to worship God in the Morning, and to dishonour God, and serve the Devil, and divers Lusts, in the Afternoon. Do you spend your Time as religiously at home, as you might do at Church? Do you catechize, read, and pray, and sing Psalms at home in the mean Time? If you do, you do it unseasonably; and plainly break the Lord's-day, by ordinarily performing private Du­ties in the Time of publick Ordinances: The Lord's-day being chiefly appointed for the publick [Page 63]Worship and Service of God; The most^[d] publick Worship being the highest Honour that can be done to God and Christ.

Reading a Sermon, or some Catechistical Do­ctrine, at home, in the Time of publick Preaching or Catechising, though, in it self, it may be a bet­ter composed Sermon, or Exposition; yet is not so good as hearing a Sermon, or Exposition, at Church: For, the publick Ministry of the Word, is a divine Ordinance, which has a special Promise of God's gracious Presence: Matth. 28. last: Go, teach, says Christ, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the End of the World: You are therefore bound to frequent and attend upon it.

You must not mis-time and mis-place Duty: You must not read at home in private, when God calls you to hear in publick: You must not use one Or­dinance, in contempt, or neglect of another: You can­not hope to profit, if you do. You can't expect not hope to profit, if you do. You can't expect God's Presence, and look for the Gift of God's Grace, in a way of Disobedience to his Command, and Neglect of his appointed Means. When God sets up the Ministry of the Word in any Place, his Spi­rit then opens his School, and expects that all, who would be taught for Heaven, should come thither: Now whether is it most fitting, that a Scholar should wait on his Master at School, to be taught; or the Master should run after his truant Scholar, at Play in the Field, to teach him there? as the accurate Preacher,^[e] Mr. W. Gurnal, does well illustrate it.

Moreover, in Attendance upon publick Preach­ing, there are the Praiers of the ^[e] whole Congre­gation put up for a Blessing upon the Word that is spoken and heard; which is an Advantage, that can't be enjoyed in private Reading.

There is also somewhat in this; that the lively Voice of the Preacher is more affecting, and power­fully working, than private Reading.

And as for reading the Scripture, and Books of Theology, it is to be feared, that they care but little for reading, who pretend such reading, to excuse their Absence from publick hearing.

But grant you do read; yet certainly the Scri­pture and good Books were never written to divert and hinder you from publick Hearing, so long as you are able to go to the publick; but to fit you for it, and help you in it. Nay, the Bible, and good Books, forbid you to stay at home in Time of pu­blick Worship and Service; and command you to be present at publick Praier, Baptism, the Sacra­ment of the Lord's Supper, Catechising, Preach­ing:^* Not to forsake the Assembly of your selves toge­ther, as the manner of some is.

Take notice further; that if you, then every one, as well as you, may stay away, and read a Book at home; and so, what will become of all publick Assemblies?

Once more, consider; you know not how much you may lose by but once neglecting a publick Ordi­nance. [Page 65] ^{[f] †} Thomas, by reason of his Absence, when Christ appeared to the Disciples, that were assembled together, lost the Advantage of receiv­ing Satisfaction concerning the Truth of Christ's Resurrection, and lay a whole Week in Unbelief.

That may be spoken in thy unnecessary Absence, so agreeable and congruous to thy Condition, as, it may be, thou maiest not meet with the like, for a long time after, if ever after. The Devil may be busie to detain thee from the publick, that very Day or Hour, when he knows well enough that is provided and prepared, which is most suitable to thee, and apt to work upon thee.

Obj. But he that preaches, is a Man of weak Parts, mean Gifts, and very ordinary Abilities.

Answ. But if he be an approved, ordained Mini­ster; be conscionable in his Place, and unblameable in his Life; and if what he delivers, be sound and profitable; blame your own Hearts, if you do not profit by him: and take more Pains with them in hearing: and see that your Carelesness or Prejudice cause not your unprositableness. It is a remarka­ble Saying of the Reverend and Holy^[g] Mr. Ar­thur Hildersam: ‘I am perswaded, saies he, there is never a Minister, that is of the most excellent Gifts (if he have a Godly Heart) but he can truly say, he never heard any faithful Minister in his Life, that was so mean, but he could discern some Gift in him, that was wanting in himself; and could receive some profit by him.’ You know, a Torch may be some­times [Page 66]lighted by a Candle; and a Knife be whetted and sharpned by an unhewn and unpolish'd Stone. And it is considerable (which the same judicious Author adds there) that ‘the Fruit and Profit that is to be received from the Ministry, depends not on­ly, nor chiefly upon the Gifts of the Man that preach­eth, but upon the Blessing, that God is pleased to give unto his own Ordinance: and God does oft give a greater Blessing to weaker than to stronger Means:’ and therefore despise not any sound Ministry, be­cause of the meanness of it.

Obj. But some may say, The Exercise is too long, and the Season is too hot or cold, to come twice a Day.

Answ. But let me ask you; Could not you wil­lingly stay, in any Season of the Year, as long a­gain at a Play? 'Tis the Coldness of your Hearts, and your frozen Affections, that make you plead, either the Heat, or Coldness of the Weather, in ex­cuse of your Absence from Church-Assemblies: and, I pray, seriously consider, whether Hell at last won't prove too hot, for wilful, careless, causeless Sabbath-breakers.

I shall further offer two Things to your Consi­deration, to move and provoke you to a careful and diligent Redeeming of the Lord's-day.

Mot. 1. The right Redemption of the Lord's-day is an apt and likely means of redeeming the whole Week following:

1. As to Temporals: They that serve God sin­cerely on the Lord's-day, will use all Diligence and good Conscience, in their Calling and Tra­ding on the Week-day. And their Pains-taking and honest Dealing, is likely to bring God's Blessing [Page 67]on their outward Estates. Besides, They that faithrully worship God on the Lord's-day, will seek to God for a Blessing on the Week-day: and they that seek it are likely to find it.

Once more; God won't be wanting to those, who would not be wanting to him: God will bless you six Daies, for your Blessing and Serving him one whole Day in seven.

2. Our Observation of the Lord's-day, as it is a spiritual, wise redeeming of that special Season; so it is a good Help to the spiritual Redeeming of all the six Daies following. The more Liberty Men allow themselves upon the Lord's-day, the more loose their Hearts are, and negligent of good Duties, and religious Exercises, all the Week after. They that pray not on the Lord's-day, will hardly so much as say a Praier all the Week long. They that hear not a Sermon on this Day, will searcely read a Chapter the whole Week. They that rob God of his due on the Lord's-day, will rarely deal justly and honestly with their Neighbour on the Week-day. But if we keep holy the Lord's-day, then every Week-day will have a Tincture and Savour of the Lord's-day. Our being Spiritual on the Lord's-day, will put us into a very good Frame of Heart, will awaken Principles of Conscience, compose our Minds, six our Wills, call in and set in order our Assections: Our Sanctification of this Day will season and sanctify us, sit and dispose us for a close and holy Walking with God all the Week after. If we attend upon God, and con­verse with him on this special Day of his own Ap­pointment; we shall find a sensible spiritual Vigour, a divine Power, and heavenly Strength, to carry us through all the Duties of the whole Week fol­lowing, relating either to God or Man. If we ear­nestly [Page 68]redeem the Lord's-day, the Observation of that Day will have a strong and mighty Influence on our Lives on other Daies too: We shall endea­vour to carry our selves after it, suitably to it: to live, and walk, and act continually, as those that have newly, or lately enjoyed so blessed and happy an Opportunity; as those that have heard of God, heard from him, spoken to him, had to do with him: we shall labour to live in pursuance of the End and Design, of the work and Business of the Lord's-day.

Mot. 2. Our Sanctification and good Improvement of the Lord's-day, will fit and prepare us to keep and enjoy a blessed Rest and eternal Sabbath in Heaven. They that delight in God here, will much more de­light in him hereafter: and those whom God de­lights in here, he will delight in for evermore. They that keep holy the Christian Sabbath here, shall be translated and admitted to sanctify and [ce­lebrate] an everlasting Sabbath in Glory hereafter.

But on the other side; your gross continued Neg­lect, and wilful, resolved Profanation of the Lord's-day, will unfit and unqualify you, to keep a glorious festival, and a joyful, happy Holy-Day in Heaven.

God can take no Complacency and Delight in you, if you can take no Complacency in him, no Delight in his Sabbaths, no Pleasure in his Wor­ship and Service. They that refuse to sanctify a Sabbath, and totally to rest on that Day from their [Page 69]worldly Labours, and secular Negotiations; have reason to fear, lest God sware in his Wrath, that they shall never enter into his Rest. They that will not rest from their Works and Pleasures on this Day, have cause to conclude, that in Hell they shall have no Rest, neither Day nor Night. They that will do their own Works on the Lord's-day, may expect to suffer for their evil Deeds in the Day of the Lord. They who wilfully absented themselves from God's House, on God's Day, have no ground to hope, that God will receive them to Communion with himself in his heavenly King­dom.

And as God can take no delight in you; so, if you pollute and profane, break and violate the Lord's-Day, neglect Religion, contemn the Worship, and despise the Service of God; if you changed your place, you would there no more delight in God than you do here. Heaven would be a Burden, Heaven would be an Hell to the unsuitable Spirit of an irre­ligious, profane, voluptuous Person. Thou that art weary of Praiers, and Praises here, what wouldst thou do in Heaven tro? there is nothing else there. You that are sick of a Sabbath here, and long till it be over, and can't endure to think of spending a whole Day in Religious Exercises; what wilt thou do in Heaven? where there is a perpetual Sabbath to be kept for ever. Thou that hatest the Commu­nion of Saints here, I wonder what thou wouldst do in Heaven; where, next to the Fruition and Enjoyment of God in Glory, the best Entertain­ment will be the Company and Society of the holy Angels, and of the blessed and glorified Saints to all Eternity.

I have given you some Motives, to perswade and engage you to the due Observation, and right Redemption of the Lord's-Day: Now what are you resolved upon? Shall your for­mer Profanation of this Day be the present Bur­then of your Spirits, and Sadness of your Souls? Will you live as those that are convinced, that Religion depends upon the Sanctification of this Day, and your Salvation upon Religion? Will you forbear any more to break into God's In­closure, to encroach upon God's Propriety, sa­crilegiously to engross God's Day to your selves, or to make bold with any Part of it, for worldly Employments, or vain Pleasures, or such Recreations as are apt to prove Lets and Hindrances of your Duties and Devotions? and be careful to give God that Portion of Time which is his due? Will you for the future se­quester your selves from worldly Cares, Affe­ctions, Affairs, on this Day? and henceforth dedicate the Lord's-Day to the Honour of God and Christ? Will you, not only cease to cen­sure those serious Christians who dare not lose this choice Time, and precious Opportunity, as profanely and desperately as formerly you have done? But will you so consider the Worth of this Time, and so far weigh the great Con­sequences, and weighty Concernments of the well or ill spending of it, as to count it honour­able, and keep it holy; without intermixing of secular Matters, or indulging profane Thoughts, and introducing inconvenient, improper Dis­courses, in any part of it? Will you labour to walk accurately, exactly, precisely, on this Day? [Page 71]and not be afraid of being^[h] too strict, of being too holy on this holy Day? 'Tis an excellent Saying of Tully, Nemo pius est qui pietatem cavet: The plain English of which is this; No man is truly godly, who is afraid of being too godly. Will you so ob­serve [Page 72]the Lord's-day, as you were ready to pro­mise you would, when you lay last upon a Sick-Bed? and as careless Sinners commonly wish they had, when they come to lie upon a Death-bed? Will you make every Sabbath here on Earth, re­semble in some Degree that eternal Rest, which you hope to hallow more perfectly in Heaven?

Seriously consider, how many Lord's-daies you have lost already, and what reason you have to ob­serve and improve those that remain. Do you know, how few such Daies you shall ever enjoy more? It may be this Lord's-day may be the last, Before the next Sabbath comes, thou maiest be called to a reckoning for neglecting and mis-spending all that are past. Thou art not sure, that ever thou shalt pray in publick more: that never the Liberty shall again be afforded thee, of hearing another Sermon preach'd to thee: Thou maiest never enjoy such a blessed Opportunity to take pains with thy Fami­ly, and to save their Souls from Death, before thou diest. If God shall please to put such Prices into thy Hands, God give thee an Heart to make use of them.

Carefully redeem the Lord's-day, and every Day after shew in thy Life that thou hast redeem'd it. Make it appear by the Frame of thy Actions, and Course of thy Life all the Week long, that thou hast been under spiritual, powerful, quickening Ordinances the last Lord's-day. You that enjoyed Communion with God on the Lord's-day, have no parley with Satan, no familiarity with Sin, no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness on any of the Week­daies following. Be sure you every Day avoid those Sins, which you solemnly confess'd the last Lord's-day, and live over the Praiers you made that Day: and live up to the Sermons you heard [Page 73]that Day; and obey from the Heart that Form of Doctrine, which that Day was delivered to you. Perform every Day those Resolutions and Promises, which you made to God on the Lord's-day; and keep the Covenant you renewed at the Sacrament on that Day; and maintain the Warmth that was wrought on your Souls by the Word and Spirit on that Day. Use every Day the Grace you ask'd, obtain'd and receiv'd on the Lord's-day; and act in the Strength and Power of Christ, which was communicated and given in to you, in your Atten­dance upon him in his own Ordinances, on his own Day.

This is the second particular Season, and special Opportunity, that is to be carefully redeem'd by every Christian; The Morning of the Week, the Lord's Day.

And I have purposely treated so largely concer­ning the Redemption of the Lord's-day, because it is so despised in the Judgment, and disregarded in the Practice of the confident Men of this dissolute and degenerate Age.

The third Particular Opportunity to be redeem'd.

As the Morning of every Week, the first Day of the Week, so the^[i] Morning of every Day, is a [Page 74]special Season, that ought to be redeem'd and im­proved by a Christian, to spiritual Advantage. The Morning is an Opportunity of giving God the very first, and best of the Day; and the chief of our Life, Spirits, and Strength. In the Morning our Spirits are recreated and repair'd, and our Bodies strengthned and refresh'd with the Rest and Sleep of the Night past: and our Minds are vacant, and not disturb'd with those Images and Representa­tions of Things, which the variety of worldly Employments in the Day usually fill and possess us with. In the Morning our Minds are most free, and our Affections most lively (as those strong Wa­ters are fullest of Spirits, which are first drawn) and our Hearts not so entangled and encumbred with the Things of the World. In the Morning we are clearest and sittest for any thing; and therefore, to be sure, sittest for God, and the Worship of God; freest and freshest for holy Duties, spiritual Servi­ces, and religious Exercises. The Morning is as much a Friend to the Graces, as to the Muses. As the Morning is a special Time for Study, so for Du­ty: As it is the best studying Time, so it is the best praying Time.

The People of God have ever accounted the Mor­ning the fittest Season for Devotion: And therefore we find, that holy^[k] Job rose up early in the Morning, and offer'd Burnt-offerings: Thus did Job continually: Not only in the Morning, but early in the Morning; in the very Beginning, or first of the Morning. We read how God commanded, that^* the first of the first Fruits of the Land should be brought into the House of the hLord: So here, Job gave God, not only the first Fruits of the Day, but the earliest Time in the Morning, which is the first of the first Fruits of the Day; the Morning of the Morning (as I may so speak). So David chooseth the Morning-season:^† My Voice shalt thou hear in the Morning, O Lord; in the Morning will I direct my Praier unto thee. It is a good Thing to ^‖ shew forth thy loving-kindness in the Morning. ^(*) I prevented the drawning of the Morning, and cried. And again;^(†) When I wake, I am still with thee, saies he; He gave God the first of his fixed and settled Thoughts. Is is recorded of our blessed Saviour, that he^(‖) rose up in the Morning, a great while before Day, to go into a solitary Place to pray. And 'tis said of the Apostles, that they^[*] entred into the Temple early in the Morning. So we should enter into our Clo­sets early in the Morning; and make it our first business and employment to converse with God, and commune with our own Hearts, to betake our selves to Praier, and to^[l] Reading of the [Page 76]Scripture, and to give our selves to Medita­tion.

And surely (as a^[m] great Divine saies excel­lently) If Men would give some divine Precepts or Sen­tences full possession of their Morning Thoughts, these would serve as so many Armed Men, to keep out the Sug­gestions of the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, from entring into their Hearts. ^[n] The filling our Minds, and possessing our Hearts with serious holy Thoughts in the first place, as soon as ever we wake in the Morning, is an excellent Means to prevent those frothy vain Thoughts, which are apt to arise in empty Hearts: As, you know, the taking a good Draught in the Morning, is the way to keep out the Wind, which would offend and troubled an empty Stomach. When we first open our Eyes in a Morning (as a^[o] worthy Doctor does well illustrate this matter) many Vanities and Businesses stand like earnest Suiters, or as diligent Clients at Lawyers Doors, waiting to speak with our Thoughts, and ready to press and croud in upon us: but let us speak with God first, and he will say something to our Hearts, will fix and settle them for all Day.

The Morning is a special Opportunity to be care­fully redeemed; and the rather to be redeemed, because by redeeming the Morning, we are likely to redeem the whole Day following. If a Watch or Clock be wound up well in the Morning, 'twill go right, and keep true all the Day after: So tho winding up of our Hearts by devout Meditation in [Page 77]the Morning, will be a means of our regular Pro­ceeding to the Close and End of the Day follow­ing. If we awake with God in the Morning, we are likely to walk with God all the Day long. Our doing God service in the Morning, will stand us in stead all the Day after: will engage and oblige us, dispose and encline us to keep a Decorum all the Day, and to do nothing unworthy of our Morning's Work.

The serious Consideration of the Goodness and loving Kindness of God towards us, his Watch­fulness over us, Protection, Preservation, Refresh­ment of us the very Night past; will make us stu­dy to render suitably to such a Mercy; and to live to him all the Day, who gives us, as it were, a new Life every Morning. Our labouring to get our Minds and Hearts, early and throughly poslest in the Morning, with quick and lively Apprehen­sions, and powerful, deep Impressions of the glo­rious, divine Attributes and Perfections, of God's Greatness, Holiness, Justice, Omniscience, Om­nipresence, will keep us close to God and our Du­ty all the Day. Our being with God in the first place, as soon as we are up every Morning; this will season our Hearts, spiritualize our Affections, aw our Consciences, and be a means to regulate our Actions, and to sanctify our Employments, Carriages and Converses the whole Day follow­ing.

Whereas if we neglect God in the Morning, God may justly leave us to our selves all the Day after. If we venture to go into the World, before we have first go [...] to God; we rashly rush into Danger, be­cause we take not God along with us; whose Pre­sence, Guidance, Grace and Strength, is our on­ly Safety and great Security against the Malignity [Page 78]and Evil of the World. If we don't in the Mor­ning, and Beginning of the Day, implore the di­vine Presence and Assistance, and beg God's Pro­vidence over us, Direction of us, and Blessing upon us: If we seek not God, before we seek the World, before we seek our selves, we are likely to do nothing but mis-carry in every Thing all the Day: We are apt to be caught in every Snare, to be overborn by every Corruption, and overcome by every Temptation: and therefore be sure to redeem the Morning-Season.

The fourth Particular Opportunity to be redeemed.

4. The Society and Company of the most Religious and Godly, is another Special Opportunity, to be presently laid fast hold on, and faithfully made good Use of.

You have here an occasion of doing good, by your serious and savoury Speeches. Honest Hearts will presently close with them, receive and embrace them, entertain and accept them, and not slight and reject them, scoff and mock at them.

Further; You have here an occasion of receiving good, from other's suitable and seasonable Discour­ses: you may be edified by their Gifts, profited by their Graces, quickned by their Affections, en­couraged by their Examples, recovered by their Reproofs, directed by their Counsels, assisted by their Praiers, instructed, strengthned, and com­forted by their Experiences. When you come in company with able, godly Ministers, or knowing, experienced Christians, you may put Cases, and have them resolved: propound Doubts, and have them satisfied: you may light your Candle by their's: you may kindle your Coal at their Fire, [Page 79]and stay and warm your self well before you go a­way. Godly Company is an Opportunity to be prized, and improved. Whenever you enjoy good Company, make the best of it. Let not carnal Bashtulness, nor a vain and worldly Heart (which is apt to seek idle and unprofitable Dis­course) hinder and deprive you of the Profit and Benefit, which may be reaped by godly So­ciety.

The last Particular Opportunities to be redeemed.

5. And lastly; The particular Seasons of practi­sing and performing particular Duties; of getting and encreasing, acting and exercising particular Graces; these have a special, commodious Fitness, for the doing, or receiving some particular Good, and ought accordingly to be embraced and impro­ved by us.

When we know a Person (a good Man especially) to be in real Necessity, and great Extremity, then is an Opportunity of exercising Charity, in giving liberally according to our Ability. When another has wronged and injured us, then we have gotten a good Occasion of exercising Charity, and shewing Mercy, in free and full Forgiveness. When a Bro­ther is fallen into Sin at any Time, then it is a Season to^* restore such an one in the Spirit of Meck­ness. When any Person is flexible and tractable, yielding and pliable, being melted and mollified by an afflictive Providence, or moved and enclined to hearken to us, by Dependance on us, Expecta­tion from us, or any Relation and Obligation to [Page 80]us; we have a fair Opportunity to deal with such an one, at such a Time, for the furthering of his spiritual and eternal Good.

When any are cast upon Sick-beds, and are somewhat awakened and softned by God's Hand, then they are prepared for your Hand; you may the more easily work upon them. When any have newly received a Benefit from us, or hope to be shortly beholden to us, and so are ready to think well of us, and to take all well from us; then we may reprove, admonish, exhort them, with a comfortable Hope of happy Success, and good Effect.

The Conscience of a Man is a nice and sullen Thing; and if it be not taken at fit Times, there is no meddling with it.

And so likewise in respect of our selves; when we have received any fresh Mercy from God, or are actually enjoying the Blessings of God, and tasting how good and gracious the Lord is, then is an Occasion of stirring up our selves to Praise and Thanksgiving. When we lie under an heavy Af­fliction, then it is a Season of acting and exerci­sing Faith, Repentance, Patience: a convenient Season for Self-Examination, sound Humiliation, earnest Supplication, and thorough Reformation. When we find a secret Chearfulness of Spirit, then it is a Season to spiritualize our Joy and Gladness, to think upon God's Mercies, to recount his Bene­fits, to set forth the Praises of our Creator, Pre­server, and Redeemer.^* Is any merry? let him sing Psalms. When we find any Sadness growing upon our Spirits, then it is a Season to spiritualize our Sor­row and Sadness: to mourn and grieve for our Sins [Page 81]especially: to weep in secret for them, to confess and acknowledg them, and pray against them.

Once more; When at any Time^[p] the holy Spirit of God, joining with the good Word of God, or concurring with the Providences and remarkable Works of God, does strongly work upon our Minds, and sweetly and powerfully move and stir our Hearts and Affections: When the Spirit instills a­ny good Motions into our Souls, and kindles any good Desires in our Hearts, and kindly draws us on to holy Purposes and good Resolutions; This is a special Opportunity indeed: This is Temporis Ar­ticulus, the very Nick of Time, which must be taken on a suddain, or it's presently lost to our great Disadvantage. Do not fail to strike, while the Iron is hot. Step into the Pool, whenever the Angel stirs the Water. Lanch out immediately, whiles Wind and Tide serve. When you feel any gentle Gale, spread open your Sail: This Wind blows when and where it listeth: You know not how soon this Wind may turn. Whenever the Spirit knocks, open the Door:^[q] you know not how soon he may have done, how quickly he may be gone. Delicata res est Spiritus Sanctus, saies Tertullian; The Spirit of God is a nice and delicate [Page 82]Thing: it is soon offended, and quickly grieved. And therefore subject your selves to the Working of the Spirit; and work with the Spirit, while the Spirit is at work: Gladly receive every Im­pression of this immediate, gracious, free Opera­tor: Welcome every Suggestion, of this blessed Monitor: Let every Inspiration find thee, as the Seal does the Wax, or the Spark the Tinder. Kindly entertain all its Visits, and readily obey all its Motions: follow them home; don't check and quench them, stifle and smother them: Never suf­fer them to die and decay, to languish, and pe­rish, and come to nothing. Do the Particular Du­ties, the Spirit calls you to: Get, and grow in the special Graces, which the Spirit is ready to be­get and encrease in you. Run freely and willingly, so soon as ever you feel and perceive that the Spi­rit draws you. If you don't stir when the Spirit moves, and act when it works; you may drive and chase away the Spirit, and so lie dull and dead, graceless, and helpless, and hopeless for ever.

And thus I have open'd and explain'd the Duty; and shewn you particularly, both what it is to re­deem the Time, and what the Time is that is to be redeemed.

The Sum of all is briefly this; that our whole Life-time, and every particular Occasion afforded us in it, must (whatever it cost us) by all means be laid hold on, and improved by us, for the Glory of God, and our own and others spiritual Advantage.

The Special Reason laid down in the Text.

I Come now to the Grounds and Reasons of this Duty. There is a special Reason laid down in the Text. I shall first fully speak to that, and then I shall add some others to it. The Apostle here presseth Christians to redeem the Time, with this Reason or Argument, because the Daies are evil.

Now what is here to be understood by [evil Daies]? Daies are said to be good or evil (saies^[a] Mr. Bayne) according to that which befalleth in them: As a good Time, when matter of Com­modity or Merriment is in hand: and an evil Time, when the contrary. The Hebrews call those Daies evil, which are full of Troubles and Dissi­culties (saies^[b] Beza). Daies are not morally e­vil: They are said to be evil, not inherently, but adherently, or concomitantly, by reason of any moral and sinful, or penal and troublesome Evil, that pre­vails and takes place within the compass of them.

Now the [...], or Evil of the Day (as Christ^* calls it) is either General, or Special.

The General Evil of Daies or Times.

1. The General Evil, is the Shortness,^[c] Trou­ble and Misery which does accompany the Time of this Life. Of this Jacob speaks:^† Few and evil have the Days of the Years of my Life been. In this sence (saies^[d] St. Austin) the Daies were ever evil since Adam? Fall, because Mankind has been subject to Misery ever since. Let us ask the Children newly born, saies he, why they begin with weeping, that are capable of laugh­ing. [Page 85]The Child is born, and cries immediately: he laughs not till I know: not how many Daies after. By crying as soon as it came into the World, it became the Prophet of its own Calamity. Its Tears are the Wit­nesses of its Misery. Before it is able to speak a Word, it foretells the manifold Labours and Sorrows it is born to go through in this World.

We may likewise reckon into the general Evil of Times and Daies, that^[e] common Wickedness which is to be found in the World in all Ages of the World. No Time or Age, but may be denomina­ted evil, from the^[f] evil Men and evil Manners thereof.

2. The particular Evil of the Day, is, when any special Evil takes place in such a Time: And thus we must understand the evil Daies in the Text, of some Particular Evil that reigned in them; because it is spoken with an Eminency of those Times.

Now the Evil of those Times was three-fold; There was the Evil of Errour: the Evil of Loos­ness of Life and Manners: and lastly, the Evil of Persecution.

The first Particular Evil of the Apostles Daics, and ours.

1. The Evil of those Times stood in the Errours and salse Doctrines, which were vented and broach­ed [Page 86]in the Church, and began to spread like a Gan­grene. That which made those Daies Evil, was, the great Danger from Seducers, by reason of their^* slight and cunning Craftiness, whereby they lay in wait to deceive: Lay in wait, as a Thief to rob; or as a Fowler, to take silly Birds: and^† made Merchandise of People with feigned Words: And by good Words and fair Speeches, by plausible Pretences and Discourses, deceived the Hearts of the ^‖ Simple, of easy and seducible Persons, That which made those Daies evil was, those^(*) damna­ble Heresies, slily brought in by false Teachers: and the^(†) Errour of the Wicked (as it is called by St. Peter). Such Errour in Judgment, as disposed Men to Wickedness in their Conversations.

Now this Evil of Errour, is to be found in ours, as well as in the Apostles Daies. The Times we live in, are Times of Seduction, erroneous Times. What a strong Head has Atheism gotten in this our Land, in these our Daies! God governs the World now by Wisdom, which might sufficiently convince Men of his Deity: But because there are now no more visible sensible Appearances of his Power in the World, in the immediate exemplary Punishment of Sinners, therefore they fear and ac­knowledg him no more. And how doth Atheism in Life and Affection lead too too many to a radica­ted Atheism in Judgment and Opinion? How many of the Gentry of this Nation are miserably tainted and poisoned with it? So that our Nation comes far short of the State and Condition of the Heathen [Page 87] Rome, which Cicero thus describes;^[g] In Piety, and Religion, and in this one piece of Wisdom, that we have known and acknowledged that all Things are ruled and governed by the Power of the immortal Gods, we have excelled all Nations and People in the World. How far are we this Day from deserving such a Charac­ter as this?

When Atheism, Socinianism, Arminianism, An­tinomianism, Quakerism, Popery, have broke in like a Floud: when Errours and Heresies have made such an Inrode upon us, and spread so far and wide among us: When so many so boldly deny the Providence and very Being of God, the Im­mortality of the rational Soul, and a Life and State of Retribution in another World; the Di­vine Authority, Perfection, and Perspicuity of the sacred Scriptures, the eternal Duration of Hell­torments, the Divinity and Satisfaction of our Sa­viour Christ, the divine Institution of the Lord's-Day; deny the Necessity of the Moral Law, dis­own Original Sin, and any such Thing as Special, Effectual, Discriminating Grace, infallibly secu­ring the Event as to the Elect: assert Perfection, contend for Papal Infallibility, plead for Idolatry, and gross Superstition; and design, and endeavour, and hope to make Popery become the Religion of the Nation; it concerns you surely carefully now to redeem the Time.

The Evil of Errour mightily prevails in these our Daies. Seducers and Impostors are subtil and in­dustrious; and Errour is of a catching, spreading Nature: therefore (as St. Paul said to the Corin­thians)^* [Page 88] I fear, lest by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtilty, so your Minds should be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in Christ. Take heed that the Leprosie get not into your Head: (In that case, you know, the Priest was to pronounce a Man^† utterly unclean.) That Errour take not Pos­session of your Mind, for that is the Eye, the lead­ing Faculty: and it it slip into the Mind, and Judg­ment, it will steal and creep into the Conscience, and that is so active a Faculty, that it will engage all. O do your utmost and best endeavour to keep your selves clear and free from the foul and infectious Errours of the Times you live in.^‖ Beware, lest ye being led away with the Errour of the Wicked, fall from your own Stedfastness.

1. Be not too credulous. ^(*) Believe not every Spirit: not every one that pretends to a Spirit of Truth, acting and breathing in him. Now the Air abroad is so pestilentially infected, take heed what Air you suck in. be very wary what Money you take, since the Markets are so full of adulterate Coin.

2. Be careful to avoid the Meetings, and to shun the Society of Seducers. From^(†) Men of corrupt Minds, and destitute of the Truth, from such with­draw thy self: Don't venture to keep them Com­pany, and to take their Breath, who have the Plague of wicked Errour upon them, and whose Converse is Death, and the eternal Ruin of your Souls. For­bear to hear their Discourses, or to read their Wri­tings. You are bidden indeed to^(‖) try the Spirits: that is, to try all you hear; but you must not be bold to hear all, when you can shift it. The Wise [Page 89]Man forbids that;^* Cease, my Son, to hear the In­struction that causeth to err from the Words of Know­ledg. Remember the sad Event of Eve's Rashness, in venturing to listen to the Discourse of the Ser­pent.

3. And that you may be the better secured from Errour, labour to get a good Understanding of your Catechism: to be well grounded in the Prin­ciples and Essentials, and setled in the radical sundamental and practical Truths of Religion, and throughly acquainted with the Necessaries to Salvation. Do not stick to say with^[h] Luther, I confess, I am still a Learner and Studier of my Cate­chism. Learn it your selves, and teach it your Children and Servants, understandingly.

The want of Peoples being well instructed, and throughly grounded in the Principles of Religion, is a great^[i] Reason of the many Errours that have been so rife in these late Times. Men have not lyen fast in the Building, upon the Foundation; and therefore it is, that they have so easily been tum­bled up and down like loose Stones. Converse with your Catechism.

4. And confirm your Belief of the Divinity of the Scripture, by getting rational Evidence, and an inward Sence and Experience of it. And search, and study the Scriptures; and compare the Doc­trines taught by Men with the Word of God, and try and examine them by that Rule.

5. Again; Beg the Spirit of Truth, to lead and guide you into all necessary Truth. As it is not a strong Constitution that will secure you from the Plague, so it is not your best Parts that will pre­serve you from the Infection of Errour, if the Spi­rit of God do not keep and protect you; if the Spi­rit of Christ, the Spirit of Truth withdraw from you.

6. Add to all, your earnest Endeavour to get your Hearts ^* renewed, and seasoned, and^* sta­blish'd with Grace; which will prove an excellent Preservative, a soveraign Antidote and Defensa­tive against the Contagion and Infection of Er­rour. Any Errour will easily slip into an ignorant, uncatechized Head; and an unmortified, unsancti­fied, ungràcious Heart. The^† silly Women, that were led captive, were such as were laden with Sins, led away with divers Lusts. So they were^‖ ungodly Men, who turned the Grace of our God into lascivi­ousness, and denied the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. They that walk in loose Garments, soon take Wind: Loose Lives will gather in and breed loose Principles. If you don't take in suffici­ent Ballast of Grace to settle you, you will be tossed to and fro, and carried about with every Wind of strange Doctrine. If you want a good Biass of Sincerity for God, carnal Interests and Ends will easily mis-lead you. If you be devoid and destitute of Grace, you will be proud and conceited, rash and unwary, you will never distrust your selves, you will never weigh and consider Things well before you take them up. Want of Grace, will also breed an Itch of vain Cu­riosity in your Minds, and cause you to linger and [Page 91]hanker after Novelties. Further; your depraved Wills will have a malign Influence on your Under­standings; and your carnal Affections will too of­ten bribe and pervert your Judgments: so that whatever your Wills and Affections are vehement­ly set upon, must be allowed by the Authority of your Judgments, and secretly, if not openly main­tained and pleaded for. Those various Opinions a­bout the Chief Good, might arise and proceed from their Over-affection to some created and inferiour Good. Your foul Stomach will infect your Brain: your unsound Heart will cause a corrupt Head. And an ill Life will engage you to entertain and take up such corrupt Principles, as may favour and foster your Viciousness, give allowance and coun­tenance to your Wickedness. Your Sin will be­come the Root of Errour. If you be loth to be ruled by the Laws of Christ, you have a Tempta­tion from your own Lusts to turn to Antinomia­nism. As Luther said, that Every Man had a Pope in his Belly; So, every wicked Man has an Heretick in his Breast. And let me moreover tell you, that without Grace you will never taste and savour, rel­lish, love and like the Truth; or have any sensible, sweet, experimental Knowledg of it, which may engage and keep you close to it. The Truths of God are so suitable to a gracious Heart, that it quickly closeth with them: But the Errours of the Wicked are slatly against such and such practi­cal Impressions upon the Soul of a Christian. A gra­cious Person has a good Complexion and Constitu­tion of Soul, which disgusts and disrelisheth what­soever is contrary to it. And therefore many an Errour lies but unevenly and untowardly in a good Man's Mind, when presented to his Thoughts; And when an honest-hearted Christian hears some Sermon [Page 92]or Discourse that is erroneous; though he be not able handsomly to detect, and logically to lay open the Nature, and Danger of the Errour; yet it goes against him; he cannot down with it; he finds a strong Antipathy against it, he has (not by Inspi­ration, but by real^[k] Impression on his Soul) a Witness within himself against it; an inward Sense, that disapproves it; a new Nature, that nauseats, rejects, and rises against it. Just as the Sea, by the Strength of its Nature, casts up, works out, and purgeth it self of those Straws and Sticks, that Filth and Dirt, that Frippery and Trash, which flowed into it with the River-water. And there­fore get a Principle of Grace into thy Heart, as ever thou wouldst keep Errour out of thy Head. And be sure to^* hold a good Conscience, that you may be able to hold the Doctrine of Faith, ^† Hold the Mystery of the Faith in a pure Conscience: Like hea­venly Manna, let it be kept in a Pot of pure Gold.

By all means labour to be^‖ sound in the Faith; and^(*) hold fast the Form of sound Words: Resolve, by the Help of God, to^(*) hold it fast against all Temptations to let it go: Hold it fast in Faith and Love: Let the Grace of Love even glue you to the Truth, and constrain you to a firm Adhesion to it.^(†) Receive the Love of the Truth, that you may abide in the Truth, and may not be given over to strong Delusions, to believe a Lie.

^(‖) Contend earnestly for the Faith, which was once delivered unto the Saints. Vigorously oppose funda­mental [Page 93]Errours, such as directly, or reductively, ex­presly, or by necessary Consequence, destroy the Articles of our Faith. Contend for fundamental Truths: for these especially, and most earnestly; but not for these only. Contend for all Truth; (All Truth is valuable) for the least Truth: The very Parings and Filings of Gold are precious. Con­tend as well for that, which is not acknowledged to be necessary to Salvation; as for that which is accounted commonly and ordinarily necessary, though not with an equal Contention. We are chiefly to look to the Foundation, or else the House will certainly fall: But yet we must look to the Tiles of the House too, or else the Rain will beat into the House, and in time the very Foundation may rot, and moulder, and perish. If we neglect those Truths which are not fundamental, we may in Time be brought to neglect Fundamentals them­selves.

Yet in smaller Errours be content to bear what you cannot cure. Very good Christians may have (as it is said of St. Cyprian) naevos in candido pectore; here and there a Mole or Mark in otherwise a fair and clear Breast. Very honest Hearts may have some lighter Errours in their Minds, some Mis­takes or other in their Judgments, which ought to be prudently tolerated, rather than brotherly Peace and Union be broken and violated, or Christian Love and charitable Affection be withdrawn and alienated. Wisely and carefully distinguish between those Differences in Opinion, which are as the stri­ving of one Israelite with another (which is the Lord^[p] Verulam's elegant Comparison) and those per­nicious damnable Heresies, which are as the fight­ing [Page 94]of an Egyptian with an Israelite: You must, with Moses, be mild and gentle, fair and peaceable in dea­ling with the former; but sharp and severe in oppug­ning and suppressing the latter.

Take care that you your selves don't desperate­ly fall into the gross and grievous Errours of the Times you live in: And take all Opportunities, according to your Abilities, to inform and instruct, to gain and win and bring over the erroneous and incredulous, to the^* acknowledging of the Truth, which is after Godliness.

That is the first; Redeem the Time, because the Daies and evil: Daies, in which dangerous Errours and false Doctrines are vented and pro­pagated.

The second Particular Evil of the Apostles Daies, and ours.

2. The Evil of the Apostles Times stood in the vi­cious and wicked Lives of scandalous Professors of the Gospel.

The Daies are Evil; that is (saies^[m] Calvin) all Things are full of Scandals and Corruptions: inso­much as it's hard for those that are good to be kept free from hurt, to be preserved untainted with the In­fection of the Times.

And in this Sense, the Daies we live in, are evil Daies too.

The present Age, is an ungodly Age. ^† Iniquity e­verywhere abounds. Great and gross Irreligion and Profaneness, extreme Loosness and Licentious­ness, boundless Sensuality and Voluptuousness, immeasurable Gluttony and Drunkenness, beastly Wantonness and Uncleanness, prodigious Pride and Haughtiness, bitter Animosity and Revenge, malicious Slandering and Backbiting, rash and un­charitable Judging and Censuring; Lying, Swearing, Subornation, Perjury, Cursing, Sabbath-breaking; Unthankfulness, Unfruitfulness, Want of Humili­ation and Reformation under Variety of sore and severe Judgments, Carelesness of God's Providen­ces, Contempt of his Word and Ordinances, Ab­use of his blessed Spirit, Playing and Drolling with Scripture, Mocking at Religion, Scoffing at Holi­ness, and Enmity against Purity and the Power of Godliness, are now rife and common, the reign­ing and crying Sins of this Land and Nation.

Now what should we do, to make a good Ʋse, and due Improvement of such evil Daies as these? I an­swer;

1. Are the Daies thus evil? let us then, in a right manner, be troubled at the Evil of them. It is said, that^* righteous Lot, dwelling among the filthy Sodomites, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous Soul, from day to day, with their unlawful Deeds. [He] vexed [himself;] was active in it. Saint Peter ex­presses more in this than in the former Verse (as Cal­vin observes) to wit, that Lot did^[n] voluntarily and willingly afflict himself: He did it freely; he was [Page 96]not forc'd to it. He [vexed] himself; [...]. 'Tis^[o] a Metaphor drawn from Torments, (says Gerhard)^[p] The same Word is used to set out Hell-Torments. This good Man continually tortured and tormented himself: He lived a grievous painful Life; labouring no less, than if he had laien upon the Rack. It was a kind of Hell upon earth to him, to see and hear such Things among them. They gave him Ground and Cause enough of Trouble and Grief, by their Impieties and Impurities; and his righteous Soul could not but work upon that Mat­ter, and vex and afflict himself therewith.

The gross Wickedness of ungodly Men, is con­trary to the gracious Temper, and new Nature of a good Man: and therefore he is no more able to bear it, than the Stomach can bear that which it nauseates. As a musical Ear will be offended with any harsh Sound; So Sin grates upon a godly Man, and is a Discord to him. At his new Birth there was implanted in his Nature a true Zeal to the Cause and Interest of Righteousness and Goodness in the World: an inward Sense of its Beauty, Excel­lency, and Usefulness in the World: and a clear Conviction, and strong Apprehension of the Vani­ty, Unprofitableness, and Mischievousness of Sin in the World. The righteous Man has a real Dislike of, a mighty Prejudice, and inward Antipa­thy against Sin, as Sin: He hates Sin, and loves Holiness heartily, wherever he sinds it; and real­ly wishes that there were no such Evil as Sin in the World. He is of another Spirit than wicked Men are: of a better Constitution, of a purer and more [Page 97]refined Temper. His new Nature and Disposition is directly contrary to that which is evil: and therefore, whenever he sees it, wherever he meets with it, it is a Vexation and Torment to him.

So holy David seriously laid to heart the Sins of others, was deeply affected with them, and hea­vily afflicted for them.^* Horrour hath taken hold upon me, because of the Wicked that forsake thy Law. ^‖ Rivers of Waters run down mine Eyes, because they keep not thy Law. ^† My Zeal hath consumed me; not because I have Enemies, and these Enemies de­spise me; but, because mine Enemies have forgotten thy Words. I beheld the Transgressors, and was grie­ved; because they kept not thy Word. ^(*) The Zeal of thine House hath eaten me up; and the Reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When he was in Trouble, he testifies his Sorrow for the Reproaches that fell upon God, as if he himself had been reproached. And the Prophet Jeremy could say;^(†) My Soul shall weep in secret Places for your Pride. And the Saints in Jerusalem are descri­bed to be^(‖) Men that sigh, and that cry, for all the Abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And you know St. Paul is very famous for this Affection: In the case of the incestuous Person he wrote unto the Corinthians^[*] with many Tears, out of much Affliction and Anguish of Heart. I fear, lest when I come again (saies he) my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned al­ready, and have not repented of the Ʋncleanness and For­nication, and Lasciviousness which they have commit­ted: ^[†] [Page 98] ^* Many walk (saies he) of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ.

1. O that it might be thus with every one of us: Let a Time of others Sin, be the Time of our Sorrow Let it greatly trouble us, to see our good God wronged, our heavenly Father abused, and his ho­ly just and good Law broken and violated; To see the Gospel dishonoured, and Religion discre­dited: To see Satan pleased and honoured, and his Kingdom strengthned and advanced by the Wickedness of the Wicked: To see the precious Souls of Sinners hazarded and endangered by their own wilful Sin and Wickedness: To observe ra­rional Creatures living like mere brute Beasts; Bap­tized Christians acting like very Devils incarnate: To find Men rebelling against Light, resisting a Reproof, loath to be reclaimed, hardned in their Sin, and hating to be reformed: To see so many Fools and Mad-men besotted and bewitch'd, cruel to their own Souls, and Enemies to their own Peace; refusing all Helps of Health and Cure, contemning the Means of their Recovery, fond of a Disease, in love with Slavery, devoted to their Enemy, courting their own Misery and Calamity, chusing Death rather than Life, eternal Life; wal­king apace in the broad Way that leadeth to De­struction, running on in the Way to Hell, the Way that goeth down to the Chambers of Death: To behold so many stabbing themselves to the ve­ry Heart, greedily swallowing their own Poison, running into Pest-houses and infected Places, drow­ning themselves in Destruction and Perdition, and [Page 99]casting themselves into intolerable, eternal, un­quenchable Flames.

2. And let us moreover mourn to see so much Hurt and Misohief done in the World by others open Sin and Wickedness: To see Sin become so fashionable and creditable: To behold so many corrupted and infec­ted, hardned and confirmed in Sin and Wicked­ness, by the ill Examples of loose Livers and vicious debauched Persons: To discern the heinous, pro­voking Sins of notoriously wicked Persons, hasten­ing and pulling down Judgment after Judgment upon the Land of our Nativity, and the Places of our abode: To see Sin spread, this spiritual Plague en­crease, and a Cloud of divine Wrath and Judg­ment gathering, and growing thick and black, and hanging over our Heads, ready to drop and shower down upon us. Let us be so publick spirited, as to be troubled, exceedingly troubled, that so much Mischief, publick Mischief, should be done by others Sins: That so many should be drawn into Sin, or brought under Suffering, by the common and open Wickedness of the Wicked.

3. Farther yet; Let it be a Thing very grievous to us, to meet with a Sort of Men, who instead of perplexing and tormenting themselves with the Sins of others, do please and delight, recreate and refresh themselves with the Sins of others; Do tempt and entice them into Sin, and hearten and harden them in their Sin: Who are so far from troubling them­selves at others Sins, that they^* do the same, and have pleasure in them that do them: Who make themselves merry with those Sins which make the Land mourn; That will laugh at Lewdness, and [Page 100] make a mock at Sin, and hear the Relation of ano­ther's Wickedness with an inward Tickling, and secret Delight; As if the Reproach and Dishonour of God were a very good jest, and the eternal Dam­nation of immortal Souls were a Thing fit to make sport with.

4. Once more; Let it make our very Hearts ake, to take notice-of some, who instead of vexing them­selves with the unlawful, ungodly Deeds of the Wic­ked; do daily vex and afflict themselves with the lawful and godly Deeds of the Righteous: Who miserably trouble and torment themselves with the Goodness and Holiness, and not with the Vileness and Wickedness of others: Who storm at others Strictness, and fret and fume at others Forward­ness in the Way of Holiness; and are mad at heart, that any that live among them refuse to run with them into all Excess of Riot: To whom the very Presence and Company of a good Man is oftentimes as offensive and troublesome, as would be the visible Appearance of the Devil among them: Who hear­tily vex to hear at any Time any serious, sa­voury, good Discourse from them; and are tor­mented before their Time by the gracious Lives, and good Conversations of serious, conscientious Christians.

5. And after all; Let it be no small trouble and grief to us, to find so few troubling themselves with such Matters as these. That Men, too generally, should only regard themselves, and mind their own Bags, and Backs, and Bellies, and Bodies; and feel no­thing but that which touches their outward Estates, and nearly concerns their worldly Interests; but wholly neglect and disregard the Cause and Inter­est of God and Goodness in the World. That so many, so patiently, can see, and hear, and bear [Page 101]any open and common Wickedness; and if they can be respected themselves, matter it not much tho' God be dishonoured: So they themselves be pleased, care little or nothing though God be displeased: and if they themselves can but get gain, let God and Religion lose what they will for them. That Men should count it a piece of over-much Righteous­ness to take any notice of others Faults; and think it enough to cry God mercy for their own Sins, without afflicting and tormenting themselves with the Sins of others. That Magistrates should be so little sensible of daily Affronts done to God. That Ministers should see their Flocks running on to De­struction, and have no more Bowels of Compassi­on. That Masters of Families should not at all lay to heart their Servants Offences, and frequent Trespasses against their heavenly Lord and Master. That Parents Hearts should even ake again, if any little Hurt or Illness come to their Children's Bo­dies; and their Bowels never yearn at all, though mischief and Misery, through Sin and Iniquity, fall upon their Souls to all Eternity. That Men should kindly do their Neighbours any friendly Offices in Civil Matters; relieve them, if in Want; visit them, if they be sick; pull out their Ox or Ass, if fallen into the Ditch; and if their House be on Fire, presently run and help to quench it: and yet-never be affected with the sad and lamentable shiri­tual Estate of their Neighbours. That Men should see and suffer those about them to make Shipwrack of a good Conscience, to lose their Peace, lose Heaven, lose their God, lose their Souls; to be just falling into Hell-fire; to grow violently sick of the Plague of the Heart; to die in their Sins be­fore their Eyes, and perish in their Iniquities be­fore their Faces; without fetching one Sigh, or [Page 102]dropping one Tear for them, or speaking one Word to them, or lending a seasonable Hand to help them. How ought they to be ashamed, that can be passionatly affected in other Matters; and yet have no Passion, no Trouble, no Tears, for the common and dangerous Sins of the Times and Places in which they live, and to which they belong? Let us be affected with their Want of Affection upon so great and urgent an Occasion.

Are the Daies evil, in respect of evil Men, and their evil Manners? let us be troubled at the Evil of them. That's the first.

2. Are the Daies thus evil? Let us then see that we be not made worse by them. Let's^* have no Fellow­ship with the unfruitful Works of darkness (as the Apo­stle adviseth)^† Let's be blanieless and hurmless, the Sons of God, without Rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation (as the same Apostle exhorteth) Where you see the Apostle argues from the ill Quality, and bad Condition of those among whom they conversed: for (as^[p] Grotius observes) the Lives and Manners, both of the Jews, and un­converted Gentiles, were at that Time exceeding corrupt.

And here the Argument holds these two Waies;

(1.) It concern'd the Philippians to be sincere and upright,^[q] because they lived with such wicked Persons, who were ready to slander that [Page 103]which was good; and therefore would be sure to aggravate that which was bad. So Estius. And this same Duty greatly concerns our selves this Day, for the same reason.

(2.) It behoves us to be careful of our Conver­sation, in the midst of a wicked and adulterous, a crooked and perverse Generation,^[r] that we our selves be not corrupted and depraved with the evil Manners of those among whom we live. So Zanchy upon the Place. Let's be careful to avoid all Oc­casions of Sin, and to resist all Temptations to tlie Sins, which reign and abound in the Times and Pla­ces wherein we live. Though we dwell among the Wicked, let's not communicate in their. Sin, nor give any countenance to their Wickedness: But beg and use God's Grace and Help, implore and employ the divine Strength, for the overcom­ing and conquering the Temptations both of Men and Devils: And heartily bless God, that we are not left and forsaken of God, and given up to the reigning Sins and Vices of the Times. Let's not be conformed to this World; to the evil Customs and vicious Manners that generally prevail and take place in it; nor follow a multitude to do evil. If ne­ver so many should stab themselves at their very Hearts, or drown themselves in the Thames, or sore their Houses with their own Hands to consume and destroy themselves; would this induce any wise Man to do the like? Why then should any of­fer to^* drown themselves in destruction and perdition, to throw themselves into Hell-fire, and to cast a­way their Souls for ever, because many others do so? [Page 104]When Vice grows into Fashion Singularity is a Vertue. When Sanctity is counted Singularity, hap­py is he that goeth in a Manner alone; and walks unweariedly in the holy Path, though he has but few to bear him company in the narrow Way to Hea­ven. Though the common Vote should go against us, yet, with holy^* Joshua, le us be singular in our vertuous Choice and plous Resolution, Let us, with Noah, be upright, and walk with God, even when^† all Plesh have corrupted their way. Let us, with Lot, be righteous even in Sodom; and keep our Garments underfiled and unspotted with the Flesh, even in a Sink of Sin and Uncleanness. Let's use all possible Arts and Means, to retain our Healthfulness in a very bad and corrupt Air: to keep the Spark of Grace alive in the very midst of the O­cean: to preserve and maintain a gracious Dispo­sition in the mids of a Deluge of Temptation. Let us labour to be like Fish, sweet and fresh in salt Wa­ter: like Pearls or Jewels, sparkling in a Dunghill: yea, to be like the Sun, shining upon a Dunghill; whose pure Raies and clear Beams are no way pollu­ted with the Filthiness of it. Let's endeavour to be righteous among the Unrighteous, and zealous among those that are careless and negligent of God and Religion: And let the Coldness of the ambient Air. without, not extinguish or weaken, but for­tify and strengthen our supernatural Heat within. Though we live in bad Times, yet let's keep our selves free from the Evil of the Times. And the freer we keep and preserve our selves from the Taint and Infection of the common Corruption, we shall the more notably reprove and condemn, dis­courage [Page 105]and discountenance the reigning Sins and abounding Vices of the Times we live in. Though we be in the World which lies in Wickedness, yet let us not be of the World; but pray to God to keep us, and endeavour to keep our selves^* from the Evil of the World.

Let not us be the worse for these evil Daies, for if we be made worse by them, we shall also make them worse. Let our Care and Endeavour be, to be good in evil Daies: and as the Evil of Sin abounds, let us encrease in Holiness. Farther;

3. Let us labour, as to be good, so to do good in evil Daies: As to be good our selves, so to make o­thers good in the worst Times that can be: By a holy and exemplary Conversation to be instrumen­tal to their Conversion; and, if it be possible, a Means effectual to bring the very Worst and Wic­kedest home to God. In the^† midst of a crooked and perverse Nation, let us shine as Lights in the World, holding forth the Word of Life. By our ver­tuous Lives adorned with excellent Actions, let's shine as so many Stars before them: and be as so many Lights set up in Towers, to direct others how to steer aright their Christian Course, and safely to arrive at the Port of eternal Rest, and the Ha­ven of heavenly Happiness. Let us pity and pray for those who pity and pray not for themselves: let us exhort, admonish them; rebuke, reprove them; and^‖ save them with Fear, pulling them out of the Fire. Let us labour in this manner to make the evil Men of the Times as much better as we can.

By way of Motive, Consider seriously these three Things.

Mot. 1. That if we grow bad in evil Times, we can fetch no excuse from the Times for our Sins. Men are apt indeed to translate the blame of their own Actions upon the Times and Places in which they live.^[s] Seneca complains of some, too rea­dy to do so in his Daies: that would argue, and plead thus for themselves; I am not ambitious, but no man can live otherwise in Rome. I am not extra­vagantly sumptuous, but the City enforces great Ex­pences: it is costly and chargeable living in the Ci­ty. But why do we deceive our selves (says he)? This Evil is not from any Cause without us, it is within us, it is seated on and sticks in our very Bowels.

If our Minds and Hearts were well disposed, and rightly enclined; Temptations would prove like Fire falling upon^[t] uncombustible Matter.

Evil Times and Places are indeed an Occasion of Sin; but the Cause is, our own Hearts and Wills. If we would carefully watch over our selves, and above all keepings keep our Hearts, we might keep our selves^* unspotted from the World, in the corruptest Times and Places; as well as others, recorded in [Page 107]Scripture for our Example and Encouragement, have done before us. The Badness of the Times (as^[u] Mr. Dyke, occasionally citing my Text, notes well upon it) did not serve with St. Paul for a Cloak to excuse our Conformity to the Times, — but as a Spur to excite us to be so much the more careful of our selves, not to be swaied with the common Stream. — And good reason have we (saies he) to make this use of the Corruption of the Times; for, if the Air be generally infectious, had we not need to be so much the more strict in our Diet, and careful in the use of wholesome Preser­vatives? Surely (as the same Author adds) the worse the Times are, the nearer grow they to their End; and therefore so much the more apprehensive ought we to be of the Occasions of good, because the Day, in which only we can work, is declining apace, and that fearful Night approacheth, wherein none can work.

Consider,

Mot. 2. It will be our high Praise and Glory, to be religious and holy, when the Times are profane and un­godly: To be good Husbands in redeeming the Time, when others are prodigals round about us.^[i] As it's a great Sin to be bad in good Times, so 'tis an ad­mirable Vertue to be good in bad Times. It is not so praise worthy to be good in good Times, and among good Persons: But to resist the Stream of evil Times and Persons, to tug hard against Wind and Tide; to resolve to be good, and to endea­vour to do good, against all Opposition and Discou­ragement whatever: Not to follow others in any [Page 108]sinful Waies and Courses; but to tread contrary, and to become Examples of Vertue to others; this will tend to our great Commendation. He that can be strict among loose Livers, holy among most pro­fane Persons, chast among the lascivious,^[x] so­ber among Drunkards, modest among impudent Railers, just among Defrauders, heavenly among Earth-worms; He is an excellent Person indeed: He deserves an Ecce to be put upon him: We may say of him, as our Saviour said concerning Natha­nael, Behold an Israelite indeed! ^[y] This sets off the Righteousness of the Righteous, and makes it more conspicuous and glorious.

Mot. 3. Consider thirdly; That our Redeeming the Time in this manner, is the only way to make the E­vil Days better. The Reforming and Amending our selves and others, is a proper means to alter and rectify the Times. The freeing both our selves and others from the Evil that is in any of us, will surely free the Times from the Evil that is in them. Our Sins are they that make the Times to be every way so bad as they are. Our aggravated Sins are the greatest Evil of the Times; And the Evil of Sin draws all other Evils along with it: and therefore remove the Evil of Sin, and the Times will quickly be every way well amended.

The Third Particular Evil of the Apostles Days, and in what Degrees of Ours.

3. The Evil of the Apostles Times stood also in Persecution, which was hot then, and like to grow hotter. Those Daies were Ecelesioe dies Caniculares, (as Tertullian calls them) the scorching Dog-Days of the Church. The Apostles were forbidden to preach in the Name of Christ; and Christians were prohibited to name the Name of Christ. Then it was perilous for any Person to profess himself a Christian. ^[b] The Confession of the Name, was e­nough to make Men the Objects of a publick Odi­um, without any Examination of the Crime. ^[c] On­ly the Name did precondemn a Sect unknown, and an Author of it whom they were ignorant of; be­cause they were nominated, not because they were convinced. ^[d] If you should have search'd their Prisons, you should have found them fill'd with Ma­lefactors only of their own Religion: you could not have seen a Christian there that was a Criminal, un­less it were only on this Account, that he was a Christian. But (as^[e] Tertullian argues excellently in his sinewy Apology) if Christian be a Name of no Crime, 'tis ridiculous to make a Crime of the meer Name. Yet the Heathen (as he remarks there)^[f] fell so blindly into the hatred of Christianity, [Page 110]that whenever they gave a Testimony of the Probity of any such Person, they mingled some Expression of Exprobration for their Name. 'Twas common to say, Such an one indeed is a good Man, but only that he is a Christian. And again; I wonder that such an one, a wise Man, should of a suddain be made a Christian. To which it might have been well replied, That such an one is good, and such an one prudent, because he is a Christian: Or, it there­fore appears that such an one is in truth a Christian, because he is prudent and good. ^[g] As any was better'd by bearing this Name, he became by so much the more offensive; For the good that was in any Christian, was not of so great Force and Po­wer as was the hatred against all Christians.^[h] E­ven an innocent Name was odious in very innocent Men. The Gentiles declared themselves Enemies to those who^[i] delivered them from the Power of Devils, and put up Praiers for them to the true God; and were ready to be trusty Guards about them, for the Preservation of them; and were Persons prositable to the Common-wealth. The same argumentative Author, in that most rational, convincing Defence of the Christians against the Heathen Magistrates, takes special Notice that the Philosophers were tolerated, when Christians were urged under greatest Penalties to the most unrea­sonable [Page 111]Things:^[k] Who compels a Philosopher to Sacrifice, or to swear by the Gods? (saies he) They openly destroy the Belief and Worship of your Gods, and accuse your Superstitions in their publick Writings; and you applaud them for it: Many among them do bitterly inveigh against their Princes and Governours, and yet you patiently bear with them: and they are sooner honoured with Statues, and rewarded with Salaries, than sentenced to suffer the Fury of the Beasts: and all for this only Reason, because they are known by the Name of Philosophers, and not of Christians. Philosophers were permitted to propagate Pythago­ras's Opinion of the Transmigration of separated Souls into other Bodies: But if a Christian affirm'd the Return of the Soul into the same Body;^[l] the People not only followed him with Blows of the Fist, but even cast Stones at him. The Societies of the Christians were accused and prosecuted as factious Meetings:^[m] But did we ever meet to­gether (says the fore-cited Father) to the Hurt of any one? We are the same when congregated, as we are when separated: wronging no body, grieving no body. When good and honest Men convene, when pious and chast Persons come in Company together, it is not to be termed a Faction, but a lawful As­sembly: But on the contrary, the Name of Faction fitly belongs to those, who conspire to an hatred of good and vertuous Persons, and exclaim together a­gainst [Page 112]the Blood of Innocents.^[m] The Christians were censured as the grand Causes of all general Ca­lamities, and publick, popular Incommodities. If Tiber nowed up to the Walls, if Nilus did not o­ver-flow the Fields, if the Heaven stop'd its Course of seasonable Rain, if there were an Earth-quake, or Famine, or Plague; then presently they cried, Christianos ad leonem; away with the Christians to the Lion.^[n] But such was the malignant Method of their Cruelty, that they ordered Christianam ad lenonem, potiùs quàm ad leonem: They condemned a certain Christian Virgin rather to be prostituted to the Lust of a lewd Person, than to be delivered to the Rage of a devouring Lion: By which they confess'd, that the Corruption of their Chastity, was more intolerable to Christians than any Punish­ment, more grievous and afflictive than any Death. Christians were commonly punish'd like Slaves, ^[o] made to serve in the Mines, or banish'd into Islands, or shut up in Prisons, and put to the Sword, or consumed with Fire, or hung upon Crosses, or cast to wild Beasts, only for the sake of Christ's Reli­gion. ^[p] Sometimes they were covered with wild Beasts Skins, and torn in pieces with Dogs: and when the Day failed, they were burnt with a pitch­ed Coat upon them, to serve as Torches to give light in the Night.^[q] Yea the enraged common Peo­ple (as Tertullian informs us) during the Fury of [Page 113]the Bacchinal's, did not spare the very Christians that were dead; but drew them from the rest of their Graves, and the Sanctuary of their Sepulchres, and tore and dragg'd their Bodies in the Streets, now so much changed and altered, mangled and defa [...], that it could not be known whose Bodies they were.^[r] The blind vnlgar sort of People, exulted and insulted on Occasion of the Abuses that were offered to the Christians, and some of the Ma­gistrates gloried in the cruel Usages of the Christi­ans, thereby to gain the Favour of the People. As many as owned and acknowledged themselves the Disciples of Christ, did presently draw the Rage and Fury of Heathen Idolatrous Persecutors upon them.^[s] But it is notably observed in the fore­mentioned Apology, as a Thing the Christians glo­ried in, that, of all the Emperours, Nero was the first that was fierce upon the Christians, and made a Law to condemn them to Death; who never was known to condemn any Thing but what was greatly good and singularly worthy. It was this Nero, this Prodigy of Cruelty, that put St. Peter and St. Paul to Death, causing the one to be crucified, the other to be beheaded (which Tertullian is judged to have^* here respect to) and who (as Historians affirm) suborned false Witnesses against the Christians, and put many of them to Death, as Authors of that Fire, which he himself had caused to be kindled in twelve Places of Rome together, that he might more lively represent to his Fansy the general Conslagra­tion of Troy. ^[s] It is moreover pleaded, and [Page 114]strongly urged there in the behalf of the Christians, that the most vicious Princes alwaies proved their most violent Persecutors: But that they that were the most vertuous, became their Favourers and Protectors: (an eminent Instance of which he gives us in Marcus Aurelius) That Trajan did, in some Part, frustrate the Laws that were made against them, and forbad the making Enquiry after them: That no Adrian, no Vespasian, no Pius, no Verus confirmed the Laws against the Christians. But if the Christians had been a naughty Sect of Men, sure­ly then the best, and not the worst of Princes would have been their open Adversaries, would have set themselves in greatest Opposition against them, and have endeavoured to eradicate and extirpate them.

Sharp and hot Persecution was a sore Evil in the Apostles, and in many of the Primitive Christians Days: And the Christians that lived in those hard Times, were bound to do and suffer any Thing, that so they might make [...], a good Op­portunity of an evil Time; and gain an Occasion of honouring God, and Christ, and the Gospel, and of furthering their own and others Salva­tion.

And this was their Practise, as well as their [Page 115] Duty: for (as^[t] Salvian saies concerning them) ascending to the Gate of the heavenly Court by the seve­ral Steps of their own Punishments, they made as it were Ladders for themselves of the several Instruments of their Torments.

But, blessed be God; he has provided better Times for us than those. They that are called by the Name of Christians, are not so persecuted in the Times and Places wherein we live. I may here ve­ry pertinently apply both to our Times and to our selves that pious Passage of the forementioned Fa­ther, in his third Book de Gubernatione Dei. ^[u] But some perhaps will say, (saies he) that it is not now a Time wherein we are in Danger to suffer such Things for Christ, as the Aposties formerly did: True, saies he, for our Princes are not now Pagans, nor our Go­vernors Persecutors: the Blood of Saints is not shed now a daies, nor is our Faith tried by Torments. Our God is contented that we should worship him in the Christian Religion upon more mild and moderate, more gentle and favourable Terms than others have done; that we should serve him in quiet, peaceable, prosperous Circumstances; and that we should please him only with the Purity of our unspotted Actions, and with [Page 116]the Sanctity of an undefiled Life: So that our Faith and Devotion is the more deeply indebted to him, because he exacteth less of us, and yet hath vouchsafed more to us. And therefore since our Princes are now professed Christians, and we are not under any Persecution from the higher Powers, and our Religion is not disturbed; we that are not forced to make Proof of our Faith by harder Experiments, ought certainly to study the more to please our Lord and Master, by being faithful in those cheaper Services and less costly Duties that lye before us, and are incumbent on us: For he that fulfils his lesser Of­fices, does give some proof and pledg thereby, that he would be ready to perform his Duty in higher Instances and harder Matters, if the Case required it, and if he were called to it. So far that ancient and excel­lent Father.

And truly, how reasonable is't, and how becom­ing, that if God do not call us to suffer so great and terrible worldly Evils in the Cause of the Gospel and the reform'd Religion, we should therefore rea­dily and cheerfully bear and sustain Troubles and Exigencies of less Weight, at his Desire and Request: That we should confess him by Integrity and Fide­lity in his Service, and please him by Abstinence from unlawful Pleasures of what kind soever; none of which can be so dear to us as is our Life: That we should speedily part with our Lusts, when we are not commanded presently to part with our Lives: That we should regulate and reform our Lives, when we are not required to lay down our Lives, and to shed and sacrisice our Blood. Thanks be to God, we are free from the Magistrate's Per­secution in the Cause of Religion.

But beside such Persecution arising from the Civil Magistrate, meerly upon the Account of Christiani­ty, or of the Profession of the Reformed Religion; [Page 117]there is another Persecution proceeding from wicked Men, whereby they persecute those that are good, these two Ways;

1. By their injurious Carriages towards them in Particular.

2. By the Wickedness and Ungodliness of their Lives in General.

1. By their Injuries and Indignities offer'd and done to good Men in Particular. ^* He that departeth from evil, maketh himself a Prey. He that will not do as others, is in Danger of being undone by others. He cannot be safe, that will not be wicked. It is not e­nough, that the Wicked will not be the better for the Good, but the Good shall be some way the worse for them: If they cannot corrupt and deprave them, they will molest and disquiet them: If they cannot draw them into Sin, they will, if possible, bring them into trouble, and create them Suffering and Sorrow enough: They will endeavour, some way or other, to infringe their Liberty, to disturb the Peace and Quiet, and to destroy the Comfort of their Lives: They will sometimes sin, if it be but of purpose to grieve them: as by beginning, and of­fering to impose Healths in drinking, out of a De­sign to displease and dissatisfy, or ensnare and en­tangle some part of the Company; who, they know, will either refuse and deny it, or be drawn with Reluctancy and unwillingly to it, So like­wise by customary Swearing, and by repeating and multiplying their Oaths, to vex and trouble a sober Reprover. And, in like manner, by railing, re­viling, [Page 118]vain and idle speaking, frothy and filthy Communication, on purpose to cause Vexation and Af­fliction.

Of all which Course and Carriage of theirs you may take this double Account; The Wicked have a Frejudice, and an Antipathy against the Righte­ous; and these are the Reasons of their Dealing with them in this manner.

1. The Wicked have a strong Prejudice against them: They have a wrong Opinion of them: They judg amiss concerning them. He that departeth from evil is counted a mad Man, or causeth him­self to be counted a mad Man:^[w] So some ren­der that Place Isa. 59.15.^* as Elisha's Minister was called a mad Fellow.

Again; Ungedly Men count those that are good the Troublers of Israel, and postilent Fellows; the Causes of Calamities, and Procurers of Judgments (an Imputation which we shewed you out of Tertul­lian was cast of old upon the Primitive Christians) They reckon those a very Plague and Curse, that are a Blessing to the Places where they live, and un­der God the grand Preservers and chief Supporters of them. They judge those unworthy to live, of whom²³³ the World is not worthy; and to whose liv­ing and dwelling among them they themselves do sometimes ow their very Lives. They deem those as the^‖ Filth and Off-scouring of the World, who are indeed God's^(*) Jewels, and the^(†) Excellent in the Earth, and^(‖) more excellent than their Neigh­bours. They look upon good Men as troublesome [Page 119]and vexatious, proud and imperious, because they reprove them.

2. The Wicked and Ungodly have an Enmity and Antipathy against good Men: They are^* De­spisers of those that are good: It is in the Original [...], not Lovers of the good:^[x] Haters and Persecuters of all good Men; So Dr. Hammond paraphrases upon that Place. They are displeased with them, because they study to please God; and are careless of them, because they have a care of their Time, a care of their own Souls:^[y] They hate Holiness, and the Righteous for it:^† They hate him that rebuketh in the Gate, or, in publick. And as it is expressed Isa. 29.21. They make a Man an Offender for a Word, and lay a Snare for him that reproveth in the Gate, and turn aside the Just for a Thing of nought; by falsehoods make the Cause of the Righteous go the wrong Way. They can­not endure the Dispositions and Affections, nor bear the Livers and Conversations of the Godly, which they find as contrary to their own Humours and Manners as can be. We have a notable lively Character and Description of them, Wisd. 2. from the tenth to the End; Let us oppress the poor righte­ous Man, say they, let our Strength be the Law of Ju­stice: let us lye in Wait for the Righteous: because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our Do­ings: he upbraideth us with our offending the Law, and [Page 120]objecteth to our Infamy the Transgressings of our Educa­tion. He professeth to have the Knowledg of God: and he calleth himself the Child of the Lord. He was made to reprove our Thoughts. He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his Life is not like other Mens, his Waies are of another fashion. We are esteem'd of him as Counterfeits: he abstaineth from our Waies as from Filthiness: he pronounceth the End of the Just to be blessed, and maketh his Boast that God is his Father. Let us see if his Words be true: let us examine him with Despitefulness and Torture: let us condemn him with a shameful Death, &c. The Wicked are so ill-natu­red as to render to the Righteous evil for good: to vex and abuse their Physicians, Chirurgians, Ad­vocates, Guardians, Friends: To use them harsh­ly and unkindly, that endeavour to benefit them by their Counsels, to better them by their Examples; and labour, by earnest Praiers to God for them, to keep off many a Judgment that hangs over their Heads from falling upon them. They watch and study to harm those that are really ready to help them: to grieve and break their Hearts, whose Bowels yearn towards them: to vex and torment their Souls, which is a great Misery than to per­secute and afflict their Bodies.

2. The Wicked persecute those that are good, as by their Injuries to them in particular, so by the Wickedness and Ʋnholiness of their Lives in General. The ill Conversation of the Wicked, is a spiritual Persecution of the Godly; It is Matter of exquisite Torment to them: It wounds and rends the very Souls of the Righteous: It plainly cuts them even to the Heart, and makes their very Heart bleed.

I find²⁴² St. Austin, in a Discourse of his upon my Text, insisting pathetically and particulary on this very kind of Persecution; applying and ac­commodating that of the Apostle, Tim. 3.12. All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Per­secution. Behold here, says he, because the Daies are evil, there is no living for the Righteous without suffering Persecution. But ye, says he, are ready to say thus to me: What? when we enjoy Peace among us, when the Judges of the Provinces honour the Church, when Kings and Princes do not appear and carry them­selves as Enemies to the Church, and when all the Laws are in favour of the Church; pray how do they that live godly suffer Persecution? His Answer is, that they that live among wicked Persons do suffer Persecution for all this: Why so? Because all the Wicked do persecute the Good, Nonferro & lapidibus, sed vitâ & moribus: [though not with Fire and Fagot] though not with Swords and Stones, yet by their Lives and Manners. Did any persecute righteous Lot n Sodom? says he, No Man troubled or molested him: [We reade indeed of no Rudeness of theirs towards him, of no As­sault made upon him, but only of one, done just before his Departure out of Sodom.] And yet that good Man suffer'd continual Persecution, Non vapulando sed inter malos vivendo; not by being beaten and smit­ten of them, but by living among those vile and vicious, proud, blasphemous, lewd and debauch'd Persons: For, whoever is truly righteous and holy, saies he, when he sees any to live wickedly, to serve Luxury, to carry Things unjustly, to follow Pride and Vanity, to disre­gard Charity; when they that are good see any live af­ter this manner, they mourn and grieve, are sadned [Page 122]and afflicted: for, with the Apostle, they bewail many that have sinn'd already, and have not repented.

It is said, that²⁴³ just Lot was vexed with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked: The Word which we render vexed, is in the Original²⁴⁴ [...], he laboured under it as an heavy Burthen, was op­pressed, wearied, grievously afflicted with it. And as Lot was burthened with the loose and lawless Lives of the Sodomites; So good Jeremiab was wea­ried out with the wicked and exorbitant Courses of the Jews, and constrained to cry out under the Pressure and Persecution of them,²⁴⁵ Oh that I had in the Wilderness a lodging Plate of wayfaring Men, that I might leave my People and go from them to wish with all his Heart that he might withdraw himself from his People, and live in any solitary Desart, and in any sorry Traveller's Lodg, or Shed there, rather than among them, whose wicked Lives were such a con­tinual Eye-sore, and daily heart-sore to him: for, tey proceed from Evil to Evil, saies he; from one Evil to another; or, from one Degree of it to ano­ther; they grow daily worse and worse; and weary themselves to commit Iniquity: take Pains to do wickedly, and tire out themselves in it.

Alas! the Wicked little think, how they vex God in vexing his Servants; and that God will one Day sorely vex them for it, and make them weary of wearying his People; that he will torment them in Hell hereafter, for tormenting his People here on Earth.

They little think, that the Righteous them­selves will one Day heavily vex those that have gi­ven them such Occasion and Cause of Vexation; vex them in the Day when the²⁴⁶ Saints shall judg the World.

Yea, they little think, that they shall torment themselves hereafter, for making good Men tor­ment themselves here. That if they do not grieve in Time with a penitent Grief, they shall certainly grieve with a desperate Grief, to all Eternity, for being a Grief and Heart-break to the Godly.

Now this Persecution, which in the Waies fore­mentioned is managed and carried on by the Wic­ked; as it is the Evil in some measure of all Ages, so more especially and remarkably of the Times and Places in which we live. 'Tis true, that now we suffer nothing barely for owning the Name of Christians: There is no Persecution in our Nation merely for the outward Profession of the Christian, and of the Reformed Religion: But was ever the other Persecution hotter among us than in these Daies? How do the Wicked persecute with their Eye? looking upon the sincerely Godly with an evil, a scornful, a malicious Eye. How do they perse­cute them with their Tongues? (which are as so many²⁴⁷ sharp Swords)²⁴⁸ maliciously standering, re­proaching, reviling the Godly, as a Company of weak^[c] Fools, and conceited Fanaticks: frequently [Page 124]making them their very Songs in their drunken Meetings, and even mocking their very Praiers in their publick prophane Plaies; and often utter­ing very false, and proud, and hard Words a­gainst them.

And, according as they meet with Occasion and find any Opportunity, how do they persecute with the Hand? ²⁵⁰ Do evil with both Hands earnestly? How ready are their Hearts to rise against them, and their Hands to be lifted up to strike at them, and to pull them down to the very Ground, that so they may be trampled upon, and troden under Foot? Yea, how do they persecute them by their Lives? continually vexing their pious Souls with their un­lawful Deeds; grieving and wounding, paining and piercing their very Hearts. The wilful Wic­kedness of the bold and daring Sinners of the Times, in their open dishonouring God and Re­ligion, is a cruel Torment to serious Souls, and makes their Lives a wearisome, pressing Burthen to them. They that live godly, do suffer daily the sad Persecution of wicked Mens offensive, afflictive Lives and Manners. What a Persecution is this? to force good Men to cry out with David, ²⁵¹ Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar: to cause²⁵² Rivers of Waters to run down their Eyes (as they did from David's) because Men keep not God's Law.

Now since we live in such evil Daies, in which there is such inveterate Enmity against the Practise of Piety, and such a²⁵³ malignant persecuting Spi­rit [Page 125]reigning and raging in the Breasts of the Wic­ked against the Good; let us keep a^(*) prudent Si­lence in an evil Time: Let us take care that we do not unnecessarily ^[c] provoke and exasperate them; for we know not what their Malice may grow to: nor give them any just Occasion of furious, vexati­ous Opposition. Let us see that we do not^* suffer as Evil-doers from them, nor as rash and heady, imprudent and unwary Persons. In evil Daies, E­vil will come soon enough upon us: and we have no reason to accelerate and hasten our own Suffering. Let's labour therrfore by all discreet and wise, di­rect and innocent Means, to keep our selves out of their Hands, to prevent their taking Advantage against us; and endeavour to solace our selves in God, and to preserve the Comforts of a good Con­science: To be patient under, and to glory in our Sufferings from them: To consider with our selves, that it is far better to be troubled by the Wicked, than to be Troublers of the Good: and to be thankful and joyful that we are not guilty of their Wickedness, nor deserve such Usages at their Hands. And let us study, and endeavour to render,^† not Evil for Evil; but still to return good for evil to the very Worst and Wickedest of them. And whatever Measure we receive from them, let us not be disheartned and discouraged and dish'd out of Countenance by them, nor suffer our [Page 126]selves to give Way to their Wickedness, to be wearied out of our Holiness, to be laughed, and jeered, and sconed out of our Religion; but let's run the Race that is set before us, though all the Dogs in the Street bark at us. Let us with Zeal and Courage bear up against them: and bear Wit­ness against them: and if we cannot win and gain them, at least shame and silence them, judg and condemn them, by an holy, unblameable, exemplary Life, as Noah ^* condemned the Old World. Like Stars, let us appear most clear and bright in the sharpest and coldest Night. And let the Vexation we meet with from the Wicked here, drive us the oftner to God, to make our Complaint and Moan to him; and cause us to long the more earnestly for Hea­ven, where we shall be for ever out of the Reach of Satan, and all his Instruments, and out of all Danger of any Enemy, Persecutor, or bad Neighbour.

And so we have fully considered the Reason in the Text; the Force of which, even as to our selves, lies plainly thus; The Daies are such, wherein yeare in Danger of Infection by the wicked Errours and damnable Heresies of the Times: In Danger of Corruption, by the common Sins and reigning Vices of the Times: and in Danger of Persecution, by the injurious Carriages, and grievous wicked Lives of the profligate and desperate Sinners of the Times: and therefore redeem the Time, because the Daies are evil in these respects.

These various Evils must not make us give place to Unfruitfulness, but make us much more careful [Page 127]and watchful to take every good Occasion. ^[d] If an Harvest-Day be cloudy and windy, or prove catching Weather (as well call it) Men will not there­fore keep in, but work more diligently and wari­ly. Good Opportunities in evil Times are^[e] few and scare: The more rare these Commodities grow, the more we should engross them. And as some kinds of good Opportunities are hard to come by, so not like to abide and continue long with us in evil Times: and therefore while the Occasion lasteth, we should strive to make the utmost Advantage and Improvement of it.

The first Additional Reason.

We must redeem the Time, because our Time is afforded us by God to this very End and Purpose, that we should improve and apply it to rational and re­ligious Ʋses. ^[a] Our Time is given us to study to [Page 129]know and acquaint our selves with God and our selves: To contemplate the Creator: To rise and ascend from the Effects to the prime Cause, and ul­timate End: To seek and embrace the first Truth, and chief Good; which only can satisfy Man's Mind, desirous of more Truth; and his Will, capa­ble of more Good than finite Beings can afford: By diligent Searching to find out God to be our abso­lute Owner, supream Governour, and great Be­nefactor; and to labour to be suitably affected to­wards him, and every way answerably observant of him:^[b] To own and acknowledg, love, fear, and serve the Author of our Beings, and Patron of our Lives: to put our Trust, and place our Confidence in him; and to take care to promote and advance his Interest in the World. To con­template and reflect upon the^[c] Royal Pedigree, the noblo and divine Extraction, the high and heavenly Original, the excellent Nature and large Capacity of our incorporeal and immortal Souls, the Alliance of our Spirits to the Father of Spirits; [Page 130]and to charge our selves to live and act worthy of so high and honourable a Descent, so noble a Na­ture; such excellent Endowments. To confider and ponder the direct Respect and certain Referenoe that this Life has to another: That the World we live in, we must not live alwaies in: That this is not the Place of our Happiness and Rest; That we are but Pilgrims and Strangers here, and Travel­lers toward^{* [d]} a better Country: That this World is but the Road and Way that surely leads to another: That this World is but a Nursery for Eternity; that we are planted in this, in order to our Transplanting into the other World: That the present Li [...]e is not a durable, permanent Conditi­on, nor the final State of Mankind; but is only in­tended as a certain^[e] preliminary, preparatory State; ^[e] and fitly contrived, and wisely designed by way of present previous Probation, in order to future Happiness or Misery: that God has placed us here for a Time, that we may be^[f] Candi­dates [Page 131]for Eternity. ^[g] Time is allowed us, to consider and answer the Ends of our coming into this World; to dispatch the Errand and finish the Business which our heavenly Father, Lord and Master hath given us to do: To find out and disco­ver the ill Condition and unsound Constitution, the Incurvation and Depression of our Souls; the Vitio­sity, moral Deformity, and wretched Degeneracy of our Nature; the Sickness and Weakness, Disor­der and Distemper of all our Faculties; the ill Bent, and wrong Biass, and perverse Inclination of our Minds and Wills, Hearts and Affections: To observe and bewail that lamentable^[h] [...], and unhappy [...], the hanging and flagging of our Soul's Wings, the drooping and moulting of our Souls; their losing those noble Fea­thers by which they should nimbly raise themselves, and fly and soar as high as God, and mount up and aspire to heavenly Things: To be truly sen­sible of, and sadly affected with the Mutiny and Rebellion of the brutish and inferiour Faculties of our Souls against the higher Power and soveraign Fa­culty of our Reason: And to endeavour, what in us lies, by all possible means to recover and rectify, to pu­rify and sublimate our heaven-born Souls; and to use well and rightly our seeing and foreseeing, our intellec­tual and elective Faculties and Powers: To open and clear the Eye of our Souls, to^[i] improve and heighten our Reason, to ripen and strengthen our [Page 132]Judgment, to enlarge and widen our Understand­ing, and to live and act suitably and agreeably to right Reason, and the sober Dictates and most ma­ture Judgment of a sound and solid Understand­ing: To consult the divine Oracles, and search the sacred Scriptures; and thence more clearly to ga­ther, and fully to discover our sinful miserable State by Nature: To learn plainly and certainly from divine Revelation the particular Manner of our A­postacy and Defection, the Universality of our De­pravation and Corruption, our Obligation to Pu­nishment for our Transgression and Rebellion, and the ready Way and infallible Means of our happy Recovery and Restitution to the Image and Favour of God: And out of a deep Sense and Feeling of all our Sin and Guilt, and spiritual Impotency and Inability, to seek God's Face and Favour in Christ, to seek his Grace and Strength; and with Faith­fulness and Diligence to use his Grace, and uct in his Strength; And in the Ʋse or Reason (which is Man's proper Ʋtensil) and by the Help of divine Grace, to govern our Senses, to tame our wild and extrava­gant Fancies, to curb our^[k] Appetite, to mo­derate our Affections, to bridle our violent and boisterous Passions, and to^[l] keep our Bodies [Page 133]and rebellious Flesh in an orderly Subjection to our Souls. Faithfully to pursue Principles of Conscience, and to live strictly under the Power of Principles: To exercise our selves to have always a Conscience void of Offence both towards God, and towards Men: To perform a Course of sincere Obedience to the re­vealed Will of God, and the good Institutions and excellent Laws of Christ: To make Religion our Work and Business: To be blameless and harmless, to be useful and Exemplary in our Stations and Relations: To serve our Generations according to the Will of God: To watch and take all possible Ad­vantages of daily doing and receiving Good; and by patient continuance in well-doing to provide for Honour and Glory and Immortality, and to secure a blessed and happy Eternity.

Time is allotted us for Proof and Trial of us: And now God looks to see what we will do with it; He waits to behold how we will improve it: God ex­pects we should make a wise and a good Choice in it: That we should use the necessary Means for the sure obtainment of our desired End: That we should live up to the Ends of Life; answer the Ends both of our Creation and Redemption: That we should live not merely the animal, but chiefly the rational, angelical, divine and spiritual Life: That we should not live and act at Randome; but that we should, in several Instances, and on all Occasions, approve our selves strict^[m] Imitators and close Followers of God and his Son Jesus Christ, faithful Friends to God and Religion, Friends to our selves and our immortal Souls: That we should pass the Time of [Page 134]our Sojouruing here in Fear; That we should be ru­led by the Hopes and Fears of another Life: That we should live as those that have serious and satis­fying Apprehensions of the unseen World: That we should live and walk in believing and delightful Fore­thoughts and Fore-tasts o [...] the Glory to come: That we should use this World as if we used it not, and have our Conversation in Heaven, and learn the Manmrs of the heavenly City and celestial Coun­try, and give our Minds to such Pleasures as are most proper to the other State: That we should la­bour by Heaven moral (which is an heavenly Frame and Temper, Conversation and Life) to be pre­pared for Heaven local, the Seat and Receptacle of the Blessed; By entring into an heavenly State, and getting Heaven first into us, to fit our selves to en­ter into Heaven at last: By becoming the spiritual Children of Abraham, Followers of Abroham's Faith and Obedience, to be apt to receive our Rest and Repose in Abraham's Bosom: That we should un­feignedly^[n] addict and devote our selves to Good­ness, constantly endeavour to habituate our selves to true Piety, and real substantial Godliness and Religion; to attain that Purity of Heart, these gracious Affections, those heavenly, divine and God-like Vertues; and to maintain that Life of Holi­ness and Spirituality, which will suitably qualify, and make us meet for the blessed Vision and Fruition of God, in the heavenly, supernal Kingdom of Glo­ry: Which will reconcile our very Natures to that perfectly pure and holy State; dispose and encline us to love, and delight our selves in God; and [Page 135]frame and fit us to be for ever the blessed Objects of God's complacential Love: and which will pre­pare us for the comfortable, delectable Enjoyment of the Spirits of just Men made perfect. God now expects that we should do the Work of Time, in Time; That we should use the Price put into our Hands, and for a certain appointed Time walk with Watchfulness and Circumspection, keep a due^[o] Decorum in all our Carriages, and act a vertu­ous, prudent,^[p] commendable Part, in the Sight of God, Angels, and Men, upon the Stage of this lower World, before we be advanced higher, and translated hence into those Ʋpper-Regions and glo­rious Mansions: That we should quit our selves like Men, and behave our selves like Christians in this present State of Nurture and Discipline, Trial and Probation; that so we may be capable of a bles­sed Reward, and an honourable Retribution in the other World; and at last may come to be^* equal to the Angels of God in Heaven; yea, to be like the very blessed Son of God himself, and to enjoy the happy Fellowship of Saints and Angels, and the [Page 136]Company and Society of the blessed Trinity, to all Eternity, in the unseen and unconceivable Glory^[q].

Our great Creator and wise Governour, when he giveth and continueth Time to us, expects from us, that whatever it costs us, whatever sensual Plea­sures we deny our selves, whatever worldly Pro­fit or Honours we refuse or lose, whatever we be put to do or suffer in this World; we very faith­fully spend our Life-time in the constant Exercise of right Reason and true Religion, and improve all special Opportunities to our spiritual and eternal Advantages. Time and Opportunity are Talents with which we are intrusted; and therefore they are to be traded with, and not to be hid in a Napkin, much less to be spent and wasted in riotous Living. And the longer Time God gives us, the more Daies, and Weeks, and Months, and Years, and Sea­sons, and Opportunities he affords us to work the Work of God, to abound in the Work of the Lord, to repent of our Sins, to work out our own Salvation, to do good to others, to be Hel­pers of their Faith, and Furtherers of their Salva­tion; the more Advantages he affords us to these Purposes, the greater Improvement he looks for from us: And we find him complaining for want of it:^* Christ says concerning Jezebel, I gave her [Page 137] ^[r] Spacé to repent of her Fornication, and she repent­ed not. And he speaks to Jerusalem, even weep­ing;^† If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy Day, the Things which belong unto thy Peace. And in the Parable, he that planted the Fig-tree in his Vine-yard, complain'd,^‖ Behold, these three Years I come seeking Fruit on this Fig-tree, and find none. That is the first Reason; We must redeem the Time, and whatever it cost us, use and im­prove it to all possible Advantages to our selves and others, because our Time and Opportunities are afford­ed us by God to this very End and Purpose.

The second Additional Reason.

We should carefully and faithfully redeem the Time, because we have all of us ^[a] lost much Time already.

It is to be feared, that some of us have lost our whole Time ever since we came into the World; have stood idle all the Day long hitherto; have done nothing at all for God's Glory, or for the Salvation of our own and others Souls: have made no riddance at all of our Work, but only made our selves more Work to do. There are some, I fear, so far from [Page 138]having finished their Work, that they know not as yet what Work they have to do; that are as yet grosly ignorant of the Terms and Conditions of the New Co­venant.

And of those that have known and understood them, how few have considered and consented to them, sincerely kept and faithfully perform's them! How many among us have liv'd in practical Athe­ism, in habitual Non-atendance upon God, and in a gross Neglect of their future Welfare and eter­nal Good? liv'd without any Sence and Taste and Feeling of God, or of divine Things? lived a very brutish, sensual, flesh-pleasing Life!

And such of us as have not quite lost our Time, yet how much of it have we wasted? how consider­able a Part of it have we fool'd and trifled away? Might we not have minded God and Religion, a State of Immortality, and a glorious Eternity more than we have done? How little Knowledg have we got of God, how sinall Acquaintance with him? how little Communion and Fellowship have we en­joyed with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, through the blessed Spirit? What Degrees of Affection do we still retain to the Things of the World? which we might have become more morti­fied to, and weaned from. How too too frequent­ly predominant and masterly are our Senses? how strong and impetuous are our Passions? how violent and unruly are our Lusts and Corruptions? How short and narrow, how flat and low, how weak and impotent is our Reason? which might have been heightned and improved, widened and enlarged, and grown more strong and masculine, sober and so­lid. How insirm and infantile is our Faith? how feeble our Graces? how mean our Experiences? how small our Comforts?

Let's reflect back a little, and seriously consi­der what Opportunities we have let slip, what Advantages we have lost of doing and receiving good in the World: Might not we have relieved the Poor, and Christ in the Poor? and visited the Sick, and Christ in the Sick oftener than we have done? Might we not have been the happy Instru­ments of much more good in the Parishes and Places where we have lived? in composing Differences, and making Peace among our Neighbours; in warning the unruly, in awakening, convincing, converting, recovering the Ungodly? Might we not have been as the Angels to Lot, hastening some out of Sodom; and have saved some with Fear, pul­ling them out of the Fire? Might we not have shined as Lights, as Torches, as Stars in the World? Might we not have been more useful and serviceable, more exemplary and imitable in our Lives, more con­scientious in our Dealings, more faithful in our Re­lations, more strict and holy in our Families than we have been? How well might we have spared Time to have instructed our Families, to have ca­techised our Children and Servants, to have admo­nished and exhorted one another more frequently than we have done? How many precious Hours have idly slipt away from us, and run waste, which might have been well bestowed in reading, Hearing, Prayer, Confession, Meditation, Self-examination, holy Society and Christian Communion? Yea, ma­ny a Time, when the holy Spirit of God has secretly mov'd and prompted us to perform a particular Duty; When we have had sometimes (though in in a more tacite Way) such an hint as that of [Page 140] ^[b] St. Austin's was, Tolle, lege; tolle, lege; take up the Bible, and read in it; get into thy Closet, and pray to thy Father in secret; we have sinfully di­verted, and sought an Occasion, and studied an Ex­cuse to turn off from it.

The more we have hitherto neglected golden Op­portunities, the better let us now improve them: Have we been idle formerly? why now let's be so much the more busily employed. Have we loiter'd away a great Part of the Day in the Lord's Vine­yard? let us now work so much the harder the re­maining Part of the Day. Have we hitherto stood still, or mov'd but slowly? let's now with the Sun rejoice to run our Race. Saint Paul had a long time been out of the Way; but when once he was led into the right Way, he pressed toward the Mark: ^* [...]: the very same Word by which he expresseth his former Persecution; ^† [...]: As he eagerly pursued the one, so afterward he as ear­nestly followed the other: He was as zealous in the Practice, as he had been before in the Suppression of Christ's Religion.

It is our Duty to redeem the Time, because much Time is mis-spent already: 'Tis^‖ St. Peter's Argu­ment, that we should no longer live the rest of our [Page 141]Time in the Flesh, to the Lusts of Men, but to the Will of God: ^[c] For the Time past of our Life, says he, may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles, when we walk'd in Lasciviousness, Lusts, Excess of Wine, Revellings, Banquetings, and abominable Idola­tries. We have heretofore done much for Satan, little for God, and God knows, little enough for our own Souls: We have lived to very ill, or to very small Purpose in the World, ever since we came into the World; and are at present lamenta­bly behind-hand: Now then it's high Time for us to lay out our selves to purpose, to lay out our selves to the utmost for God, to be zealous and active for God, and to go about doing good: And it great­ly concerns us, to be pious and religious in such In­stances, in which we have formerly been vicious or incurious: and to bestow our Time especially in the Performance of those Duties, and the Exer­cise of those graces, that are contrary to our for­mer sinful Practices, or gross Neglects.

The third Additional Reason.

It concerns us highly to redeem the Time, because the Time that remains is very short, and uncertain; and our special Opportunities far shorter, and more uncertain;a nd the Work we have to do, very great.

1. The Time that remains is very short. Our whole Life-time is but a very short Space now, in Com­parison [Page 142]of what^[d] Men liv'd before the Floud; but a few Dates, and those swifter than a Weaver's Shuttle, than a Post or Racer on the Land: They pass away as the swift Ship upon the Sea, as the Eagle that hasteth to the Prey. Our Daies upon Earth are like a Shadow that declineth; that changeth, and is liker Darkness every Moment: like Grass, which in the Morning flourisheth and groweth up, in the Eve­ning is cut down and withereth. We spend our Years like a Tale that is told: Now, if a Tale be pleasant, you know Time passeth away so quickly in the telling of it, that it is scarce perceived either by Speaker or Hearer. Our Life is as a Vapour, a Smoak; 'tis gone presently. Our Daies are as an Hand­breadth. The whole of our Life is but a Span; and it may be the Remainder is but an Inch. Our whole Life is but a Day; and it may be we have past the greatest Part of it already, and a few Hours or Mo­ments will serve to measure all that is left behind.

^[e]If we look back on our past Years, the long­est Life will seem but a short Space: and why should we reckon the Remainder by any other Measure? which with many, in the very Course of Na­ture, is but small and short in Comparison of the former. The succeeding Part of our Lives will be gone and quite past over ere we are a­ware.

It is not so proper to ask, when we shall die? as, when we shall make an End of dying? for sure­ly, [Page 143] ^[f] we have been dying, ever since we were born: we have been going out of the World, ever since we came into the World. As not only the Sands that fall last of all, but all that run out from the very first, do properly empty the Hour-glass: So the last Hour in which we cease to be, doth not alone effect, but only finish our Death. Quicquid aetatis retro est, mors tenet, says Seneca [Ep. 1.]: We are dead already to yesterday, and t'other Day, and all the former Daies of our Lives: Death is possess'd of all that is past.

And how does Death seise, as on our Time, so on our Bodies by Degrees? As it is in the Decay of an House, there falls down a Window, then a Piece of a Wall, then a Door: So 'tis with the House of this earthly Tabernacle: Death seised upon our teeth, and makes the^* Grinders cease, be­cause they are few: upon our Eyes, and makes us dim-sighted: upon our Ears, and makes us thick of Hearing: upon our Feet and Hands, our Limbs and Joints, and makes them weak and feeble, stiff and cold. We decline and hasten apace to our long Home, and are fitly said to be^† frail, or ceasing. Our Life is^[g] short.

And, 2. It is uncertain how short it may be. Young ones may be snatch'd away in their Childhood or Youth. There were as many Lambs and Kids fa­criliced under the Old Law, as Goats and old Sheep. They that have escaped in their Youth, may be cut off in the midst of their Daies. The strongest may go as well as the weakest, and the lustiest of all may go soonest. Iron and Brass may melt, as well as Clay molder. Possibly some Fruit may hang on till it's so ripe that it falls and drops down of it self, but most of the Fruit is violently pluckt or shaken down while it's raw and green. If you go into a Potter's Shop, and see a great Company of earthen Pots, and should ask the Owner, which of these would break first? he would tell you, Not that which was first made, but that which first got a Fall. 'Tis common for them to go first to the Win­ding-sheet, who came last from the Womb. We are earthen Vassels, brittle Ware, and may quickly get a Knock or Fall, and crack, and break.

How many Persons have lost their Lives by ve­ry strange and sad Accidents? Some, and great ones too, have fallen suddainly by an Ehud's Dag­ger, a Ravilliack or Felton's Knife. A poisoned Torch did serve to light the Cardinal of Lorrain to his long home. ‘Fabius surnamed the Painter (as^[k] a learned Bishop has with variety remarked out of History) was choaked with an Hair in a Mess of Milk, Adrian the fourth with a Flie, Anacreon with a Raisin, Drusus Pompeius with a Pear, Casi­mir the second, King of Polonia, with a little [Page 145]Draught of Wine; Tarquinius Priscus with a Fish­bone. Lucia, the Sister of Aurelius the Emperour, playing with her little Son, was wounded in her Breast with a Needle, and died. The great Lawyer Baldus playing with a little Dog was bitten upon the Lip, in­stantly grew mad and perished.’ So far that great and excellent Author. A little Bruise on the Toe is said to have killed Aemilius Lepidus. I have heard of several that have died by the cutting of a Corn upon their Toe, a Place remote from the Heart: and have read of a Person, who after sixteen Years Travel, and enduring much Hardness abroad, re­turning home died of an Hurt in his Thumb. ^[i] The plucking but a single Hair off the Breast of a Nobleman in the Great Mogul's Court, cau­sed an incurable Cancer in his Flesh, and proved as mortal as the tearing out his very Heart.

^[k]How many Persons have died in the midst of Sport and Merriment, excessive Laughter, and too great a Joy? and what a Number have been found unexpectedly and suddenly dead in their Beds?

We are obnoxious to numerous perilous Disea­ses, subject to various violent Passions, and exposed to a thousand Casualties and Contingencies, any one of which may quickly be the Death of us. We [Page 146]are in Danger of perishing by falling into the Wa­ter, or into the Fire; by the firing, or Fall of some Part of an House; by the Fall of a Coach, the Fall of an Horse, or a Fall off an Horse. We know not how soon a Vein may break, and let out our Blood and Life: How soon an Ague may shake us to Death; as^[l] it did the great Tamerlane, in the midst of his great Hopes, and greatest Power, when he was preparing for the utter rooting out of the Othoman Family, and the Conquest and Overthrow of the Greek Empire. We know not how soon a Dropsie may drown us, how soon a Fe­ver may burn us up, how soon a Quincy may stop our Breath, how soon an Apoplexy may bereave us of our Senses and of our Lives, how soon we may groan under deadly Gripes, how soon the Pe­stilence may smite us, and cleave unto us till it has quite consumed us. Every Pore in our Bodies is a Door at which Death may enter in. If we had as many Hands as Hairs on our Heads, they would not be able to stop up all those Passages at which Death may creep in unawares. We know not but that some Disease is now breeding in our Bodies, which will shortly make an End of us. Blessed be God, we are now free from Pain, but ere long we may be even distracted with it. To day we are well, and in good Health; but to morrow we may be sick, heart-sick, sick unto Death; and the next Day laid in our Coffins, and lodged in our Graves. Ma­ny are gone before us, who were likely enough to ontlive us: and who knows but our turn may be the very next. This Night, mine, thy Soul may be re­quied of us; and to morrow Morning the Bell may [Page 147]give notice of our Death. We are apt to ima­gine, that we may continue in the World till we have effected all we design; and yet we have no Pro­mise of God's, nothing but our own Presumption to secure us of longer Life. And to be sure, the Greatness and Multitude of our Sins give us Cause to fear the Fewness of our Daies, and Shortness of our Lives: to fear, lest every Sickness should prove our Death; and lest our Death should prove our Damnation.

If we consider, how little need God has of us; how many better than our selves go before us; how useless and worthless, how unprofitable and unser­viceable we are in the World; what an hgih Pro­vocation our heinous Sins are unto God's infinite Holiness and Justice; and how many Waies there are of snatching us away and removing us hence; we cannot but confess, that it is a thou­sand to one if ever we reach to an old Age.

You that are old indeed, have reason to conclude, that your Time is sufficiently short: your Pulse can beat comparatively but a few Strokes more: your Sun draws low, is almost set: your Glass is almost run: your Life is almost done: you have one Foot in the Grave already: you stand upon the Brink of Eternity, and tread upon the borders of another World: And will you be guilty of such prodigious inconsideracy, still^[m] velut ex pleno & abundanti perdere; when you have but a few Daies or Hours remaining, to spend as extravagantly as if you had all your Years before you?

You that are weak and infirm, sickly and crasie, have reason to reckon your Time uncertain, and [Page 148]not to flatter your selves, and say, that threatned Folk live long.

You that are more eminently useful and holy, zea­lous and forward in the Profession and Practice, Maintenance and Defence of the Christian and Reformed Religion; your very Religion, which will save your Souls, may possibly cause you to lose your Lives: For your Activity in your Du­ty to God and your Country, you may be^[n] strang­led or stabbed by the barbarous Hands of the butch­erly bloody Papists.

But especially you that are wilfully wicked and im­penitent, have reason to determine that you have not long to live. How can you hope, that God should put another Talent, and trust a new Stock of time in the Hands of such Prodigals as you have been? That he should give such Rebels longer Time to affront and dishonour him? That he should suffer you to live who know not how to live, and care not how you live; who do not understand or consider for what it was you came into the World? That he should allow you one Day more, who never yet knew how to spend and improve any one Day as ye ought? You have Ground enough to expect, that the continuing and lengthening out of your Sins will extremely diminish and lessen, curtail and shorten your Daies: You have reason to fear eve­ry Hour the Loss of your Lives, and of all Possibi­lity of Repentance; that you shall be removed, and room made for worthier Persons to stand up in the Places which you so unprofitably and perniciously take up in the World.

Our Time is short, and therefore let us lay present hold upon that small Remnant of^[o] ha­sty Time which posteth away whether we work or play.

Let's take with us Words, and say to God with the devout Herbert,

Let's daily prepare to die, by earnest importunate Pleading with God for Pardon of Sin, and Sancti­fication, and Sence of Pardon, and of our fitness for Heaven and Happiness, that so we may certain­ly die safely, and comfortably.

And, by the Help of God, let's double our Dili­gence and Activity, and endeavour to do a great deal of Work in a little Time. You know, Nature at the Approach of Death usually acts a double Part, and puts forth all its Strength. Bells, when about ceasing, strike thicker than before. A Stone, the nearer it comes to its Center, the faster it moves. When Night draws on, the Traveller mends his Pace. Considering we have but a few Daies, let's labour to live them all, to lose none of them: So to lead our Life, that we may be able to enjoy our past [Page 150]Life, by making sweet and comfortable Reflecti­ons upon it; which is in a manner to^[p] en­large our Age, and after a Sort to live twice.

^[q]We have but a little while to live, let us therefore study and strive to live well. Our Life is just like a Comedy (saies Seneca) it mat­ters not so much how long, as how well it is acted.

^[r] He lives long, that lives well: who in a few Years is very useful and serviceable unto God, and geatly profitable and beneficial to the World. The Author of the Book of Wisdom says concerning E­noch, who was the shortest liv'd of the Patriarchs before the Flood, but an eminent Pattern of Piety, and a rare Exemplar of walking with God, that he being perfected or consummated in a short Time, ful­filled a long Time. (Chap. 4. Vers. 13.) For (as the [Page 151]same Author a little before does well express it, Vers. 8, 9.) Honourable Age is not that which stand­eth in length of Time, nor that which is measured by Number of Years: But Wisdom is the gray Hair unto Men, and an unspotted Life is old Age.

Lucilius having in an Epistle to Seneca sadly la­mented the immature untimely Death of Metrona­ctes the Philosopher, who might, and, in his Con­ceit, ought to have lived longer; The grave Mo­ralist seasonably checks his causeless unjust Complaint of^[s] Providence, and takes Occasion in his An­swer to discourse usefully and excellently in this manner;^[t] Our Care should be (saies he) not to live long, but to live enough. Life is long, if it be full. What good do eighty Years do him that spends them all idly? such a Person did not live, but only linger in Life; nor did he die late, but was a long Time dead. But you make your moan, that he died young and green: yet he performed the Offices of a good Citizen, a good Friend, a good Son, he was deficient in no part that pro­perly belonged to him. Though his Age was imperfect, his Life was perfect. He liv'd, yea he was here eighty Years, unless you will reckon he liv'd no otherwise than Trees are said to live. I pray thee, my Lucilius, let [Page 152]us endeavour, says he, that as precious Things, so our Life, though it be not of any great Extent and Length, yet may be of much Weight and Worth: Let us measure it by Work, and not by Time. Wouldst thou know the Difference between him that spent so few, and another that hath passed over many Years? The one lives even after Death, the other perished before Death. Let us therefore praise him, and place him in the Number of happy Persons, who, how little Time soever he enjoyed, was careful to bestow it well. Why do you inquire how long he lived? he liv'd to the Memory and Benefit of Posterity. As there may be a perfect Man in a less Ha­bit of Body, so there may be a perfect Life in a less Measure of Time. Do you demand what is the largest Space of Life? it is to live till we attain to Wisdom: He that arrives to that, is come not to the longest End, but the greatest. He liv'd not so many Years as he might: why, a Book may contain but a few Verses, and yet be very laudable and useful.

He that attains the End of Life, though his time be short, yet his Life is long, because he lives ^[u] much in a little: Like him that writes small, thick and close, having much to write, and but a little Paper to write in. When the Ninivites had but forty Dvies allowed them, they made use of that Space to exercise a notable Repentance in.

Our Time is short and very uncertain; let our Im­provement therefore be as speedy, and as great as may be. Let our Care be to live alwaies holily, that we may never fear dying suddenly, nor dread the Thought of being surprised and taken unprovi­ded. If we cannot be certain of longer enjoying this present mortal, transitory Life; Oh let's not [Page 153]be contented to be as uncertain of our obaining a better being, and an endless Life, when this is con­cluded and expired.

3. Our special Particular Opportunities are much shorter than our Time, and more uncertain. Though the Stalk remain, the Flower may be gone: though somewhat of Time may be left, yet Opportunity may be slipt. But this I say, Brethren, the ^* TIME IS SHORT: the Word is [...] contracted or shortened. It is an Allusion to Sea-faring Men, that have almost done their Voyage, and begin to strike Sail; are ready to roll and fold up their Sails together, to put into Harbour, and to go to unlade their Goods.

Our special Seasons are very short, and uncertain Things. We may quickly be laid upon Sick-Beds, and unfitted by a Disease for the Performance of those Duties, which now we are free to the Exer­cise of. We may suddenly fall into so weak a Con­dition, that an earnest Care, and working Thoughts about the final Estate of our Souls, would hinder the Cure and Recovery of our Bodies, and will be apt to be laid aside upon that Pretence. In a Time of Sickness our Heads may be distempered, or our Hearts may be straitned, that we cannot pray. We may possibly lose our Estates, that we cannot here­after give to the Poor so liberally as now we may. It may be for the future we may not be excited and suscitated by such good Motions as now we are. We may never be entrusted with such rich Talents, nor have such precious Opportunities any more af­forded us as are at present vouchsafed to us: Let's therefore now improve them to the utmost: let us make the best of them, and lose none of them: Es­pecially [Page 154]considering, that as our Time is short and uncertai, and our special Opportunities shorter, and more uncertain; So,

4. The Work we have to do, is very great. 'Tis no slight and trifling Work, above all keepings to keep our Hearts: to prevail with our selves to make a Covenant with our Eyes, and perform it: to turn away our Eyes from beholding Vanity, and from gazing on alluring Objects: to learn habitually to govern our Tongues; to set a Watch over our Lips, that we offend not with our Tongues, nor speak unadvisedly with our Lips: to take heed unto our Feet, and to make streight Paths: to walk circum­spectly,^* accurately, exactly: to strive to enter in at the strait Gate, to watch for our Souls, to work out our Salvation, to make our Calling and Election sure: to procure, and preserve a Right and Title to the heavenly Kingdom: to get our Evidences for Heaven sealed, and to keep them so clear from Blots and Blurs that they may be plainly read.

It is no facile Thing to repent of so many thousand Sins and Follies, to believe with all our Hearts, to obey the several Laws and Commands of Christ, and to discharge and perform our particular re­spective Duties both towards God, towards our Neighbour, and towards our selves. 'Tis no such easy matter to become able to resist the Devil, to tread Satan under our Feet; to get Victory over the World, to subdue our own Flesh, to deny our selves; To reach and attain to such a Degree of spiritual Niceness, as not to endure the Impurity of [Page 155]a Dream, nor to allow our selves in so much An­ger as would disorder and disturb a Child.

Sin is not mortified on a suddain: Our old Man is not crucified in a Moment: The strong Man is not disarm'd and cast out in an instant: The Plague of our Heart is not so soon cured, our spiritual Le­prosie so quickly healed, nor our Issue of Blood so presently dried up. A corrupt Nature is not so ea­sily changed:^[w] Ill Habits and Customs are not so readily broken and laid aside: A craving Appe­tite is not immediatly drawn off from sensual Ob­jects, nor our Inclinations to the Things below vanquish'd and conquer'd with a single and short Conflict: Strength is not so speedily gotten against Temptations, nor Power over our Passions, nor Conquest obtain'd over our Corruptions. It is not a Thing of so quick a dispatch to six and settle our Resolutions, to remove strong Prejudices, to re­solve our Doubts, to answer Objections, and sa­tisfy many weighty and difficult Questions which will arise concerning our Souls and spiritual Estates. 'Tis a great Work sure, Employment and Business enough for all our Time, to get a Change of Mind, and Heart, and Life: To get Pardon of Sin, and Purity of Heart; To recover the Favour and Friendship of God, and to regain the glorious I­mage and Likeness of God: To procure the Re­conciliation of our Persons and Natures to God; To get a Participation of the divine Nature, a Participation of God's Holiness: To attain a bles­sed Conformity in a Spirit and Practice to Christ our Head: To get an affective transformative Know­ledg [Page 156]of God and Christ, and a deep Impress of the holy Gospel upon our Hearts and Lives: To know the Gospel, to know God and Christ so, as to become Gospel-like, God-like, Christ-like Creatures: To gain a good Measure of grace and Holiness, a rooted Love to God and Goodness, a good Hope and a setled well-grounded Peace of Conscience: To learn to be careful for nothing with an anxious, distrustful, distracting,^* divi­ding Care; but in every Estate and Condition of Life to be humbly and cheerfully content: To im­prove and stir up the several Graces of God in us: By God's Assistance to bring our selves to maintain a daily holy Communion with God, and a constant Conversation in Heaven: to prepare aright for Death and Judgment: to arrive to a Weanedness from this present World, to a Desire to depart and be with Chrit, and to a Love of the appearing, and an earnest longing for the second Coming of the Lord Jesus.

This hard Task and weighty Work will require all our Labour, and even take up every Hour. Let's therefore vigorously redeem the Time, and indu­striously put it to this Ʋse, and diligently employ it to this Purpose; and daily say the Prayer of Moses, ^† So teach us to number our Daies, that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom. Let's lose none of our little Time upon unfruitful, unprofitable Things, till we have no more worthy and weighty Things to spend it in; and till we have Time to spare from more mo­mentous, important Work: But let's lay out our Time in those necessary Works which will comfort us most when we come to die.

The Work that lies before us is great; let's there­fore redeem the whole of our remaining Time: re­deem it perfectly (as far as in us lies) and redeem it constantly, to the very last; and not purposely make the good Improvement of one Day an Argu­meat of mis-spending and trifling away the next: but lay out every Day with Labour and Diligence in so very great and good a Work. If we intend to redeem the Time, we must continue in well-do­ing: Now a natural Cessation of the Act, is not a moral Discontinuance; But only our Omission of any necessary Act, Or our Doing a clean contrary Act: This is that which we must take Care we do not be­come guilty of.

^[x]We have no reason here to accuse and cast any Blame upon God, for giving so little Time to us, and expecting so great and weighty a Work from us: for, though our Time be short of it self, and we have no spare Time to throw away in vain Pleasures, or unnecessary Employments: Yet, blessed be God, the Time he gives us is large and long enough to serve all rational spiritual Ends of Life, to do all our necessary Work and real Business in, by the Help of God, and in the Strength of Christ. We have in the Daies of our Lives Space enough given us for Repentance, Time sufficient to dis­patch [Page 158]the one Thing necessary to work out our Salvation, to prepare for Eternity.

And for our Comfort and Encouragement, if we be not grosly wanting to our selves, we may pro­bably yet perform whatever is indispensably requir'd of us, in the Time that is continued and lengthned out to us; if we take up presently and lose and squan­der away no more of it. Life is long enough, says Seneca, (and let me add, the Resdidue of thy Life may provelong enough) if thou knowest but how to spend it well: And therefore be so pradent and pro­vident, as to use and improve that little, which, if the Fault be not thy own, may happily serve to do thy main Business, to save thy Soul from perish­ing everlastingly, and from miscarrying to all E­ternity.

The fourth Additional Reason.

We should redeem the Time while we enjoy it, be­cause we can neither bring Time back, when once it is past unimprov'd, nor any way prolong and lengthen out the Daies of our Lives, when Death comes to put an End and Period to them.

1. We should redeem the Time while we have it, because we can never recall and retrieve the Time of this Life, if once we lose and let it slip unimproved. We can never live one Day of our Lives over again. No Man will restore thy Time (says^[y] Seneca) or return thy lost Opportunities to thee, and make thee Master once more of those Advantages which [Page 159]heretofore thou hadst in thy Hands. If we would give the Fruit of our Bodies for the Redemption of our Time, we can never purchase it into our Hands a­gain. It is reported to have been the Speech of Prince Henry upon his Death-bed to a certain Lord, Ah Tom, I now too late wish for those Hours we have spent in vain Recreations. That of him in the Poet was a very groundless and fruitless De­sire,

When our Time is just at an End, and we can hardly draw our Breath, 'twill be a lamentable, desperate Case for us then to cry out with that poor distressed, afflicted^[a] Woman in Cambridg, Call Time again, call Time again; a Thing impossi­ble to be effected by any Cares or Endeavours, Prayers or Tears, Money or Price. The Time of Life, once lost, is irrecoverable and unredeemable; And the sad Apprehension of the irreparable Loss of Time, will one Day prove an intolerable Torment to too late considering and awakened Souls. Let's therefore use that Time well, which there can be no Revocation of.

2. As we cannot recover the Time that is past, so we cannot make any Supplement or Addition of new and longer Time to the Daies of our Lives, when once Death comes to put a Finis to them.

As we cannot add one Cubit to our Stature, So we cannot add one Moment to the Measure and Number of our Daies.^[b] St. Gregory in a certain Homily tells us a sad Story of one Chrisaurius, a No­bleman, but a had Liver; as full of Wickedness as Wealth: who at last was struck with Sickness, and the same Hour that he was going out of the World, he seem'd to see a Company of foul and black Spi­rits standing before him, and coming to drag him to the Infernal Pit: He began to tremble, to grow pale, to sweat again, and to call out to his Son ^[c] Maximus to come quickly to save and help him: When his Son and Servants came, they could see nothing; but he himself, turn which way he would, could see nothing else but those evil Spirits which he could not endure to see; and in a despairing Man­ner at last cried out, Inducias vel usque manè, indu­cias vel ujque manè: Let me have respite but till to morrow, respite but till to morrow Morning: And in this Perplexity he died immediatly. The same Father makes this Use of it; The Vision did him no good, says he, but let it do good to us, upon whom God's Patience waits yet a while longer: ^[d] Let us seriously think upon't, that we may not lose our Time, says he, and then beg to live that we may do our Duty, when we are forc'd to die whether we will or no.

The fifth Additional Reason.

We should diligently redeem the Time, because we shall be certainly call'd to an Account for our Time. Eccles. 11.9. Rejoice, O young Man, in thy Youth, or, because thou art young, healthy and strong (the wise Man here speaks Ironically) and let thy Heart cheer thee in the Daies of thy Youth, and walk in the Waies of thy Heart, and in the Sight of thine Eyes: take thy Course: do what thou pleasest: live as thou listest: lay no restraint upon thy self: deny thy self nothing that Heart can wish: please thy Eye, gratify thy Phansie, satisfy thy Appe­tite, and let thy sensual Heart give Law to thy whole Man: take thy Swing, thy Fill of Lust and Pleasure; get Gain, heap up Riches, acquire Ho­nour, grow great in the World, enjoy thy self, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry; But take along with thee this sad and severe, yet sea­sonable Premonition, Know thou that for all these Things God will bring thee into Judgment. Know thou, that is, consider an think well of it, till thy Heart be warmed with the Thoughts of it: Let this so necessary weighty Doctrine not only enter into, and then slip out of thy Head almost as soon as in it; but let this Truth take up and dwell in thy Thoughts, and move and stir thy Heart and Affections, and rule and govern thy Life and Actions: Thus know thou, that for all these Things, for all the Vanities and Excesses, Follies and Ex­travagancies of thy Youth, for all those Things which are now so grateful and delightful to thy Senses; God, ^[c] whose Word and Fear thou now [Page 162]despisest, from whose Eye thou canst not hide thy Sins, from whose Tribunal thou canst not absent thy self, This God will bring thee; bring thee per­force whether thou wilt or no; send his Angels to hale and drag thee, when thou shalt in vain call and cry to Mountains and Rocks to hide and cover thee: Bring thee into Judgment; to a particular Judgment immediatly after Death; and to the ge­neral Judgment, the Judgment of the great Day (as St. Jude speaks) call'd by St. Paul, the Terrour of the Lord. Thou fond and foolish, thou daring ven­turous Sinner, know, that there is an After-rec­koning, a Time when thou must come to an Ac­count, when thou must think and hear of what thou hast done, and left undone, and must surely pay very dear for all. They that live their Time in the Flesh, to the Lusts of Men (says^* St. Peter) they shall give Account to him that is ready to judg the Quick and the Dead.

^[d]We are as sure to account for every consi­derable Portion of our Time, as for every Sum of Money we receive.^[e] If the very^† Hairs of our Heads, and^† all our Hairs are numbred; then cer­tainly our very Hours and all our Hours too: And above all, our special Hours, our Sermon-Hours, and all providential Opportunities, with all our Neglects and Non-improvements, are exactly com­puted and reckoned up by God our Judg. God puts down in his Catalogue, this is the first, this the second, this the third time, that I have warn'd, [Page 163]that I have woed such an one. He strictly observes how long he has waited upon us, how often he has treated with us, by his Mercies, by his Judgments, by his Word, by his Spirit by his own Ministers, by our own Consciences, or our Christian Friends. God counts and casts up every Minute of Patience spent upon us; He reckons and registers eve­ry Sand of Long-suffering run out by us: God now takes special, particular, punctual Notice of all, in order to a future, final, and full Ac­count.

We must one Day reckon for all those Hours which now we idle and tride away, and make so little and light of. Time is now a Burthen to many of us, and lies upon our Hands, and we know not almost how to spend it, or which way to get rid of it: And therefore sometimes we use evil Arts to pass it away: But oh what an intolerable Bur­then will the Guilt of m [...]s-spent Time be, when it shall be charged home upon a Soul at the great and dreadful Day! What have you done with all your Time? will God then say: Is it true, that you have spent so much in Dressing, so much in Revelling, so much in Dressing your self eve­ry Day? Were these the Things I gave you Time for? what will the Sinner be able to answer to these Things.

When our righteous Lord, who delivered the Talents of Time and manifold Opportunities to us, shall come to reckon with us, he will require and call for some answerable good Improvement of every such Talent: And the more of these Talents were concredited and committed to us, the richer Return and greater Improvement will be expected and de­manded [Page 164]of us:^[f] Our Reckoning will rise accor­ding to the Largeness of our Opportunities and Re­ceits.

And the longer it is before God calls us to a Rec­koning, our Account will certainly be the sadder, and our Doom and Punishment much the heavier, if we have been unfaithful Stewards of our Time and Talents. What Account will the old Sinner give of three or four-score Years spent in Vanity, Sin and Folly? What will he be able to say for himself, that his gray Hairs were found in the Way of Ʋn­righteousness?

It will be a fearful Audit, when God shall call the inconsiderate, careless Sinner to appear before his great Tribunal: Then he that has but hid his Ta­lent, shall hear that sad and dismal Voice, Serve ne­quam ^*; thou wicked and slothful Servant, and shall find and feel a Retribution accordingly: 'Twill surely then be said concerning him, ^* Cast the unprofitable Servant into outer Darkness, there shall be Wecping and Gnashing of Teeth.

O let's not put that evil Day far from us; but let that Voice be alwaies ringing in our Ears, which was ever sounding in^[g] St. Jerom's; Arise ye Dead, and come to Judgment. Our Time must be strictly reckon'd for, and therefore we should thriftily husband, if possible, every Minute of it.

The sixth and last Additional Reason.

Sixthly and lastly; We should be sure to re­deem the Time, Because this Time is all we can re­deem; and upon this short Moment of Time depends long Eternity.

We shall never have any more Time or Space to redeem, either in this, or in another World.

1. As we cannot live this same Life over again, so when once we die and leave this World, we shall never return to this Earth again, to converse in Flesh with Men any more; nor be suffer'd to live another Life here in this World, to mend and correct what we did amiss heretofore.^* If a Man die, shall he live again? says Job: Some understand this Inter­rogation as flat denial, an absolute Negation: He shall live a natural Life on Earth no more.^† As the Cloud is consumed, and vanisheth away: So he that goeth down to the Grave, shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his House, neither shall his Place know him any more. ^‖ When a few Years are come, then I shall go the Way whence I shall not return.

2. And as we shall have no new Time in this, So, no Space will be given, or granted us for Repent­ance, and Purgation of our Souls; nor will any Offer of Mercy be made us in the other World: No new Covenant will ever there be tendred to us; no Ambassadours of Peace be sent to beseech us, to [Page 166] pray us there n Christ's stead to be reconcil'd to God. God will then be irreconcilable, Sin unpardonable and unremovable, Heaven unattainable, and lost Souls uncurable and irrecoverable. If we do not do our best here, we shall have no other Game to play, nor Part to and in any other Region or Man­sion. We shall not be^[h] Probationers in the other World: We shall not be suffered to begin there upon a new Score. ^[i] Our Souls at Death will en­ter into a sixed, unchangeable State, and continue for ever such as they went out of this World. The very same Frame and Temper, Qualities and Asse­ctious, as we carry with us out of this Life, we shall keep and retain in the next. Such good Dispositi­ons as were begun here, will indeed beintended and perfected in Heaven: And such ill Dispositions as took place and got Root here, will be strongly setled and fully confirm'd in the damn'd hereafter: But the^[k] main State of any, either good or bad, will never be varied or altered in the o­ther World. As the Tree falls, so it lies: As [Page 167] Time leaves us, so Eternity will find and conti­nue us.

God will never trie us more with Opportunities and Helps of Conversion and Reformation, with the Means of Grace and Life, in another Place and State: And therefore let's now improve Providen­ces and Ordinances, Aids and Assistances, as those that shall never hereafter meet with such Advanta­ges; and do all the Duties and Offices of Religion, as those that are going to that World where there is no room for such Performances, no place for Con­fession, Praier, Repentance and Amendment of Life, in order to the Pardon of our Sins, and Sal­vation of our Souls: no occasion of running, wrest­ling, striving, watching, fighting any more, in or­der to obtaining of a Prize, and receiving of a Crown: All that is now left undone, must be undone for ever.

This is the only Space allotted us, and Opportu­nity afforded us, wherein to build and prepare our Ark, to get Oil sufficient into our Vessels, and to provide a competent Measure or Portion of Manna: We can only gather the spiritual Manna in the six Daies of this Temporal Life; there is no find­ing, no getting of it on the Sabbath of Eternity. As we must do all our worldly Business before the weekly Sabbath comes; So we must quite finish our spiritual Business in the working Daies of the Life present; for there is no working on the eter­nal Sabbath, when once this earthly Lise is ended: Then we must labour and work preparatory Work no longer, but receive from our great Lord and Master the Reward or Punishment of our former Works.

The Life to come, it is no Seed Time, but only a Time of Harvest; We must reap in the future State the Fruit of our own present Doings, whe­ther good or bad. As we do use the Time of this Life, so shall we be used, treated, and dealt with in the other Life. We shall certainly fare happily or miserably to all Eternity, according to our Car­riage and Behaviour here. According to our Choice and Election, Affection and Action in this World, will be our everlasting Lot in the World to come. So that the right Improving or Misimproving, the well or ill spending and husbanding of our Time, is of infinite Consequence and Concernment to us.

Let us therefore in this Time of Life get all Things ready that are necessary to a joyful En­trance into eternal Life. Let our Work and Busi­ness, in Preparation for an endless Happiness, be dispatch'd and done before we go hence, and be no more seen.^* Whatsoever our Hand findeth to do, let us do it with our Might; for there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowledg, nor Wisdome in the Grave whither we are going. There is no Hope or Expecta­tion of working out our Salvation in an after State and Condition. If this Work be not effected be­fore this mortal Life is ended, it can never be done in the Grave, or Hell, or in any Place of the separated Soul's abode. What is to be done of this Nature, do now or never: Act now with the greatest Care and Diligence, Life and Vigour.

As Zeuxis, a famous Painter, once said, Pingo Aeternitati; I limn for Eternity: So, let us do e­very [Page 169]Thing now for Eternity; and be sure to be ve­ry exact in our Actions, because they must stand upon Record for ever, and lay the Foundation of our Happiness or Misery to all Eternity. In Time let us make Provision for Eternity. We are care­ful to provide convenient, handsome Lodgings here: but consider, where shall I dwell to all Eternity? Re­member that a serious Life of Faith and Repen­tance, Grace and Holiness here, is the only Way to an happy, heavenly, eternal Life hereafter: That it is in vain, with^* Balaam, to wish we might die the Death of the Righteous, if we refuse to live the Life of the Richteous: As Euchrites foolishly desired to be Croesus vivens, & Socrates mortuus: Croesus while he liv'd, and Socrates when he was dead.

The first Ʋse, by way of Caution.

Ought we to redeem the Time? Then let not the Men of this World^* think strange, that serious and conscientious Christians do not run with them into the same Excess of Riot, and lose their Time as despe­rately as they do. There's good Reason why the so­ber, considerate Christian does not slightly and carelesly sling away his Time with others; For (as ^[a] Seneca speaks of an excellent and eminent good Man) he does not meet with any Thing worthy to be accepted in exchange for his Time; and therefore he keeps and reserves it to be employed to use­ful and prositable Purposes, and is very saving and sparing of it.

The Children and Servants of God do suffici­ently know the Worth of Time, and plainly under­stand the gteat Consequences and weighty Con­cernments of well or ill husbanding of it. If they were wanting by an early, fore-handed Care to se­cure [Page 172]and improve any part of the Time that is past; Their former prodigal lavishing out their Time is the present Burthen of their Spirits, and Sadness of their Souls: And they are resolv'd, by a timely Diligence, in a spiritual Manner to redeem the Time for the future. They often seriously think with themselves, that to lose the Remainder of their Time, is to lose eternal Happiness, and to incur eternal, intolerable Misery: Rather follow and imi­tate them, than judg and censure them. If you won't forbear reproaching and reviling them, know that the Time is coming, when you shall give an Ac­count,^* not only of your Excess of Riot, but even of your hard Speeches top. If any in the Family, if any in the Neighbourhood be more strict, exact and careful to redeem the Time than your sevles, take heed you do not speak ill of them for it: Do not wonder that they do not do as you do: But as you love your Souls, and as you would give an Ac­count of your Time with Joy and not with Grief; labour, with the holiest and precisest in the Pla­ces where you live, to walk circumspectly, not as Fools, but as Wise; redeeming the Time, because the Daies are evil.

The second Ʋse, by way of Examination.

Is it the Duty of a Christian to redeem the Time? Then let us examine our selves a while, and see whe­ther we have discharg'd our Duty herein. Let us all look back on our former Lives, and bewail and bemoan our Loss of Time.^[b] How vainly have [Page 173]we wish'd oftentimes for a long Life? and yet al­waies neglected a good Life. May we not apply that of^[c] Seneca to our selves? It is but a small Part of Life, that we live: The Space we wear out, is not Life, but Time. We have been a long Time in the World, but can we affirm and prove we have liv'd long? Can we be said to have sail'd much (to use the Similitude of that most practical Moralist) because we have been tossed very much in the Sea of this World? Can we be said to have truly liv'd, because some Cubits are added to our Stature, be­cause some Hair is grown upon our Chin, or be­cause we have married Wives, and gotten Children, and it may be raised good Estates in the World? is not that of the same excellent Philosopher too true concerning too many of us?^[d] Not Childhood, but, which is more grievous, Childishness remains and continues still with us: And truly this is yet worse, says he, that we have the Authority of old Men, and the Vi­ces of very Boies.

If as Alexander counted his Life by Victories, not by Daies, or Years; So we should reckon our seve­ral Lives by our spiritual Victories and good Works, and our answering the Ends, the true Ends and pro­per [Page 174]Purposes of Life (which is the justest Account, and the rightest Reckoning of our Living) Should not the most of us find that we have liv'd but a few Daies, but a few Hours? yea, that many have hardly liv'd at all, have scarcely as yet begun to live? that little or nothing has been done that is truly worthy of a Man or Christian?

Have not we been wretched Scatter-Hours, and desperate Prodigals of our precious Time? We have some of us lived a great while in the World: but the question is, Whether yet we have learn'd to know God and Christ, and to know our Selves? to be just and honest, to be modest and chast, to be sober and temperate; to deny a strong, unru­ly Appetite; to refuse a superfluous Morsel of Meat, a forbidden intemperate Cup of Drink? Have we learn'd in the many Years of our Lives to master and moderate one Passion? to subdue and mortify^[e] one Lust, to break off one evil Custom, to root out one vicious Habit, to answer one Objec­tion, to resist one Assault, to defeat one Art of the Devil? Who of us have been careful all this while to run our Race, to trim our Lamps, and to dress up our Souls for a blessed Etetnity?

Did not we spend our Youth in Vanity? Which of us was so forward in good, as to shun and flie youthful Lusts? To how few of us can it be said (as ^* St. Paul said to Timothy) that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures? Tell me, how have many of you desperately omitted, and lamentably neglected the Reading of the Scriptures all your Life long, which alone are able to store your Mind [Page 175]with divine Knowledg, and to make you wise unto Salvation? What Numbers are there who know but little what is contained in the Scripture, any otherwise than as they hear a Chapter now and then read in the Church? and God knows too too many give but little heed to it, and so are but little the better for it then neither. How few among us, who have liv'd long under the Enjoyment of the Means of Grace, are yet so well acquainted with divine Things, and so well versed and exercised in Religion, as to be able to put up a pertinent Praier, and to commend their own, or another's Case and Condition to God, as Occasion does require? How many Lord's-Daies have we profan'd? How many Sermons have we wilfully missed? How many good Opportunities have we negligently lost? How careless have we been of our own spiritual Good? How regardless of the eternal Welfare of those who belong to us? How ignorant are many of our selves of the Things of God, and of the Duties of Religion? How far not only from doing, but from understanding our spiritual Business? who, had we taken Pains, might now have been very knowing Christians. How ignorant, through our gross Ne­glect of them, are our Children and Servants, and those about us, in the very Rudiments of Religion? who might have had a good Understanding therein, had we done our Duty in first informing our selves, and then instructing them.^[f] How ridiculous and uncomely is it to see an Old Man ignorant of his Letters, or to seek in his Primer? But how much more absurd is it to find so many Old Men, [Page 176]who^* for the Time ought to have been Teachers, yet to have need that one teach them again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God? Which of us have ever gone about doing and receiving good in the Places where we have a long Time liv'd? Who are we the better for? Who is spiritually the better for us? How very little Good have we done? nay, how much Hurt have we done in the World? What Mischief have many Parents and Masters done in their Families by gross Neglect of Family Duties, such as Reading, Praying, Catechizing; and by their Loosness and Licentiousness before those that belong unto their Charge, whose ungovern'd Youth had more need to be curbed and restrain'd by their sober Counsels and seasonable Reproofs, than de­sperately misled and hurried head-long by their ill Examples into Sin and Wickedness. Oh what a sad Consideration is it, for any of us all to think with our selves, how that for ought we know there may be some this Day in Hell, who were occasionally brought thither by our unholy Walking and ungod­ly Living! It may be some of our Friends and Com­panions, some of our Neighbours and Relations, some of our very Children and Servants are at pre­sent in Hell, bitterly exclaiming against us, and cur­sing the Daies in which they liv'd with us, and were acquainted with us.

Instead of growing better and better, are not some of us^[g] worse now than we were many Years since? more profane, or worldly; more sensual, more hardened from the Fear of the Lord, more [Page 177]without God and Christ in the World, more use­less, more unprofitable than ever? more unfit to live, more unprepared to die now, than we found we were many Years ago? Have not some of us so ill husbanded our Time, that the older we have grown, the less Hope we have had of Heaven and Happiness? As Pius Quintus is reported by^[h] Cor­nelius à Lapide to have said, When I was first of a Religious Order, I hoped well of the Salvation of my Soul: But when I was made Cardinal, I began to fear it: But since I was created Pope, I almost despair of it. How many may be found in like manner, who in their Youth have had it may be some reason to hope well of themselves; but in their Middle Age more cause to fear, and in their Old Age almost ground enough to despair.

I may here take up the Complaint of the devout ^[i] A Kempis; What does it avail us to live long, when we are so little better'd by it? Ah long Life, says he, does not alwaies mend our Manners; but does often the more encrease our Crimes. Would we had a alked but one Day well in this World! Many reckon Years of their Conversion; but there is too often but little sign of a new Conversation.

Had we not been grosly wanting to our selves, how much might we have known of God, and of his Mind and Meaning in his Word and Works? How much might we have done for God, and received [Page 178]from god by this Time? what a Stock of Grace might we have gotten before now? What a Trea­sure of Experience might we have heaped up? What a good Foundation might we have laid of a sound, solid and well-setled Peace and Comfort, to stand us in stead in a Time of Need? What ground might we have gotten against our Corruptions? What Growth in Grace? What Strength in the inner Man? What Skill to discern and avoid the Wiles and Snares of the Devil? What Love to, and De­light in the Law of God? What Readiness to eve­ry good Word and Work? What Ereedom and Enlargedness might we have attaineed to in God's Service? How truly might it have been our very Meat and Drink to do the Will of God; our con­stant Course, daily Use, and chosen cheerful Exer­cise, to run the Waies of God's Commandments? How forward might we have been in the Way to the spiritual Canaan, who have, it may be, been greatly guilty of many Retrogradations? How might we have been of another Spirit than we are of at present? How publick-spirited might we have grown? How zealous for the Glory of God, and the good of Souls? How active in the Cause of God and Religion? How careless of the Pleasures that are but for a Season? How spiritual and hea­venly-minded? How ready to die? How ripe for Heaven?

O let this Consideration be laid to Heart by us, and serve deeply to humble us, that we have had much Time, but have redeemed little or none: that we have liv'd long to little, to bad Purpose: that we have trifled and squandred away those Seasons of grace that can never be enjoyed again, and lost those Opportunities that can never return back a­gain. Let us put our selves to the Trial, and bring [Page 179]our selves under Examination, whether we have discharged our Dutyin Redeeming the Time, yea, or no.

The third Ʋse, by way of Reproof.

Is every Christian bound to redeem the Time? Then here is a Word of seasonable, serious, sharp Reproof to several Persons, who are grosly guilty of mis-spending their Time, and divers Waies do foo­lishly cut this precious Commodity to waste: Particu­larly to these following.