A GAD OF STEELE wrought and tempered for the Heart to defend is from being battred by Sathans temptations, &c.
IN every Society, truth and Peace is the onely stay and meanes to keepe them safe and maintaine their happinesse; For the accomplishment whereof is most requisite, the purchasing of gracious and faithfull hearts to God: to whom having our hearts rightly bent to seeke his glory, will best direct us in our Duties one to another; If wee seeke God truly, we cannot faile our Brethren; but if wee have flouting, hollow, dissembling hearts to our Brethren, we cannot be sincere to God; And it is a signe of a gracious heart, to rejoyce to see others endued with goodnesse, and brought nearer unto GOD: Rom. 1, 8, Thus was it with holy Paul, Rom 1.8. First (saith he) I thanke my GOD, through JESVS CHRIST, for you all, [Page 2] because your Faith is published throughout the whole world. It is our duties to rejoyce for the grace bestowed on others. In all the Churches of the world, the patternes and examples of the Saints and servants of God, should be in greater estimation with us, then all the pompe and glory of the world; Luke, 15. How did that Woman rejoyce, Luke, 5. when shee had found her lost groat, calling her neighbours and friends to rejoyce with her: And surely it is our duty when we see one brought to Christ, by a nearer union or relation then before, wee ought to reioyce, and to encourage such a one all we can, to pray for him, and not to deride him; but with David: Be glad to see him enter into Gods house, calling vs to come in and heare the word of the Lord, Psal. 122.1. Psal. 122.1.
Yet alas! how lamentable are our times, wherein men care not for heavenly practises themselves, nor doe but jest and taunt at such who labour that way; Many reioyce with their associates and acquaintance in the way to hell, but few there are who goe hand in hand to heaven; but how lamentable and wofull is the end of that Ioy; that whereas we ought to reioyce in the Faith of our friends, yet many have not whereof to reioyce for their friends whom they most esteeme, except their Drunkennesse, Swearing, Cosening, Whooring, Gaming; alas, this doth but publish their Damnation, [Page 3] if they repent not; At this should we rejoyce, to heare our brother or our friend, to say with the Prodigall, I will goe to my Father. Oh, let us helpe them forward that goe to GOD; But alas, what a lamentable thing is it to see how earnestly men will presse their friends to drinke till they be Drunke, to lye in their behalfe, to goe on in revenge, &c. And how seldome men presse their friends to hearing Gods word, to reading, to holy practises: Some are afraid of displeasing their friends, others are carnally tender over them, and would not have them so much mortified, not to set themselves too much upon so melancholly a worke; thus many soules drop into hell.
God is more worth then all the Kingdomes of the world; David knew, that having once got him to bee his GOD, Psal. 32.that hee should want nothing. Psal. 23.
When a man (by Faith) can truly say to God; I am thine, and thou art mine, and Christ is glorified in me. Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17. This layes claime to salvation, this layes hold on the merits of Christ as a mans owne, and assures him of the p [...]rdon of all his sinnes; Will a man spoyle his owne goods. Malac. 3.8. Malac. 3.8 And hee that knowes himselfe to be in God, knowes himselfe to be safe from all evill and that nothing can take him out of Gods hands, such a man will dye before he will renounce God, and give himselfe over to a sinfull [Page 4] course of life. But alas what misery is the Swearer in, he cannot say, God is my God; what misery is the Sabboth breaker in; God is ashamed to be called the God of such as pollute his holy Sabboth; so the Drunkerd, God will not own the Drunkerd, the Adulterer, the Idolater, Whoremonger, &c. Can these have any interest in Christ, can these that continue in their sins ever thinke to find the mercy of God, shall such ever thinke to be saved, and come to Heaven; no, no, If such men as these will be saved they must forsake these courses of life, they must become new men, and love Gods word, and love the Church, and love the Saints, and servants of God, delight in his word, in his Ordinances, and in his Sabboths to sanctifie them; and then, Isay, 12 and never till then let them once dreame of comming to Heaven, Isay, 12. For then shall they see their redemption, when they sanctifie the name of the Lord, and feare the God of Israel, when they are no more disceived of their former sins, and come to the vnderstanding of the Law of God; when they leave their lusting after sinne, and learne the Doctrine of JESVS CHRIST, Isay, 29.23 Isay. 29.23. and 24.
How lamentable then is the condition of many men amongst us, nay of the most part of the world, who are drawne away from God with those three inordinate appetites which St. Iohn speakes of: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, [Page 5] the pride of life: These are like the three troupes of Caldeans, as St. Bernard compares them, St Bernard which drove away Iobs cattell; oh that the eyes of the world were but open to see how many people those three drive into Hell daily; They draw them into Hell (as it were) vpon fetherbeds, the world passeth away, and is gone, and on a suddaine, before they bethink themselves where they are, poore wretches the Devill comes & seazes upon them, and away he carries them into Hell; oh that men would think & beware of these things betimes, they would not then account of Gods children as they doe, no they would have a better esteem of them.
Obiect. Obiect. Some it may be will say,oh but do not so many, and such great men doe thus and thus, will you be wiser then they.
Answ. An. Alas, alas; thou must not think to do as the world doth, if thou wilt be the Child of God, but thou must be transformed by the renewing of thy mind, that thou mayst prove what is that good, that acceptable, and perfect will of God, Rom, 12, 2 Rom. 12.2. What if many painted Iezabels have such a complexion, such eyes, such haires, Non quos Deus fecit, sed quos Diabolus infecit, not such as God hath made, but such as the Devill hath transformed; what if they disguise themselves like harlots, thou that art a daughter of GOD must not do so; what if many cozen by false weights, and short tale, thou that art a Sonne [Page 6] of God must not doe so, what if many drinke till they be drunke, live in wantonesse, profane the Sabbath, and walke in sin daily; yet if thou wilt be a Child of God thou must not doe so; for these shall bee damned if they repent not; the world shall bee condemned. 1 Cor. 11.32. 1 Cor. 11.32. Oh, it is an heavie case to be damned: Doe but consider in what a case an unrepentant sinner lyes in at the point of death; suppose that now thou sawest him even giving his last gaspe; God the Father will not give him one smile, but is full of displeasure against him; God the Son, gives him sentence to depart from him, and will not spare him one drop of his Bloud; God the Holy Ghost, leaves him a dispairing Conscience; the Devils in hell flock about him, like Crowes about carrion, ready to teare him to peeces, and death stands with his dart strucke into his very heart, and the poore tormented wretch lies crying out, oh I am tormented, I am tormented, I am damned; oh what shall I doe, I am damned for ever, I shall burne in the flames of Hell for ever; now consider, wouldest thou be in this mans case? oh then live not as such men live, for they that live as the wicked live, that is in sinne, and are carelesse of Gods worship; and regard not his word, nor his holy Ordinances, no marvell if they dye dispairing, and so are damned.
Object. Obiect. Some may say, what then shall I doe, [Page 7] I shall surely be damned, since I am a great sinner, a Drunkerd, a Sabboth-breaker, a Swearer, or the like.
Answ. Answ. Luk. 8.11. Ephes. 2.8. Get faith in Christ whereby thou shalt receive remission of thy sinnes, Luke. 8.11. Ephes. 2.8.
Object. Obiect. Oh, but how can I thinke to have my sinnes pardoned whilest my heart lusteth still after sinne, and I cannot overcome my sinnes.
Answ. Answ. Christ gave himselfe for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evill world, Gal. 1.4. For by Christ we not onely enjoy remission of sins to eternall life, but sanctification to a spirituall life, Ephes, 20 for by the spirit of God wee are sealed to the day of Redemption, Eph. 1.20.
Quest. Quest. How shall I doe to lead my life so as it may please God, and my soule may be saved.
Answ. Answ. According to Gods will revealed in his holy word, in which if we expect to profit we must fix our hearts on God; and daily call vpon his name, for prayer is a mighty prevailing thing with Almighty God, where fervent and hearty prayer is put vp to God, God cannot depart till he leave a blessing behind him, it binds the hands of God that hee becomes a petitioner himself as he did to Moses; let me alone saith God. Oh gracious God: how great is thy mercy, oh how pittifull a God have wee, to whom be praise and glory for ever.
AMEN.