Religious Societies. PROPOSALS For the REVIVAL of Dying Religion, BY WELL ORDERED Societies FOR THAT PURPOSE. With a brief DISCOURSE, Offered unto a RELIGIOUS SOCIETY, on the First Day of their Meeting.
Edify one another.
BOSTON: Printed by S. KNEELAND, for JOHN PHILLIPS, and Sold at his Shop over against the South-side of the Town House. 1724.
PROPOSALS CONCERNING Religious Societies. Humbly Offered unto GOOD MEN, in the several Towns of the Country: For the REVIVAL of DYING RELIGION.
IT has been proposed, as a Thing that might be attended with many good Consequences, To Animate and Regulate PRIVATE MEETINGS of Religious People for the Exercises of Religion.
A Decay coming upon them, in many Places, it is thought proper to Reprint what was Published in a Treatise of, Essays to Do Good, more than Ten Years ago. Which is in such Terms as these. —
¶ IT is very certain, That where such Private Meetings under a good Conduct, have been kept alive, the Christians which have composed them, [Page 2] have like so many Coals of the Altar kept one another alive, and kept up a lively Christianity in the Neighbourhood. Such Societies have been tried, and strong Engines, to uphold the Power of Godliness. The throwing up of such Societies, has been accompanied with a Visible Decay of Godliness, The less Love to them, the less Use of them, there has been in a Place, the less has Godliness flourished there; the less there has been of the Kingdom of GOD.
THE Rules observed by some, ASSOCIATED FAMILIES may be offered on this Occasion with some Advantage. They will tell us what Good may be done by such Societies in a Neighbourhood.
I. IT is to be proposed, that about a Dozen Families, more or less, of a Vicinity, agree to meet (the Men and their Wives) at each others Houses, once in a Fortnight, or a Month, at such a Time as may be agreed upon, and spend a convenient quantity of Time together, in the Exercises of Religion.
II. THE Exercises of Religion for a Meeting, are; For the Brethren to Begin and Conclude with PRAYERS in their Turns; for PSALMS to be Sung; and for SERMONS to be Repeated.
III. IT were desireable, for the Ministers now and then, to afford their Presence at the Meeting, and pray with them, and Instruct them, and Exhort them, as they may see Occasion.
IV. THE Candidates of the Ministry may do well, to perform some of their First Services here; and here shapen and mould themselves for further Services.
V. ONE special Design of the Meeting, should be, with United Prayers, to ask the Blessings of [Page 3] Heaven on the Family, where they are Assemble, as well as on the rest: That with the wondrous Force of United Prayers, Two or Three may agree on Earth to ask such things, as are to be done for the Families, by our Father which is in the Heavens.
VI. SUCH a Meeting should look upon themselves as bound up in one Bundle of Love, and count themselves obliged, in very close, and strong Bonds, to be serviceable unto one another.
IF any One in the Society shall fall into Affliction, all the Rest should study presently to Relieve and Support the Afflicted Person in all the ways imaginable.
IF any should fall into Temptation, the Rest should watch over him, and with the Spirit of Meekness, with the Meekness of Wisdom, endeavour to recover him.
IT should be like a Law of the Medes and Persians to the whole Society, that they will upon all Occasions, lovingly Give, and as lovingly Take mutual Admonitions of any thing that they see amiss in one another.
VII. AND it is not easy to reckon up the good Offices, that such a Society may do to many others as well as to the Members whereof it is itself composed. The Prayers of such well disposed Societies may fetch down marvellous Favours from Heaven on their Pastors, whose Lives may be prolonged, and Gifts augmented, and Graces brightned, and Labours prospered, in answer to the Supplications of such Associated Families; and the Interests of Religion may be mightily preserved and promoted in the whole Flock, by their Fervent Supplications, and the Spirit of Grace mightily poured out upon the Rising Generation. Yea, All the Land may fare the better for them.
[Page 4]VIII. ESPECIALLY, when a Society, shall set apart, whole Days for Prayer with Fasting before the Lord, as it may be proper for them to do now and then upon some Occasions: The Success of such Days has been sometimes very marvellous: And the Savour of them left on the Minds of the Saints, who carried them on, has been such as notably to prepare them, to show forth the Death of the Lord at his Table; Yea, to meet with their own Death; when GOD pleases to Order it.
IX. IT is very sure, the Devotions first, and then after them the Conferences carried on in such a Society, will not only have a notable Tendency to produce the Comfort of Love in the Hearts of Good Men towards one another; But also their Abilities will be thereby sharpened and quickened; they will be rendred more Able, to serve many valuable Interests.
X. UNEXPECTED Opportunities to Do Good, will arise unto such a Society: But especially if a Practice of this Importance were once taken up; That the Men who compose the Society, would now and then spend half an Hour together by themselves, in considering on that Question, What Good is there to be done?
More particularly;
WHO are to be called upon to do their Duty in coming to special Ordinances?
WHO is in any special Adversity, and what shall be done to comfort them?
WHAT Contention or Variance may there be among any Neighbours, and what may be done for the healing of it?
WHAT open Miscarriages do any live in; and who shall be desired to carry faithful Admonitions unto them?
[Page 5]Finally; WHAT is there to be done for the Advantage and Advancement of our Holy Religion?
IN the Primitive Times of Christianity, there was much use made of a saying which they ascribed unto Matthias the Apostle; [...]. If the Neighbour of an Elect, or Godly Man Sin, the Godly Man has also Sinned. The Obligations of Neighbours watchfully to Admonish one another, were what that Saying intended. Oh! How much may Christians Associated in Religious Combinations, do by watchful and faithful Admonitions to prevent being Partakers in other Mens Sins!
THE Man that shall produce, and promote such Societies will do an unknown deal of good in the Neighbourhood.
AND so will he, that shall help forward another sort of Societies; Namely, those of YOUNG MEN ASSOCIATED.
THESE duely managed, have been incomparable Nurseries to the Churches, where the faithful Pastors have countenanced them. Young Men are hereby preserved from very many Temptations, rescued from the Paths of the Destroyer, confirmed in the right Ways of the Lord, and prepared mightily for such Religious Exercises as will be expected from them, when they come themselves to be Housholders. I will make a tender of some ORDERS, which have been observed in some such Societies.
I. LET there be two Hours at a Time set apart; and let there be two Prayers made by the Members of the Society, in their Turns; between which let a SERMON be repeated; and there should be the Singing of a PSALM annexed.
[Page 6]II. LET all the Members of the Society Resolve to be Charitably watchful over one another: never to Divulge one anothers Infirmities; always to inform and advise one another of every thing that may appear to call for an Admonition, and to take it kindly, when they are Admonished.
III. LET all who are to be admitted, as Members of the Society, be accompanied by two or three of the rest, unto the Minister of the Place, that they may receive his holy Counsels and Charges, and that every thing may be done with his Approbation; and so let their Names be added unto the Roll.
IV. IF any Person thus enrolled among them, fall into a Scandalous Iniquity, Let the Rebukes of the Society be dispensed unto him, and let them forbid him to come any more among them, until he bring suitable Expressions and Evidences of Repentance with him.
V. LET the Lift be once a Quarter called over; and then, If it be observed, that any of the Society have much absented themselves, Let there be some sent unto them, to inquire the Reason of their Absence; and if no Reason be given, but such as intimates an Apostacy from good Beginnings, Let them upon obstinacy, after loving and faithful Admonitions, be Obliterated.
VI. ONCE in three Months, Let there be, if need be, a Collection, out of which the necessary Charges of the Society shall be defrayed, and the rest be employed upon such Pious Uses as may be agreed upon.
[Page 7]VII. ONCE in two Months, Let the whole Time of the Meeting be devoted unto Supplications for the Conversion and Salvation of the Rising Generation in the Land; Particularly, For the Success of the Gospel in that Congregation, whereto the Society belong.
VIII. LET the whole Society, be exceedingly Careful, that their Discourse while they are together, after the other Services of Religion are over, have nothing in it, that shall have any Taint of Backbiting or Vanity, or the least Relation to the Affairs of the Government, or to things which do not Concern them, and do not serve the Interests of Holiness in their own Conversation. But let their Discourse be wholly on Matters of Religion, and those also, not the Disputable and Controversal Matters, but the Points of Practical Piety. They may propose Questions upon this Intention, and every one in an orderly manner, take his Liberty to answer them, or they may go through the Catechism, and one at one Time, another at another, heat all the rest Recite the Answers thereof. Or they may be otherwise directed by their Pastors, to spend their Time together Profitably.
IX. LET every Person in the Society, look upon it, as a Special Task incumbent on him, to look out for some other hopeful Young Man, and use all proper Pains to engage him in the Resolutions of Godliness, until he also shall be joined unto the Society. And when a Society shall be in this Way increased unto a fit Number, Let it swarm into more; who may hold an useful Correspondence with one another.
[Page 8]THE Man, who shall be the Instrument of setting up such a Society in a Place, cannot comprehend unto what a long and Rich Train of Good Consequences, he is become Instrumental.
AND they that shall in such a Society together carry on the Duties of Christianity, and the Praises of a Glorious CHRIST, will have upon themselves, a Blessed Symptom that they shall be together Associated in the Heavenly City, and in the Blessedness that shall never have an End.
Pure and Peaceable Wisdom. Delivered unto a RELIGIOUS SOCIETY, On the First Day of their Meeting.
SHOULD our Gracious GOD open our Eyes to Discern and incline our Hearts to Regard, the Good Things of His House and Kingdom, wherewith He abundantly satisfies us, and the Waters of the Sanctuary, which run into our very Doors, we could not without a Prodigy of Ingratitude and Stupidity do any other, than lift up our Hands to Heaven, and say concerning this Place, Happy art thou, O people; Who is like unto thee! We are this Day entering on the Enjoyment of Advantages, which many desire to see and cannot; Advantages to improve in PIETY, and Edify one another; Advantages to do those Things which may reader our Lives Useful and our Deaths Gainful But because we read of some who know not the Day of their Visitation, I have chosen those Words of GOD our SAVIOUR for our Admonition.
If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy Peace.
WHO spoke these Words, and of whom, and when, and why, is well known unto us. What I am immediately to endeavour, is to answer Three QUESTIONS upon them. First, What are the Things that belong unto our Peace? Then, What it is for us to know these things? And lastly, When it may be said, that a Day for that Purpose is vouchsafed unto us?
WE are to Consider,
I. WHAT are the Things that belong unto our Peace:
PEACE is a very comprehensive Word. It may in the Notation of it be somewhat Narrow. The English Word, Peace, as the Latin Pax, comes [a Pactione] from a Word that signifies, Covenanting. The Greek Word, [ [...], a Connectendo,] strictly taken intimates no more than a Knitting together. But in the Acceptation of it, it is exceeding Broad. It comprehends all manner of Good. The most comprehensive Salutation the Holy Language can find, is, Peace be to you.
IN One Word, then, Whatever Tends to promote our Present and Future Welfare, is to be reckoned among the Things that belong unto our Peace.
[Page 3]YOU shall hear what the chief of them are.
THE First is, FAITH. GOD and the Unbeliever, are in Ill Terms with each other. As the Carnal Mind is Enmity against GOD, so, GOD is angry with the Wicked every Day. Yea, such is His Anger as to Swear in His Wrath against him, [Heb. III. 18.] if he continue so. The Unbeliever, if he continue such, is indeed as sure of Damnation, and of a Wrath unto the Uttermost, as if he were already fast bound in the dark Fetters and imprisoned in the Tophet ordained of old. When CHRIST is offered, then a Peace is offered. The offer of a CHRIST, is an offer of Peace, to unbelieving Rebels. When a CHRIST was born, the Morning-Stars that sung for Joy, triumphed in the mention of, Peace on Earth, upon it. Our JESUS is indeed, Isai. IX. 6. The Prince of Peace. And He is called, Eph. II. 14. Our Peace. Because, I will not say, When the Assyrian comes into our Land, but, when the Almighty comes down in the black Garments of His Vengeance, with the Keen Darts of Justice in His Hand, ready to strike and tread us down in the Place of Dragons. Then! This Man (who is more than a Man) shall be our Peace! Now by Faith it is, that we get an Interest in a CHRIST, and in the Peace which He has wrought; an Interest in Peace with GOD; For, Rom. V. 1. Being justified by Faith, we have Peace with GOD, through our Lord JESUS CHRIST. This infers Peace of Conscience; For, Faith and a Good Conscience go hand in hand. Most certain it is, the Aversion of GOD for us, would have been Irreconcilable; [Page 4] His Wrath against us Irremediable and Unappeasable; and the Never-Dying Worm, would be an Ever-gnawing one: But, FAITH, Faith, is that which brings all to Peace; And it may be said of the Believer, as it was of Solomon, He has Peace on all sides round about him. If a Soul become in this way a Son of Peace, then Peace will rest upon it. But if it be not so, then shall be heard a Voice of Trembling and Fear, and not of Peace. I conclude this Article as Peter concludes his Epistle: Peace be with all them that are in CHRIST JESUS.
THE Second is, REPENTANCE. 'Tis our League with Sin, that produces a War between GOD and Man. Your Iniquities have separated! Indeed, the Sinner blesses himself, saying, I shall have Peace. But what an Alarum of War has GOD sounded against him? [See Deut. XXIX 19, 20.] Where Joram said unto Jehu, Is it Peace, Jehu? He answered, What Peace as long as the Whoredoms & the Witchcrafts are so many? So may it be said unto the Impenitent Sinner, What Peace, as long as thy Indulged Impieties are so many? And that Peal may be rung in his Ears; Isai XLVIII. 22. There is no Peace, saith my GOD, unto the Wicked. Indeed, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts; and All shall be well. But, If be turn not, the Almighty hath what a Sword, and bent a Bow; and prepared for him the Instruments of Death. Every Impenitent Sinner, is a Desperado of that Number, [Act. V. 39.] They are found even to fight against GOD; Yea, That stretch out their hand against GOD, and strengthen themselves [Page 5] against the Almighty, and run upon Him, even upon His Neck, upon the thick Bosses of His Buckler. Alas, The way of Peace they have not known.
THE Sinner Fights against Heaven, so long as he Sins against the GOD of Heaven. The Arms of his Rebellion are the Weapons of Unrighteousness. Now Repentance, this lays down those Arms of Rebellion; and like the Man in the Gospel, the Sinner seeing that he cannot grapple with the Almighty, and is not stronger than He, he humbles himself, and he desires Conditions of Peace. One Sin unrepented of will issue in the Confusion of the Soul. Had Zimri Peace, who slew his Master? So, Shall that Man have Peace, who transgresses the Law, and who tramples on the Authority of his Master, a Master that is his Maker too, and his GOD? He alone is at Peace with GOD, who is at War with Sin.
THE Third is, HOLINESS. An Holy Life. It is said, Prov. XVI. 7. When a Mans Ways please the Lord, his Enemies shall be at Peace with him. Yea, Now not only the Hosts of the Lord, but the Lord of Hosts Himself, will become his Friend; and his Exceeding great Reward. We read, Rom. VIII. 6. To be spiritually-minded is Peace. Yea, all the ways of Wisdom are paths of Peace; And at Last, Behold the upright man, for the End of that man is peace. Peace, is a silken Thread, strung thro' the Actions of an Holy Life. Tho' without a Reliance on the Righteousness of our SAVIOUR [Page 6] for our Acceptance with GOD, our most Splendid Services will give no other Peace, than that which will be like the Crackling of Thorns under a Pot, and they who warm themselves with the sparks of their own kindling must lie down in Sorrow: Alas, the Ragged and Sordid Garments of our own Righteousness, will never shelter our naked Souls from the Storms of Divine Vengeance; Yet I may say, The Peace of a Believer, arises not only from his Justification, but from his Sanctification also. Thus we see the Lord owning the Generation of them that seek Him, with many Soul quieting Dispensations of His Providence. The Light of GOD shines on the Tabernacle of the Godly Man. The preserving of his Garments undefiled, keeps him from the Horrors and Sorrowful Reflections of a Guilty Mind. And Lastly, A Good Days Work meets with a Good Evenings Wages. And he sees the Blessing which the Saints of GOD in the ancient Days highly Prized; Even, To go to the Grave in Peace. Of all this I may say, This is the Heritage of the Servants of the LORD.
WHO can express the Sweet Quiet of Heart, and ravishing Comfort of Soul, which a Life led in all Godliness & Honesty is attended withal: There is a Sweetness in the Work it self; such, that the Servants of CHRIST have thought their very Work to be their Wages, There▪ is a Joyful Serenity of Soul, that flows in and from a Course of Obedience to GOD. A Conscience void of Offence towards GOD and towards Man, how peaceable is it! Let the Christian, who thro' Carelesness has fallen from [Page 7] GOD, and thro' an Evil Heart of Unbelief departed from Him, declare how much Salt Water, and how deep Humiliations it has cost him, to obtain a recovery. Verily, Isai. XXXII. 17. The work of Righteousness, it shall be peace. To be daily beating down our Corruptions, and striving against the Sins that easily beset us; Daily Endeavouring to Grow in the Grace & Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, getting on from Strength to Strength; Daily maintaining an Intimate Communion with GOD; Shall not the Fruit of this be, Peace, Peace? And, Is not this to know me, saith the Lord! To Endure Hardness as good Soldiers of Jesus CHRIST; and Work out our own Salvation; and be always doing the Will and Work of our Heavenly Father; Is not this the way of Peace? Yea, Great Peace have they (O Lord,) that Love thy Law!
WE are to consider,
II. WHAT it is for us to KNOW the Things that belong to our Peace.
Now,
First; THE Nature of the Things; we must have a Right Knowledge of That. So we read about, Knowing the Grace of GOD. Ignorance is indeed the Mother of Destruction. The Blind fall into the Ditch. The way to Heaven is a Narrow way; And tho' it be said, The wayfaring men, tho' Fools, shall not err therein; yet foolish Man, who is born like the wild Asses Colt, must have a CHRIST for his Prophet, and [Page 8] in that way be made Wise unto Salvation, or else he will Err, and be for ever a Stranger to the way of peace. O Ignorant Creature, The Darkness of thy Mind, will bring thee down to the Darkness of the Pit. Ignorance, Ah, Bloody Cur-throat unto Millions of Precious and Immortal Souls! How should People be Saved, without Knowing the way of Salvation; or, Enjoy Peace without Knowing the way to the Jerusalem? The Gospel of Peace is therefore such an inestimable Jewel; Because we have the means of Knowledge in it.
IT was once prescribed, Acquaint thy self with GOD, and be at peace. Even so, Let People Acquaint themselves with Faith, and with Repentance, and with Holiness, if they would seek peace and pursue it.
THERE are Mysteries in Faith. People often delude themselves with an Historical Faith, as if it were enough to yield some Kind of Assent unto the Truth; or with a presumptuous Faith, taking it for granted that their Sins are pardoned, whether ever they have with a distressed Soul sought for it, or no; or with an Imperfect Faith, receiving a CHRIST in some of His Offices, but not in all of them. So, forsooth, now they have Commenced Believers.
REPENTANCE has Mysteries in it. Hence People fancy, and harbour Conceits, that now and then, a, Lord, Forgive me! Or, A few sleight Convictions of what they have done when they have Sinned; Or the Reluctancies of an [Page 9] Heart smiling of them, and roaring terrible things upon them, and compelling them to fall down on their Knees, and come to some Good Resolutions never to Offend in the like sort again; or some Terrors of the Law, which are like the Flashes of Hell-fire already singeing of them; — are the Repentance not to be Repented of.
HOLINESS has Mysteries in it. Hence People take and mistake, a few Formal Duties, or such Things as are the meer Bark or Shell of Religion; A Partial Obedience; or some notable Works done, but then vainly trusted in, (and so, but Splendid Sins after all!) ——To be the Obedience of Faith, and the Godliness which has the Promise.
MANY hear much about Faith, and Repentance, and Holiness, who never arrive to any other, than a Superficial Knowledge of these Things; They have no real Insight into them. They lie, Multitudes, multitudes, in the Valley of Perdition; And if the Enquiry be, Who has done this? The Reply must be that; Hosea IV. 6. My People are destroyed for the lack of Knowledge.
Secondly, THE Things are to be Prized, Valued, Esteemed; There must be seen an Excellency in them. To Know is to know the Worth of them. Faith is to be Prized, as, 2 Pet. I. 1. Precious Faith. Repentance is to be Prized, as, 2 Cor. VII. 10. Not to be Repented of. Holiness is to be Prized, as, 1 Tim. IV. 8. [Page 10] Profitable unto all Things. Indeed, The Brutish Man knows not, neither does the Fool understand this. The Blind, and Hard, and Sottish Hearts of Sinful Men, don't Think of these Things. Jerusalem did not think, that if she Reverenced the Son of GOD, and Repented of the Evil of her Doings, and Hearkened unto GOD, and Walked in His Ways, then her Peace would have been as a River, and her Righteousness as the Waves of the Sea. The Anti-type of David would have prayed for the Peace of Jerusalem, yea, have given Peace to it. His GOD and Father, would have said, Peace be within thee! But not knowing the Things that belonged unto their Peace, not Knowing or Thinking how much they should find their Account in those Things, the Lord of the Vineyard came, and destroyed the Wicked Men.
THUS 'tis, with a World of Men and Women in the World. Cumbered with many Things, they will not see, that the coming to a CHRIST is the One Thing that is needful for them. A Laodicea can do well enough without the Gold, and Garment, and Eye Salve of her SAVIOUR. Many say, The Stolen Waters are Sweet. Many say, What is the Almighty that we should Serve Him, and what profit should we have if we pray unto Him? To have this [...] removed, and the Scales drop from our Eyes; and have a New, Clear, Strong, Sight of the Estimate which is to be made of the Things which are not seen, and which affect our Eternal Happiness; This, This is to Know the Things belonging to our [Page 11] peace. They who have studied the Style of the Scripture, tell us, Words of Knowledge imply Affection. So when our SAVIOUR says to some, I never knew you, He means, I never liked you. Which is what He will say to them, who know not what we are now speaking of. Reprobate Silver, the Lord has Rejected them.
Thirdly, THE Things are to be Closed withal. To know Sin, [Isaiah LIX. 12.] is, to be a Sinner; To know the only True GOD, and JESUS CHRIST whom He hath sent, is to Cleave unto Him. To know Faith, is to be a Believer. To know Repentance, is to be a Penitent. To know Holiness is to be Obedient, and Holy in all manner of Conversation. 'Tis an Experimental Knowledge in these things, that is the only profitable Knowledge. They are like the New Name whereof we read, Rev. II. 17. No man knows it but he that HAS it. The Christian must have [an, Intus Existens] a, Something within; Some Divine Sparks of a Supernatural Knowledge, that give him other Visions of these Heavenly Things, than what those have, who can only talk like Parrots of them. Regeneration must be known and felt by us, in another manner than by a Nicodemus, Faith, and Repentance, and Holiness must be known with a sensible Experience of those things. It must be an Impressive Knowledge. There must be such an Impression of those things upon us, as to give us a very Lively Apprehension of them. To Know them, is to Taste them; to Taste these powers of [Page 12] the World to come; To Live them, and so have the Life of GOD within us.
WE are to Consider,
III. WHEN may it be said, That we have OUR DAY Vouchsafed us to Know the Things belonging to our Peace.
THE true and proper Limits of our DAY, will be found in the Motions of the Holy SPIRIT upon us. But then there are some Other Things, which so far make Our Day, that before Our Day is done, when they are gone; tho' it may also be done before it.
First. DAY Lasts as long as Life lasts.
IN this, the Children of GOD have Their Day. They are therefore so instructed; John IX. 4. I must Work while it is Day; the Night comes in which no Man can Work. Our Time of Living, is our Time for Working. As the Fourth Commandment has it, Six Days shalt thou Work and Rest the Seventh: So GOD sends us into the World, and says, I have some Work for thee to do; some Glory to be brought about by thee in the World; Thou hast but a little Time to do it in. What thy Hand finds to do, do it with thy might. I have betrusted thee with some Talents. Improve them Faithfully, Prudently, Diligently. And when I send my Messenger DEATH to call thee, thou shall find a Crown reserved for thee.
[Page 13]YEA, and in this they lie still Dead in their Trespasses and Sins, have Their Day too▪ GOD is all their Days Calling on them▪ Stretching out His Hands unto them all the Day long. Earnestly Calling, How long, ye Fools; Will you hate Knowledge? But when the Term of Life is just Expiring, and the last Sand in the Glass is running, and He has continued inviting them into His Vineyard, until the Eleventh Hour be out, and the Last Hour be upon them; and their Destruction comes as a Whirlwind, GOD then laughs at their Destruction, and leaves them in the Dimness of the Anguish of Death, and the Griping Talons of a dreadful Eternity. The Living, The Living, They may Praise GOD, and get into Peace with GOD. But they that go down into the Pit cannot Hope for any more. The Things of our Peace have taken an Eternal Farewell of them.
Secondly, THE Means of Grace, help to make Our Day for us. The Old World, whose Foundation was overflown with a Flood, enjoyed a Day, while they had Noah, a Preacher of Righteousness among them. This Preaching was no sooner over, but their Day was done. Cries to Heaven for Succour were now to little Purpose. The Ark being now shut, the Ear of GOD was also shut upon them. Sodom had a Day, whilst Righteous Lot was beating his Testimonies there. But when he is gone, their Day goes with him. The Vengeance of Eternal Fire seizes them. They sadly found, [Page 14] when the Mouth of GOD leaves off Speaking, his Ear leaves off Hearing too. When the Means of Grace are gone from a People, Their Day is [...]er with them. It is often so, that upon the Death of an Excellent Minister, the People that had his Light for a Season, but would not be brought home to GOD, have Their Day brought unto a Period. GOD leaves them under an Everlasting Obduration. He Resolves, They shall never taste of my Supper! Never Enter into my Rest!
Thirdly, OUR Day is Enlightened, when it is accompanied with many Opportunities to make sure of The Things belonging to our Peace. A Peaceable Time with us, and a Prosperous Condition, makes a Day to shine upon us. A Day of Prosperity, Oh! how much is it to be improved with us! We generally allow, that Adversity has a Voice in it: GOD Speaks to us by our Afflictions. But in Prosperity our Fat Hearts are insensible of any thing spoke to us: As if Mercy were a very Dumb Thing indeed! Whereas, Jer. XXII. 21. I spake to thee in thy Prosperity, saith the Lord. The Still Voice of Prosperity is not so plainly heard, as the Thunder and the Tempest and the Whirlwind of Calamity: Yet there is the Voice of GOD in it And what is the Voice but This; Oh! That this man would now know the Things of his Peace, at least in this his Day! What but This; Oh! That this man were wise, and would consider his latter End. How pittyable the Case of Jerusalem? Lam. I. 7. Jerusalem remembred in the days of her Affliction and of her Miseries, [Page 15] all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old! So it is; Many a Man lives in the Enjoyment of pleasant things; If he will Now Turn and Live unto GOD, there shall be nothing to disturb him, nothing to divert him. He loiters the Time away; His Lusts like noisome Insects, do but multiply by the Sune-shine. At last, a provoked GOD comes with heavy Blows, with bitter, blasting, ruining Strokes of His Indignation; Strips him of all his Comfortable Advantages; and now the poor Man cannot Serve GOD as once he could; His Way is every where hedged up with Thorns; and he hath nothing left, but a grievous Reflection on his Expired Opportunities.
A Mans Prosperous Time is often his Probation Time. If he be not NOW brought home to GOD, he shall never be so. Saul Exalted and Victorious, falling into a Remarkable Disobedience, never sees a Good Day after it.
HENCE 'tis, that Early Religion is to be Commended unto us. Children, If ever you would Serve GOD with Comfort, Begin Betimes to do it; Betimes, before the Evil Days come, whereof you will say, I have no pleasure in them.
Fourthly. THE Holy SPIRIT of GOD at work upon the Soul; This constitutes Our Day in the fairest and brightest Appearance of it. The other Circumstances give Time to us; This does invest us with Opportunity. The Opportunity to approach and address the Master of the House must be before, Luk. 13.25. He hath [Page 16] risen up, and shut to the Door. Men may sit under the Gospel all their Days; But they will not come into the Peace of GOD, except they seek Him while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near. There is a Time when our SAVIOUR says. Rev. III. 20. Behold, I stand at the Door and knock. The Soul which Then does Open to Him, is an Happy Soul. But, thy Delays, O Dilatory Soul, may render thee like Esau, who Afterwards, when he came, and would have Inherited the Blessing, miss'd of it, tho' he Sought it carefully with Tears. We should, as we say, Strike while the Iron is hot. The Godly themselves may pay dear for their Neglect of doing so. My Beloved has withdrawn Himself and is gone! — may be the Consequence. But this is that which above all issues in the Perdition of Ungodly Men. The SPIRIT of GOD visits them with His Motions. He does it in Sermons; He does it in Troubles; He does it in various Methods. He stirs up Affections in them, for the Things that are Holy and Just and Good. They have such an Opportunity to enter the Strait Gate, as the Israelites had for an Entrance into the Land of Promise. They neglect it; And now, when they come too Late, and Weep unto the LORD, the LORD will not hearken to them. The Door is now shut, and if they come with the Foolish Virgins, and cry, Lord, Lord, Open to me! the cry avails nothing; He answers, I know you not.
FOR this Cause it is, that the Bible does insist so much upon present Obedience. Thus, Eccles. XII. 1. Remember NOW thy Creator. [Page 17] Thus, Jer. XXV. 5. Turn ye NOW every One from his Evil Way. Thus, 2 Cor. VI. 2. Behold, NOW is the Acceptable Time, NOW is the Day of Salvation. q. d. This is all the Day you are sure of; Lose this NOW, and you shall never have another. Look into the Third Chapter to the Hebrews; 'Tis urged there, To DAY if you will hear His Voice. And over and over again it comes, To Day! To Day! To Day! As if the taking of, To Day, were that which Eternity depended on.
AND now, My Brethren; Will you Know the Things of your Peace? O Unregenerates, Defer not a Moment the Things that Accompany Salvation. Yea, Let none remain at all Unacquainted with the Things which must be done by all that would be Saved. If you do Know something of them, Take that Advice, Hosea VI. 3. Follow on to Know. Perhaps, My Friend, Thy Faith, and Repentance, and Holiness, may be yet but at the best, as a Grain of Mustard Seed. Yea, The best of us all have need of more Grace than we have. You are not yet come to Perfection. Certainly, You need more Weanedness from the World, more Heavenly-Mindedness, more Fervency of Spirit in Serving the Lord; a more United Heart in Fearing of His Name; a more Self-Abasing, and CHRIST-Exalting Disposition. May not the best of us Complain, My Leanness! My Leanness! Yea, May they not come into the Herd with Pharaoh's Lean Kine; which though they had Eaten much, it could [Page 18] not be known, that they had Eaten at all! Truly, When our GOD comes to look upon us, He may say, Be astonished, O ye Heavens! Is this the people whom I fed so daintily? Fed with my Word and Sacraments; yea, Fed with my Son! Are these the Persons, whom I made to sit down at my Table, sit down at a Feast of Fat things full of Marrow, of Wines on the Lees well-refined. O Ephraim. What shall I do unto thee? O Judah, What shall I do unto thee? Oh! That the Things of our Peace were better Known among us! But then, The Day of our Peace must be so too. In the Day for that Purpose bestowed upon us, Let us Press after the fullest Knowledge of these Necessary Things. The Time we now spend in the Exercises of Religion, be assured, O Traveller towards another World, It will be no grief of Mind unto thee another day. Religion, 'Tis thy Business, Make it so; and Mind not thy Inn more than thy Home. Soul Bound for Heaven, In thy Opportunities to Know the Things of thy Peace, and make sure of Everlasting Peace, What a Price is there put into thy Hand? Oh! Let it not be in the Hand of a Fool. My Friends, Our Formation this Day into a RELIGIOUS SOCIETY brings the Things of our Peace near unto us▪ and gives us a Day to know those Things; and furnishes us with Uncommon Advantages for the getting and the doing of Good. As Moses of old wished. Oh! that they were Wise: Give my Strammering Tongue leave to say; Oh! That we knew the Day of our Visitation; and so Numbred our Days as to apply our Hearts unto Wisdom! Oh! [Page 19] That the Day of our Peace were duly perceived and observed with us, and highly accounted of, and so husbanded, that we may give a good Account of it! Oh! That we may to Improve our Inestimable Opportunities, to Converse with our SAVIOUR, and become Full of Goodness, and build up our selves and one another in the most holy Faith, as that when we are to be taken from these Opportunities, we may be found so doing, and hear it said, Well-done, Good and Faithful Servant, Enter into the Joy of thy LORD.