the Promise which is both infinite and incomprehensible 14. PARAGRAPH THus I have in some measure made it evident how advantageous the day of dissolution is to the Children of God and therefore cannot but wonder how any upon solid grounds can desire a continuance in this valley of tears especially if they consider also the many miseries and inconveniencies that aâ— incident both to soul and body iâ— this life and the irreconcileable enmity that is betwixt them in theâ— Conjunction As the Apostle Paul of serves in his Epistle to the Galation * Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusts against the spirit and 〈◊〉 spirit against the flesh and these 〈◊〉 contrary one to the other so that 〈◊〉 cannot do the things we would such and so many continued jarrâ—â— are betwixt them that they are evâ—â— prone to exhibit Articles of impeachment against each other The soul it complaines of that Original guilt and corruption which was translated upon humane nature through Adams transgression wherewith it was not tainted nor defiled as it came only from the Immaculate hands of its pure Creator And then again the soul saies had it been single without this earthly Partner it had never had that propension to sin nor that inclination to rebellious actings against the Majesty of Heaven nor that aversnes and indisposition to good Nor had its understanding as to those spiritual things which pertain to God been so eclipsed and benighted at the noon-day of such Glorious Dispensations Nor had it been lyable to such distracting cares and such discomposing passions which bring forth stormes and terrible Tempests that dayly threaten its ruine and destruction These such like complaints hath the soul against the body the spirit against the flesh There is amongst many more another particular which we have just cause to resent with much reluctancy This burden of flesh this house of clay retards our glory and for a time secludes us from our Celestiall Mansion * 2 Co. 5.1 6. For we know saies that Great Apostle that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of GOD an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens And a little after that saies While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord from that Lord which inhabites that Celestiall house before mentioned to all eternity O! Of what excellent use it would be if we seriously considered that word ETERNITY It is of that extent that no men nor Angels are able to expresse being so farre beyond the reach of all conception For if all men in the world were exact Arithmeticeans and were imploied all their lives to adde number to number and multiply years the product of all their labours and the total summe of all their Accounts in respect of time would not carry the least proportion to ETERNITY Or if the mighty masse of whole earth were contracted into one heap all that translated into such sand as lies by the sea-shore one single small Bird would remove it all grain by grain before ETERNITY lookes towards an end Having already taken notice of those disadvantages that unavoidably attend us during the time that our souls and bodies are conjoined that is our pilgrimage in this world We have so little cause to keep our desires at a distance from our dissolution especially if we have any comfortable assurance of an interest in heaven that on the contrary we may justly rejoice when that day approaches and the houre drawes nigh wherein we shall be happily freed not onely from the guilt but also which to a good soul is fingular comfort the temptations and occasions of sinne Then shall that interposing veile be either made transparent or drawn quite from our eyes that we may with clearnesse and perspicuity discern the glorious sunshine of God's favour and passe under the tender appellation of dear Children and * Rom. 8.17 if children then heires heires of God and joint-heirs with Christ being freed from the spirit of bondage again to fear and filled with the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 15. PARAGRAPH ANd that we may be capable of such a Celestiall Estate It concernes us first to be truly humble to harbour a mean esteem of our selves and to set a rich value upon every mercy we receive and let the leat mercy which is more then we deserve be an engagement upon our soules to walke in a more constant course of Holynesse to the Glory oâ— HIM that is the Author of all ouâ— good That spirit is far from Christian that stands upon termes with his maker that dare look upon the least blessing with a disdainful aspect or upon the greatest crosse with indignation It is an humble soul and a meek spirit that are highly acceptable to God and where these dwell Grace ever attends them and that in a full measure He that hath a sense of his own unworthynesse and considers sinne as it offends the mercifull God of Heaven lookes upon every exemption from evil as a mighty mercy and every chastisement for sinne as a blessing And if precept will not engage us to be humble we have the most powerful and prevailing example that ever was exposed to imitation and that 's our Saviour Christ with what abundance of humility HE endured all HIS suffering Holy Writ makes plentiful mention Who then would not be willing to tread in his Saviours steps as knowing that it is the surest way to glory He that humbles himself shall undoubtedly be exalted as in the General Epistle of St. James * Jam. 4.10 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and HE shall lift you up And again God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble And that which will further conduce to our happinesse is a state of self-resignation He that in the midst of all adverse conditions can cast himselfe into the hands of his God shall not faile to find support and comfort HE best knowes how to dispose of us Natural men in their exigences are prone to make application and have recourse to those which have greater Authority and power then themselves though they have no assurance of relief from them but certainly they have no sense of their own happinesse that will not trust themselves with the Lord who does not only allow but sollicit their relyance on him Witnesse that Text in the Epistle to the Philippians * Phi. 4.6 Be careful saies the spirit of God for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God There is no affliction can possibly seize on us whereof our heavenly Father takes not strict notice and weighs every dramme thereof in the scale of his Divine Providence which I have before more particularly insisted on which consideration alone is sufficient to preserve our spirits from sinking He that can steadfastly believe needs not fear for he shall have deliverance
he macerates himself through his own distemper the preaching of thâ— Word the performance of Prayer oâ— the administration of any Divine Ordinance to him is little available A Lecture to a distracted I had aâ— most said to a dead man is attended with as much efficacy ‖ Prov. 15.13 For through a vexatious sorrow of heaâ—â— the spirit is broken saies the wâ—â— man and so long as that continuâ— as it were disjointed and in piecâ— it 's altogether improbable that should receive an impression of gooâ— and bring forth fruit proportionably Now herein I would not be â—â—staken for it is not a Godly pentential sorrow that I speak of but a petulent vexatious trouble that brings such a discomposure and barrenness with it in respect of Good For by the first it must be confessed that the spirit becomes more maleable and of a more Divine and affable Temper whereby the seed of the Word may take deeper root and produce fruits answerably In this case though the spirit may seem to be broken yet no otherwise then the superficies of the earth is when the Husband-man intends to cast in grain And as that by the influence of seasonable distilling showers is again compacted and consolidated without any prejudice to the crop so a Christians spirit when softned with a pious sorrow through the sunshine of divine dispensations becomes more firmly cemented and more fruitful then ever being then in a better capacity to conform and yield obedience to the Apostles rule in * 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. adding to Faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse brotherly Kindnesse and to brotherly Kindnesse Charity and those in whom these things are and abound shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ as the Apostle observes Thus having cleared my sense in this partticular I shall wade further towards the discovery of those inconveniences that attend discontent And as I said before it workes an indisposition to Good so it also layes Men open and leaves them lyable to much evil it 's deplorable to think how many through the violence of that passion have wilfully contracted the spanne of their life by an untimely death and made themselves more miserable by their distemper then the Almighty haâ— done by crosses Alas how apt â— that destroying enemy of Mankinâ— Satan who watcheth every oâ— casion and attends every oportuâ—ty to advance his kingdome of daâ—nesse to seize upon a discontent spirit as being then most likely work its overthrow either by aggravation of its misery or some other insinuating suggestions And on the other hand How do those insnaring subtilties and deceitful allurements of the world make it their advantage to encounter a spirit in distraction as then supposing it to have cast off the protection of the meek spirit of patience the best armour against such assaults Nor will a third dangerous enemy the flesh be idle at such a time but fly out into rebellion and leavy war against the Law of the mind and so subject it to the law of sinne Thus we see what a conspiracy of evil Instruments there is to destroy poor souls that are involved in this malady Oh! then what a madnesse is it for contemptible clay to contend with the Potter that can fashion and mould it as he pleaseth Oh! What a senceles thing is it for a man to torment himself and harraze his own soul with the vexatious thoughts of those evils that are beyond all remedy He that spurnnes against pikes of Iron can in reason expect to gain nothing but wounds He that willingly runs against a rock not only dashes the vessel in pieces but loses all the fraught for he that entertaines or gives way to discontent not only torments the body but also casts the soules welfare into extremity of hazard What will not a man do in the midst of this passion He 'le create quarrels with men and sometimes with those of neerest Relation to him without any colour of cause and so both betray his folly and run himself into a guilt of grosse enormities And which is more sad he 'le not stick to quarrel and contend with God himself if any thing be presented contrary to his liking or offer to thwart his humour What an hanious crime was it in that discont ented Prophet so vainly and furiously to contest with his Maker about such a trivial thing as a withered Gourd And it could not but afflict good Jacob more then the sterility of his wife to hear her queratously cry out ‖ Gen. 30.1 Give me children or else I die as though Providence were confined either to grant her desire or accomplish her ruine The latter is often true if the first be inordinately sought after or unseasonably sued for and this is very observeable that those who are excessively given up to the bent of their own wills When they see it disproportionable to the Will of the most High do not only meet with grievous Troubles from within themselves but for the most part heavy Judgements from God and thus it was with the murmuring and repining Israelites who because they had not every thing they desired esteemed slightly of what they had and because they were not exactly humoured became wilfully ingrateful and therefore were justly pursued with multiplyed judgements What a detestable humour was that in Ahab who within the confines of all Israel could not sind matter enough to feed his hungry desire nor satisfy his discontented craving mind unlesse he might enjoy Naboths poor Vineyard What an high contempt of the Almighties Munificence and bounty was this that he could not content himselfe with a Kingdome but labour with so much vehemency to gratifie his corrupt pleasure with such an inconsiderable trifle And to proceed yet further discontent is the mother of disorder it devides and subdevides not onely the senses but the faculties and sets them at an irreconcileable distance and enmity one with another and through this fewd and opposition they debilitate and weaken each other whereby that naturall and inherent life and vigour whence there should proceed lively and perfect Issues being thus decayed produceth little but obliquities and effect of decrepit nature Moreover he that is perplext iâ— mind seldome acts any thing that either pleaseth himself or another those actions and carriages that â—â— late to his own particular are for the most part looked upon with an evil eye as carrying along with them direful troubles doubts and disquieting Molestations and so being discomposed and out of frame it cannot be expected that those actings which refer to others should be any waies proportioned to their desires or suited to their pleasures But alas this is not the worst although bad enough to be opposed both to ones own and others advantage for he that discontentedly troubles himself for outward things either in respect of their miscarryage
there is a plentiful portion reserved and appointed through the bountiful providence of the most High for every true pious believer If we do but cast our souls upon that immoveable rock Christ Jesus and lay hold on him by a stedfast faith we may be confident there shall not be one mercy that respects our eternal happinesse withheld from us as is very clear and evident by sacred Scripture-authority What person then that hath but a sparke of grace can afflict and macerate himself for the want and deprivation of those creature-comforts which are doom'd to a fading mortality when he may upon such soul-solacing and saving tearmes become undoubted heire of all those glorious promises that are recorded in Holy Writ in and through the merits of Christ and have as great a share in that heavenly inheritance as the highest Angel hath I say then who would trouble himself about the trifles of this world 2. PARAGRAPH FOr although there be a confluence and continuance of all earthly endearments yet they fall infinitely short of satisfaction which is another particular I shall crave leave to insist on not doubting to offer something that may not onely appear but prove considerable As first suppose that Life it self without which all earthly things amount to nothing were protracted to the utmost length of Methusala his age and then withall consider that original guilt and corruption which is derived from the loines of our first Parents whereby our whole man became depraved and lost in respect of our first state of innocency and alas we shall find very small satisfaction in this length of daies we should be either much unsatisfyed and out of order we should grow insufferably weary of our selves and of the world making it our dayly suite to be dissolved and so exiled from this unpleasing Pilgrimage If we cast our eyes on those whose age Providence hath drawn forth but to seventy or eighty years for the most part we see them miserably tired and incumbred crying and calling out for death to release them from that burden And certainly if their lives should run forth into a larger term it would be attended with a greater measure of toilsomenesse and trouble Then again admit that to length of daies there were added a fulnesse of earthly blessings and those freed from many perplexities and grievances wherewith they are commonly accompanied yet very little satisfaction could the soul receive from them or find in them For without doubt if any thing of true contentment and of a comfortable durance could have been found i◠them Great and wise Solomon that had the full command and enjoyment of them all upon the fairest conditions that the earth could allow would have afforded them a more favourable Character then vanity of vanities and why we should expect more from them that have them upon far meaner termes then that wise Monarch had is to me no lesse then a Paradox Nor can I rationally apprehend why any should promise to himself a felicity in those things which daily and hourly experience renders not only dissatisfactory but miserable If we look upon the rich and covetous person for indeed they are seldome separable who though he hath heaped up worldly wealth to a seeming inexhaustible store and as much as would probably satisfy many moderateminded-men yet we shall hear him expresse a want of something still vehemently craving and inordinately desiring more Though his substance be never so vast it 's too poor and narrow for his avaritious mind The eye and the ear those twins and purveyors for the flesh still remain unsatisfyed and thereupon the heart saies it 's not enough the more it hath the more it craves discontentedly afflicting it self when it cannot attain to the utmost extent of its boundlesse and unlimited desire Nor is the proud and ambitious man lesse perplext when he cannot reach to the height of that honour which his lofty spirit looks at His aspiring thoughts will prompt him to leave no waies or meanes unassayed though never so dangerous and unwarrantable whereby he may possibly accomplish that which his thirsty mind aimes at as we may plainly see in Hamans case If in the next place we observe the Voluptious person who bathes himself in pleasures and swims through times swift current with as much vain mirth and jollity as a created capacity can suggest yet all this suffices not so light and airie are all delights of this nature that they passe away like a shadow and are many times gone in the very moment of their enjoying In so much that for the most part those men which are voluptuously given are forced to feed their humours upon a stock of past pleasures suffering their thoughts to run over with a kind of pleasing liberty though indeed a most sinful licen ciousnesse the former passages of their vitious and voluptuous lives And all this if rightly considered is so farre from administring true content that it aggravates their misery by contracting a double depravity and guilt upon their own souls which will one day reflect upon their miscarriages with sorrow and sadnesse and bitterly condemne their own folly for giving way to such irreligious and horrible courses Further if we look upon the Strong and Valiant man we shall see how fraile and unsatisfying that is as I have before more fully declared and how soon the most active and vigorous strength becomes weaknesse either through the decaying of age sicknesse or other accidents Sampson so famous in Holy Writ that had as much cause to boast of himself in that particular as ever any having thereby done such unparallell'd things as almost exceeded beliefe yet how suddenly he was bereft of all that power and strength * Judg 16.17 after he had discovered the cause thereof to his Dalilah is notoriously known I might runne into 〈◊〉 multitude of Instances of the creatures dissatisfaction were it not rather to protract time then afford content Therefore in a word thus That if all the pleasures and profits earthly concernments and enjoyments of ten thousand worlds were heaped together and became a monopoly There is not so much efficacy to be found in all as would satiate the desires of one Immortal soul and the reason is this for that they are of a fraile and finite nature and the soul purely infinite they are material but the soul immateriall they are of a drossy substance but the soul made up of heavenly faculties so that there can be no more true fellowship betwixt them then there is betwixt light and darknesse which stand at an irreconcileable distance Therefore since it appears that the choisest of all outward endearments are so little satisfying or rather so much dissatisfactory It may induce us to give them a proportionable value and no more and to six our hearts and affections on those higher things that are of a more durable substance which we may be certain will not perturb our spirits nor subject us to this
Almighâ—â— are they should have a sanctify influence upon our hearts An hâ—â—ble and serious observation of eveâ— step of Gods providence will muâ—â— improve our spiritual stock and eâ—able us to bear any condition wiâ—â— comfort Although our sufferiâ—â— be of an high nature and neverâ—â— much aggravated by circumstanceâ—â— though our neerest Relations shouâ—â— hold us in contempt our familâ—â— Friends should despise us and insteâ—â— of lending us relief as much as in them lies adde to the measure of our afflictions and though all outward meanes which we use for our own recovery deny us help and utterly faile our expectation yet the consideration that God hath an hand in all this and that by his wise Providence he can reduce it to our good and make us happy in the midst of our unhappinesse will abundantly quiet our souls and engage us to look above all second causes Thus we see what a soveraigne remedy this is against all disasters that may encounter us in this distracted world 9. PARAGRAPH THere is no estate whatsoever from whence we may not extract some advantage Poverty is the least desirable of any and yet from this if it be not in the utmost extremity much benefit may be reaped The poor man that enjoies but little of the world is first freed from those terrible heart-breaking and soule-distracting fears that frequently attend those of the richer sort whâ— many times suffer a deprivation oâ— their wits out of an apprehension they have of parting with their substance and so cast themselves into a deep degree of misery when thâ— poor man rests quietly and sleepâ— securely and seldome or never meeâ— with any such terrours by day 〈◊〉 affrightments by night And theâ— again he 's free from those solicitoâ— and turmoiling cares that inseparablâ— wait on full estates He that hath riches upon the be termes that this life can allow 〈◊〉 subject to many troubles and careâ—â—â— sollicitations about the due ordeâ—ing and right managing of that stoâ—â— which the Almighties bounty haâ—â— furnished him withall He consideâ— that a great weight lies upon hiâ—â— and that an exact account of his 〈◊〉 haviour will one day be called foâ—â— But the troubles which follow wicked worldly men are insufferably more grievous those are of a more perplexing and destroying nature racking their joints and harazing every part when the poor mans care is only to purchase so much with his paines and industry as may keep him honest and in some small measure maintain himself and his charge and if at any time a better morsel be afforded to sweeten his courser fare he sits down exceedingly rejoiced and sends up as many or more hearty thanks to God the great Giver of all as he that hath fed deliciously and feasted on the choisest dishes all his daies There is not the meanest mercy that an honest poor man meetes with but he highly values and raises it to a rich esteem when on the other hand great mercies are very little or none at all regarded by those that are worldly-minded and fatted up with the fulnesse of the earth so strangely do the hearts and mindes of men become corrupted But to trace poverty a little farther I have sometimes taken occasion to converse with people of very poor and narrow fortunes as to thâ— world such as indeed have lookeâ— very neer an extremity And I cannot but admire to think how abundantly well satisfyed they have been with their condition and have expresseâ— more of spiritual worth then thousands that have moved in a far higher Orbe in respect of temporals Certainly this can be esteemed 〈◊〉 lesse then a very great benefit wheâ— men so low in the eyes of the worlâ— live so high in the eies of their Maker and it must be imputed to 〈◊〉 extraordinary goodnesse of God 〈◊〉 that he furnisheth them with suâ—â— proportionable support to keâ—â— their spirits from fainting and theâ—â— soules from sinking in such outwaâ—â— adverse conditions When greâ—â— men hoist their top-sail and launâ—â— forth into the main having the spâ—cious clew which they spread eâ—posed to the violence of wind aâ—â— weather the poor man sailes nâ—â— the shore and when an angry stoâ—â— threatens puts into the next creek and in a calme security wears out the extreamity of the Tempest whilest he observes prouder vessels miserably tossed and many times fatally wracked Nor is it a small benefit that the poor man is freed from the peril of hateful contrivances and spiteful machinations the Nimrods of the world think him too inconsiderable to take notice of no man will sharpen his axe to cut down such a shrub It is the lofty Cedars and large Timber of the world that have most cause to fear hewing He fears not the danger of a fall that lies flat to the ground Besides it cannot but have a very close reflection upon any spirit though but morally ingenious to trample upon those whom the Almighty hath already laid so lowe Sure it is an high degree of aggravation for any one to harbour a thought of adding misery to those that are in any measure miserable and whoever becomes guilty of this will one day be sadly sensible of it Christian Prudence and compassion teaches this Lesson that whâ—â—ever we see a Child of God under aâ—fliction we should be earnest by 〈◊〉 possible meanes to administer relieâ—â— and hold forth succour by this 〈◊〉 do not onely help the distresseâ— which is great satisfaction and 〈◊〉 imitate our Saviour but also gainâ—â— further interest in the Father of mercies Another singular benefit that ariseâ— to those of a low and mean condition is this they have lesse interruption and more freedome in theiâ— recourse to heaven then those whicâ— are clogg'd with the incumbring clâ—â— and mammon of the world The poâ—â— man his affections being not glueâ— to the things below in his secreâ— addresses soares heaven-ward anâ— there findes such inestimable richeâ— as worldly men are not worthy of and though for the present he enjoy but in part yet he is satisfyed of a fuller fruition hereafter when all creaed powers are dissolved and earthly advantages fled away And then again those persons that are accounted so despicable here cannot but receive a great support from those gracious promises which are recorded in Holy Writ and do more imediately respect them then others The poor and needy are pronounced blessed and have assurance given that the Lord will deliver them in time of trouble And though they should be denyed the very crummes that fall from the rich mans table yet hereafter to be happyed with such a receptacle as Abraham's Bosome must needs be accounted a full compensation for all their sufferings 10. PARAGRAPH IN the next place the better to beget a satisfaction I would have all men seriously consider what a small pittance will suffice nature and certainly whatsoever exceeds that is meerly matter of opinion The Apostle Paul gives out this charge that * 1 Tim. 6.9 having food