O how blessâd is that place where thou wilt dwell shall I not be kept O keep me from sin from grieving that holy spirit of grace O come sweet Sâviour take up thy rest here in my poor nâked Soul and let my resting place be under the shadow of thy wings then shall I fear no ill for thou art my support and comfort for ever My Soul what great use mayest thou make of this great grace what singular comforts mayest thou reap from this great benefit if this grâat God be thy Father poor Soul here is grace indeed why then as a father pittyeth his children so he is pleased to pitty thee O he considers thy frailty and that thou art but dust therefore as a tender father who hath long waited that he might be gratious he still retaineth mercy his everlasting mercy unto those he hath been pleased to take into his everlasting Covenant Is this God thy Father O then poor Soul how greatly art thou honoured Is it no small thing in the eye of David to become the Son in Law unto an earthly King and shall it not be a great thing in thy account to be the Daughter of so great a King Ah my poor Soul hath the Lord thus honoured thee hath he iâdâved thee with so great a Glory O then walk worthy thereof VVilt thou dishonoâ him that gave thee breath and formed thee out of the dust to live and praise him who hath purchased thee to bâ a peculiar one unto himself O wilt thou defile that glory by thy unworthy walking If thine earthly Father deserves that honour as is due to him by nature and the commands of God of how much more honour is thy heavenly father worthy to whom thou art beholden for thy All O then be careful my poor Soul and do not dishonor the name of thy great God is this great God thy Father then delight thy self in his presence and rejoyce in him above all for thou âast found through grace how sweet t is to be in the presence of thy God and Father to solace thy self in his Love O how sweet a thing it is to possess this to injoy that Communion in which thou art said to be kissed with the kisses of his Lips and made partaker of those heavenly Glories O how good is it to be in the contemplation of these eternal and transcendant beauties these glorious streams of living waters these sweet shades of everlasting comforts and to be filled with that everlasting fulness that filleth all in all O how much better is it to my Soul to be one of the meanest in thy presence to behold thy Glory then to be the greatest potentate upon Earth Let me behold thy Glory O cause thy face to shine upon me so shall all darkness be dissipated and nothing shall appear too haâd for me when thou hast cloathed me with thy strength O t is thy presence makes all things beautiful O t is this presence brings true comfort and gives full satisfaction to thy Soul satisfaction is not to be had in any thing below a Saviour no not in very friends they are all but fading comforts and may leave thee and forsake thee but then saith David even then the Lord took me up my heavenly father hath a greater love a pitty for me he hath said In the presence of the Fathere shall no ill come to thee the Lord will take thy drooping Soul into his banqueting house and speak peace to thee by love imbraces he will stay thee with flaggon and comfort thy love sick Soul with the choicest delights O how sweet is his fruit eaten under his shadow what comfort is it to a wearied Soul lye down under so sweet a shade to to take its rest from scorching heats storms and tempests If thâs great God be my Father then I will go unto him and make known my wants he can heâp in every condition and supply all my wânts plentifully Lord I want wisdâm Lord I want all things but hast thou mâdâ ãâã âhrist to be all things for me then in giving him to me thou givest all and blessed be thy great aâd holy name And ârt thou O God my Father How can iâ be so grâat a priviledge belongs to me poor worâ O let me then indeed and truly depend on thee O let my trust be in my God and suffer not my Soul to turn aside from thy commands O my poor Soul cast all thy care upon the Lord and trust in him for ever for blessed are they that trust in him at all times and who canst thou better trust thy self with then in the hands of thy Father And such a Father whose tender bowels are so great as will not suffer any thing to come nigh thee for thy hurt he knows what is best and fittest for thee a God whose pâwer reacheth over all the World and can bring to pass whatsoever pleaseth him O there is nothing Lord too hard for thee thou canst in one moment make thy poor servant such as thou wouldest have her to be O do so Lord for thy dear meâcies sake and let the glory of all return to thee Then hast thou such a God to go to as thy faâher in the time of need O what comfort is there for thee in any time of outward troubles when thou canst say thou art in the hands of a graâious merciful God who afflicteth buâ in measure when âhe doth afflict and that not according to what thy sins and iniquitâes have deserved a God that is slow to ââgâr pâenteous in mercy and when he doth chastise it is to separate thee from thine iniquity and make thee know in what thou hast offended him O let the end of thy chastizing hand dear Lord be such to me as may refine my Soul from all its dross then such afflictions shall be good ye good for me that keeps me in thâ favour that cause me to find acceptance with thee Make that a great comfort to me in the greatest streight and difficulty that can come in this world he who hath all power in his own hands shall he not do whatever he pleaseth with his own yet he hath promised never to leave nor for sake them he will be still the God of those that fear him and will deliver them when they cry unto him O therefore my soul fear the Lord and let thy trust be ever more in him fear not man who hath a Linited power and shall go no further then thy Heavenly Father gives them leave they plot and devise mischief against thee and thine anointed thou seest O Lord and wilt thou not arise to plead thine own cause that they may see and be confounded every one when there councell shall be brought to nought and they made to see the greatness of the God of Jacob O Lord though we have sinned let not thy great name be poluted by those who know thee not O let that be still more glorious though
outward appearance to frown upon his peopâe it seemed an hour of darkness to me my heart was troubled then was I earnest with the Lord further to âirect me in the way that he shâuld choose and the Lord was pleased to shine in with some Gospel light and cause me to see a vast disproportion between a superstiâiouâ way of worshipping of God and a spiâitual sincere way in wâich spiritual Christians serve him then I said O that God would please to bring me into the Fellowship and Communion of his own peopâe and if he hath appointed them to suffer Oh that I might be one that he would count worthy to suffer for the name of Christ Oh how dâth my Soul desire to bear part in the affliction of Sion much rather then to injoy the mirth and pleasure of an earthây Kingdom then did I cast my self upon the Lord and offer up my Soul to him who knows how to frame it according to his own blessed will then I said Lord hast not thou the âearts of all creatures in thy hand and hast power to turn them into what frame soever thou pleasest bring mine into a conformity to thy blessed will O do it Lord for thy mercies sake then I made known my desires unto my friend by letter to joyn in society with that congregation whereof my friend was a member For about that time the Minister of the Parish intending to give the Sacrament preached a preparatory Sermon from 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29. v. Shewing the sweet nature of that blessed ordinance the danger of unworthy râceiveâs and how a Christian ought to be qualified before partaking thereof at the hearing of which I was awakened and the Lord was pleased to come in with sweet comfort and refreshments considering thâ blessed provisiân God had gratiously made for those that prepared to meeâ him therein but I was troubled when I considered that very few or none of his Communicants were so quallified to appearance which was my great burden for I longed much to pertake of that ordinance but dared not to do it in that manner and with such persons None could I use freedom with in this matter but those who I feared would make my trouble greater but thou O God who art ever ready to help in time of neeed thou the wise counsellor wilt not be far from the Soul that truly seeks thee then I called upon the Lord who was gratiously pleased to grant an ear to my request and through the help of my friend to bâing to remembrance 1 Cor. 10 16. 17. v. by which I was much establishâd but more when I saw the number of his Communicants whom he had examined and accepâed such as was very bâind igâorant formaâ creatures then I came to a resolution through the bâessing of God to wait with patience till he should see good to open away wherein I mâght injoy such ordinances in power and purity and so as I might expect Gods presence and blessing which at last he was gratiouslâ pleased to do making that my friend an inâtrument thereof Oh let my heart be more carried out to God with praises and put a new Song into my mouth make it my work to glory that thy great name since thou art thus pleased to own me in thy dear Son Of Recording her Experiences O My Soul thou hast found by sweet experiences how good a thing it is to wait upon the Lord let not the gratious tast of his love slip out of thy remembrance but whilst he hath given thee life improve these mercies and the talent he hath lent thee to his own glory and let the gratious workings of the Lord as he is pleased to honour thee with incomes of his love and the sweet breathings of his holy spirit recount them here in order as the Lord shall give thee leave that they may be upon record against an evil day a day of temptation for how many pretious evidences hast thou lost for want of remembring them but now O Lord help me to deal faithfully with my Soul in declaring thy power and the riches of thy Grace in the daily remembring of thy merciâs O cause me to see the growth of my Soul in Grace and in the knowledge of my gratious God that my âoul may only aim at the Glory of my redââmer The Lord was thus pleased to carry on his gratious work with much pâwer in my poor Soul notwithstanding âhe Devils suggestions many âearâ c. As that my condition surely was not yet so good as I did hope it to be and to doubt whether my joy was not meer presumption but the Lord in his goodness was pleased in a little time to clear it more fully to me and cause me to seâ by the workings of his holy Spiâit sweet evidences of his tender love and bâought into my meditation many blessed premises which he was pleased to bless unto my Soâl aâd confirm unto me with much establishment The Lord being thus pleased by his wise Councel and his tender love thus to guide my unworthy Soul at length bâ hiâ gratious providence brought we to the place where the Church met though they were strangers to me yet was he pleased to cause me to find much love and tenderness and there I had that blessed opportunity to receive that sweet refreshing Ordinance which my Soul had so much longed after Blessed be his Holy name O thou my Soul since thou hast seen the gratious deâlings of the Lord towards thee be not thou unmindful of his praise Improve thy talent to thy Masters use lay out thy strength for God and let thy heart be carried out for ever to remember the tender and unspeakâble love of thy dear Lord unless thou put thy hand to heâp my strength is nothing I am a poâr weak nothiâg not able to do any thing if thou shouldest once leave me never so little The Choice Discoveries of Christ to her Soul when joyned to a Church in the Lords Supper OH how was the Lord in mercy pleased to manifest his Glory and goodness to thee O my Son in this Ordinance in which he was gratiously pleased by faith to draw thee up to recive those outward elements the bread and wine as presenting the immediate body and blood of the Lord Jesus broken and shed for thy sins O thoâ unworthy Soul how gratiously was the Lord pleased to come with power raising thee up to praise and admire the exceeding riches of his Grace in choosing thee to be partaker of so great a blessing how was he pleased to fill thee with spiritual joy at thy returning home and give thee leave to come into his presence to return him thanks with joy that he was pleased so gratiously to manifest himself unto thee poor unworthy Soul as a God hearing prayer and answering thy poor request with so much mercy which the Lord inable thee for ever to remember to his Glory thou knowest I desired to do so
boldness thorough Christ have âcâeâs unto the throne of Grace and through the Son injoy communion with the Father being related to God having him to be thy Father bâing a member of Christ being bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh the temple of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God dwelling in you and is God thy Father then consider who 't is is pâeased to own thee for a child not a man no nor the best of men would you not think it great honour to be the Son of some Noble Man much more if you were Son to a King is it honour to be Son to an earthly King an will you count it no glory to be Son to the King of Kings will you give honour to an earthly King and will you not honour him by whom Kings Reign surely if God becomes thy Father he deserves honour from such a poor wretched creature as thou art consider the transcendant love and iâfinite wisdom of the great God in calling all out of the world if thou belong to him he will look on thee when thou art in thy blood when thou art covered over with a Leprosy of sin and corruption and no eye pittied thee when thou wert dead then he saith lâve ye being an enemy he reconciled to himself through the Blood of his own Son the Son of his love in whom he was well pleased in whom he delighted in whom there was no sin neither guile found in his Mouth yet this was the infinite unspeakable Love of God to poor sinners and for our sakes was the Lord of glory willing to come down out of the Bosom of his Father into the Circle of corruped earth to disrobe himself of his gloây and take upon him sinful flesh nay he took upon him the form of a Servant and âumbled hâmself unto deaâh even thae cursed death of the Cross that he might exalt thee and purchase for thee a crown of Glory what heart is there but a heart of stone that these charractors of Gods unspeakable Love cannot make impression upon have you seen the Love of God in Christ and not been touched with a lively sence of so infinite a mercy have you experienced it is any wise and not found the love of Christ to be a constraining Love surely those that have tasted the gratious sweetness of the Lord will be filled with a holy admiration and will have a heart full of breathings after those Heavenly visions and long for a more intire Communion with the Father of mercies and the God of Love But these seem to be strange things to a carnal Soul they are not to be seen with the eyes of flesh but by the eye of faith through the opperation of the Spirit the holy spirit of God the holy Ghost the comforter which our Saviour promised to send to his disciples and with them the whole elect of God now did we but consider the miserableness of our condition by nature being dead duâl blockish having no life or sence at all in any spiritull action yet that the Lord should awaken such out of the graves of there sins and reveal the righteousness of Christ unto them who can but admire the infinite goodness of our God now when this spirit of God workes it comes with power discovering sin and teaching the Soul to deny all ungodlyness and sinfull lusts and to live righteously and soberly in this present evill world the Soul is convinced of siin before of righteousness Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance who will seek to a physitian that is not senâable of any want he have of him be that thinks himself most secure hath the most need of help Laâdicea said she was rich and full and needed nothing when Christ found her poor blind and naked and she knew not not her miserable condition being destitute and wholy wanting When we see our selves at a loss O whether shall we go but unto Christ who is infinitely able to save unto the utâeâmost all that by faith come unto him let us not dispaire for God is faithfull who hath promised and his word shall stand for ever let us fly unto the throne of his graee by that new and living way which he hath found out and appointed for the eternall comfort of poor sinners even the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory and the Son of his love that whosoever truly repents from his heart and by faith lares hold upon him shaâl not perish but have everlasting liâe O let us admire the infinite goodness of the âord and dilligently inquire whether we have ever had this change effectuall wrought in us or no have we the shâmtâmbes of a new born Soul in us then we shall âee what cause we have to magnifie the riches of his grace in calling us from the world unto himself by his holy spirit that hath not suffered us to lye buryed under the ruins of our own sins out of which we cannot come without the drâwings of God and the greatness of the mercy wiâl heighten our praise when we consider the infinite number of dead Souls on the right hand and on the left and yet that the Lord should please in a more perticular manner gratiously to look upon us A Heaven born Soul as new born babe desires the sincere milke of the word that it may grow thereby which being fed upon through the power of the spirit is able to bring the Soul into a perfect state in Christ Jesus who is the word of life and the express image of his fathers person A new creature finds in himself a wonderful change every faculty of his soul is changed Christ died to redeem us to himself from the world from our vain conversations As well to sanctâfie us as to save us that we should live no longer to our selves but to him that hath bought us and purchased to himself a peeular people zâaâous of Good Works that he might reign as a King in our hearts who is the King of righteousenss and who has commanded us to be holy as he is hâly without which there is no seeing of the face of a holy God and siâce it is onely Love and new obediance which proceed from Love that the Lord of Glory hath required of us in return of those unspeakable tokâns of hiâ Lovâ to us O what are we or what is our Love that we should not think all we have two little for so good a God that we should not willingly render unto the Lord our ALL is nothing at all what is good is of the Lord not ours and his but just that he should have his own O then let us not keep back any part of what the Lord hath required of us but let us turn to him with the whole heart for it is his by purchase and though he hath in mercy afforded us greater comforts for our use it is not that our hearts should be taken up in them