venture on the Truth dare you venture your souls on the Falshood of it Dare you stand forth and say If this word be not a lye let me be damned for ever I am content that the everlasting worm shal gnaw my heart that the infernal fire shal burn my flesh and bones and soul for ever and ever if it prove not at last a meer Forgery and Imposture Do you believe the Scriptures to be true indeed If you do what do they preach to you Do they speak any thing if not this That there is another life and death besides that which is within the kenn of mortal eyes that the other life and the other death are Eternal that upon your being found within or without the Covenant of God hangs your eternal judgment either for life or death that whilst you are in a Covenant with death and in a course of iniquity you are without the Covenant of God and can have no benefit by it that under sin and out of Covenant out of Covenant and out of Christ out of Christ and under Condemnation Are there any things which that word which you profess to believe to be as true and to stand as sure as Heaven and Earth are there any things that this speaks more plainly then these things and such like What and yet secure in a state of sin Aliens from God enemies of all Righteousness and yet in quiet Are you resolved to sell Eternity for time life for death a soul for the pleasures of sin Is this the choice you have made and are you resolved to stand to it Let me have this world my Portion here my good things here and then let me be damned in the other world Let me sin here and suffer hereafter let me laugh here and lament hereafter let me flourish and prosper and live at ease and in honour and in pleasure and at liberty here and let my Prison and my Pain and my Anguish and my Plagues be beneath there let me be torn let me burn let me roar let me die so I may be rich and be merry and rejoyce a while here let time be my Heaven and eternity be my Hell speak in earnest is this your choice or that you may not be put to it to make a new choice will you take upon you to make a new Gospel And dividing what God hath joyned together will you joyn what he hath divided Will you write this for Gospel Holiness and Hell sin and glory Christ and the Curse the Devil and the Crown Let the wicked hold on his way and the unrighteous his thoughts let him still run away from the Lord and be shall have mercy and from his God and he will abundantly pardon Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto death and few there be that finde it but broad is the gate and wide is the way that leadeth unto life and the whole world are going in thereat Blessed are the proud in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that laugh now blessed are the froward the merciless the impure in heart the persecutors for Righteousness sake for great is their reward in Heaven Within shal be the Doggs and the Swine the Whoremongers the Sorcerers the Drunkards the Ruffians the Blasphemers the Gallants the Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye And without shall be the Lambs and the Doves the Holy and the Humble and the Meek and the Merciful and the Upight in heart and the Poor in spirit and Peace-makers the persecuted for Righteousness sake and whosoever loveth truth and maketh God his trust these shal go into everlasting fire but the ungodly into life Eternal Are these the Articles of your Creed Is this your Gospel if it be O what is your Heaven If it be not if the old Gospel must stand Oh where are your souls Are your souls lost and are they not worth the recovery Why will ye dye turn and live Oh when shal it once be As an Embassadour for Christ to whom is committed the word of Reconciliation having hinted to you what 's Law so in the name of the Eternal God I publish to you the everlasting Gospel The Lord God having entred into a Covenant of life with the first Adam for himself and all mankinde in him this Covenant being broken whereby sin hath entred and death by sin and all the world is now becom guilty before God bound over to the vengeance of eternal Fire and under an utter impossibility of recovery by ought that that Covenant can do hath out of his abundant grace made a new Covenant on which whosoever shal lay hold shal be delivered out of the state of Death and Wrath into a state of Life and Blessedness Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do being weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and with him this gracious grant that whosoever believeth in him shal not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 And this is the Covenant that hath been declared unto you This new Covenant is a Marriage-Covenant Hos 2.10 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee to me in righteousness and in loving-kindness and in mercies In it the Lord makes offer and invites you to accept of an Husband and a Dower The Husband is the Kings son the Lord Jesus Christ and with him the lost Kingdom and all that belongs to the Kingdom of God for a Dower Liberty for the Captives the opening of the Prison to them that are bound riches to the poor eyes to the blinde feet to the lame healing to the diseased and life to the dead And whoever among you all who are persons under the Law held by the cords of your sins whose souls are fast bound in fetters of Iron who are willing that your Covenant with death be made void and your agreement with Hell be disannulled and will joyn your selves to the Lord and be brought within the bonds of this Covenant all the blessings of this Covenant are made over and stand sure unto you The Grant is made the Deed is drawn and sealed the Lord hath set to his Seal come you in and seal the Counter-part set to your seal and the Match is made up Christ and with him all things are yours and you are his Accept and live refuse and dye for ever Come on then sinner what sayest thou Dost thou consent Dost thou accept Or as Laban to Rebekah Wilt thou go with this man Let me espouse thee to this one Husband onely let me first tell thee The matter is solemn and thou must be serious 'T is for life 't is for Eternity Consider therefore and let thine heart lying prostrate before the Almighty come in and make answer to these demands which from him and in his great and dreadful Name I make unto thee 1. Wilt thou have Jesus for thine Husband Understand before thou answer The taking
unto me look unto me and I will be thy Sun I le shew thee all that glory and the right way that will bring thee to it I promise thee I will trust me I will be a light unto thee 4. Their Shield Psal 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield The gods of the earth are so stiled Psal 47.9 The shields of the earth much more the God of glory Ephes 6.16 Faith is called a shield Above all taking the shield of Faith it signifies the same as God is a shield Faith is to the soul what-ever God is This is the grace that entitles the soul to God and applies God to the soul Gen. 15.1 Fear not Abraham I am thy shield What 's promised to the Father of the faithful stands sure to all the seed Rom. 4.16 The state of Christians in this life is a militant state a state full of hardships and hazards By reason whereof as richly as they are provided for they are subject to fears of being undone and spoiled of all They are in fears about things eternal they have spiritual adversaries that lye in wait for their souls that fight against their souls that are tempting them and enticing them from their God that watch their opportunities to steal away their God by stealing away their hearts from him and such dangerous attempts of this kind they meet withall that they often are in great doubt what the issue may be They are in fears about things temporal their names are shot at their liberties are invaded their estates with all the comforts of their lives are in danger to be made a prey to day they are a praise to morrow a scorn to day they are full and abound but to morrow they may have nothing left they dye daily they are killed all the day long But what-ever their dangers and their fears thereupon are here 's sufficient provision made against all God is their shield Christian thou hast enough and all that thou hast is in safety Thou art compassed about with a shield secur'd on all hands there 's no coming at thee What-ever assaults are made thy God is a wall of partition betwixt thee and harm They are not shields of brass and iron thou are furnish'd with the strong God is thy defence Wherefore dost thou doubt O thou of little faith A Christian and yet afraid shifting for thy self taking care for the Asses and Oxen and Sheep vexing and loading and losing thy self in thy cares and fears from day to day Where is thy God man Doth not God take care for Oxen and Asses and all that thou hast But oh what meanest thou in this to be shifting thy self from danger by shrinking back from thy God securing thy self from affliction by taking sanctuary in Iniquity What art thou doing but throwing away thy shield to save thee from harm making a breach in thy wall to keep thee in safety Gen. 17.1 c. chap. 15.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect follow thou me stick to me and then Fear not Abraham I am thy shield This now is the first and great promise of the Covenant I am thy God and the second is like unto it CHAP. II. Christ in the Covenant 2. GOd hath put Christ into the Covenant and made over him to his people Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant He who is promised as the chief matter the Mediator Surety Scope of the Covenant is by a metonymy called the Covenant I will give thee for a Covenant that is I covenant to give thee to the people Whatever glory and blessedness there is in the fruition of God wo is me there is a great gulfe fixed between me and it over which there is no passing there 's a partition-wall raised over which there 's no climbing there 's an hand-writing against me whilst that stands all that is in God is nothing to me Were this God mine I had enough Let me be put to labour or suffering let me dig or beg or starve and die whether I be rich or poor have somthing or nothing be a praise or a reproach it matters not so God were mine But oh how may I obtain Who shall bring me to God why the Lord God hath given thee his Son to undertake for thee and to be thy way unto the Father Heb. 11.19,20 Jesus Christ who is the morning star the Sun of righteousness the Image of the Invisible God the first-born of every creature by whom are all things who is before all things the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead In whom dwells all fulness even the fulness of the Godhead bodily who hath made peace by the blood of his Cross Col. 1. and chap. 2. Whose Name is Wonderful Councellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 This Jesus is granted thee in the Covenant to bring thee to God To which blessed and glorious purpose he is exhibited 1. As the Light of Life 2. As the Lord our Righteousness 3. As our Lord and King 4. As our Head and Husband 1. As the light of Life A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel Luk. 1.32 In him was life and the life was the light of men John 1.4 He that followeth me shall have the light of life John 8.12 there is a light that serves to kill and destroy to bring death and condemnation to light the light of the Law that killing letter concerning which the Apostle Rom. 7.9,10 When the commandment came sin revived and I died the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death But Christ brings life and immortality to light heaven glory the invisible God which are lost out of reach and out of ken are all discovered in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 To give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ He is the Image of the Invisible God the brightness of his Fathers glory the glass in which by reflection we see the Sun John 14.8,9 Shew us the Father and it suffices us Why sayes he Hast thou known me Philip and yet sayest shew us the Father He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and this is the light of life John 17.3 this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. As the Lord our righteousness This is his Name Jer. 23.6 He shall be called the Lord our righteousness To this end he is given to us 1. As our propitiatory Sacrifice 1 John 2. The propitiation for our sins 1 Cor. 5. Christ our Passover Rev. 13.8 A lamb slain from the beginning of the world Our price our ransome to satisfie Justice pacifie wrath discharge from the Curse to blot out the hand-writing break down the wall of partition to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for
this world these shall not be thine hire the everlasting God will be thy reward thine exceeding great reward exceeding not thy work only but thy very thoughts also A little is too much for thy earnings but the whole world is too little for his bounty less than nothing might satisfie for thy labours but less than himself will not satisfie for his love the eternal God will be thy reward Oh the unsearchable riches of the poorest of Saints Onimium foelices bona si sua nôrint Poor what and yet hast a God! In want what and yet hast all things Is he a God that is thine and art thou still in straits Would a few sheep and oxen vineyards and olive-yards make thee a rich man and can a God leave thee a beggar Is not a pearl more than pebbles Milk and wine than mud and water Men use to say Money is all things meat and drink and clothes and friends and lands virtually all things And is not God more than money Sure he hath said to his Gold thou art my god that cannot say Let God be mine and then go thou thy way Hast thou a God and yet poor Nay farther would the fatness of the earth and the fulness of heaven if thou hadst both be enough for thee Would corn and wine and houses and lands and pleasures here and eternal life hereafter suffice thee And is not God alone as much as all this Dost thou want Star-light when thou hast the Sun Is the Ocean more full for the Rivers that run into it Or would there be any want there if all these were stopp'd and dry Can they contribute to it which have their rise from it Hath the almighty God a self-sufficiency and hath he not enough to satisfie a poor worm Is he blessed in himself and mayest not thou be blessed in him He that thinks any thing less then God will suffice understands not a soul and he that wants any thing more understands not God God alone is as much as God and all the world and this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord God is their portion If enough be not yet said look a while and consider whence thou art taken up into this blessedness What hast thou left What an exchange hast thou made Thou wert taken with the Prodigal from the trough with the beggar from the dunghil yea as a brand out of the burning there thy lot was fallen Oh where hast thou left the rest of the world Blessing themselves in vanity pleasing themselves with shaddows and apparitions feeding on ashes warming themselves at their painted fires sporting themselves with the wind rejoycing in a thing of nought their crackling thorns their glozing pleasures their drinkings and dancings and riotings their horses and their dogs and their hawks and their harlots making a shift a while to make merry with these whilst they are hasting to the pit To that fire and brimstone which is the portion of their cup. Consider man what is the chaffe to the wheat What is a Comet to the Sun What is the night to the day What are bubbles and childrens toyes to â—…e durable riches What are things that are noâ— to hâ—m whose name is I am But oh what is death and wrath and the curse which was once all thine heritage to that life and love and peace and joy and glory which thou now possessest in that God that is thy portion What a poor wretch wert thou once when thou hadst nothing but sin and shame and misery that thou couldst call thine own these thou mightest call thine sin was thine woe was thine death and the grave and the curse and the pit were thine own but that was all thou hadst thy good things thou livedst upon had they been of never so great value were none of thine thine house and thy lands are none of thine thy gold and thy silver and thy substance are none of thine they are all but borrowed or committed to thee as a Steward and all to be given up upon demand and what thou hast spent of them thou must be brought to a reckoning for a poor wretch thou wert and hadst just nothing all that thou hadst was none of thine But now God is thine own all that he is all that he has is thine never couldest thou lay such a claim to any thing thou possessedst to house or wife or childe or body or soul as now thou mayest to thy God God is as surely thine as thou art thy self as sure as thou art a man thou hast a God Come Christian here 's now thy poâ—tion the light of thine eyes the lifting up of thinehead the joy of thine heart the strength of thy bones thy stock thy treasure thy life thy health thy peace thy rest thy all Whom have I in heaven but thee and in the earth there is none that I desire besides thee My flesh and mine heart faileth but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Psal 73.25,26 Here is thy portion know it for thy good take it for thine own live upon it and live up to it 1. Live upon thy portion Here thou mayest feed herein thou mayest rejoyce herein thou mayest bless thy self for ever Let him that blesseth himself on the earth bless himself in the God of Truth Let him that rejoyceth in the earth rejoyce in the God of truth Let the strong man live upon his strength let the wise man live upon his wits let the rich man live upon his lands come thou live upon thy God come enjoy God and thy soul enjoy God in thy soul enjoy thy soul in God Thou hast possession what should hinder thy fruition In fruition the Schools tells us there are three things which go to the making it up Cognitio Delectatio Quietatio 1. Knowledge according to the clearness or cloudiness of our apprehensions of any good we more or less take the pleasure or comfort of it and therefore the full fruition of God is not till at last when we shall know as we are known Here we see but as in a glass and darkly we know but in part and while we know but in part we love but in part and joy but in part the dimness of our sight makes an abatement upon our joy When the vail shall be taken away when we shall come to see face to face then we shall fully feel what it is to have a God Christian know thou the God of thy Fathers the more thou knowest the more thou hast The carnal world enjoy not God at all God is not known in their Tabernacles In Jewry is God known his Name is great in Israel at Salem is his Tabernacle and his Dwelling in Zion But what of God in Edom or Ammon or Amaleck or Aegypt those dark Regions wherein neither Sun nor Star appears Leave them to their dunghil gods to the gardens which they have desired and the Oaks which they have chosen The
O the unsearchable Riches of Christ that hee that searcheth all things reveals unto the Saints O the hidden treasures they now discover in this deep Mine To you that beleeve hee is pretious a Praise an Honour all Fair all Glorious and you have seen his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Sonne of God full of Grace and Truth Again there are marvellous evils as well as good things that by this light are brought to light Sin with all the hidden things of darkness that lay below in those chambers of death the secrets of the evill heart of man Sin appears a wonder to the savingly enlightened soul Exceeding sinful a world of wickedness There 's Death and Hell and the Devil in every sin unkindness unthankfulness folly enmity rebellion spite and the blackness of darkness What once appeared as a pleasure a delight a beauty or at least if an evill yet but a trifle a matter of nothing is become a plague a terrour a burthen a bondage bitterness shame sorrow and such an high provocation that whereas once hee swell'd and murmur'd and cryed out of rigour feverity cruelty in the least punishment of it now hee wonders at the clemency and patience and forbearance of God that such an affront and provocation had not long since turned the whole earth into an Hell Christian thou complainest thou canst not see thou canst not feel thou canst not mourn thou canst not break under all the guilt that lies upon thee thine heart is hard thine eyes are dry not a tear not a groan scarce a sigh will all this evill fetch out from thee O this blinde and sottish minde O this dead and senseless heart what shall I do what would I not do to get mee a melting mourning broken spirit but I cannot I cannot I cannot see I cannot bleed nor break O beg the light of this Holy Spirit and if the sight that that will present thee with of this wonderfull evill do not rend thy heart and turn thy stomack and open all thy sluces and let out thy soul in sighs and groans in shame and sorrow thou mayest then well be a wonder to thy self But be nor discouraged bee not dismayed do not say this Rock will never break this Iron will never melt I may go sighing for sighs mourning after tears groaning after groans but all in vain it will never bee past feeling past feeling sorrow flies still from mee repentance is hid from mine eyes do not thus discourage thy self wait for this spirit open to it and thou shalt see flowing in such streames of self-shaming self-confounding light as shall flow forth in self-abasing self-abhorring streames of tears 3. These marvellous things are revealed with marvellous clearness That is in comparison of what they are to the purblinde world and in comparison of what they themselves once saw They come to see the glory and the beauty and the reality of the wonderful things of God Wee have seen his glory saith the Apostle Joh. 1. The kindness of God our Saviour appeared But we all with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor 3.18 Out of Zion hath hee appeared in perfect beauty It 's Prophesied Isa 53. of the unbeleeving world that when they should see Christ they should see no beauty in him Strange though hee were all beauty yet they should see him and yet see no beauty That is they shall see him and yet not see him They see not wood for trees What is thy Beloved more than other beloveds VVhat is Christ more than an ordinary man VVhat is the Gospel more than an ordinary Story VVhat is the Spirit What is Truth VVhat is there in this Faith and Love in this Holiness and Righteousness in this Peace of Conscience and Joy of the Holy Ghost VVhat substance is there in them VVhere 's the Glory and wherein is the Excellency of them Which way came the Spirit of the Lord from mee to thee Thou shalt know in that day when thou shalt call to the Mountains to fall on thee and the Rocks to hide thee from the face of God and the Lamb. Wee know whom wee have beleeved Wee know that wee know him Wee speak that which wee know and testify what wee have seen Wee have an Vnction from the Holy one wee know all things God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God Now wee have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God VVee have a clear and certain sight VVee do not see men as Trees walking with our eyes half open wee see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth in its naked lustre and evidence This wee have seen and do testify neither deceiving nor being deceived VVee thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes And as they see Truth and Holiness and Goodness in their wonderful Glory and Beauty so also Folly and Falshood and Sin in its wonderful uglâ—ness and deformiâ—y Sin appears to bee sin to them Rom. 7. Folly to bee folly falshood to bee falshood they see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth Holiness as Holiness and they see beasts as beasts fools as fools sin as sin devils as devils hell as hell They see all things as they are temptations as they are delusions as they are they see what 's under them the hook under the bait the sting in the Locust's tail the warre in the Devils heart carried on under his fawning face Wee are not ignorant of his Devices Sinners cease your wondring at the Saints let them bee no longer for signs and for wonders in Israel cease your wondring at the Saints come and wonder with them Wonder not that they say not as you live not as you run not with you after the same follies and vanities Oh! if ye once come to see what they see you will bee a wonder to your selves Mock not at their blessedness Blessed are their eyes for they see The blinde envy but do not disdain the seeing Say not these men are in a dream or drunken or mad take heed blaspheme not the Holy Spirit call not his light darkneâ—s put not your darkness for light Would you know when these men testifie what they have seen and heard whether they are sober or beside themselves Come and see I say not stand and see you cannot see at that distance you stand come near come in and you shall see see your blindness first if ever you will see the light Oh! bewail your darkness and seek light seek and you shall see it Son of David have Mercy on mee Why what wilt thou man Lord that I may receive my sight Shall that bee thy cry O pitty thy blinde soul O pray
for eyes They that see pitty the blinde Wee have a little Sister that hath no breasts wee have a poor Brother yea a world of them that have no eyes What shall we do for our poor brethren in the day that they shall bee spoken for Oh! bee eyes to thy blinde bee a light to thy dark souls let them that dwell in darkness see thy great light Sinners those whom you persecute do thus pitty do thus pray for you Lord that their eyes might bee opened will you say Amen to their prayers or will you say Lord regard not their word wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Christians bee marvels You that have seen marvellous things bee marvellous persons set the world a wondring for some thing Let your light shine let the light which hath shined into your hearts shine forth in all your paths let the Spirit of Light within you bee a Spirit of Glory resting upon you Once you were darkness but now are yee light in the Lord Walk as Children of the light Bee yee holy harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation amongst whom yee shine as lights in the World Beclouded Christian thou goest on bemoaning and bewailing thy self complaining that thou art still blinde the light hath shined into thy darkness but thy darkness comprehendeth it not thine eye is yet but tender at least and thou canst see but little but little of Christ the Sun is but as a sparke to thee but little of sin that Mountain looks yet but as a Mole hill It is neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day thou hopeedst that long e're this thy scales would have fallen off the vail would have been removed but they abide upon thee thou waitest for light but behold obscurity for brightness but thou walkest in darkness thou goest on adding darkness to darkness the darkness of sorrow to the dimness of sight Thou fearest that the Gospel is hid from thee thou doubtest 't is still night because 't is not yet noon with thee But hearken as little as thou seest of Christ doest thou see so much that thou prizest and lovest and cleavest to him above all as little as thou seest of sin doest thou see so much that thou loathest and shunnest it above all things doest thou walke in that little light thou hast dost thou love long wait cry for the light Send forth thy light and thy truth lift up the light of thy countenance Sun of Righteousness shine upon mee why are the wheels of thy Chariots so long a coming when Lord Make haste my Beloved O might I once see thy face as the Sun looking over the Mountains Is this thy voice are these the breathings of thy soul Bee of good comfort these are the glimmerings and groanings of that Holy Spirit within thee which hath already delivered thee from darkness and will bring thee forth into his marvellous light thou shalt know if thou follow on to know the Lord. Arise shine thy light is come the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Though yet as to thy sense it bee neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day in the evening there shall bee light 2 As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification hee is given as an Holy Spirit and as a Sanctifying Spirit therefore Sanctification is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 he comes to change us into his own nature to make us partakers of his holiness hee is a Refiner's fire and Fullers sope Mal. 3.2 to purge and work and wash off the filth and corruption of our natures What it is said hee shall bee to the Church Isa 4.4 A Spirit of Judgement and a Spirit of Burning to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion and to purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof a Spirit of Judgement that is in the Rulers of Israel stirring them up to do Justice and execute Judgement that so the guilt of blood may bee taken away Isa 32.15,16 and a Spirit of Burning that is in the hearts of the people of Israel to consume and destroying the inward lusts of their hearts that no more such wickedness bee committed amongst them This hee is to every Saint A Spirit of Judgement to give Sentence against their Lusts to condemn them to the fire these must bee cast out to the fire with them away with them get yee hence yee Sons of the Bond-woman you may not bee Heirs with the Sons of the Free-woman The Spirit of the Lord first discovers and convinces of sin judges betwixt light and darkness grace and sin and then gives sentence away with these Lusts they may not bee suffered to live A Spirit of Burning to execute the sentence to consume them in the fire The Spirit of Sanctification is a spirit of Mortification Rom. 8.13 If yee through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body It is the Spirit that kills the Flesh profiteth nothing The Spirit implants the Soul into Christ gives it an Interest in his death brings it under the influence of his death Christus crucifixus est Christus crucifigens 'T is the death of Christ that is the death of sin these Theeves are Crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Our old man is Crucified with Christ that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should no longer serve sin Hell knew not what they did when they Crucified Christ Death with all its Armies were put to death with him The Spirit raises up another party in the soul a party against a party an army against an army brings Grace in to take up arms against sin Grace doth not onely fight against sinne but is in the very nature of it the death of sinne as the Generation of a new is the Corruption of the old form Humility is pride dead meekness is sinful passion and frowardnesse dead patience is impatience slain The Spirit excites and stirs up the soul against sin sets it a praying against it the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Supplication fetches down Hail-stones and Thunder bolts from Heaven to destroy these Amorites sets a watch against it presses the soul to deal wisely with it to keep it low by cutting off all provision from the flesh restraining and keeping it short of all those fleshly objects which would keep it in heart and so it 's starved to death It is true our greatest wisdome watchfulness abstinence self-denial and all external means alone will fall short of killing one lust it is the Spirit that killeth without it the flesh profiteth nothing all external attempts for the mortification of the flesh are but a fleshly mortification but if yee through the Spirit do mortifie pray in the Spirit watch in the Spirit curbe and keep short and keep under this body still taking in the assistance of the Spirit then it shall dye Christian thou livest in a weary Land and thou hast but a weary
mine and shew it unto you As much as you have in the world to afflict and amaze you as little as you have of your own to comfort you either in your hearts or in your houses or among your friends hee shall shew what I have for you to refresh you O Christians a sight of Christ in our sorrows in our fears in our thickest darkness what day-light would it bring in When thou lookest into thine heart and art astonished and confounded at what thou findest there at the blindness and the hardness the poverty and the emptiness the guilt and the guile the pride and the peevishness the evil thoughts the vile affections the filthy lusts that are swarming and working in thee when thou lookest into the world and tremblest at what thou beholdest there the malice the craft the power that is engaged against thee the furious spirits the fiery tongues the fierce looks the violent hands that are flying upon thee and the little relief the earth will afford thee when thy heart faints and dies within thee at the sense of this thy woeful and forlorn state A sight of what thou hast in thy Lord presented to thee by his Spirit look thee here soul what thy Jesus hath sent thee down a glance from his eye a drop from his heart a messe from his table and all to tell thee yet I do not forget thee behold the care I take of thee the treasures I have for thee to encourage thy love and reward thy faithfulness Oh! how will this make all thy darkness to depart and turn the shadow of death into the morning Thus is the Holy Spirit given to the Saints to bee the light of their eyes the death of their sins the guide of their waies the stay of their hearts to up-hold their grace and to maintain their peace to subdue their enemies or their fears to secure them from temptations or succour them when tempted to wipe off their reproach or make it their crown to heal their diseases or make them their cure to help their infirmities to work their works to make their yoke easie and their burthens light to turn their sighs into songs to form their groans into prayers to send them up to their Lord and bring down their returns to comfort their hearts to establish strengthen settle them that they be neither offended at the chain nor moved from the hope of the Gospel CHAP. IV. The Earth in the Covenant 4. GOd hath put the earth into the Covenant Though the Saints have not their reward in this life their portion in this world yet this world also is theirs Mat. 5.5 The meek shall inherit the earth 1 Cor 3.22 Things present and things to come all are yours 1. The good things present 2. The evil things present 1. The good things present Mark 10.30 Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands now in this time Prov. 3.16 Length of daies are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Houses and Lands and Riches and Honours where are they who are the poor of this World the houseless harbourless and friendless who have wo and want and shame and sorrow who are Strangers and Pilgrims dwelling in tents driven into corners into dens and caves hunted up and down upon the mountains of the earth to whom is hunger and thirst cold and nakedness but to the meek of the earth Is this to inherit the earth All theirs when nothing theirs yet they do inherit the earth For 1. They shall ever have as much as will suffice them and that 's as much as all They shall not want any thing but what they may want Your Father knoweth that you have need of these things and he knows how much they need More than needs is more then enough and more then enough is a prejudice Many men have too much too much money too much esteem too many friends more than they can bear so much as to sink them and drown them in perdition and destruction Christians shall have enough they shall never be in such a needy state but whatever is necessary for them in all the earth they shall have it The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and he hath said That those that seek him shall not want any thing that is good Psal 34.10 if the whole world can supply them out of all its store they shall be supply'd 2. What they have they have a better and farther title to then any others in the world Though the dominion be not founded in grace yet by grace it is established What they have descends upon them not barely by providence but by promise Heb. 1.2 Christ is heir of all things and they are fellow-heirs with Christ A little coming from the promise hath more in it than the greatest abundance that 's only handed down by common providence that which comes in from the promise comes in with a blessing if thou hast but an handful thou hast a blessing in thy hand if thou hast but a corner thou hast a blessing in thy corner A little from love is a great blessing Thou hast God in every morsel thou eatest and in every drop that thou drinkest a drop from heaven will turn thy bran into the finest flower and thy Water into Wine O what serene and quiet lives how void of care distracting care might the Saints live in the world what are the burthens that do gall our backs what are the briars that tear our flesh what are the thorns that pierce through our hearts ordinarily but the cares of this life what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewith shall I be clothed where shall I dwell how little have I for to day what for to morrow what for hereafter how shall I secure what I have when this is gone whence shall I be supplyed thus do we go on piercing our selves through with many sorrows Our cares for supply eat up what we have our thoughts cut deeper than our wants we cannot at so cheap a rate fear as we often bear the want of all things And why take ye thought the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and he hath said All this is yours you shall want nothing You have not only your Deus providebit providence to live upon you have also your Deus promisit the promise before you and this hath all things in it all is yours What for to morrow what for hereafter why what saith the promise Thou shalt want nothing neither thou nor thine Never saw I the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread Hast thou two worlds made sure to thee and canst thou want thou mayst as well whine and make a pittiful cry at a full table Oh where shall I have my next morsel as under such a full promise Oh where shall I have my next meal O how much beneath the spirit of Christianity are the carking anxious lives of too many
Lord hath rebounded on his own head Though hee be as Gad a serpent in the way yet you may now tread upon this serpent and it shall not hurt you The strong man is now bound if hee be a god still hee 's a God in chains a prince in fetters he must ask leave of your father ere he can touch one hair of your heads Hee cannot tempt you nor cast a bank against you nor shoot an arrow at you without a commission from heaven The devils are subject to you He is cast out and in your Lords name you may cast him out In my name shall ye cast out devils out of possessed bodies out of possessed souls you may be instruments to bring many a soul to repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are held captive by him at his will Every sinner that is converted by you you have cast out a devil out of that soul Though he be an adversary still yet such an adversary as may be resisted whom resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 And if you will resist hee shall flee from you James 4.17 Stand and your enemy runs Nay more hee is not only a conquer'd enemy but made your servant This viper shall yield you medicine against his own poyson His smitings shall be an excellent oyl his messengers he sends to buffet you his thorns he sticks in your flesh shall be a prevention of greater evils The very destruction he intends to bring upon you shall promote your salvation 1 Cor. 5.5 Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Behold the devil is the Churches servant and such a servant as in their present state they cannot well want The executioner of their censures A Common-wealth may as well want a Jaylour or an Hang-man as the Church a Devil Behold Sathan divided against Sathan the devil without against the devil within the destroyer of souls become the destroyer of sin Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh Though much against his mind his hand is against his own party Hee 's made to kill his own friends which otherwise would kill the soul Whether he will or no the very tormentour is made a saviour that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christians as much as you feel of the devils malice you could ill want his service there 's many a soul lost and undone by a sleeping that might have been recovered and rouzed by a raging devil His winds shall blow off your chaff his floods shall wash away your filth his earth-quakes shall open your prison-doors his tempests shall drive you to harbour Some men want a tempest to save them from a wrack Nay once more he is not low enough yet he shall be yet brought lower You have assurance of his total and final overthrow Rom. 16.20 The god of peace shall tread Sathan under your feet shortly Rev. 20.10 The devil shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone 'T is but a little while and when he hath done his work he shall be sent to his place where he shall be shut up and a seal set upon him whence he shall come out no more for ever He shall tempt no more vex no more deceive no more destroy no more torment you no more he shall be thrust out he shall be chain'd up the tormentour shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Stand Christians stand your ground a little while follow your work hold up your holy profession hold on your holy course keep your hearts keep your garments keep on your armour keep under corruption resist temptation bear your affliction hold out faith and patience fight against your adversaries watch with your Lord this one hour and behold hee that shall come will come he cometh quickly and hee that is in the world shall bee consumed with the breath of his mouth and destroyed with the brightness of his appearing Hee shall bee cast out hee shall bee cast down and rise no more for ever CHAP. VII Death in the Covenant 7. GOd hath put Death into the Covenant 1 Cor. 3.21 Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or DEATH all are yours Death there is a great purchase you 'l say what advantage is that yes death is advantage To dye is gain For 1. The Commission of Death is changed 'T was once take him Jaylour away with him carry him down to Prison with him there to bee reserved to the Judgement of the great day It is now take him Janitour take him Porter take him in give him an entrance into his Master's joy Death doth but take the Bride when shee is ready and lodges her in the Chamber of the Bride-groom this made death the Apostles desire Philip. 1.23 I desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is far better 2. Death is conquered What does this mean Your enemie is yours other than this your enemy is conquered to you a conquered enemy is made a Tributary death is dis-armed it hath lost its sting when a Serpent hath lost its sting you may take it into your bosome Hee that can say Death where is thy sting may go on and add Thankes bee to God which hath given me the victory A Signet sent from Heaven with a Death's head is a precious token Come Christians bee of good courage set your feet on the neck of this King of terrours 3. Death is at once The destruction of all their enemies when once death hath done its office upon them then farewel Edom and Ammon and Amaleck and Aegypt fare-well the pricking bryer and the grieving thorne then farewel sin and sorrow for ever the Egyptians they have seen and fear'd and felt to day they shall never see again for ever It destroys it self their last enemy by destroying them it hath its welcome and farewell the same moment it is but welcome death and farewel death for ever Death dies with them once dead they dye no more for ever mortality is swallowed up of life death is cast into the lake of fire that is its Region there there they die and dye and dye again over and over for ever and ever but for the Saints it doth but set them on the banks of that good Land whether it cannot follow them our Lord by death by ours as well as his own hath delivered those who for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Christians you may now not onely with patience but with desire expect the assault of this King of terrours What shall tribulation and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword shall sorrows and fears and mortality dye with mee yea shall sin dye with mee then welcome death Lord strengthen me this once let mee dye with the Philistines Would it bee good for
the nostrils feel and smell So knowledge is involved in every grace Faith knows and believes Charity knows and loves temperance knows and abstains patience knows and suffers humility knows and stoops repentance knows and mourns obedience knows and does compassion knows and pitties hope knows and expects confidence knows and rejoyces And therefore wee believe and love and obey and hope and rejoyce because we know God gives us this knowledge as the eye of our souls and by that eye hee enters with all his power and Glory Ephes 3.19 That ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and bee filled with all the fulness of God Day-light is not that light wee receive by reflection from the Moon and Stars at second hand when the Sun is risen and come in among us then it is day When the Sun of Righteousness is risen in the heart there 's the light of life God is and God dwells in this light and where God dwells every unclean thing vanishes can Darkness dwell with the Sun can Death dwell with Life according to the measure of the manifestation of God in us so far forth is sin necessarily vanished Thou art but the carkasse of a Christian the light that is in thee is darkness the life that is in thee is death if thou bee not in the whole man renewed after the Image of him that Created thee If Christ bee not formed in thy heart if the Love the humility the meeknesse the patience the compassion the holiness of the Lord Jesus be not begotten in thee whatever thou knowest thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know if thou hast all knowledge and hast not charity and so if thou hast all knowledge and hast not humility meekness holiness thou art nothing thou art but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cimbal Doubting Christian that complainest of and bewailest thine ignorance and fearest that thou knowest not God look upwards where his Glory dwells lift up thine eyes and see or if thou canst not see lift up thy heart for eyes Lord where dwellest thou let mee see thy Face shew mee thy Glory pitty thy blinde let the eyes of this blinde bee opened and the tongue of this dumb shall bee loosed and speak forth thy praise Look upward and if yet thou seest not thy God look inward canst thou see his Face in thy soul canst thou see his Image on thy heart canst thou behold in this Glasse the Glory of the Lord and finde thy self changed into his Image Comfort thine heart how short sighted soever thou seemest to bee how dimme soever thy Candle burns how weak soever in the Knowledge of God thou complainest thou art thou hast seen God thou hast seen his Face in peace God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into thine heart and given thee the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ 2. A Fructifying Power this Sun-shine makes a fruitful soil Colos 1.9,10 my desire for you saith the Apostle is that you may bee filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdome and Spiritual understanding That yee might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful unto every good work and encreasing in the Knowledge of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious Power unto all Patience and long suffering with joyfulness and Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the Glory and praise of God Full of Light and full of Love of Faith of Patience of Humility and fruitful in every good work Mat. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things A good man hath a good treasure within him a treasure of Heavenly Wisdome of Divine Truth a treasure of Light God hath shined into his heart Hee 's filled with all the fulness of God And what is laid up within hee brings forth without An evil man hath an evil treasure Satan hath been filling his heart Act. 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thine heart the treasures of darkness are there a treasure of lust and lies Falshood and folly are found with him these treasures of darkness within bring forth darkness dark souls lead dark lives their way is dark their deeds are darkness O how fruitful are sinners in their unfruitful works filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickednesse covetousness maliciousnesse envy murther debate deceit malignity c. Rom. 1.29,30 Their hearts are full and thereupon their mouths full their eyes full their hands full mouths full of cursing eyes full of adultery hands full of violence filled with all unrighteousness O Generation of Vipers how can yee being evil having such hearts speak good things all is evil that comes from you and how can it bee otherwise Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks And in like manner O Generation of Believers How can yee being good but bring forth good things Or how can you say or think there is a treasure of Grace a fountain of light within when no streams spring forth Penury in the life speaks no great plenty in the heart the Truths of God within you are the Seed of God the good seed that hee sows in his fields where there 's good seed sown in good ground you will expect a fruitful Harvest a barren crop speaks a barren soil or no good seed sown there 1 John 2.3 Hereby we do know that wee know him if wee keep his Commandements We know God but are you sure of it are you not mistaken No wee are not mistaken wee know that wee know him But how do you know it Why how are trees known By their fruits ye shall know them How do yee know that this is indeed the Tree of Knowledge Why see what fruits are hanging upon it wee keep the Commandements Here 's Obedience growing here 's Holiness and Righteousness and Mercy Doubtless this is the right Tree for behold all the Commandements the two Tables hanging upon the boughs of it and not broken but kept and observed Wee may as well say Obedience is no Obedience Duty is no Duty Faith and Love and Humility and Patience are not what they are as that the Tree that brings forth this fruit is not the Tree of Knowledge Wee know that wee know him because wee keep his Commandements Yea and the Tree of Life too both in one a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her Prov. 3.18 Where these fruits are not found where are nothing but shews and sounds painted fruits where are nothing but the fruits of unrighteousness contention strife covetousness sensuality and the like he 's very ignorant indeed that is not able to say what ever I am ignorant of this one thing I know that I know not God Christian boast not of what thou hast but consider what thou doest try thy head by thine heart and thy
't is a nicety 't is but a punctilio 't is meere folly and preciseness and there will bee no end of standing upon such small matters see to it 't is thy duty beware thou neglect it not the baulking of the least duty is the neglecting of the great God of Glory 2. In giving warning of Sin Take heed to thy self sin lyes at the door thou art under a temptation the Devil is entring upon thee do not say 't is but a little sin as little as 't is there 's Death and Hell in the bowels of it look to it 't is sin have thou nothing to do with it keep thy self pure and though it run upon thee shake it off 3. After commission it gives check for it reproving judging and lashing the soul for it where hast thou been Gehazi say not thou hast been no where went not this heart with thee and saw thee running out after thy covetousnesse gadding after thy pleasures feeding thy pride dandling thy lusts playing the Hypocrite playing the Harlot from thy God pampring thy flesh pleasing thine appetite and where hast thou been What hast thou done soul think not to excuse or mince the matter it cannot be excused thou hast sinned against thy God and now bear thy shame This is our heart smiting of us 2 Sam. 24. Our hearts condemning of us 1 John 3.20 If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 2. Tendernesse of the Will that stands in its flexiblenesse and pliableness unto the Will of God And this is that tenderness wherein chiefly stands the blessing of a soft heart an hard heart is stubborn and obstinate thy neck is as an Iron sinew and thy brow Brasse Thou wilt not bee rul'd there 's no bending thee or turning thee out of thy course thy Iron is too hard for the fire it will not bee melted and for the Hammer it will not bee broken there 's no dealing with thee thou art an untractable piece thou wilt go neither led nor driven thine heart is set in thee to do evil thy will is set upon sin and thou art set upon thine own will The word which thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord wee will not do but wee will do whatever proceeds out of our own mouth Jer. 44.16,17 Wee will do what we will do who is Lord over us Psal 12. and Jer. 2.25 Thou saidst there is no hope no for wee have loved strangers and after them we will go come what will of it say what thou wilt against it Be silent Scriptures hold thy peace Conscience 't is to no purpose to speak more there is no hope of prevailing wee are at a point wee will take our own course These are hard hearts stubborn obstinate hearts When the Iron sinew is broken when the rebellion and stubbornnesse of the Spirit is subdued and tamed and made gentle and pliable then it becomes a tender heart There may bee some tenderness in the Conscience and yet the will bee a very stone and as long as the will stands out there is no broken heart Conscience may bee scared and frighted Conscience may fly upon the Sinner what dost thou mean soul whither are thy rebellions carrying thee look to thy self hearken or thou wilt bee lost e're thou art aware But however God hath gotten conscience on his side yet the Devil still rides the Will and there sin takes up its rest There 's a double resting of sin in the soul In Peace In Power 1. In Peace when it dwells and rules in the soul without disturbance or contradiction when it carries all smoothly before it when God lets it alone and conscience speaks not a word against it When notwithstanding those Armies of lusts fighting against the soul there 's not so much as one weapon lift up against them not a prayer nor a tear nor a wish for freedome nor the least fear concerning the issue this is the most dreadful hardness 2. In Power When though it can have no Peace yet it hath still a Place in the heart Though it can have no quiet but conscience is still quarrelling with it and warning it away yet it still holds its power over the Will the Master of the house is content to bee its Servant O how many persons are there even amongst the Professors of Religion who cannot sin in quiet they are proud or passionate or intemperate or covetous or false in their words in their dealings they are formal and hypocritical and slight in their duties but they cannot go out with it with any quiet Conscience smites them for it they feel many a pang and deadly twinge in their heart insomuch that sometimes they cry and groan and roar in their spirits O for redemption O for deliverance from this false this proud this covetous and wicked heart and yet after all this the Will remains a captive still Sin holds its power there though it cannot carry it on in peace though it cannot bee proud or play the Hypocrite or be covetous or an oppressour without some galls and gripes in the soul yet on it goes the same trade is kept up the same course is held on God commands cast yee out cast yee out come off from all your wickednesse and evil waies and I will receive you No though Conscience would the Will cannot come whatever rendings and tearings whatever terrours and torments and worryings such souls are at any time under whatever stings and plagues and fires they find their sins to be in their souls and bones what-ever wishings and wouldings they wring forth that they were well rid of these plagues whilest the will is still for them there 's an hard heart damnably hard there 's none of this heart of flesh When the will is once broken loose from sin when it will be content to let all go and give up its self to the dominion of the Lord there 's a broken heart Now speak Lord and I will hear Now call Lord and I will answer Now command me impose on mee what thou wilt I will submit None but the Lord none but Christ no other Lord nor lover I am thine Lord thine own do with thine own demand of thine own what-ever thou pleasest What God will have mee bee vvhat God vvill have mee do that vvill I do and bee No longer vvhat I vvill but the Will of the Lord bee done When 't is come to this there 's a tender heart there 's the blessing of a broken spirit the stone hee hath taken away hee hath given an heart of flesh Christians never trust to tears never talk of terrours trouble of conscience of the passionate workings and meltings which at any time you feel upon your spirits though there be something in these as you shall see more by and by yet these are not the things you are to look at A subdued tractable willing obedient heart that 's the tender heart Isa 1.19 If yee
bee willing and obedient yee shall eat the good of the Land but if yee refuse and rebel yee shall bee slain with the sword the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it 3. Tenderness of the affections I shall instance onely in three viz. Love Fear Sorrow The tenderness of love is seen in its Benevolence Jealousie 1. In its benevolence Our goodness extends not to the Lord but our good will does Our love can add nothing to him can a man bee profitable to God Job 22. If thou bee righteous what givest thou to him chap. 35.7 Yet though it can adde nothing it would not that any thing be detracted from him whilest hee can have no more it would that hee should have his own all that is due his due praise his due honour and homage and worship and subjection from every creature it would have no abatement not the least spot or stain upon all his glory What 's an affront to God is an offence to love Love beareth all things saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. all things from God all things from men And yet there are two things the love of God cannot bear his dishonour his displeasure 1. His dishonour Love would have God to bee God to live in the glory of his Majesty in the hearts and eyes of all the world His reproach is grievous to him that loves for this is the cloud that takes God out of sight Hee loves and honours and would that God should bee loved and honoured of all hee fears and would that the whole world should fear him Hee would receive in his own breast every arrow that 's shot against his maker hee would that his own name and soul might stand betwixt his God and all reproach and dishonour Hee would bee vile so the Lord may bee glorious so God may increase he 's content to decrease Hee 's not so tender of his own heart and bowels as of the holiness of his God Hee would suffer and die and bee nothing rather than that God should not bee all in all Hee would rather never think nor speak nor bee rather then not bee in word and thought and life holiness to the Lord. But O what or where would hee bee rather than his own hand should bee lift up against him To see the Lord robb'd of his holiness wrong'd in his wisdome or his truth or his soveraignty to see sin that devil to see the world that Idol set up in the throne and the God of glory made to stand aside as insignificant to hear that blasphemy God is not worth this lust or not worthy this labour and what is said less in every sin is a sword in his breast The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon mee Love hath tasted of God it hath fed on his fulness it hath its nourishment from his sweetness it hath been warmed in his bosom all his goodness hath passed before it upon this it lives and feeds and having found and felt what the Lord is its impatient that all this goodness should be clouded or belyed Love kindled from heaven is keen and the keen is a tender edge the least touch of what offends will turn it Lam. 1.20 I am in distress my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within mee for I have grievously rebelled Psal 42.3 My tears have been my meat continually while they daily say unto me where is thy God! Where is that care and help and that salvation of thy God thou trustedst in thy God is not such an one as thou boastedst him to bee when I remember when I hear such things my soul is poured out within mee Love is large hee that loves hath a large heart hee can never receive or do too much hee would have all hee can and he would give all hee hath to the Lord. Hee 's tender how any thing bee withheld that is due how any thing bee wasted elsewhere that might bee useful to the Lord. 2. His displeasure The displeasure of men it bears and rejoyces the wrath and rage of Sathan it bears and triumphs though all the world and hell to boot bee displeased and provoked so God smiles 't is well enough Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon mee and mine heart is glad Psal 4. Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30.7 Let him correct mee but O not in fury let him smite but not frown let him kill mee so hee will but love mee And though hee smite though hee kill mee yet will I love and trust in him O my God let mee rather die in thy love then live in thy displeasure there 's life in that death this life is death to me Let mee not be dead whilest alive turn away thine anger which kills my heart It is impatient of divine displeasure and thence 't is grievous to it that it does displease thence it quarrels with sin and falls so foul with it self for it Is this thy kindness to thy friend lovest thou God soul what and yet provokest him thus daily love and yet neglect to seek and follow thy God love and yet so lame and so slow and so heavy and so sparing in thy services to him Is this all thy love will do not deny thine ease or thy pleasure or thy liberty or thine appetite or thy companion for the sake of the Lord chuse rather to pleasure thy friend or thy flesh than to please God Is this thy love Is this thy kindness to thy friend O false heart O unworthy unworthy spirit how canst thou look thy God in the face how canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is no more with him 2. In its Jealousie Hee that loves the Lord is jealous and Jealousie hath a tender edge hee is Jealous not of but for the Lord not of his God but of himself least any thing should steal away his heart from God Love would bee chaste would not bestow it self elsewhere and yet is in great Jealousie it may bee enticed and drawn away Hee that loves the Lord there is not any thing whether Wife or Childe or Friend or Estate or Esteem that gets near his heart but hee 's jealous of them least they steal it away Get you down keep you lower this heart is neither yours nor mine O my God 't is thine 't is thine Lord take it wholly to thee keep it to thy self let no other Lovers bee sharers with thee 2. There 's a tenderness of fear The tender heart is a trembling heart the tenderness of fear is manifested in its Suspition Caution 1. In its Suspition the fearful are suspitious they look farther then they see hee that is in dread will bee in doubt what may befall him hee suspects a surprizal every bush is a theef every bait he doubts may have an hook under There is a foolish and a causeless fear and there is a prudent and an holy fear this fear is a principle of wisdome Psal 111.10
the Lord He that did this what can he not do His wrath is a dread Jer. 10.10 At his wrath the earth shall tremble and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Yea his Holiness his Truth his Righteousness and all his Name Deut 28.58 That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearfull Name the Lord thy God The Lord God is a dreadful God 2. The Lord God hath put the dread of himself upon the hearts of all the earth Not the best onely but the worst of the sons of men I am a great King saith the Lord and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen This dread of the Lord breaks forth upon them 1. From the impress of God upon the natures of all men As the Law so the being of God is written in their hearts he hath his witness in their Consciences If the Atheists of the Earth could answer all the Arguments from without proving that there is a God yet they can never confute their own Consciences If the works of God do not their Reins shall instruct them If they will not see whether they will or no they shall feel that there is a God and where ever God is felt he is feared Even when their mouth speaketh proud things their heart shall meditate terror and when nothing else is they shall be a terror to themselves 2. It is increased by the great works of God his Wonders that he doth in the world his Thunder and his Hail his Wind and his Waves and his Earth-quakes make an Earth-quake in hearts 3. It s further heightned by his Judgments which he executeth on the Earth The Judgements of God are God revealing himself from Heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and do then strike most terror 1. When he smites suddenly and makes quick work with sinners as when Herod was smote by an Angel of God Nadab and Abihu consumed by fire from God immediately upon their sin Sudden strokes shake secure hearts 2. When he executes strange judgments makes a new thing as in the case of Korah and his company he made the Earth to open her mouth upon them and swallow them up so he made the flies and the froggs and the lice c. to be the Executioners of his Wrath on Pharaoh 3. When he executes great Wrath for little Sins as men account them as in the case of Uzzah whom he struck dead for but touching the Ark when it shook 4. When he exercises great severity on his own on those that are near him If he spareth not his Sons what will he do with his Enemies If these things be done on the green Tree what shall be done on the dry 4. Yet further By their Conscience of guilt and their binding over to the judgment to come The sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the tables of their heart The sin of Judah is written yea and the sin of the Gentile also Rom. 2.15 Their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing And where their sin is written there their judgment is written which even nature it self will teach doth inevitably follow upon sin and this is the great dread that is upon them The very mention of judgment to come made a Felix tremble at the face of a poor Prisoner This is the terror of the Lord mentioned by the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10,11 We must all appear before the Judgment-seat Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men Death is said to be the King of terrors and this is the terror of death after that the judgment All these the impress of God upon their hearts the wonders of God in the worâ—d the vengeance of God executed on sin the sence of guiâ—t and of a judgment to come do preach to the Consciences of sinners that It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God 3. Yet by sin the heart of man is much hardned from the fear of the Lord. Sin blinds the eye and hardens the heart brings into danger and puts out of fear Who in such danger and yet who so bold as the blind sinner When the understanding is darkned the next word we read is Past feeling Eph. 4.19 There is included in the very nature of sin a slighting of God and by once slighting we learn to slight him more Slight the Command and you will quickly slight the Curse Laugh at duty and 't will not be long ere you laugh at tear And when sin hath thus hardned God will also harden le ts the sinner alone suspends his judgments smites the sinner with judicial blindness and gives him up to a Reprobate mind Rom. 1.28 And when once they come to this then Hell is broke loose For what follows ver 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness covetousness malitiousness and what not Psal 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart there is no fear of God before his eyes Gen 20 When Abraham had such a thought Surely the fear of God is not in this place what thought he was there then Murther Adultery Rapes all manner of villany What sawest thou amongst us that thou hast done this thing What hurt what evill didst thou see among us What evill Evill enough to make me afraid I thought the fear of God was not here and there needs no more to make me afraid Say of any Person The fear of God is not in this man and you therein say The Devil is in him here dwels sin and all manner of wickedness Say of any place The fear of God is not in this place and if you find it an Egypt or Sodom for abominations you will not wonder Psal 19.9 The fear of the Lord is clean That is not only Formaliter but Effectivè it cleanseth Where this is not every unclean thing may dwell The reason why this world is such a world as 't is such a wicked world such a treacherous deceitful ungodly world why there is so little Faith or Truth or Mercy or Charity or Sobriety is because there is so little of the fear of God Sin hath cast out fear and this hath brought forth sin in abundance The Law is nothing Threatnings are nothing Conscience is nothing God is nothing to men because he is not their fear Wickedness is as righteousness villany as honesty prodigality debauchery as temperance and sobriety yea and hath gotten the start of it it faceth the Sun it lifts up the head it wears the Garland it paints it self Vertue Generosity Gallantry the beauty and ornament of the World where the fear of God is departed God may promise threaten command Hearken to my voice turn at my reproofs cast away your transgressions Awake from your wine be chaste sober be humble let your merriment be turned into mourning your jollity into heaviness Remember your Creator remember your souls why
the latter dayes But how can goodness be the Object of fear We fear evill and not good The meaning is they shall fear to wrong or abuse goodness They shall fear to wrong the Lord because he is good in the latter dayes These latter dayes that this Promise refers to shall be dayes of more grace wherein there shall be not onely a more clear revelation of the goodness of God they shall know the Lord and his goodness But a more plentifull communication and diffusion of the goodness of God they shall love the Lord and his goodness They shall see themselves both more obliged by goodness and shall feel themselves more seasoned with goodness By grace they shall be better natured Religion doth not make morose but more generous free and ingenuous There 's nothing more abhorrent to an ingenuous spirit then to be base and unworthy Abuse of goodness is an unworthiness which an ingenuous nature abhors as death to be guilty of 't is its destruction 't is disingenuity The abuse of the goodness of God is great unthankfulness and unthankfulness is great disingenuity Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris Call me unthankfull and you call me all that 's naught Call me any thing else but unthankfull Indeed were I all thanks I should still be unthankfull I should still be behind-hand with the goodness of the Lord my debt is greater then I can pay yea greater then I can acknowledge but shall I return evil for his good If I cannot pay should I deny my Debt He that is unthankfull whatever God requires of him saies wickedly this is more then I owe thee God I owe thee nothing I care not for thee Oh this is dreadfull to a gratious heart If this be in sin for all sin is unthankfulness if this be in sin if this be the signification of all my neglects of God and my duty to him then the Lord forbid what ever I suffer that I should yeeld to sin How shall I do this wickedness How shall I neglect this duty and sin against God How should I look my God or my own soul in the face should I be so unworthy For thy sake Lord let me not sin against thee thou art good thou art kind thou art gracious thou art holy O let me not be a Devil what heart where a Devill is not but such goodness will charm it into love Shall I sin Shall I rebell For thy sake Lord I will not do it I will not for mine own sake for where then shall I appear In sinning against God I sin against mine own soul I dare not for my life sin and Death sin and Hell are link'd together but were it not so might I sin and escape sin and not die yet for thy sake Lord I will not do it Thou art good good in thy self good to me thou att my God thou art my Father love care tenderness compassion kindness is all that is in thine heart towards me what I am what I have what I hope for that I breathe that I live all is thy goodness thy bounty to me Oh let me not rise up against the Womb that bare me and the Paps that give me suck I would not to my childe to my servant to my friend but Oh let me never to my Father to my God return evill for good and hatred for his good will Let not this evill which I fear ever come upon me put thy fear into mine heart O Lord that I may not sin against thee CHAP. XV. Obedience in the Covenant 7. OBedience Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Obedience is either of the Heart or of the Life In this Scripture God undertakes for both 1. For the obedience of the Heart he undertakes in the former words I will put my Spirit in your heart where the Spirit dwells be rules Where Satan dwells he rules and where the Spirit of the Lord dwells there God rules the Spirit in the heart is the Law in the heart Those two Promises I will put my Spirit in your hearts and I will write my Law in your hearts signifie the same thing The Law in the heart is the will of man melted into the will of God The Law of God may be in the mouth and the heart a Rebel its reception into the heart notes the hearts subjection to it The Obedience of the heart includes two things 1. The opening of the heart to the Word 2. The resolution of the heart for the Work of the Lord. 1. The opening of the heart to the Word What wilt thou have me to do Lord That 's the voice of an obedient heart Veniat verbum submittemus Speak Lord command Lord what wilt thou And when he speaks whatever it be the word is embraced and accepted of the heart Dan. 4.27 Let my counsel be acceptable to thee The acceptance of the word in the heart is signified by its hearkening to it To hearken is more then to hear though they sometimes note the same thing yet ordinarily hearing is of the ear hearkening of the heart Psal 81.11 Israel would not hearken my people would none of me They heard what the Lord spake but they would not hearken that is as t is there interpreted they would none of the Lord. They rejected the word of the Lord which he spake unto them When the word is let come in with Authority suffered to rule in the soul when the heart gives up it self unto it then it is accepted there 's its hearkening to it 2 The resolution of the heart for the work of the Lord Psal 110.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments I have vowed and I will perform I have covenanted and I am determined to keep thy statutes The word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not do that 's the rebellious Whatsoever the Lord shall speak we will do that 's the obedient heart Where the heart is thus resolved to obey this is that obedience which shall be accepted unto salvation Where this resolution is as there is opportunity there will be practice and where there 's not opportunity in Gods account this is it This is Praying this is Hearing this is giving and feeding and cloathing and visiting this is walking circumspectly working righteousness shewing mercy exercising Faith and Patience and Repentance this is our keeping the Commandments of God and walking in his Statutes an heart to obey is our obeying an heart to do is our doing an heart to suffer in Gods account is our suffering for his Name But here it must be carefully noted that though sincere resolution for Obedience be Obedience yet every resolution is not that resolution Resolution for Obedience is then sincere where 1. It flowes from an inward and rooted inclination 2. It 's bottomed on a
deny it g g 2 Cor. 4.17 Mark 10.29 Phil. 1.29 Things to come ours Things to come are yours the Perfecting of your souls the Redemption of your bodies the Consummation of your bliss At death in Glorification Initiate When you have glorified me for a while on Earth and finished the work I have given you to do you shal be caught up into Paradise and rest from your Labours and your works shal follow you h h Rev. 14.13 Luke 23.43 The Convoy of Angels I will send of mine own Life-guard to conduct home your departing souls i i Luk. 16.22 and receive you among the spirits of just men made perfect k k Heb. 12.23 And you shal look back upon Pharaoh and all his Host and see your enemies dead upon the Shore Redemption from all Afflictions and Corruptions Then shal be your Redemption from all your Afflictions and all your Corruptions l l Luk. â—1 28 Eph. 4 30. The thorn in the flesh taken out The thorn in the flesh shal be pulled out and the hour of temptation shal be over and the Tempter for ever out of work The sweat wiped off from our browes The sweat shal be wiped off from your browes and the day of cooling and refreshing shal come and you shal sit you down for ever under my shadow m m Acts 3.19 Heb 4.9 For the Lamb that is in the midst of the Throne shal feed you and lead you to the living Fountains of waters n n Rev. 7.17 The tears wiped away from our eyes The tears shal be wiped away from your eyes and there shal be no more sorrow nor crying neither shal there be any more pain for the former things are passed away and behold I make all things new o o Rev. 21.4,5 I will change Marah into Naomi and the cup of sorrow into the cup of salvation and the bread and water of affliction into the wine of eternal consolation p p Joh 16.20.21,22 Luk. 6.21 You shal take down your Harps from the Willows and I will turn your tears into Pearls and your penitential Psalms into songs of Deliverance You shal change your Ichabods into Hosanna's and your Ejahs of sorrow into Hallelujahs of Joy q q Rev. 19.1,4,6 The Cross taken off from our backs The cross shal be taken off from your backs you shal come out of your great Tribulations and wash your Robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb and you shal be before the Throne of God and serve him night and day in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among you and you shal hunger no more and thirst no more neither shal the sun light upon you nor any heat r r Rev. 7.14,15,16 The load taken off from our consciences The load shal be taken off from your Consciences Sins nor doubts shal no more defile you nor distress you Å¿ Å¿ Rev. 21.27 and Heb. 12.23 I will make an end of sin and knock off the Fetters of your corruptions and you shal be a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but Holy and without blemish t t Eph. 5.27 Rev. 7.9.13,14 The souls admission into the chamber of Presence and Vision of God Thus shal you be brought to the King all glorious in raiment of Needle-work and clothing of Gold with gladness and rejoycing shal you be brought and enter into the Kings Palace u u Psa 45.9,13,14,15 So shal the beloved of the Lord dwel safely by him and you shal stand continually before him and behold the beauty of the Lord. and hear his Wisdom w w 1 Cor. 13,12 Then will I open in you an everlasting spring of joy and you shal break forth into singing and never cease more nor rest day nor night saying Holy holy holy x x Rev. 4.8 Ps 16.11 Thus shal the grand Enemy expire with your breath and the body of death be put off with your dying bodie and the day of your death shall be the birth-day of your glory y y Phi. i. 23 Lu. 23.43 Have faith in God z z Mark 11.22 Wait but a little and sorrow shall cease and sin be no more At the Resurrection in Glorification consummate Redemption compleat And then a little longer and death shall be no more a a Rev. 20 14. and 21.4 but your last enemy shall be destroyed and your victory compleated b b 1 Cor. 15.26 The Return of the Redeemer Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and you also shall appear with him in glory c c Heb. 10 37. Col. 3.4 This same Jesus which is taken from you into Heaven d d Act. 1.11 shall so come as he went up into Heaven and when he cometh he will receive you to himself that where he is there you may be also e e Ioh. 14.3 Behold his sign he cometh in the clouds of Heaven with Power great Glory every eye shal see him and all the Tribes of the Earth shal mourn because of him f f Rev. 1.7 Mat. 24.30 but you shal lift up your heads because the day of your Redemption draweth nigh g g Luke 21.28 The raising of the body Then shal he sound his Trump h h 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 and make you to hear his voice in your dust i i Ioh. 5.28 and shal send his mighty Angels to gather you from the four winds of heaven k k Mat. 24.31 who shal carry you in the triumphant Chariot of the Clouds to meet your Lord l l 1 Thes 4.17 and you shal be prepared for him and presented to him as a Bride adorned for her Husband m m Rev. 2.2 And as you have borne the Image of the Earthly so shal you bear the Image of the Heavenly n n 1 Cor. 15.49 Full conformity both in body and soul to our glorified Saviour and you shal be fully conformed both in body and spirit to your glorious head o o Phil. 3.21 Heb. 12.23 Then shal he confess you before his Angels p p Rev. 3.5 Publick Approbation and Absolution and you shal receive your open Absolution before all flesh and be owned approved and applauded in the Publick audience of the general Assembly q q Mat. 10.32 and 26 32,34,35 c. Solemn Espousals And you shal be with all Royal solemnities espoused unto the King of glory in the presence of all his shining Courtiers r r Rev. 19.7,8 2 Cor. 4.14 Mat. 25.31 to the envy and gnashing and terror of your Adversaries Å¿ Å¿ Luk. 13.28 The Coâ—ovation and Enthronement of the Saints Their sitting in judgment upâ—n the World So shal your Lord with his own
Christ from henceforth unto death Thou wilt have Christ but when Shall this be the Marriage-day VVilt thou from henceforth be the Lords or when shall it be Must it be to morrow first or next moneth or next year or some time or other thou knowest not when May we not take thy promise as they did the Prophecy Ezek. 12. Is it not for many dayes to come is it not of the times that are afar off To morrow thou wilt hereafter thou wilt as good as thou hast said nothing As good thou hadst said never as not yet Speak Soul wilt give thy self to the Lord wilt presently if thou wilt how long wilt thou abide with him wilt thou not endorse on thy Deed of Gift a power of revocation wilt thou not repent not return again from Heaven to Earth wilt be chaste and play the Harlot no more wilt be faithful to the death obedient to the death Is this thy voice I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back As the Lord liveth nothing but death no not death it self shall part thee and me I am perswaded I am resolved that neither life nor death Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall separate me from the love of God or withdraw me from Jesus Christ my Lord. Now Soul gather up all this together stand thou before the Lord the God of all the Earth and this once more say Wilt thou have Jesus Christ for thy Husband dost thou choose him for thy Lord wilt thou cleave to him in love wilt thou lean upon him for righteousness and strength for righteousness to pay thy debts and for strength to pay thy vows wilt thou be subject to him thou knowest the commandments how holy how strict they be Wilt thou obey them in all things wilt exercise thy self to godliness in the strictness of it wilt be a thorow-pac'd Disciple wilt not content thy self with such a cold or lukewarm indifferency in Religion as thy lazy flesh will bear as thy credit thy safety or the temper of the times will bear wilt follow thy Lord fully Wilt thou take up thy lot with Christ be it better or worse shall his Father be thy Father his Inheritance be thy Inheritance yea and his Sufferings thy Sufferings his stripes his bonds his poverty be thine wilt thou espouse not his Crown onely but his Cross too whither ever he goes wilt thou go where he dwells wilt thou dwell wilt say where ever my Lord is there let his Servant be Wilt thou forsake all others all thy sins wilt thou be made clean wilt give up thy sores and thy ulcers thy filthy and fleshly lusts to be purged out does thine heart stand disengaged from every sin is there not any one iniquity concerning which thine heart sayes Let this stay with me wilt search out thy sins wilt accomplish a diligent search sweep every corner search every chamber of thine heart life wilt go down to the bottome of thy great deep to find out what lodges there wilt faithfully endeavour no more to allow thy self in any known iniquity wilt use all Gods means for the conquering and casting them out Wilt forsake the world wilt cast away thine Idols shall thy Mammon be no more a god nor a demy-god to thee shall it neither carry away thine heart from him nor so much as share with him in it wilt thou not bow down to this golden Image nor serve it wilt thou no longer serve thy greedy appetite shall thine heart no longer go after thy covetousness wilt thou abandon thine estate thy pleasures thine honours thy friends and companions so far forth as any of these divide or entice or steal away thine heart from thy Lord When ever they say Come away wilt thou say Get you hence VVilt forsake the Devil wilt fear and flie from and no longer hearken to his temptations wilt no longer regard his promises nor his threatnings his flatteries nor his frowns Coming off from the tents of all these wilt cleave unto thy Lord from henceforth from this day forward and not depart from him for ever Wilt hold on thy course wilt run out thy race wilt be faithful to the death wilt hope to the end for the grace that shall be brought unto thee at the revelation of Jesus Christ What sayest thou If thou sayest no as the Lord liveth thou speakest this word against thine own life If thou refusest to enter into this Covenant thou sayest I will not be the Lords I will none of him I will not live let death and wrath and chains and plagues be my portion for ever I will not be the Lords I will not leave my sins and my pleasures and my companions for his love that is I will be a Fool and a beast and a Devil I will die and will not see life Mistake not thy self be not deceived 't is a matter of life and death that is before thee 'T is whether Heaven or Hell a God or no God a Christ or no Christ a Soul or a lost Soul everlasting life or everlasting Fire shall be thy portion that stands now to be determined by thy consent or refusal look to it be wise this once for eternity Consent and thou art blessed consent and he is thine and with him the Kingdome Thy Lord hath given his consent already view the hand-writing the whole New Testament which is written in blood and sealed as 't is written there thou hast his I will in every line almost visible before thee put to thine and 't is done What sayest thou dost thou consent shall thine heart come in and put to thine hand and subscribe for thee I will Let that be done and then say after me A form of words expressing mans covenanting with God O Most Dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech Thee accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at thy Door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my Wicked practice The Terms of our conversion are either from which or to which But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy Mercy The Terms from which we must turn are Sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottome of my heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but Conscientiously to use all means that