the body than to enjoy bodily comforts and have none for the soul Jobs friends could do no less than come to comfort him yet when they came they did nothing less than comfort him 'T is very rare that God takes outward comforts from them who are not taken with their comfort but if he take them that shall be their Comfort Company Many are pleased with the company of them who are good that are not pleased with the good of the company 'T is to be feared that they that love wicked men doe not hate the wickedness of men or That they that love the company of the wicked do not hate the wickedness of the company He that loves ill company will learn it if not the ill of the company No man should do ill for company nor good onely for company Communion Communion with God is more in conversation with God than in contemplation with God That God might have communion with us Christ was made partaker of the humane nature and that we might have communion with God we are made partakers of the divine nature Complement Compleat speech is no Complement if men speak as they intend and intend as they speak Complaint Saints have not such often occasion to complain that what they have done is ill as that what they have done is ill done Many complain of their sufferings without a cause wherein they should rather rejoyce for 't is better to suffer without a cause than that there should be a cause for our sufferings Confusion That which is confusion to us is no confusion to God for God hath the ordering of and an order in all confusion Commandements All Gods Commandements are alike holy just and good and therefore we should like them all Condemnation If that servant was condemned that gave God his own what will become of them that rob God of his own Conscience A good conscience without a good name is better than a good name without a good conscience A Saint will hazard his credit to save his conscience rather than hazard his conscience to save his credit Contentation We should be so content with every condition as to think the present best yet many times it 's best to think it so but for the present Contentment without the world is better than the world without contentment The lowest condition in the world with the love of God is better than the highest condition in the world without the love of God A Saint is content not onely that the will of the Lord should be done but that it should be also done to Gods content How little soever we injoy there is great reason we should be contented and how much evil soever we undergo there 's no reason we should be discontented Conversion Before conversion men are willingly willing to sin but after conversion men are willingly unwilling to sin There are many convictions without conversion but there is no conversion without convictions Before conversion sin hath dominion over us but after conversion we have dominion over sin and we lead that into captivity which did before lead us captives Covetous Usually covetous men need money least yet most affect it and prodigals who need it most do least regard it Covenant The tie of the Covenant is sure for Christ is the surety of the Covenant In the Covenant of works God did first accept of the works and then of the person but in the Covenant of grace God doth first accept the person and then the work Contradictions It seems to many that there are contradictions in the Scriptures but they are not but so many seeming contradictions Creation In creation God gave us to our selves but in redemption he gave himself to us Creature-Comforts When we take comfort in Creatures without God he takes away the Creatures or the comfort of it Crosse Christ did bear the curse and therefore 't is but reason that we should bear the cross Crosses See Afflictions Changes of conditions are but exchanges of mercy to a gratious soul Crucified If we be not crucified with Christ Christ being crucified will not deliver us from death for we may die in our sins and be damned notwithstandihg if we do not rise with Christ Christs resurrection will not save us it is not Christ without us but Christ within us who is our hope of glory Col. 1. 27. D Death That man can never die an evill death at least no kind of death can be evill to that man who hath lead a good life Death comes in by sin and sin goeth out by death The death of the body frees us from the body of death Death hath nothing terrible in it but what our life hath made so When Saints die they leave all their bad behind and carry all their good with them but when a Sinner dieth he leaves all his good carries all his bad the one goes from evil to good the other from good to evill Our sin delivered Christ to death and Christ's death delivers us from our sin It s appointed for all men once to die and to some men its appointed to die but once the rest shall have their share in a second death wherein they shall find no rest The natural death is the separation of the soul from the body the spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God and the eternal death is the eternal separation of the soul and body from God Think of death as a thing thou must meet with and of life as a thing thou must part with and therefore not to love that life too well that keeps thee if a Saint from a better nor at all to fear that death that leads thee to a better life Deeds That deed is ill done wherein God is no sharer No evill action can be well done but a good action may be ill done Debts paying While we are paying Gods due debts we make our selves the more his debtors Lord let me be thus in debt The more we pay God the more we owe him seeing we give nothing to him but what he first gives to us Last Dayes A Christians last dayes should be his best dayes and his fruits at last more than at first Defie Deifie Many defie the devil sin and the world with their mouthes but deifie them in their lives Die He that 's fittest to die is fittest to live and he that 's fittest to live is fittest to die When a Saint comes to die his greatest grief is that he hath done no more for God and his greatest joy is that God hath done so much for him Dead-living Some are alive and dead at the same time for they that live in sin and the pleasures of sin are dead while they live Saints are living dead men Gal. 2. 19. 20. and sinners are dead living men Ephes 2. 1 2. yea they are both dead and alive alive and dead at the same time Delayes Denials Delayes are not denials and denials are not alwayes refusals
honour and not to have it is better than to have honour and not deserve it None honour God so much and God honours none so much as the humble souls Humbled ones There are many humbled ones that are not humble ones He that humbleth himself shall be exalted but he that exalteth himself shall be humbled Hypocrites Saints The great difference between Saints and Hypocrites is this that the Hypocrite hath but the expression of grace the Saint the experience of it the Hypocrite hath the notion the Saint the motion the one reads hears and speaks of it the other sees tasts and feels it I Idle It s as great fault to be idle as to work on a Sabbath day Jest Earnest As a man should not construe that in earnest which is spoken but in jest so a man should not speak that in jest which may be construed in earnest Innocency Good meaning and innocency are careless and seldome fore-think what answer to make to their accusers whence Christ said take no thought what or how you shall speak Intention Not to intend what thou speakest is to give thy heart the lie with thy tongue not to perform what thou promiseth is to give thy tongue the lie with thine actions Self-Interest Self-interest carried on by policy puts many civil men into civill or rather uncivil war Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is not the Son of God because he is the Messiah but he is the Messiah because he is the Son of God Jesus Christ lost his own life that he might save the life of his own Though it grieves a poor soul that Christ was peirced by him yet it releives a poor soul that Christ was peirced for him Joy The joy of the holy Ghost is such as that there is both want in words and want of words to express it for 't is joy unspeakable and full of glory Our Masters joy enters into us here and we shall enter into our Masters joy hereafter 'T is the Saints greatest joy to enjoy God and to joy in God Joy is as troublesome in the time of sorrow as sorrow is in the time of joy Israels God The God of Israel will doe them good that do good to the Israel of God Judging Men judge of our hearts by our words and works but God judgeth of our words and works by our hearts Some mens judgements reside more in their wills than their wills do in their judgements Justified We are not justified by believing in Christ but by Christ beleived in us as a man is not healed by the applying of a plaister but by the plaister applied faith is not our righteousness for our righteousness is by faith K Kingdom The prophesies concerning Christs kingdom will not be compleatly fulfilled till Christs kingdom be fully compleated A godly man is as willing that the kingdom of God shall come into him as he is willing to goe into the kingdome of God God knowing God doth know not onely the meaning the sense of the words which man speaks but he also knows the meaning the aim the scope and the end of the man that speaks the word Knowledge Knowledge may be without grace but grace cannot be without knowledge 'T is better to have knowledge formed in one than to have a form of knowledge Knowledge helps much to practise and practise helps much to knowledge for if any man do my will he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God We may sometimes know that by others which we would never care to utter but we should ever take care how if ever we utter that which we do not know The most perfect knowledge that we have of God is that we cannot or do not know him perfectly 'T is one thing to know Christ by a relation made of him to us another thing to know Christ by a revelation made of him within us He that knows not God knows nothing L Laity and Clergy Among them that are called the Laity you may find many children of light and among them that are called the Clergy you may find many children of darkness Laugh 'T is better that men should laugh at us for being godly than that God should laugh at us for being ungodly Least most Men are then least in their own eyes when God is most in their eyes Learned A godly unlearned man is better than an ungodly learned man and a better Scholler The greatest Philosopher that ever was is but an ignorant sot to the simplest Christian A man may know the history of Christ and yet be ignorant of the mystery of Christ Learning Learning can onely a dorn religion but religion can onely bless learning so that learning is more beholding to religion than religion is beholding to learning Leaving Saints 'T is to be feared that they who leave the Saints of God will not cleave to the God of Saints Light Darkness God is light and in him is no darkness at all and we are darkness and in us is no light at all for our light is darkness Liking No man can either like all or be liked of all Little Much. Some have the art to make much of their little but few have the heart to make but little of their much The little which but one righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psalm 37. 16. Like to God Christians are not onely like God but they are also liked of God and Christians do not onely like God but they study also how to be like God Some men instead of being like God in this world are like the God of this world Mens Lusts Mens lusts are their Gods on earth but they will be their Devils in hell Life short So short and uncertain is our life that we know not whether he that is born to day may live to day for as soon as a man is born he begins to die Life eternal Eternal life is begun in this world for this is eternal life to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 13. 3. Living by Faith We live by faith and not by sight yet faith is seeing it is the evidence of things not seen for by faith we see the things that are not yet seen but shall be when we live by faith and not by sight Man lives by death for his natural life is preserved by the death of the creature and his spiritual life by the death of Christ Living to God They that live to God here shall live with God hereafter but they that live to the Devil here shall live with the Devil hereafter He lives long who lives well for time mispent is not lived but lost Living in sin They who live most in sin and in most sin are most dead in sin All men live move and have their being in God and yet most men are without God and strangers to the life of God Live A Saint had rather live at Gods determination than at his own choice his prayer is
desperate danger testified with feasting before God with joy and gladness sending Presents to our friends and Portions to the needy 1 Chron. 16. 8 Chap. 29. 10 11. Neh. 8 10. Hest 9. 22. G God is a Spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth Iohn 4. 24. Iob 11. 7 8 9. Psal 90. 2. Ia. 1. 17. Exod. 3. 14. Psal 147. 5. Revel 4. 8. Chap. 15. 4. Ex. 34. 6 7. H Holy Ghost is a true and co-eternal God with the eternal Father and the Son and is given to me to make me through a true faith partaker of Christ and all his benefits to comfort me and to abide nigh me for ever Phil. 5. 7. Gen. 1. 2. Is 48. 16. 1 Cor. 3 26. Chap. 6. 19. Acts 5. 34. Gal. 4. 6. Mal. 23. 19 20. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Gal. 3 14. Acts 9. 31. Iohn 14. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 14. Iohn 15. 26. I Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who in time became Man for his Elect Gal. 4. 4. Institution is an Act of Gods free Grace wherein he pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in his sight onely for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone Rom. 3. 24 25. Chap 4. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 21. Rom. 5. 17 18 19. Gal. 2. 16. Phil. 3. 9. M Mortification is that grace whereby our natural corruption is subdued and vivification or quickning is that grace too wherby inherent holiness is renewed in us Ephe. 4. 22 23. Rom. 6. 4. 11. 13. Col 2. 12. O Obedience now is a careful endeavour to give unfeigned obedience to all Gods commands according to that measure of strength wherewith God doth enable us Luke 16. 74 75. 1 Pet. 4. 2. 5. 1 Iohn 3. 3. Ch. 5. 3. P Petition is a prayer wherein we desire the preventing or removing things hurtful and the obtaining of things needful either for this life or that which is to come Isa 37. 20. Mat. 6. 13. Psal 6. 1. to 5. Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies Psal 62. 8. 1 Io. 5. 14. Io. 10 23. Psal 32. 5 6. Dan. 9. 4. Phil. 4. 6. Gods Providence is his most wise holy and powerful preserving and governing of all his creatures and all their actions Psal 145. 17. Psal 104. 24 Isa 28. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Psal 103. 19. Matt. 10. 29. to 31. R Reconciliation is that grace whereby we are freed from Gods curse and restored to his fatherly favour Rom 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Eph. 2 16. Col. 2. 21. Repentance is a saving grace whereby a sinner out of a true sence of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience Acts 11. 18. Ch. 2. 37 38. Icel 2. 12 Ier. 3. 32. Ch. 31. 18. 19. Ezek. 36. 31. 1 Cor. 7. 11. Isa 1. 16 17. S A Sacrament is an holy Ordinance instituted by Christ wherein by sensible signs Christ and the benifits of the new Covenant are represented sealed and applied to believers Gen. 17. 7. 10. Exod. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 23. 26. Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God 1 Iohn 3. 4. The Soul is the inward and spiritual part of Man which is mortal and never can dye Eccle. 12. 7. Mat. 10. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Revel 6. 9. The Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine according to Christs appointment his death is shewed forth and the worthy receivers are not after of a corporal and carnal manner but by faith made partakers of his body and blood with all his benefits to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace 1 Cor. 11. 23. to 27. Ch. 10. 16. Sanctification is the work of Gods free Grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness 2 Th. 2. 13. Eph. 4. 23 24. Rom. 6. 4. 6. T Thanksgiving is a prayer wherein we render thanks to God for his general goodness and particular favours 1 Sam. 2. 1 Psal 136. 1. Psal 103. 1. to 6. V A Vow religious is a solem promise unto God made by a fit person of some lawfull thing which is in his choice to restifie his love and thankfulness Deut. 23. 21 22. Psal 116. 12. W The word of God is the holy Scriptures imediatly inspired which is contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament 2 Tim. 3. 16. FINIS THE Faithful SHEP HEARD Guiding his Flock in a way of walking with God dayly CHAP. I. INdeavour to be sensible of thy original corruption dayly how it inclines thee to evill and indisposeth thee to good groan under it and bewail it as Paul did Rom. 7 24. tkâ—e special notice of your actual sins or dayly infirmities in thought word and deed Indeavour to make your peace with God for them two waies I. By repenting them and confessing them to God working your heart to grieve for them by some melting considerations as of Gods goodness to you thy unreasonableness and unprofitableness of sin the prejudice and damage thereof to the soul 1 Iohn 1. 9. II. By believing or casting your self wholly on Christs righteousness for the remission therof and reconciliation with God Rom. 3. 22 to 26. Cleaving to Gods promises of pardon and peace Isa 43. 25. Rom. 5. 1. waiting til the Lord shal speak to you Psal 85. 8. CHAP. II. GEt your union with and interest in Christ cleared and confirmed to you dayly more and more that you are a branch in his vine a member in his body 2 Cor. 13. 5. This may be done three waies I. By the dayly renewal of your faith in Christ especially of that act of faith whereby the soul knits or ties it self unto Christ casts or roules it self upon Christ for salvation Cause your heart in a solemn manner every day to act this part or put forth this primitive act of faith in view of the whole soul The dayly exercise hereof will increase and strengthen the divine habit of faith in the soul and make the soul sensible of the very act of it by frequent believing you shall feel at your very heart that you do believe so shall you have a witness in your self that you are in Christ 1 Iohn 5. 10. II. By examining your heart upon what grounds you take Christ to be yours and they are five 1. A fight and sence of your sins of the guilt power and punishment of them of your misery by them Matt. 9. 13. 2. Your want of Christ seen and felt at your very heart to justifie sanctifie redeem and save
cross Psal 50 15. and together with the thing cast all your care fear sorrow and trouble of mind about it wholly upon the Lord Matt 6 31. 1 Pet 5 7 Psal 55 22. IV. Renew your faith in those promises every day which most concerns your present state As 1. In promises of supplyes if you be in want Psal 34 8. Psal 37 3. Ps 84 11. Matt 6 30. 2 Of direction if in doubts Iam 1 5. 3. Of deliverance if in trouble Iob 5. 19. Of a good end and ductified use of all Deut 8 16. James 5 11. Rom 8 28. Heb 12 10. V. Lastly labour to see Gods hand Psal 34 9. Believe Gods love Heb 12 6. Rev 3 19. and with all meekness patience to resign up your self wholly to Gods will in every affliction Maâ—t 2â— 39. CHAP. VII GEt and keep a savory relish continually of your Christian priviledges wherewith you are invested as you are new creatures in Christ more especially of these six I. Of your dignity that you are Gods Sons 1 Iohn 3 1 2. Christs brethren Heb 2 11. Heavens heirs Iohn 20 17. Partakers of an high and heavenly calling Iam. 2 5. II. Of your liberty that you are the Lords free men Phil. 3 14. delivered out of the hands of all enemies 1 Cor. 7 22. 2 Kings 17 39. III. Of your victory that you are through Christ more than Conquerors over all the world of creatures Rom. 8 37 38. 1 Iohn 5 4. of evils temptations persecutions IV. Of your safety that you have an almighty God for your place of refuge Psal 18 2. an hedg of providence Iâ—h 1 10. a guard of Angels Psal 91 11. an inclosure of mercy Psaâ— 32 10. and Gods promise as a writ of protection for defence Heb 13 5. 6. V. Of your riches as durable substance in heaven Heb 10 34 an incorruptible inheritance 1 Pet 1. 4. a kingdom of glory Luke 12 32. and a crown of life Rev 2 10. for you are heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ VI. Of your joy and pleasure pretious for kind and plentiful for measure Psal 16 11. peace unconceivable Phil 4 7. joy unspeakable 1 Pet 1 8. the Masters joy O get your hearts affected with all these as being yours Chew and suck them by serious meditation work and warm them upon your hearts by close applycation rubbing them into your affections Oppose these your spiritual priviledges to your temporal pressures setting the one against the other as your heavenly friends to your earthly foes your high dignity in Christ to your meanness in outward condition your wealth above to your want below your future joy and rest to your present troubles and sorrows This will not onely make you patient under your afflictions in this life Rom 12 11. but joyful in them Rom 5 3. and triumphant over them 1 Cor 15 55. Thus did Paul Rom 8 18. 2 Cor 4 17. Chap 6 8 9 10. These will provoke to duty 1 Pet 2 9 11 12. and preserve from fainting 2 Cor 4 16 17. and from trouble of heart Iohn 14 1 2. CHAP. VIII SAnctifie God in your hearts dayly 1 Pet 3 15. make him your fear Ps 37 4. To this end do these four things I. Have often high and honourable thoughts of God serious meditations of his glorious attributes as his wisdom power mercy justice c. and work them upon your hearts that they may eccho to thee with pure and melting affections this will encrease and nourish up the divine nature fast in you 2 Pet 1 4. II. Labour to be affected with all the works of God As 1. To behold and admire the works of God Iob 37 14. in the Creatures Psal 136 5. 2. To see and tast Gods goodness in every mercy Psal 34. 8. 3. To take notice of and tremble at the anger and displeasure of God in every affliction or judgment Ps 119 120. Hab 3 16. That so you might answer the dispensations of Gods providence with suitable despositions your hearts carrying a countenance in affection to all Gods actions Isa 26 8. III. Wrestle with God by praying and believing for an heart of flesh Eze 36 26. which will receive impression from the very thoughts of God in the mind IV. Apply promises to particular affections as 1. Of love Deut 30 6. 2. of fear Ier 32. 40. 3. of delight Isa 58 14. There is heat and life in these promises sufficient to quicken and warm thy dead and frozen affections CHAP. IX GEt a publick spirit to mind things of Jesus Christ as rationally as if they were your own things Phil 2 30 31. to look on the things of others prefer Jerusalems welfare before your chiefest joy Ps 137 5 6 the Gospels liberty before your own as Paul did Acts 21 13. To mourn for the sins of the times as the godly in Jerusalem did Ezek 9 4. Especially lay to heatt I. The Churches misery when Gods ordinance go down and herisie and superstition go up when any thing fals out which gives a blow to Religion or prove an impediment to the Gospel If the Ark be taken call your comforts Icabods 1 Sam 4 21. II. The afflictions of Joseph Amos 6 6. the sufferings of Gods servants ' whether Magistrates Ministers or people O simpathize with them Heb 13 3. Nehe 1 4. labour to feel their troubles and sorrows at your very hearts and pray earnestly for them as the Church did for Peter Acts 12 5. III. The signs of the times which Hipocrites cannot discern though they be well verst in the face of the sky h. e. The sad simptomes and presages of approaching judgments as these seven following signifies 1. The commonness of sin for all sorts transgress in all kind of open sinfulness with an high hand against light and nature and meanes of grace Gen 15 15. Ezek 12 3. Chap 22 4. 2. Contempt of Gods ordinances misusing of his Ministers 2 Chron 36 16. 3. The departure of Gods glory from his house Ezek 9 3. 4. Incorrisibleness after former and under present judgments Levit 26 15. 5. The death of many righteous men Isa 57 1. The carrying away of others to hiding places 6. The Vials of Gods wrath powred upon the Churches beyond the Seas Ier 17 12 14. 7. An Inundation of spiritual judgements as a spirit of error Appostacy superstition c. which do commonly conclude and end in temporal plagues Isa 6 10 11. Now O Christian the Holy Ghost is a publick spirit breathing and acting in all the members of the body mistical pray for it Luke 11 13. believe for it Gal 3 14. CHAP. X. LAstly get your heart renewed from the world and from those creature comforts in it which are dearest and sweetest to you wife children friends goods liberty house life this Christ requires of those that follow him Luke 14 26 27. Mark 10 29 30. This will prepare you either to suffer or to die elther of which may put you upon it to love all To this consider seriously these four things As I. All the world and all Creature comforts cannot satisfie the heart when thou hast injoyed them to the full Eccl 1 8. Chap 5 9 10. you soon grow weary of them or glutted with them so that you desire some new delights or more of the old or some over again II. Nor can they sastisfie you but expose oft to many lusts 1 Tim 6 9 10. temptations destractions to a spirit of the world and they hinder from following Jesus Christ Matt 19 22. III. Nor can they save you from Gods wrath from death or judgment Prov 11 4. The wicked whose portion is onely here oft have the greatest share of them Psal 17 14. Iob 21 7 to 14. IV. They serve onely for this life whil'st we are on this side of the grave they shall not be the least ingredients into our celestial happiness O Christians when we come to be happy in heaven we shall stand in no need of food raiment physick marriage Matt 22 30. for we shall be like the Angels of God in heaven we shall then hunger no more nor thirst any more Revel 7 16. we shall then and there live by the alsufficient spirit of God which needs no refreshing we shall be cloathed then with long white robes of immortality Revel 7 9. To Conclude when we come to heaven the place of Gods habitation we shall enjoy the face and beatifical presence of the most glorious Jehovah blessed for ever as an object wherein all the powers of our souls will be satisfied with ineffable delight and everlastingness God will be to us all in all 1 Cor 15 28. O come LORD JESUS Revel 22 20. FINIS