there Though it sometimes happens that some men fail and that some mens most lawful acquisitions by honest industry obtained may be torn from them by Envy and undue means who may also undergo such severe censures as they deserve not from the misguided tongues of malicious men who see not the true cause of every Ruine which often does proceed from Gods Justice for some concealed past sins to punish us by such means for such crimes as we have hid from men but cannot hide from Him So that we may charge our punishment for sin on the perverse nature of our own improvident selves who do neglect the Redeeming of our mis-spent time while we may and by Repentance obtain Gods pardon on which depends our present happiness with our future Eternal Bliss or Eternal Woe not enough thought on to make us Redeem our time in time And hereon we may with shame consider of and guess at what the fallen Angels would give if they had whole Worlds to dispose of what would they not do how many thousand years with joy suffer the Torments they are in to have the time we value not allowed them to be admiâ—ted unto a possibility of repentance and pardon by Redeeming their mis-spent time of their Rebellion in Heaven before they fell from thence to Hell While we careless men do pamper our viâ—ious frailties so as never to value the time we have until it be gone beyond recall unâ—il the despairing terrors of a Deaâ—h-bed state do let us see that God in Justice gives us over unto perdition because we would not Redeem our mis-spent time and seek His Mercy before the Evil day overtakes us which we all know is every moment hasting on ready to swallow us up into everlasting flames But to such men as the terrors of Hell cannot fright nor the joys of Heaven invite to Redeem their time in time nothing more can be said but Lord have mercy on them who will not have mercy on themselves for no misery can be greater then when miserable men will not commiserate their own misery but will hope from a Death-bed to jump up into Heaven at once But they will find the ascent too high too steep and too hard for those to climb up in such hast who never learnt to know the right way thither CCII. WHen a Soul is in fervent conference with God about its Eternity the Holy Ghost will be working that Soul up to see that Eternity gives an addition of joy to the joys in Heaven and those joys do also increase the Glory of Eternity all which Eternity Joy and Glory there Christ has purchased for penitent sinners become Regenerate and reconciled unto God by Faith in his Bloud and as our proportions of Faith do increase our desires will increase to be with God as often as we dare remember that we must die and are every moment dying Although we cannot attain to be inspired Prophets like David nor reach the first Rank of Saints with St. Paul we may become Penitents and Divine Lovers in some degree like them though not to shine so eminently on Earth as they did yet we may follow their steps here so as to share in the â—ame Glory with them at the Resurâ—ection when converted reconciled sinners are invited to the same Eternal happiness as the departed Saints enjoy there And what can be more wish'd for to encourage us to live piously and die chearfully then to be with God in Glory CCIII WE should avoid many great crimes if we could dâ—scern the deformity of sins through the Devils gay Curtains always drawn close to hide them until Death displays them in their true colours which then will fright us into despair at the sight of such griâ—ly Aspects as we so joyfully embraced for prime felicities But if we can learn the pious skill to draw such Curtains timely those Fiends behind them will vanish on a full view not able to endure the Test of such a discovery CCIV. DId we believe Heaven to be what Heaven is we could not prefer this World before it and if we did love God better then his Creatures we should not forsake Him so often as we do for them and if we did think of Eternity as we ought we should grudge every moment that diverts our hearts on trifles when every minute may be our last here and the next may crown us with Eternal Glory So that we should set our hearts to raise our thoughts on frequent and full consideraâ—ions of our Death-beds and think seriously how the terrors of unrepented sins will bite then and what a joyful passage our Souls will have if reconciled before and then we should need no other Arguments then such thoughts to perswade us to live so Righteously as to be ever ready on the shortest summons to step into that Eternity of Bliss CCV IT is said in Scripture that as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God which is a sure foundation to raise high structures on by which we may climb to Heaven in a constant conversation with our great Maker in most delightful Addresses for if we can by frequent practice follow this Divine-guiding Light we shall learn that Celestial Road so perfectly that we may travel day and night safely without mistaking of our way or failing of our happy Rest at our Journeys end which we shall more then guess at here by the present joy we find in our way thither And if we observe our sleeps also our very Dreams will entertain our Souls with pleasure above the reach of any waking fancies and by all this we shall certainly find something from above that will beget a consolation in a purified heart to testifie that it is Gods work within us who mocks no mans sincere ardent desires with false hopes of a felicity he shall not find for by a righteous life and lively Faith His improved Grace will bring our natural frailties to die so chearfully that we shall leave no pleasures behind us so great in this World as we shall have by going out of it to Him CCVI. A Dream of Heaven THough sleep Deaths Image be I have been now I know not where convey'd I know not how Where something did appear so dazling bright I could not see its Glory for the Light My Soul surpriz'd with wonder and amaze Methought I pray'd and did forbear to gaze Frighted and pleas'd at what I lik'd and fear'd I found it was a Dream of Heav'n appear'd Which waking fled but did my fancy fill With bless'd Idea's which abide there still With such transporting joy that I can weep To think of what I had and could not keep CCVII. HE that would improve the pleasure of Piety is to consider how his Body does every moment descend towards the Grave which will invite him to excite his Soul to mount much faster towards Heaven by such a continual devout contest which shall move fastest that he will
to God by Him and may also have an humble assurance in our own hearts of such a joyful Resurrection as will allay the terrors of Death and give us a chearful passage to his Eternal Bliss and thus Pious Penitents may die chearfully without presuming on their own Justification and less assurance then this may prove a groundless despair on our diffidence in Gods promises or an undervaluing of Christs Merits and Intercession for us on which our Repentance and Conversion is grounded and our Salvation depends CLXV COnsideration has a vast extent it reaches all past time and looks on towards Eternity to come it searches into Hell and up to Heaven and humbly consults the glorious Attributes of God and teaches us how to know and obey his Will it enquires into the bottom of our own hearts and the fathomless thoughts of our unbounded fancies how they stand towards the Obedience we profess to God And if on a full confideration of all our ways we find our hearts fixed on God it does produce Divine consolations it entertains and satisfies us with a continual variety of joyful objects to enlarge our Souls on suitable to the great end we aim at So that consideration is the greatest and most useful Lesson that was ever taught to man and the most delightful study we can practice to make our troublesom travels in this World easie to us by our constant expectation of Eternal Joy and Glory at our Journeys end which requires much consideration how to reach lest we miss our way thither He that retires to consider what he must do to be saved makes his Religion his business for without retirement our thoughts â—low at large but in retired Holy Meditations some awe and reverence does seize on the Soul which while that Pulse beats declares it to be alive and active in searching for its Salvation and never fails of finding those comforts it seeks in this World by the assurance of Glory in the next CLXVI IF the felicity of Piety were generally understood men would make more hast to become Regenerate that in our assaults from Satan and injuries from men we might Triumph in such Storms as terrifie the hearts of impious Livers But above all if we consider an impenitent habitual sinner on his Death-bed full of despair 〈◊〉 through the horror of his Crimes and apprehension of the Hell he is falling into and at the same time observe a converted sinner reconciled to God long before now delivering up his Soul unto his Saviour with a fixed Faith and a chearful heart hasting to take possession of a blessed Seat in Heaven prepared for him it must needs invite the lookers on to cleansing and reconciling to God before Death surprize us This great concern for our Eternity is in few words thus God has pronounced that impenitent sinners shall not enter into Heaven nor shall true penitents be shut out which confirms the felicity of Piety unto a Regenerate man CLXVII FAith ever was and ever will be the foundation of Religion for no man can worship what he believes is not nor can endeavour to please or fear to offend he knows not who nor what nor why so that we must believe there is some Divine Existence from whence all things are and by which all things subsist and we among the rest are what we are From these natural reasonings and notions we enquire into Traditions and by searching the Holy Scriptures we are powerfully taught concerning God Christ and Holy Ghost and there also learn to improve our Faith to believe the Resurrection after death and that if we do live Righteously we shall when we die participate of that glorious Being in the Eternal presence of our incomprehensible Creator The next step our Faith leads us towards Heaven is from the consideration that our Dust and Ashes is entertain'd on Earth with so great pomp and such high delights that we must believe and expect that our Immortal Souls will have much greater transporting Joys in Heaven then our flesh is capable of until refined for the Day of Judgment And if thus by pious living we can raise our Faith to trust in Christs merits and intercession 't will bring us unto an humble confidence of our Salvation when we die which cannot be had but from above and such Grace from God will encourage us to look more kindly on Death who only can conduct us to this everlasting Joy we believe in and hope for So that by such Meditations of Heaven Death will become so familiar an acquaintance as not to fright us from going to God in His company and will in our last hour support those Souls with comfort whose sincerity God sees through all our failings and accepts of CLXVIII 'T Is a wonder to see what pains men â—ake and what hazards run to gain â—â—rishing wealth to entertain our Bodiâ—â— with which are more perishing then the wealth we seek and all that time neglect our Immortal Souls for their Eternity And though Time be our great concern we value nothing less but vex our Brains and study still how to be rid of what we cannot keep nor ever can recall And though from day to day we are cloy'd with our fruitions and tired with new delights even worn out with various diversions yet in our whole lives never can afford a few minutes time to gain true Rest but still from Age to Age intice and betray our Souls unto new vanities till youth and vigour is decayed and then too revive our dead appetites with fresh budding idle fancies often worse then all that went before until we are surpriz'd by Death and hurried into Eternity before we do see our selves old enough to be at leasure to think of that Grave which is every moment ready to swallow us whereas if we did set our selves at first to resist all Assaults from Satan with a pious vigour and observe it we shall find and feel great pleasure in every Victory over every Temptation which formerly did enslave and triumph over us And then what honour what ambition can be greater then to conquer so great a Conqueror and by practice thus improving our Divine Military skill this way we shall raise daily Trophies so acceptable to God that we shall discern our Souls climbing up to Heaven thereon CLXIX IT is worthy consideration how many men do spend their whole lives in reading Books to learn what has been done of old thereby to instruct the present Age and to inform the future and when by much study and by time grown decrepit they slip into their Graves with the most ignorant and do there create and feed their own Worms who understand not that great wisdom so much labour'd for and then too late such Learned men will find that more advantage might have been made by studying themselves ne're thought on still labouring for a few bubbles of momentary praise as of more use then to secure Eternal Bliss for their immortal Souls Self-study
Celestial joys as the highest and most delightful entertainment he can wish for on this side of Heaven for God is the Centre of a Divine Lovers Soul it cannot move from him without some impulsive force which we should disdain to yield unto XIX HOw frail is humane Nature that can never be so much pleased on Earth as within some time not to become weary of what we most delight in And how much greater frailty is it to know how to be ever pleased and for ever happy but cannot set our hearts sincerely to endeavour for it And yet there is another frailty in some men above all the rest most wonderful that such as have on serious thoughts of their Eternity resigned their hearts to God and for some time known no joy like their transports for Heaven that such men so raised should prove so weakly fixed as boldly dare make room for Satan in their hearts again as the more welcome guest where God did sometime dwell this were a dreadful thing to think on if the mercies of God were not far beyond the reach of sinners to deface And from hence we may learn that holiness is the peculiar gift of God and that we are raised to all degrees of Piety by his holy Spirit who of ourselves can neither rise nor stand one moment in his favour longer than supported by the same Spirit thus to give us humble thoughts of our own little or no strength And yet we are not obliged to rest in such humility but ought to labour and to pray for more and more Talents of faith and grace till their encrease do raise our Souls higher and higher in ambitious zeal to become Divine Lovers and not to be content with less preferment than adopted Sons when we find the Holy Ghost thus at work within us and so may strive to raise our new affections by holy thoughts to the highest pitch of devour extasies of Devotion and by this Divine experiment to try if we can love God too much and have more zeal in prayer than he does like of or can so tire him with our importunate addresses that He will turn away his face and deny his love unto Souls wholly devoted to serve and please him But when we find our hearts full of such sincere raptures in Devotion we may assure our selves they come from God who does ever approve and accept of such flaming sacrificed hearts as are enkindled from above and are much different from any such Enthusiams as Satan can infuse only to infect those wavering hearts that do still incline to be his Vassals XX. THose who have obtained of God to become truly Regenerate do find that a sincere repentance with contrition and conversion of heart to God are rewarded with peace of Conscience and so great a delight in humble converses with God on their meditations of Heaven and their Eternal bâ—iss that all Worldly pleasures do give way to those Divine transports which flow from the Holy Ghost within them And no time so proper to meet God as when they awake at mid-night before any Worldly concerns entertain their hearts for he that chearfully recommends his Soul to God when he lyes down to rest will to his infinite comfort find God ready to receive his first waking ejaculations who begins the day with the same adoration and trusts in him that he lay down to sleep with so that our mid-night conferences with God will by custom grow more pleasant than sleep and will fix such a Divine love on our Creator as will produce great joy here and some glimpse of that glory we shall have in Heaven for God never receives our sincere Addresses without multiplying of his favours in return by such manifestations of his grace as will preserve us in his service until we meet again to pursue those holy meditations which will bring us unto Him in Heaven when we die XXI A Righteous man is a Divine Philosopher that enjoys all his heart can wish in this World by his faith in Christ Love to God Charity to men purity and humility And the Holy Ghost is the great Chymist that conveys all these ingredients into the furnace of a pious heart and there by His influence and operation produces the grand Elixir of true righteousness which preserves the Soul unto Eternal happiness And whoever finds the Holy Ghost thus working in him will find the comfort and consolation of his Salvation in this life which with the serious consideration of his future felicity will be entertainment for his whole time here and keep him always ready for his summons to Heaven and will make his passage thither as easie to the Righteous as it is terrible to an impenitent sinner XXII IT is impossible to fancy and to find any Earthly entertainment for the heart of man but Devotion that can raise his delights higher and higher by fruitions without laâ—situde unto Eternity which elevated devotion is a felicity that the Divine Lover only has and is created in his heart with his Resurrection from sin to grace by a continual succession of growing joys on the assurance he finds of his second Resurrection to Glory at the day of Judgement which is God's peculiar work in the Souls of his Beloved to make them see that He is never absent from such as are totally devoted to love and serve Him for such and only such can securely enjoy God in all his Creatures here and have him also to eternity in Heaven If then the rugged way thither be so pleasant to a Righteous man what will his Seraphick joys be there and how worthy of our utmost endeavours to live so that we may die capable to participate of those joys then XXIII MEn do generally create terrors to fright their own hearts as they do Children with ugly Vizards we represent Death unto our fancies in dismal forms as a Messenger sent from Satan to hurry us from our present delights into everlasting flames And then 't is no wonder that habitual impenitent sinners do start back from the approach of Death when so dressed But the Regenerate Man has an Antidote against this evil He summons his Celestial thoughts and sets his Soul in order as a great Prince in State incircled with Heavenly joys as his Nobility and is also attended by crouds of Guardian Angels to receive the same Death with caresses of great friendship who appears before him drest in bright gorgeous Raiments as an Embassador sent from the King of Kings to consummate a League of Amity and to give him possession of his new Conquest with a Crown of Eternal Glory long fought for and at last obtained So that we generally mistake our passage into the next World and call it death which is assured Life and that Eternal It is our faults if we be frighted at the terrors of torment there where everlasting joys do answer every pious mans expectations who looks on the pangs of his departing Soul but as the
momentary touch of a sharp Lancet that makes him bleed for future health So that men prepar'd for Heaven may change the terrible aspect of a grisly Death into a Divine Angelical form fit to be courted with a most hearty welcome who is sent by God to conduct us unto Him where every wise good man desires to be and this is a great â—ark of the Holy Ghost on the hearts of men to bring sinners to such an Evangelical felicity to live so in Gods favour as to rejoyce to ride on Deaths Chariot in Triumph into Heaven XXIV A Pious man is never alone when most alone but then takes more delight in his approaches to God then this World can afford the greatest Epicure for his devout heart is ever on the wing towards the Throne of mercy from whence his Soul is filled with Divine comforts beyond expression for God never fails to entertain a sincere Soul with high consolations XXV WAtch thy first waking thoughts which will declare thy Soul unto thy self whether Carnally minded or Spirituallized for then is thy fancy fresh unclogg'd with Worldly affairs and then the time to blow up thy flaming gratitude to God in some proportion towards what thou hast received from Him in mercies and in blessings though short in point of merit yet such holy aimes such pious ambitious contests God allows of and is well pleased to see such use made of his grace by such Divine emulations in the hearts of men who do endeavour to raise up their gratitude in competition with his benefits But this must be in such humble Addresses as doth become Dust and Ashes who can do nothing of our selves that is good nor think beyond what we receive and must thank God for the thanks we give him For it is the Holy Ghost that excites and enables us to such a frequent and free conversation with our Great Maker by which elevated zeal and sincere affection in our daily acknowledgments we â—hew that we have some taste of that joy and some glimpse of that glory here which we expect in Heaven and is some Testimony that we have not received the grace of God altogether in vain For no Man can give effectual thanks to God for his mercies until he find some assurance of his reconciliation by the Bloud of Iesus Christ which is the Fountain of all mercies and the great argument for our gratitude to the Father of mercies who forgives transgressions to raise our gratitude to Love XXVI WHoever has so much Faith as to create true notions of the Holy Trinity and Gods eternal habitation of Glory and Bliss in Heaven where he believes that Christ has purchased places for all penitent reconciled sinners that man cannot chuse but wish and indeavour to be one of that blessed number so redeemed from Hell and raised to everlasting Glory on Christs account But how to attain unto this felicity and to find in our hearts that we have attained it is our greatest work in this World and our most joyful entertainment here which is a pre-possession of Heaven as much as our frail nature is capable of with the Divine assistance of the Holy Ghost So then we must observe if our hearts are become so Regenerate as to find more pleasure in our approaches to God and our devout conversation with Him then all the fruitions this world can afford us for then we shall find an inward dependance on God in our own hearts such as will guide us by his Divine guiding Light unto the means and methods of attaining our wished salvation and within a little time certainly grow to a much more habitual delight in Piety then our forsaken sins formerly were and will hold our hearts up to Heaven ever ready to enter in when Death comes to conduct us thither and it will be great joy to pass the pangs of a Death-bed and â—errors of the Grave with an assurance that our Souls shall be with God the moment that we depart from this World if we live Righteously in it XXVII IF we give our whole hearts to God wherever we are whatever we do our minds will be fixed on Him the only Centre of our Souls intrinsick happiness 't is like a man forced from his beloved companion by some great affair he dispatches it quickly and with speed returns where he left his heart And thus we may try our hearty Love to God But when trivial objects and vain diversions do easily withdraw us from his converse and then detain us whole days in idleness so as to afford God but some few moments for our morning and evening Sacrifices we may reckon that our Love bears the same proportion with the time spent in his service we may also find on a strict search that we are mistaken in the Donation of our hearts to God by keeping of a small corner of our hearts in reserve for diversions only to gratifie some fair-faced appetites which do insensibly rob the major part until that corner have ingrossed the whole heart by which we fool our selves to think our All-seeing God will be mocked with such thin Vizards on our hearts Take heed therefore of idle diversions and pray for grace to become Regenerate to set thy heart on things above which begets true Love to God with Blessedness here and for ever which eternity can never be too much thought on nor the Lord who disposes of Eternity be too much loved or too much feared and if when we lye down to sleep we could but learn to think that we might wake in the other World we should labour to live close up to God so that Satan may find no time to come between to tempt and then such reconciled sinners would discern their conversion to be a sure Testimony of God's mercy and the Spirit of Faith fixing the foundation of true Piety by which we must ascend as the first step of that Ladder towards Heaven XXVIII IT is a stupendious thing to think how our corrupt Dust and Ashes may be exalted when the Spirit of God is at work in the heart of man when a great sinner is cleansed from his pollutions and all his past transgressions are so wiped off by the Holy Ghost in the receiving of the Sacrament that he finds Christ born within him and his Soul filled with a new kind of Divine transports which raise him in Meditations up to Heaven by such devout Addresses as grow higher and higher in ambitious zeal to be near God until he obtain to be owned an Adopted Son and while he remains on Earth by Faith to share with Angels in some degree of Heavenly joy and to perceive some beams of their Glory which he shall participate of at the Resurrection and until then be here feasted with such devout Celestial delights as will give him an assurance that these are the marks of his Election to comfort and to fix his heart on God who will guide his Soul through his Pilgrimage on Earth
full of storms and calms more dangerous untill He brings him unto his Glory For if we believe it to be Gospel-truth that our bodies are capable to become the Temples of the Holy Ghost dwelling in us we must also believe that He will manifest Himself so as we shall discern his being in us by such a Divine Life with such extasies of joy as no Soul can reach without his assistance which if we practise to observe we shall find will prove to be our greatest consolation that the heart of man can have XXIX WE talk of Death as we do of Eating Drinking and Sleeping and do flatter our selves too much by thinking we are as ready for the Grave without a full consideration how nice and great a preparation is fit for our appearance at the Resurrection when our whole Lives here spent in the service of God is not too high a price for the Crown of Glory we then expect And yet few men do afford the hundred part of their time to become capable to receive that inestimable Purchase which Christ has made for us by his bloudshed And nothing is more strange then that we should so much forget what we are always a doing which is dying and is God's great mercy to free our Souls from the Dungeon of this World to fix them in his Eternal Bliss XXX GOD sees our first intentional approches towards Heaven so that we cannot make more hast in our Addresses unto Him then He makes to meet and welcom our sincere devotions with Raptures and Extasies of joy to encourage and guide our frail nature to love and serve Him above the World that can in no degree afford so high delights as our Souls find when our whole hearts are offered up to Him in daily Sacrifice while that holy flame lasts XXXI OUr greatest concern is to live so Righteously as to be ever ready to die which no man can think of too often nor prepare to much for if he considers that every moment advances towards the Grave through which we must pass to Eternal joy or Eternal misery and is an argument enough not to mispend our time but Day and Night to call on God for his Divine guiding Light to shew us the way to Him XXXII SLeep is so like Death that it is no wonder if we Dream often that we are amongst the dead for though we are not now visited by Visions as of old yet such frequent conversation with dead friends when we Sleep may be looked on as kind notions from above to give us some reflections on the Grave towards which we do walk as fast in our Sleep as when we are awake so that we ought to imploy more of our thoughts on every minute that so hasts on to our Eternity then men generally do and by such Dreams we may learn to converse Day and Night with God in our humble Addresses to make us fit company for His departed Saints when we Die XXXIII IF we could attain to as great Faith as the first Martyrs had we might have as much felicity in Piety as they had who rejoyced so much to leave this World that no torments could deâ—er them from death to be with Christ. And if we could raise our Souls to fancy the Glory of Heaven as they did we should believe that nothing there is so dirty as our brightest Diamonds where the beauty of Holiness by Faith as by reflection does Eclipse all the beauty wealth honour and glory of this World in the hearts of such as are become Regenerate And if our Souls were so sanctified and advanced in Divine Love as those Blessed Martyrs were we should admit no Rivals with God in our hearts where He delights to Reign alone And then we should find our God every where with us carefully providing for all our wants and supplying all our defects as if He attended on us Dust and Ashes with his Providence to guard us while we sleep and to watch if our first waking thoughts be set on Him and to expect them as his due and his delight as if the Almighty courted us for favours more then we do him for his mercies and his blessings and when our Souls become thus enlightned by his Divine Rays from Heaven we shall find our hearts so full of Him that a Wilderness â— Prison or a Dungeon will seem a Throne and will be our Heaven here and then we shall know no joy like having God ever in our sight with hearts fixed on our Eternal Bliss already thus begun XXXIV IF we consider the extent of Miracles those we call the greatest are but as wonderful as the smallest for every thing we see all we think every motion that answers to our thoughts in every part of our selves is Miraculous as to Dust and Ashes and so in the same Ballance we may weigh our Birth and Dissolution and Resurrection to be equally Miraculous But if we consult our own consciences and throughly examine our own hearts we may be confirmed in the belief that there is no higher Miracle then when the Holy Ghost turns the hearts of men from their long habitual idolized carnal appetites into a Spiritual affection towards God with such Heavenly transports as do create the peace of conscience with such a settled joy in God's service as will accompany our Souls from hence to Heaven which Spiritual Resurrection from sin being God's work in us is a sure mark of our Adoption and by this Miracle of mercy to become thus Regenerate we may account it the highest because of highest concern to us to be so raised from Hell to Heaven And a greater Miracle to confirm the Christian Doctrine no man needs to seek after then what he may thus find in himself if thus led by the Holy Ghost and thus exalted from Reprobate Dust to be the Adopted Son of God XXXV PIety is the best policy because by it we obtain all that the heart of man can wish in this World and the next which every Pious man has a great proportion of here and the Fool only thinks he can mock God or flatter Him while he does only deceive himself in hoping to serve God and the Devil at once to satisfie vitious natural appetites and enjoy Spiritual felicities at the same time as if the way to Heaven were through Hell But if we do doubt whether Eternal happiness is preferable before short fruition on Earth we may enquire of a Voluptuous sinner when he is become truly Reâ—generate if he does not find that the peace of conscience is a more constant delight then the greatest Momentary gratifications of flesh and bloud For when he is so called to an assurance of his Sonship by his Spiritual comforts from the Holy Ghost within him and such transports as do afford Heavenly joys with some glimps of that Glory which he shall participate of at the Resurrection He will perceive it is the same gift of God beyond humane acquisition so that
lest any undiscerned Rival should in some friendly disguise steal into his heart and claim a place there so to deface that Altar and defame his daily sacrificed heart entirely offer'd up to his Beloved and every night lies down to Rest with the same Zeal and inward dependance on his Souls joy with a full assurance that if he awake in the other World he shall be with his Beloved there from whence such growing comforts do arise as to confirm his Adoption and fix his Faith to live so Righteously that he enjoys God in all his Creatures here with great satisfaction Yet with holy courage is ever so ready to die that in spight of his natural aversion from the Gâ—ave he resolves to rejoyce at his summons thither where he stedfastly believes to meet his Beloved ready to raise him to his Eternal Glory For though the Hill we climb to Heaven be full of Thorns and Briars we may gather Roses and Lillies in our ascent to make it more easie if we do mind how our Celestial joys increase as we arrive towards the last step we make to enter into that Glory LIV. GOD mocks no man with a false Light that begs his guiding Light sincerely with such a dependance on Him as shews a Faith capable to receive it and to be led by it so as to embrace and welcom such Divine operations and comforts as the Holy Ghost conveys with that Light so clearly into his Soul that he must see it comes from God and which will raise his heart by this Light thus led to find such a spiritual joyful trust and confidence in his great Maker that no storms can fright him nor vain delights divert him from his constant couâ—se towards Heaven nor shake his assurance of a blessed participation of God's Glory at the Resurrection So that the greatest sinner that can obtain Grace to repent and forsake his sins so as to be thus led to live ever after in God's favour will not fail to be received into God's bosom the moment that he dies LV. IT is too true that thou art fallen into disgrace and dost deserve it thus Suppose thy heart to be a Royal Fort entrusted to thy keeping and defence by the King of Kings for so it is and is besieged by Satan with an Host of Giant sins disturbing thee with continual loud Alarms and frequent sharp Assaults yet by thy strong Guards within from Heaven sent and thy constant vigilance with holy Valour thou bravely didst repulse this mighty Enemy and hast gain'd many Victories for which thy King did promise to reward thy Virtues with a Crown of Glory But by thy success grown proud and securely confident of thy own conduct and mistaken power thou didst become so negligent of thy Out-guards and so remiss within that the subtle Enemy was encouraged to return with Stratagems and did by his insinuating Spies corrupt thy chief Ossicers who let in a few Pigmie sins sly Foes disguis'd like smiling Friends full of flattering allurements such as in short time were by thee admitted and entertaâ—n'd and so far trusted as to get an opportunity to surprize thy Fort and to lead thee in Satans Chains towards his Eternal Darkness Thus the glory of all thy first Victories are by thy prosumption and supine negligence turned into reproach and thy reward into a just punishment for being so baffled by a Conquer'd Enemy until by thy submission and repentance thou be restored to favour and deliver'd from this Captivity by a more powerful Conqueror LVI As to love God and fear Him is certainly to please him so to do neither is as sure to offend him and on this which we so little regard our present and Eternal happiness depends So that we cannot be too watchful that our own hearts do not deceive us by thinking that God only Reigns there where his Creatures have more Interest then Himself But He is not to be mocked with outward shews or formal Ceremonies He discerns our neglects when our hearts are alienated from him in the least degree and sees through all our disguises when with burning Souls we adore his Creatures joyntly with Himself if not before Him who never will admit of such Competitors as those Idols of our setting up are whom we worship love fear and delight to converse with more hours every day then we do afford Him by which 't is evident thaâ— God has not our whole hearts and so does not Reign there LVII THat peace of conscience which is grounded on the felicity of piety is such a continual feast full of such growing joys as only the Regenerate man can feel by the Divine Love he finds his own heart full of with such returns of gratitude to God as begets a kind of Raptures and Extasies in Devotion such as do invite and encourage him to a delightful sincerity in all his Addresses to his great Maker with whom he converses day and night where he ever finds access and high returns of grace from God LVIII A Particular self-denial of some darling sin may shew a good inclination to Piety but is not the perfection of that Duty which must be universal to all that God forbids and not only to forbear actual transgressions for a time but for ever else we fortifie in vain by leaving such gaps open as will invite the Enemy to re-enter by which we also hold up a dangerous Treaty and commerce with Foes that ever study to destroy those hearts that do admit them For while Satan has any part there in possession or reversion or but a hope to claim by He will disturb the whole man so that all his pretensions must be totally abolished by giving up our whole hearts to God and this for our good only that our carnal warfare may be more easie here by placing our only joy on Him And then our Pilgrimage on Earth will end in the fruition of never-fading happiness in Heaven LIX TO die is terrible when we are surprized by it but by frequent Meditations of dying custom will make it easie For if we believe Heaven to be better then Earth we must believe that we shall find better company there then we converse with below and 't is Death that only can convey us unto them And if by a Righteous life with a lively Faith we can be assured in our passage through the Grave that our Souls shall tast some degrees of that Eternal Bliss with the departed Saints the moment we expire can any thing on Earth invite us to stay longer here But our frailty is such that we generally make that the least business of our life for which our life is given us and is really the only considerable object sit for our continual thoughts so to love and serve God here that we may be capable of dwelling with him for ever in Heaven and in that hope go chearful to Him when He calls for us LX. A Regenerate man in his highest Divine course of
by a constant graâ—â—â—ude which is as acceptable as prayers and the pious use of his Creatures and daily Blessings we shall fiâ—d a double delight in all the good things we receive from God's hand because we do enjoy Him in them and shall avoid all such evils as we dare not own to come from God And if we consider that our lâ—ves here are only to make our journey to Heaven we cannot have a better Guide thither then the Holy Ghost who will never mislead them who desire to be guided by Him and from whom we shall get such a habit of Holiness as will bring us to such an intimate acquaintance with Christ as will in a short time wean us so much from the Love of this World as to be chearfully ready to die when we see that the end of our journey is God's call to take possession of the Crown of Glory prepared for us LXVII APious man that lives ever ready to die has a continual prospect of his glorious Resurrection and can have no greater happiness on Earth then his inward assurance of being one of God's Elect who Christ says shall sit on his right hand in Heaven when the Reprobate are cast down into Everlasting flames LXVIII IT is said in Scripture that when Iacob found God was so near him he was afraid which may teach us that no man ought to think himself fit for a familiar acquaintance with his great Maker such as to remove the reverential fear that is due unto so high and supreme a Majesty and yet we may believe and find that His Kingdom of Grace is already come and is amongst us now so that we may with humble hearts say as Iacob did Surely the Lord is in this place and in our hearts too when we are led by his Holy Spirit to study Him and can fully consider that though all our senses are naturally inclined to like and covet varieties of all sorts and that our busie fancies are as readily subservient to work the same way and as eagerly do pursue the various desires of every appetite though we every day find that all objects do by fruition soon decay and cloy our highest desires that are not Rooted in Eternity How fit is it then to consider this and how much better it will be to perswade our Immortal Souls to rob our perishing senses of their depending fancies and imploy them on things above as far as they can reach towards the glorious Habitation of God where such objects are as Immortal as our Souls are and where our variety of joys will increase by such fruitions as never fade but will grow and multiply the more for gathering so as to be ever filling our hearts with high delights but yet never so full but still to admit of more and more felicity as our desires rise until we reach the Fountain of Eternal Bliss where our Souls will be replenished with Celestial joys but never so to overflow as to be weary of them And thus we may be as happy as Iacob was if we can perswade our hearts to throw out Satan with all his disguised flattering Troops and entertain the Holy Ghost as chearfully as we have indulged our blind affections that led us on towards our Eternal ruine And when we have thus discarded Gods Enemies as our own we must approach His glorious Majesty with fear and trembling though we do adore and worship Him at the same time with comfort LXIX IF we did well consider of dying and the joy our Souls will have as they expire when reconciled to God before that hour comes it will be ample reeompence for our whole lives spent in his service and 〈◊〉 worthy of our continual Meditation and devotion to prepare for so immense a mercy to penitent sinners such as will turn the terrours of the Grave into a joyful assurance of a blessed Resurrection to Glory beyond which no man can fancy a concern fitter for his thoughts to work on and his utmost eudeavours to obtain of God who never rejects a sincere heart offer'd up to Him in a daily Sacrifice which the Pious man never fails to do with delight and never misses of the consolation he seeks at his hour of death and in his way to it LXX THe true Idea of Holiness is Divine Love which we may judge of by entirely resigning our wills to the will of God and the perfection of Righteousness is to live a Divine Life such as takes delight to abhor the crimes we have loved and to press on in our devotions until we obtain a full Victory over all our carnal passions and by worthy receiving the Holy Sacrament to fix and confirm our Christianity on the assurance we find by a lively Faith thus qualified to live ever ready for our call unto Eternal Bliss which may be the next minute and cannot be too often thought on by those who love God and desire his Love on whose free mercy our Eternity depends LXXI WE may flatter our selves with a mistaken belief of Holiness which we have not and we may abuse the World with a disguised shew of Holiness which we know we have not but when Death comes such Vizards vanish and our hearts will be display'd in their true colours to our selves and others So that the best marks for Regenerate men to know themselves by is strictly to observe if they love God with their whole hearts with an universal delight therein that is with thankful hearts to praise his holy Name to fear obey worship and trust in Him with such a lively Faith and clear affection as to be ever ready to forsake all we have in this World and chearfully to breath our Souls into God's bosom when He calls for them And whoever shall obtain this Treasure of Grace to find these marks in himself will have such a proportion of that joy and that glory as will encourage him to persevere in Righteousness until he arrives at God's Eternal Rest where such blessed Souls desire to be who do know no diversions so delightful here on Earth as a daily preparation for Heaven LXXII TO think and try are two small words of great consequence because that man who will not think or dares not think what he has done or what he is doing or what he intends to do is in a sad condition for he can neither confess his sins nor repent nor forsake nor ever hope for a pardon for them while he neither thinks nor trys to learn to think of his Eternity He is past cure without a miracle of mercy for his conversion which is seldom afforded to such stubborn hearts as will not think nor ever try to think seriously of their Salvation before it be too late LXXIII NO Christian in his senses will own to love God's Creatures better then we love Him yet we do it and see it not that is not observe how often and how long we lay God aside to enjoy them for nothing can
take us from God but what we love better And though there is no felicity to be compared to Piety nor any diversions so delightful as Devotion when we love God and serve him with sincerity yet we mind it not enough that mind it most too much no man can LXXIV WE are naturally apt to cozen our selves with thinking we believe what we do not believe and for want of due consideration of all our ways we run on in such undiscernible errors as must offend God while we think we serve him best and this by indulging many kinds of innocent diversions until they become crimes though we know that vain and idle thoughts do often grow to foul suggestions which pious men should therefore not admit of LXXV WE are often misled by thinking too much of what may be and too little of what must be in providing too much for our uncertain hope of living from year to year with too little regard â—o our assured death that must come as if our moments here were of more value then our Eternity in Heaven though we do know that nothing in this World is worthy to entertain our Immortal Souls with true delight but by making ready to go unto God with chearful hearts of which few men do think enough and none can think too much because it is the greatest felicity that our Piety can reach and a sure mark that the Holy Ghost is working in us which no habitual sinner is capable of LXXVI NO man can want a subject for Meditation nor have a more useful entertainment than frequently and seriously to consider and examine his own life by recollecting what mercies what blessings and deliverances he has had from God and to enquire of his own heart how little obedience gratitude and love he has return'd what vows made in sickness dangers and in times of trouble but never kept And above all to consider how often God has knocked at our hearts for entrance and been denied or delayed to admit of some more pleasing Guest or whenever permitted to enter how coldly received and slightly treated until thrust out again to make room for some darling sin that must be welcomed This if fully considered may bring us to a sense of our offences and shame to think how unfit we are for our Death-beds and Eternity to come with the amazing terrors to think how we can call on our so much offended God for mercy which He could never prevail with us to accept of and what hope then can such insolent contemners of God have in their last day But on the contrary this Meditation will bring comfort to a Regeneâ—ate man who has entertain'd Christ in a chearful heart with sincere integrity to such a joyful trust in God's love by his fixed Faith that no carnal affections can remove his transports for Heaven the expectation whereof is delightful to him above the terrors of death to lessen LXXVII THe sum of all the great Lessons we can learn is to shew that a faithful penitent sinner who is become so Regenerate as to forsake all his iniquities and can perform an universal obedience to all God's Laws with such Evangelical sincerity as to make a total resignation of himself with all his Interests into God's hands must be led by the Spirit of God which will keep up his heart to Heaven in a constant concern for God's favour where Satan dares not appear to tempt when he sees us so united unto Christ and this will bring a Penitent to endure his Pilgrimage through all the storms of this World and defend him from the glittering vanities also so as to know no fear nor joy to interrupt his expectation of Heaven and the happy hour to breath out his Soul into the Bosom of God which holy ambition will entertain his heart here with more present happiness than all the Worlds wealth can afford to a wilful habitual sinner LXXVIII A Prayer LOrd I beseech thee let thy Holy Spirit direct my prayers in my approaches to thy Throne of Mercy and there pray within me that so guided I may find grace from Heaven to support me in my passage out of this World unto thy habitation of Eternal Bliss And now wean me from longer wandering in the vain Labyrinths and Glories here by having ever in mind that all the greatness and various pleasures I have seen and shared in are vanished like a Dream and thereby find that nothing is so delightful to a Regenerate reconciled sinner as a retired habitation free from the noise of Worldly affairs where by thy Grace peace of conscience may encourage me to be ever ready at thy call O God! with a joyful heart to make my last step into the glorious Eternity I hope for by the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. LXXIX WHen the Holy Ghost dwells in our hearts we shall find new principles of a Divine Nature producing there an universal Victory over all our carnal appetites and an universal obedience to all God's Laws with trust in his Providence and such Faith in Christ's Merits and Intercession as will assure us of all God's promises as if now actually in our possession from whence will arise continual comforts with hearty gratitude for such love and mercy to penitent sinners And by this first Resurrection from Sin to Grace be assured of our second to Glory so that to be thus sanctified by the Holy Ghost we are united unto Christ brought home to God the Father as his adopted Children and do begin to enter on our everlasting happiness even in this World by our continual Meditations and Prayers so to raise this Holy flame as high as here we can reach without presumption so to fix in our hearts the joyful practice of such a Divine Life and Divine Love to God as will produce Divine joys here and for ever in Heaven which no carnal fruitions can attain And thus we are led by the Spirit of God and do become the adopted Sons of God LXXX IF the most voluptuous sinners could discern the felicity of an Holy life what constant elevated joys the peace of a quiet conscience brings to those who can wean their minds from the fading pleasurâ—s and drudgeries of this World to fix their hearts on things above sinners would make hast to become Regenerate For if we consider right of Eternity we must know that our Immortal Souls when freed from the slavish appetites of flesh and bloud can have no transports like those immortal joys they find when settled in their Centre God's Bosom from whence they came so that our Souls can relish no felicity like the hope of Heaven nor be much concerned for any thing less then Eternal Bliss which though of our selves we cannot reach yet if we give our hearts to God we cannot miss it But if in contempt of God we live and die in endless sinning we may justly fear that our Eternity will be in scorching flames We ought also to consider
and gives sufficient grace accordingly at the hour of Death CXXXIII A Great Reprobate by the Grace of God become Regenerate can experimentally judge how much the felicity of Piety doth exceed his former Epicurisms Men in this World without putting Eternity into the Scales against moments and observes that the continual tranquility of a quiet Conscience is much more pleasant then all his past unlawful Fruitions attended with such Terrors as a guilty Soul is loaded with CXXXIV EVery Pious man that has forsaken his sins for fear to offend God who he pretends to love also does begin well And when God sees his sincerity to obey him in all things He will not let him rest there but adds Faith and Grace till his heart longs for a nearer Communion with Christ in Heaven and by a daily custom of such elevated Meditations God will bring this Pious man to despise this World and to overcome the Terrors of the Grave by his expecâ—ation of Heaven where his Soul longs to be CXXXV WE must not desire to die to be rid of affliction here But if we can obtain Grace for so Divine a Love to God as to be glad to go to Him when He calls for us That will be enough and such holy courage at the hour of death will bring great Joy to our expiring Souls CXXXVI THe Souls of Righteous men are said to be with God the moment they expire But to what degree of Bliss they are admitted before the Resurrection is not revealed unto men But it is enough for us to believe that God takes care of those Souls that served and trusted in Him as well as for his departed Saints We need to desire no more then to be with them CXXXVII THe Design of Reading the Scriptures Preaching Praying and Fasting is to bring us to lead such Pious Lives as may shew our Faith and Love to God And so to divert our hearts from Worldly vanities by constant Meditations on the Ioys of Heaven to invite us thither And also encourage our timerous Souls with grace from above to contemn the Grave where they shall not rest one moment Which if well considered our Holy Resolutions would scorn to fear and shrink back from the last step we must make to take possession of the Crown we seem to labour for which will shew that we have but cold desires to be with God CXXXVIII NO Regenerate man can be mistaken in Gods Service who sets his Hâ—art sincerely to that workâ— for God who sees our hearâ—s throughout will not lose such a Votarrâ— but will Sanctify his zeal and make hâ—m see that an humble contriâ—e heart is the Sacâ—ifice He likes And will shew by his 〈◊〉 of Comfort and Consolation to such a man that his Soul will be transported with Raptures of joy in his Divine Contemplations when he finds such inward assurance of Godâ— favor that he cannot doubt of his Reconciliation when thus enriched with Grace and thus led by the Holy Ghost his devout heart will rise higher with bright flames of Love aspiring to get into Christs bosom CXXXIX WE should in our Meditations often reflect on the unquiet and uncertain wealth and Honours of this World and how unworthy such fleeting fruitions are to be preferred before Eternal felicities that so we may not set our hearts and spend our time on such vain acquisitions when immortal happiness will be had on easier and more certain terms and we surely become the Sons of God CXL THe greatest business of our Lives is to learn to die with holy courage and not to start from the Grave nor repine at such means and methods as our kind God appoints to make us willing to come to Him and by such gentle corrections to withdraw us from the World that our hearts may be always working up towards his Throne of Mercy where Christ has purchased places for converted sinners amongst the Angels and has appointed his Holy Spirit to invite and conduct us thither by his inward comforts which grow from the Gospel-promises and is the Christian Faith that repented sins forsaken shall not be charged on us in this World nor the next which is the foundation of Divine valour in a dying convert CXLI THe generality of mankind are naturally inclined to love those who love them and to judge of Friendship and Hatred by the assisting or crossing our designs in this World and the universal object herein is Death So then we are to consider the real effects of this great Monarchs power that controuls the World and see whether he be a more general Friend or Enemy to mankind For as he cuts down some in their first Buds others in the prime Blossoms of their youth and surprizes many of ripeâ— years by hurrying them into unexpected destruction from such Wealth and Honours as their carnal hearts were most delighted with yet the same Death is kind to the most of men who are oppressed with various sorts of Agonies both of mind and body beyond the cure of the best Remedies until by Death released from all degrees of maladies and miseries Now if all this be well considered we may bring our selves to such an acquaintance with this mighty Monarch Death by a daily conversation and preparation for our submission to his unresistable command so as to rejoyce when we are freed from future evils and by Death conducted to our Eternal Rest. And the same moment that our Souls expire we shall conquer Him who conquers all the World and for ever Triumph over his Victories over us So that 't is our weak Faith and frail Nature that makes Death seem so terrible an Enemy unto unrighteous men only CXLII THe true joy of a good Soul in this World is the very joy in Heaven only there 't is superinvested with Glory which a Righteous man enjoys that moment he dies without any stop by the way CXLIII THere is nothing more worthy of our continual thoughts our utmost endeavours and hearty prayers then to obtain the Blessedness to become Regenerate For when the Holy Ghost sanctifies the heart of such a man with the comfortable marks of his Reconciliation and Adoption that man will soon find the continual feast of a good conscience while he lives to be more pleasant then all other things which this World affords and at his hour of death the felieity of his Adoption will fill his Soul with holy valour and accompany him to his Everlasting Glory Which joy no mortal fancy can conceive and is the highest works of our strongest Faith to think on and to prepare for CXLIV HE that can upon examination find such comfort in his Soul as to be ever ready and willing to appear at the day of Judgment must be enlightned and guided by the Holy Ghost and sanctified by a Spiritual Resurrection from sin to grace and from all worldly temptations so as his chief delight will be in a Divine conversation with God by frequent approaches for the continuance