externals but how sad will it be to go as I may say religiously i. e. hearing and praying to Hell Ezek. 33.31 James 1.23 27. Matth. 7.21 22 23 26 27 28. 4 Take heed of doing that in with or for company for which thy heart may smite thee and thou must repent when thou art alone Exod. 23.2 1 Sam. 24.4 5 6. 5 They are sad joys and displeasing pleasures which a man must repent of or be damned for and such are all the pleasures of sin or sinful pleasures such as sin puts us upon or such as flow from sin 6 Endeavour to maintain such thoughts of grace and sin heaven and the world as you have or seem to have when you are at prayer then we seem to look on sin as ugly and odious and on the world as vanity and emptiness on grace and glory as the most desirable things but how little doth our conversation say of this while at prayer we seem to be fervent in spirit but when off it like water taken from the fire cold again 1 Chron. 29.18 7 A Christian should and will endeavour to use the world and sin as they used Christ that is to crucifie them Gal. 5.24 and 6.14 8 If the Law of the Members do oppress thee cry out as Paul did Rom. 7.24 and God will hear the cry of the oppressed Psal 9.9 9 God sometimes suffers others to be dis-ingenious towards us to correct our dis-ingenuity towards him sometime by them of our own bowels 2 Sam. 12.11 and rather than fail a dumb beast shall speak and rebuke mans madness 2 Pet. 2.16 10 All our grace is from God who is the God of all grace of all kinds and all degrees of grace the Author the Preserver and Finisher of it 1 Pet. 5.10 11 The vanity and unsatisfactoriness of the things of this world appears in this that a fancy an humour an ungrounded fear will rob us of all the comfort of it and what are all these things without the comfort of them and how many deprive themselves of much good for fear of losing it which is Nabal like to die for fear of dying 1 Sam. 25.37 Thus many kill themselves while they are alive for worldly sorrow is good for nothing but to work death 2 Cor. 7.10 12 It is as great a mercy to want that patiently which God denies as to use that cheerfully which God gives Job 2.10 13 When we believe we receive Christ into our selves John 1.12 for he dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 and when we love we give up our selves to Christ 2 Cor. 8.5 Faith then worketh by love or as the Greek hath it is effectually wrought by love the receiving of Christ into our selves by faith is warrantis'd by love i. e. our giving up our selves to Christ 14 Gods measure is ever best so much health and no more so much wealth and no more is best for thee as God sees good for though we beg for daily bread 't is fit that God should be our Carver Prov. 30.8 15 It 's a great evidence of pride and passion when the want of one thing robs us of all the comfort we should take in the rest Gen. 30.1 beside inordinate affection will chuse for it self though on hard conditions and is often punisht with having it's will as Rachel was who no sooner had her wish viz. Children but two and she died 16 God orders all our afflictions for the quality of them what they shall be for the quantity how much and how great they shall be and for the duration how long they shall be Gen. 15.13 A stranger afflicted 400 years there 's all three 17 There is not more comfort from Gods giving us any thing we want than there is safety in waiting on God for the supply of our wants Lam. 3.25 26. and surely there 's no mercy that 's worth praying for but is worth waiting for and if the mercy shall be ours 't is sit the time should be Gods who doth all in the best time even in due time 1 Pet. 5 6. 18 A mercy granted may not be in love though it be the return of a prayer for God hath granted some their desire in wrath Psal 78.29 30 31. compared with Psal 106.15 19 If we have never so many and good means to bring about an end it 's God must bless them if but a sew means God can multiply them if they be contrary God can use them if there be none God can create them or work without them When Jehosaphat knew not what to do his eyes were to God who is never at a loss but always knows what to do and is never out of his way 20 There never was man but died or was changed as Enoch and Elijah and never shall be man but must die or be changed it hath been the end of most mens stories and he died and 't will be of all mens to die or to be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 Let us therefore prepare for death and wait all the dayes of our appointed time till our change shall for it must come Job 14.14 21 God hath further designes than men can reach we see not all at once the best enjoyments do often issue from the greatest disappointments so that we have cause to bless God for crossing us Gen. 50.20 22 'T is a great sign that the rod is in love when thou dost not only bear but hear the rod so as to learn the lesson of growing the better for being beaten Psal 94.12 'T was a pretty one of a little child when corrected Kiss me Mother and whip me again Oh when a rod begets love 't is an argument that 't is from love 23 We should sear none but God and be afraid of nothing but sin and blessed is he that so feareth always Prov. 28.14 24 There are many Cordials that God will not give to his children till they be faint or sick strong consolations are reserved for great tribulations 2 Cor. 1.4 5. 25 If we will take a true measure and make a right estimate of good or evil it must be as it relates to the soul Matth. 10.28 2 Cor. 4.16 c. 26 Man is Gods Creature sin is mans and misery is sins Man was Gods Image sin is mans image and misery is sins image 't is only by Christ Jesus that we are freed from misery sin and our selves and brought to God and his Image 1 Pet. 3.18 27 We live by many Deaths our Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life is by death Many Creatures are put to death to keep us alive yea Christ Jesus died that we might live and we our selves must die that we may live Oh how good is God to us who hath made not only the Creatures ours but Christ ours and in and by him death ours Who makes every thing the worst as well as the best to work together for good to them that love him Rom. 8.28 and though we are less than the least
should consider that the begining and end of their bodies is but earth and dust Gen. 3.19 and how rich soever they be they should yet entertain their thoughts with this that as they brought nothing in so they must carry nothing out of this World 1 Tim. 6.7 74 If ever men may remember and mention their own noble deeds 't is then when their just defence and others unjust dealings doth require it 2 Cor. 12.11 75 'T is not good to vie slanders with men of tongue that were only to be at strife who should be most foolish and most wicked 1 Pet. 3.9 Prov. 26.4 76 Though we may punish we should never wrong an Offender When we punish the Malefactor we should spare the Man and make it appear that our anger is not against the Man that sins but against the Sin Psal 99.8 Deut. 2â— 3 c. A just punishment may be in the manner of doing unjustly done 77 Vengeance is a thing we should leave to God and content our selves onely with a Vindication Though we may right our selves we may not wrong others And in taking Vengeance we wrong God our Neighbour and our Selves Rom. 12.19 20 21. 78 He is a very gross Christian that thinks it his duty to be a Clown or Uncivil The Apostle Paul seldome used handsomer language or carried himself more gentilely or gave more terms of respect than when he appeared before men of Place and Power Phil. 4.8 79 We should not encourage Flatteries nor Calumnies and Backbiting by our belief or hearing of them If some did not take pleasure to hear and beleeve others would not be so much pleas'd to make or carry false reports Lev. 19.16 1 Tim. 5.13 Prov. 26.20 80 Though our own inclinations would lead us to the most pleasing civilities yet our Neighbours need must over-rule our judgement to put on severity for his profit Jude 22 23. 81 He that will not use the rod on his Child is like to have his Child used as a rod on him 1 Sam. 3.13 1 Kings 1.5 6. 82 There 's nothing makes death evil but the evil of our life If sin be taken away death hath no sting but instead of being dreadful it becomes desirable They therefore that would not be afraid of death should close with Christ who makes it worth our while to live or die Heb. 2.14 15. 1 Cor. 15.56 58. Phil. 3.20 21. Revel 14.13 83 He that dissembleth with God is not to be trusted by man John 2.23 24. 2 Thess 3.2 84 There 's scarce any thing more rare than true grief there are tears fained tears of custom and tears of decorum and fashion Many weep gracefully without grace 'T is only godly sorrow that 's worth commending 2 Cor. 7.11 85 Youth excites delight beauty desire great wit admiration vertue esteem and respect eminent goodness friendship and they say to produce a Love there must be a pleasingness also Thus all things are parcel'd out and none hath all together 'T is none but Jesus Christ that is altogether lovely and therefore seeing all desires are in him he should be the desire of all and no soul can have content and satisfaction that is not married to him and they that are want none Cant. 5.10 16. 86 The best policy is to prefer doing our duty before all enjoyments and the peace of ones conscience before any peace else and the liberty of serving God whose service is perfect freedom before the liberty of our persons Acts 4.19 20. 87 To go against reason and conscience for any other reason is highly to sin against God who is God of reason and Judge of conscience Gen. 39. James 4.12 88 Love is the root and spring of all other affections and passions a man hates because he seeth somewhat in that he hates contrary to what he loves and is therefore angry because in that wherewith he is angry there is something which impedeth or hurteth what he loves 89 'T is a difficult thing to judge â—nes self aright It 's best with some when they think it worst Revel 2.9 â—nd worst with some when they think â—t best Revel 3.17 90 God is the Father of mercies 〈◊〉 Cor. 1.3 Mercy is his Child and â—omes as freely from him as a Child from a Father and therefore he sent â—is own Son whose Father he is and 〈◊〉 whom he is a Father of Mercies to â—e his Love-Token to the World John â— 16 Rom. 5.8 1 John 4.9 91 We cannot live without breaking either naturally or spirituâ—lly and this necessity of breathing that we may live doth sometimes â—rce out such sighs and groans as are â—nutterable Rom. 8.22 26. 92 It was sad with the Primitive Times when they were undone for well-doing and must suffer evil because they would out do evil but though 't were sad yet 't was their glory and for which they not only glorified God 1 Pet. 4.13 16. but for which as the Apostle speaks God gave them thanks 1 Pet. 2.19 20. 93 A wicked man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not a friend to himself he flies and labours to run away from himself like Adam as well as from God and is never in so bad company as when he is and therefore caâ— seldome endure to be alone because he is then with his own guilty conscience and this makes men study saâ— many Pastimes and Arts of diversion or to fall a building as Cain did They endeavour to hide their faults noâ— only from others but to conceal them from themselves they esteem their crimes not sufficiently hidden if themselves see them they with-draw them from their own conscience bâ— bribing blinding and searing it 〈◊〉 much as they can 94 Some men hate their own vice in others as if they had not the tradâ— of sin enough to themselves unleâ—â— they had a Monopoly and might ingross it 95 When we go about any thing from the dictates of passion we should if at least when in a passion we can consider whether we our selves may not afterward be the first men who will wish it undone 96 He in some measure loves an evil who is overcome by it 2 Pet. 2.19 for conquest of this nature is on the Will which never chuseth an object till it love it There only we can have a perfect Conquest over sin where there will be a perfect hatred of it Here in the best there is but an incompleat restauration of the image of God The body of Nature and body of Sin are born and must die together 97 There is scarce a more hateful quality in the eyes of God or Man than that of the Herodians who lie in wait to catch and to accuse an innocent man Mark 12.13 98 Some men eat and drink so long that they are good for nothing bâ—â— either to lie down and sleep or to rise up and play to live to day and die to morrow having made their belly the grave of their souls and dungeon of reason Rom. 13.12 14.
because he hath Places and Preferments to bestow and they have none 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. 63 'T is made a question by some which is better the War that brings Peace or the Peace that brings War but surely we should endeavour to have Peace with God and all men and to War with nothing but the Devil the Flesh and Sin Eph. 6.12 64 Though men may pluck my heart out of my bowels they shall never pluck the truth nor the love of it out of my heart was the saying of and becoming a Martyr 65 If the Word of God slay not the sin of man yet t will slay the Man of Sin 2 Thes 2.8 and the man that goes on in sin Hos 6.5 66 God made man to serve him and he that serves God is a made man for Godliness is the making the enriching and exalting of a man A man is made for ever when he is new-made 1 Tim. 4.8 67 If Gods Precepts be far from our hearts his Ear will be far from our Prayers Prov. 1.28 68 Sleep which is the Shadow of Death is the Nurse of Nature the Parenthesis of our Cares Griefs and Troubles and Death is the Periodus the full stop point or end of them all if we die in the Lord Revel 14.13 The Resurrection is the beginning of a new Verse or Paragraph yea of the whole Tract of Eternal Life to the Children of the Resurrection John 5.29 69 Though it be a misery to have a sinful heart yet 't is a mercy to see it so for Conviction is the first step to Conversion and though there are many vile enough as to their state to be damned yet there are but few vile enough as to their sense in their own eyes to be saved or to cry out What shall we do to be saved Acts 2. 70 The Professors of and Pleaders for merit would be loth to use such arguments before God in Prayer which is a little day or the emblem of the Day of Judgement before God as they do in dispute before Men as I am worthy for whom thou should'st do this Though some did plead it for the man yet the man durst not plead it for himself as Luke 7.4 with 7. 71 There 's not so great a difference between the highest Saint in Heaven and the lowest Saint on Earth for 't is but gradu in degree as there is between the lowest Saint on Earth and the highest Man if but a Man on Earth for 't is specie a difference in kind Prov. 12.26 and God loveth the lowest Saint more than the highest Angel doth love God 72 When Christians goods are spoil'd and taken from them for Christs sake Men take what is not but God what is his own and yet he will place it to their account and reward them abundantly if not in this Life yet in that to come if not in kind yet in kindness which is infinitely better Heb. 10.34 Matth. 19.29 73 It might be just with God to make them go naked for want who go naked for wantonness and to suffer them to be bespotted with the Name of proud c. who bespot themselves for the fame of beauty and though charity command me to believe that some women which hang out signs will not lodge strangers yet these Mock-Guests as one calls them seem guilty of tempting others to tempt them Gen. 38.14 15 16. Prov. 7.15 16 17. 74 'T were to be wisht there were more and fairer proportion between Profession and Practice That men would do as they say and not only talk of but walk in Christ and the Spirit and not only adorn themselves their houses and their books with fine gay and golden clothing hangings and covers but that they would adorn the inner man with a meek and quiet Spirit and the outer man with Good Works and by both the Doctrine of God our Saviour for he is a very piteous Christian who in words confesseth but in works denieth Christ Gal. 4.25 Col. 2.6 1 Tim. 2.9 10. 1 Pet. 3.4 Titus 2.10 and 1.16 How can he be true to the Will of God that 's false to his own word 75 Wicked men do not only depart from God but bid God depart from them Job 21.14 but wo unto them when God takes them to their word Hos 9.12 and when they shall hear that dreadful Sentence Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.41 Sin and damnation have one Name departure from God 76 We have great reason to acknowledg our beholdenness to God for the time that is past and as great to own our dependance on God for the time to come and are by both hugely and strongly obliged to glorifie God Dan. 5.23 77 Thinking time if well improved may be some of our best time and we may be in good company when alone There is a Story of a Gentleman who on his Death-bed laid this one command upon his wild son and engaged him to the performance of it by a solemn promise viz. That he should spend some time every day in retired thinking but left him at liberty to think on what he would Being under this promise and having this liberty he addresses himself to perform the one and enjoy the other one day recalling his past pleasures another contriving new delights but at length becomes inquisitive after his Fathers design and end in requiring this penance He knew his Father to be a wise and good man and therefore concluded his design to be so too that his intent could be no other but to bring him to consider his wayes and whither they tended and what would become of him â—f he were not religious but should â—ive and dye in his sin which was by a divine hand set so home that he was restless till it was made effectual to his becoming a new man Happy Command happy Promise happy Performance happy Time happy Employment happy success Some-body hath a saying that Consideration is half Conversion and that a considerative person is not far nor is like to be long from the Kingdome of Heaven The great complaint God makes of men is this that they are not men i. e. rationally considering and reflecting on their wayes Isa 1.3 and 44.19 As if 't were impossible for men to act sinfully if they would act rationally and therefore calls on them to shew themselves men Isa 46.8 When the Proding came to himself he quickly went to his Father 78 When men as the Apostle Paul doth often use Hyperbolies in speaking of Grace and Glory it makes the highest of them but seeming ones for they are a Thence on which 't is easie for a man to speak much but impossible to speak too much or well enough there 's want in the words that are and want of more words than there are to tell us the All of Grace and Glory Eph. 3.18 19. and 3.8 2 Cor. 4.17 1 John 3.1 2 3. 79 Of the two Promises bind Faith more than threatnings do and we should ever be
though 't is not good to be a Heathen yet of the two 't were better to be a just Heathen which is possible than to be an unjust Christian which saving the Name is a contradiction Rom. 2.13 to 29. Matth. 11.24 91 Ungodly Men yea Devils may present themselves before the Lord Job 1.6 but Godly Men present i. e. make a present of themselves unto God Rom. 12.1 92 As we could not deserve so we cannot requite the Lord for his kindness to us and indeed had God given to us looking for any thing again by way of recompence and requital his mercies would have undone us for we are so far from being able to pay the utmost farthing that of our selves as of our selves being insufficient to think one good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 the utmost payment we could have made would not have amounted to a farthing beside what we return even in our best estate is but his own 1 Chron. 29.14 and we are beholden not only for what we receive from him but for what we do and give to him so then that which is the effect of his love and grace can never be the reward of it Less than the least of all thy mercies must be our Motto as well as Jacobs Gen. 32.10 93 Our Lord Jesus Christ loves and commends countenances and encourages discretion ingenuity and morality Mark 10.21 and 12.32 yet deals plainly and tells them this is not enough if the but one thing necessary be wanting this all is nothing at all if we have no more A man may not be far from the Kingdome yet never the near the foolish Virgins came to the very Gate but were were without still where are dogs Rev. 22.15 Prophane ones are afar off indeed yet Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdome of God before some who preâ—ended to have a Title to it as being Children of the Kingdome Matth. 21. â—1 with 8.12 They who were afar off being sinners of the Gentiles were made near by the bloud of Christ Eph. 2.13 when the Jews who were â—ear as the natural branches and of the Common-wealth of Israel were cut off Rom. 11. Civil persons of good dispositions of sweet lovely and â—aking behaviours and very innocent conversations seem to be near as â—e Mark 10.20 21. who seem'd to â—id fair for heaven and marcheth on gallantly till put to the trial and â—hen he retreats though with grief â—hat he cannot have heaven and the world too yet rather than he will part with his possessions on earth he will venture the loss of heaven and rather have his part in Paris than in Paâ—adise on which our Saviour makes a close application and a startling one to rich men as it there follows There are some Semi-Converts half or almost Christians Acts 26.28 and these seem nearer but he that sits down at half-way will never come to the end of his journey but is still far off though he have gone so far There are others who have the Name of Christians and are within the pale of the Church and these are neerest of all the rest yet many of these also may be afar off for what 's the Name without the Thing if we be not found iâ— Christ Jesus New Creatures yea aâ— our Saviour tells us with a Double Verily except a man be born again how near so ever he be to he cannot see nor enter into the Kingdome oâ— God John 3.3 5. 94 They who lose their possessions may and should in patience possesâ— their souls and then though patience cannot keep them from misery yeâ— it will keep them from being miserable for a man never loseth very much if he lose not his soul nor himself Lukâ— 21.19 95 Our Saviour bids his disciples Not fear them that can kill the body for that 's the most and worst they can â—o the worst alas is not that bad enough no there may a worse thing â—efal us viz. the destruction i. e. the damnation of body and soul in hell 'T is as if he said you can at a cheaper â—ate and more easily die than be damned you are never undone though kill'd if not damned 't is never very â—ll if it be well with the soul you have more reason to fear God than man for God hath more power over you to do more good for or evil to you though the body be in the soul is â—ut of mans reach but both are in the hand of God therefore Matth. 8. â—8 96 To go out of Gods way for life â—s to go out of the way of life John 5.39 40. and 6.68 and 14.6 Acts 4.12 'T is not only lost labour but the way to death to seek life out of or without Christ Jesus Rom. 9.30 33. and 10.3 4. 97 Take heed of temptation in a time of straights for as mans extremity is Gods opportunity to help so 't is the Devils opportunity to tempt Matth. 4.2 3. and as God suits consolations so the Devil suits temptations to our conditions Prov. 30.8 9. 98 The service we do to men is never acceptable to God unless we do it as serving the Lord Eph. 6.6 7. Col. 3.22 23. 99 Religion which is to be our bufiness and pleasure too is not for spare hours nor hath it any hours to spare Luke 1.75 1 Cor. 10.31 We should be religious in all things and at all times 100 He that is not good in secret it may be feard that he is but an hypocrite in publick Matth. 6.1 6. and 23 25 to 30. THE Second Century 1. THough Death may separate a Believer and his near and dear relations yea and make a separation between his soul and his body yet it shall never separate him from his happiness from the love of God in Christ Rom. 8.38 39. 2 All our attendances upon and our addresses to God speak not any need he hath of us for he that giveth all things needeth nothing Acts 17.25 but they speak the need we stand in of God of his mercy and grace Heb. 4.16 And surely if God need not our services he doth not need our sins Wilt thou lie for God Job 13.7 The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God James 1.20 No evil is to be done for any good Rom. 3.8 and they who sin under the pretence of service and dishonour God under the Name of honouring will have no thanks for honouring but severe judgement for sinning 1 Sam. 15.20 23. Isa 66.5 John 16.2 3 We are forward to hear and pray which are cheap and easie things but when self is to be denied and lusts to be subdued what we pray for is to be practis'd and what we hear is to be done which is the Spirit Power and Life of Religion ah how backward are we alas how many exercise themselves unto Godliness use the means who do not exercise themselves in Godliness which is the end of means Thus Religion dwindles away in and persons content though they cheat themselves by meer