any thing thou apprehendest to be praise-worthy this must be meat for thy pride It may be thou prayest against thy covetousness or sensuality but as soon as thou art off thy knees away thou goest to work for the one or to thy play to please the other When some of thy last words are lead us not into temptation it may be thy very next steps may be running into temptation this is but mocking of God and deluding thy self If thou would'st prosper against this enemy whil'st thou stormest it by seeking to God starve it by denying thy self 3. Put a bridle on its Jaws My meaning is restrain it from its actings if thou canst not prevent its conception strangle it in the birth if the fire be kindled within yet give it no vent allow not the lust of thine heart the priviledge of thy mouth or the command of thine hand if thou canst not restrain thy covetous desires yet hold in from covetous practices if thou lovest the wine and the strong drink yet withhold the cup from the lip if thou canst not so easily rule thy spirit yet bridle thy tongue the fire of passion doth not waste by spending but rather increases the ordinary preventing and restraining the acts of sin will weaken its habits I have heard some persons vainly speaking at this rate when I have anger in mine heart out it must and then I am friends and so take it for their vertue rather than their sin that they cast out all their mire and dirt in a storm because then a calm follows Thou fool hast thou conquered thine unruly spirit by suffering thy self to be thus conquered by it what do'st thou think of him that conquers his lust by going to an Harlot when thou hast eas'd thy stomach by thy Bedlam-language then there is a calm but thou neither considerest the sin of letting fly thine angry words nor yet wilt mind that the fire will kindle the sooner for that it finds so easie a vent Damme up the furnace and that 's the best way to quench the coals 4. Set thy foot on the neck of Sin Have any of thy lusts fallen before thee make them sure tread them under thee that they rise not up again do not slight them as conquered enemies which now thou needest no more to fear those which are now under thy foot if thou look not well to them may be Lords over thee again Hath the Lord humbled thy proud heart broken thy unruly spirit and seem'd to turn a Lyon into a Lamb whilest thou sayest I hope I shall never be proud again never be so froward or peevish again whil'st thus thou hopest thou shalt not yet still fear lest thou should'st whil'st sin hath any life in it thou art still in danger as we use to say of dying men whil'st there is life there is hope so may it be said of these dying beasts while there is life there is fear Let that fear be as the foot upon their necks to prevent their rising and return upon thee Well thus set upon sin let it be destroyed reward it as it would serve thee and because it will be long a dying let it be killed all the day long draw not back thine hand whil'st its life is left in it O what an advantage will the death of of sin be to the life of holiness when the body of sin is dead 't will stink dead bodies will do so and all the issues of it will be noisome and loathsome to thee Lust is never deadly but when it lives and is sweet and pleasant when it dies and stinks and is become an annoyance to thee it will be the less thine hindrance it hath now done its worst the more it offends the less it will hurt Do'st thou find sin sweet Is it still a pleasure to thee beware of it 't is a sign 't is still alive it would stink if it were dead thou would'st nauseate it thy stomach would rise against it O this stinking pride this stinking covetousness these stinking pleasures away with them my very soul is sick with the stench they make and when sin stinks then holiness will be pleasant and the work of holiness a delight the very severities of Religion will be sweet when the pleasure of sin ceases The death of sin is all our diseases cured the lean and consumptive Soul will now revive and recover and be strengthened for its work The crucifying of sin is the casting off our weights that hang on to hinder us in our way Heb. 12.1 2. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth easily be set us and run with patience the race that is set before us 't is ill running with weights upon our backs Lust is such a weight upon the Saints as Conscience is upon sinners some sinners Consciences make them drive heavily on in their way of sin when they can once knock off this weight when they can kill Conscience and get themselves rid of its checks and controuls then they rush on upon iniquity as the horse rusheth into the battel let the Saints serve their Lusts as Sinners do their Consciences and then they may run with patience the race which is set before them There is a sore evil that is seen under the Sun Sinners all upon the Tantivie riding post towards Hell O how sprightly O how hot are they upon their chace of sin and vanity and poor creeple-Christians but barely wagging on by a Snail-creeping motion heavenward O 't is a sign that the weights do yet hang on thou art yet heavy loaden thou carriest too many bundles of thorns upon thy back too many burthens of earth and flesh upon thine heart to make any hast heaven-ward lay aside these weights tread down these worldly lusts throw off these worldly cares and carnal desires and delights yea get this carnality which is the body of Sin and the very soul of that body to be slain and crucifyed with Christ and when thou art dead with Christ thou shalt live the better to him He that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and vers 18.22 Being made free from sin ye then become the Servants of Righteousness and so shall have your fruit unto holiness and your end everlasting life O what a visible improvement should we quickly see on the professing world did we prosper more in our mortifying work then would the languid and pale-fac'd Saints have blood in their cheeks and more spirits in all their veins the young man within would be fresh and ruddy were the old man once well laid then would the Plants grow up into Trees and the Shrubs into Cedars then will the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb be loosed then would this vile image of earth and flesh vanish and disappear and the Spirit of Glory and of God would more visibly rest upon us and we should go forth as the Sun out of his Chamber and rejoyce as the
34.10 He is provided for for Soul and for Body for this Life and that to come The Promise is his Portion and in the Promise there is all things There 's Bread in the Promise and Cloaths and Houses and Lands and Friends there 's Grace and Glory in the Promise And to have an Inheritance in the Promise is to him as good as to have it in hand and in some respects better Thou art a Fool Soul who sayest with the Prodigal Give me my Portion 't is better where 't is God will look better to thee than thou to thy self 2. He hath Security All that he hath is in safety He that hath most and is in danger of losing all as I said before is in greater perplexity than he that hath nothing to lose The Poor Man sleeps in more quiet than he that hath his House full of Treasure if he be in danger of the Robber Enough is not enough 't will never content whilst there is hazard of losing all The Man that feareth hath enough and all he hath is in safety Prov. 1.33 Whoso hearkneth to me shall dwell safely he shall be quiet from fear of evil He that feareth shall be most free from fear the Fear of God will fortifie him against the Fears of the World Particularly consider these two things 1. The Matters wherein his Happiness lies are sure The Mercies of God are sure Mercies that will neither fade away nor can be taken away If there be uncertainty in what a Christian hath of this World he is well enough notwithstanding these are not his Happiness he may be as happy in his greatest penury as in his greatest plenty This is easily said O that it were but soundly believed What a calm and serene state might Christians then live in in the greatest tempests The Matters of a Christians happiness are sure and certain Things The portion of the World is not capable of being made sure As one sayes well The World flies Mr. Gouge sometimes it pitches upon one Family and then how happy do they account themselves shortly after it takes its flight thence and away to another and thence to another and another and who knows whither Come to a Family this year and behold as Job 21.10 Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calf Their Fig-Tree blossoms their Vine flourisheth there are Flocks in the Fold there are Herds in the Stall and then they are all merry and at rest They send forth their little Ones as a Flock and their Children dance they are cloathed with Purple and Scarlet and fare sumptuously every day they take the Timbrel and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ Come to the very same Family a few years after and all 's gone and then their Purple is turned into Sack-cloth their Musick into Mourning and their Mirth into Heaviness The World runs upon Wheels The Wheel of Providence is ever turning now one 's at the top of the Wheel and then another comes up and he that was just now at the top by and by tumbles and the Wheel runs over him How often do Rich Men break and Poor Men get up for a while in their rooms and then tumble down after them To day then hast an Estate and dwellest at ease in thine own cieled House but who can tell where he may find thou to morrow To day thou livest and art in health and nothing ails thee to morrow thou mayest die the Grave may cover thee and Worms may be feeding upon thee Such an uncertain World this is and at such uncertainties are the things thereof and there 's no preventing of it It cannot be otherwise the wisest the wariest the most provident and industrious Man in the World do what he can can never be at a certainty for two dayes together The Thief the Moth the Fire Sickness and Death may quickly divide betwixt him and his portion and take away either him from it or it from him But the Treasure of the Man that fears God is a Treasure that faileth not an enduring Substance 2. His very Fear is a means to keep what he hath in safety Jer. 32.40 I will put my Fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Though when God hath hold of us he will never lose his hold yet he holds us by certain Cords which should they break or give off we should certainly be gone and be lost One of these Cords is Faith 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the mighty Power of God through Faith unto Salvation Another of these Cords is this of Fear I will put my Fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Whereupon we may say also We are kept by the mighty Power of God through Fear unto Salvation God makes use of our Fear of losing all to prevent our loss As if we should cease to believe so if we should cease to Fear we should be undone at last Upon a little loosening of this Cord how often do we suffer great loss When we take head and grow bold and venturous when we do forget our danger and so lay by our Armour how much mischief do we run our selves into Hast thou never lost thy Peace and all sense of the love of God Hast thou never lost thy Affections and all thy delight in God Hast thou never fallen by thy folly into Sin into a vain and carnal frame into a dead and barren state and thereby provoked the Lord to withdraw and hide his Face from thee and been cast back in the state of thy Soul Dost thou not often see this to be thy case thou winkest if thou dost not why thou shouldst not have been so venturous thou should'st have feared in time and all this mischief might have been prevented Whilst Fear stands Centinel the Enemy hath the less hope of making an Invasion upon thee But where this Fear is not that Soul dwells like the wealthy Nation Jer. 49.31 without care and having neither Gates nor Bars and so becomes a booty and a spoil to the Enemy Where Care is the Gate and Fear hath bolted the Gate there all is in safety This Fear may expose and make more obnoxious to temporal Evils How much do Christians often lose by their Fear They lose their Friends and lose their Estates and their Liberties and sometimes their Lives upon this very account that they are afraid to sin against God And yet all this while they are in safety and when they have cast up their Accounts they find they are no losers though they have lost all that ever they had their Souls are in safety and that 's enough to save them harmless under all their Sufferings He whose Face is filled with the contempt of the Proud whose back is bowed down that the ungodly may go over it whose Name is made a scorn and derision whose Goods become a booty and a spoil and his very
doth Lust lead but to Sin and whither doth Sin lead but to Death and to Hell Be not mistaken that 's the Lake that this whole Herd of Swine being driven by the Devil are running headlong into Friends this is the very case that the World is brought into it lyeth in Wickedness and runneth upon Vengeance And yet behold all at quiet all secure no news nor noise nor fear of danger but all in peace Dost thou not find Sinner that none of these things move thee or put thee to any trouble or care And is this sleepy Evil the Disease only of the World Are there none to be found in the Churches of God sick of the same Disease Is there that watchfulness that jealousie that should be upon those that profess themselves Christians and to have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Do these Virgins alwayes stand with their Loins girded and their Lights burning Do not our Souls also lie open to the temptation is not our foot often taken in the snare What means the dimness of our Light the damp that is upon our Love the spots upon our Faces the clouds that we sometimes find upon all our Comforts What means our poverty and leanness our frequent decayes and backsliding How hath this World crowded in with so much of its Cares and Lusts and hath seated it self so near the Throne of God Are there no worldly Professors no covetous greedy Professors Is it a sign thou hast stood upon thy Guard that there are so many Thorns sprung up so many Thieves stollen in before thou wert aware Dost thou not see how thou art surprized daily and met with at every turn Dost thou not often confess this to the Lord and complain against thy self what an uneven unstable Soul thou art and how many and how great thy Falls and Corruptions are and hast thou not still abundant matter of the same Complaints to make Who would think 't were possible that such a soul should yet be secure and careless Hast thou catch'd so many a Fall for want of fear of falling how then canst thou but Fear And yet after all this after this sinning and falling and confessing and complaining how quickly is all forgotten and about the World again we go to our Businesses to our Recreations to this Company to that any whither whither our Hearts or Occasions lead us leaving our selves as open to every Temptation that meets us as if we had never suffered by it This Evil as 't is a common so it is a dreadful Evil there 's a Woe denounced against it Amos 6.1 Wo to them that are at ease in Zion To them that are at ease that is to th m that are secure as you have it in the Margin In Zion in the Church of God Woe to the secure Israelites to secure Professors there 's no Priviledg there 's no Profession that will secure the Secure from the Woe and Wrath of God 'T is a wretched thing to behold a secure Worldling secure Aliens and Strangers from God who know not the Judgments of God but to see a company of secure Israelites of secure Christians to whom it hath been said Awaken thou that sleepest stand up from the Dead save thy self from that misery that is coming upon the World this is indeed a woful and a wonderful thing Thou that hast been warned so often that hast been preached to and prayed over and hast been as a Brand pull'd out of the Burning and yet no more to dread the Fire thou that hast tasted of the bitterness of Sin and felt the smart of it and hast had thine Eyes opened to see what it is preparing for thee thou that canst talk sometimes of tenderness of watchfulness of care and heedfulness and of the constant necessity thereof art thou a secure careless Soul Wo be unto thee Vers 3. We have a particular Instance of one piece of this Security that put far away the evil day which because it hath an influence upon the maintaining of this whole Disease I shall enlarge a little upon it By the Evil Day understand the day of retribution or recompence whether it be the day of tribulation in this World or the day of Death and of Judgment There is a double putting this evil day afar off There is a putting it 1. Far from our Reins 2. Far from our Loyns 1. Far from our Reins That is from our Thoughts and Consideration as Jer. 12.2 Thou art near in their Mouth and far from their Reins Thou art much spoken of but little thought on Thus Men put the Evil Day far off when they do not think of such a day it 's out of sight and out of mind with them 't is the least of all their Thoughts that there is an evil day coming The thoughts of such a day would have the same effect as that cry that was made at the coming of the Bridegroom Matth. 25.6 At midnight there was a Cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh and this cry turn'd Midnight into Morning all the Sleepers awakned and arose and trimmed their Lamps How is it Friends that there is not such a Cry made every Day and every Night How is it that your Hearts do not still cry in your Ears The Day of the Lord is near the Judg is at the Door the Avenger is at the Heels Behold the Bridegroom cometh O this seldom enters into our Hearts this Day of the Lord is far from our Reins If the Evil Day were kept nearer us 't would make Evil Works keep farther off If when Men are jolly and merry and mad after their Lusts and drunken into a dead sleep in their Sins If whilst others are idle and slothful are retchless and supine in their Spirits and Ways laying by all care and circumspection over themselves giving themselves up to the heedlesness of their sluggish hearts and hereby led out into those sins vanities which are the Fruits of such Security if such Thoughts should arise in their Minds and sit close upon their Hearts How shall I answer for this in the Day of the Lord Is not the Day of the Lord coming Is it not near May not the very next day be the Evil Day And if it should prove to be so indeed what a case am I in if my Judg should find me thus How would such Thoughts scatter away Iniquity and scare such drowsie Souls out of all their ease and slothfulness Friend consider thou knowest what a life 't is thou ordinarily livest Art not thou one of those that art at ease in Zion art not thou the Man that dwellest careless that art quiet and secure hast not thou left thy Soul like that City that hath neither Gates nor Bars is not that heart of thine left open Night and Day let the Tempter come when he will he may find easie entrance Is not thine heart open to Temptations yea and open
to Wrath and Vengeance Wouldst thou be content the Day of the Lord should find thee thus Art thou sure but that Day may find thee thus Would not such a Voice from Heaven Thy Day is come strike thee into horror and amazement and strike through thy easie lazie Soul as a Dart through thy Liver O why wilt thou not try what some thoughts of that Day might do whether it would not perswade thee to a wiser course and put thee into a better case against it comes indeed It is a strange thing that it should be possible for Sinners that believe the Scriptures not to think of a day of recompence Hast thou not heard dost thou not read that the Wages of Sin is Death dost thou not know that every working day must have its pay-day Canst thou be Sowing daily and never think of Reaping And hast thou not learned That as thy Sowing is such must thy Reaping be that an evil Seed-time will bring forth an evil Harvest Canst thou be Sowing Tares and either not think of Reaping at all or think of Reaping Wheat Is this all the wit thou hast Be not deceived as Men Sow so shall they also Reap he that Soweth to the Flesh shall Reap Corruption he that Soweth to the Spirit shall Reap Life Everlasting Gal. 6.7 8. Know it in time and throughout thy Sowing think of thy Reaping-Day 2. Men put the Evil Day far from their Loyns That is though they do think of the Judgments of God and as such as both may overtake them and if they fall will fall heavy upon them and grind them to Pouder yet they count 't will be a great while first there may be time enough to prevent them or at least the distance they apprehend of them from them makes them the less to be feared or regarded Eccles 1.8 Because Sentence against an evil work is not executed specdily therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do evil Because Judgment is so long a-coming therefore they grow bold in their Sin as if 't would never come Not till after a long time is almost the same with them as never at all As if because the Bench and the Gibbet stand not both together because the Sin and its Sentence the Sentence and its Execution are not on the same day therefore there will be no Sentence no Execution as if because it's Sun-shine to day there were no fear of a Storm for many dayes after The Thoughts of Sinners are like those words of Rebellious Israel Ezek. 12.27 The Vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come and he Prophesieth of the Times that are far off Those Scoffers who walk after their own Lusts 2 Pet. 3.4 demand in derision Where is the Promise of his coming Where is the Promise that is where is the Threatning of his coming The same word that is a Promise to the Saints is often a Threatning to Sinners Where is the Threatning of his coming There hath been much Preaching and Talking of the Day of the Lord of a Black Day that 's coming to pay all our Scores this hath been foretold a long time agone even in the dayes of our Fore-fathers who are yet gone to their Graves in peace and behold to this day after the revolution of so many Ages we see no sign of it but all things are still as they were and Men may sin at as cheap rates now as they did then Those Rebel Jews Isa 5.19 That drew Iniquity with Cords of Vanity and Sin as it were with Cart-ropes are so bold as to say Let the Day of the Lord come let it hasten that we may see it let the Counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh that we may know it Such Infidels were these Rebels become that they made the Threatnings of the Lord a meer Mock or a Dream or a lying Vision that would never come to pass But even among those that do believe that there is such a day a-coming wherein the Lord will confirm the Word of his Servants and perform the Counsel of his Messengers even amongst them there are who say Yet the Lord may delay his coming I may have time enough to repent before it comes not considering that though to day it be said Time enough yet to morrow the word may be Too late too late though now the word be My Lord delayeth his coming the next word may be He is come the Day of the Lord is come and I must no longer escape O my foolish Soul thou thoughtest such a day might come but didst thou think it so near Wo wo unto me the Day of Vengeance is come in a day that I thought not of in an hour that I was not aware He is come he is come to cut me in sunder and to give me my Portion with Hypocrites It is fallen unto me as to some Women with Child my Time is come before my Reckoning was out Friends Is there nothing of this kind of Security also to be found even among those that take themselves to be wiser than this Bedlam-World How is it with many Professors of Religion Do we live in hourly expectation of the Day of Retribution Are we so vigilant and so circumspect in our daily course as Men that do believe that the Day of the Lord is at hand How didst thou live yesterday didst thou carry it so as if that should have been thy last day How dost thou behave thy self to day Dost thou now carry it so as if thou expectedst to hear This night shall thy Soul be taken away Dost thou hear daily as if thou wert hearing thy last Sermon Dost thou pray daily as if thou wert making thy last Prayer Dost thou not sleep daily and sin daily as a Man that presumeth on many dayes to come Dost thou never venture on a little sin or on remisness in thy Duty with this thought it will but be repenting of it after Wouldst thou dare to do what sometimes thou dost wouldst thou dare to neglect what sometimes thou dost neglect wert thou sure there would be no time for repentance Wouldst thou be so proud as thou art or so covetous as thou art or so vain or so slothful as thou art if thou didst not count upon more day before thee Darest thou never lie down one night in an unrepented Sin for fear of what may be before the morning O what Holy-Dayes what Sabbath-Dayes would every day be did we but daily think this may be my Judgment Day But dost thou use to think so Thou hast thy fleshly designs already laid for to morrow and next day and next year to morrow thou sayest thou wilt go to such a City to buy and to sell and to get gain next day to such a Fair next day to such a Feast to make merry with thy Friends and there thou goest and eatest and drinkest and tradest and so thou meanest to go on from Year to Year and
spared thou wilt not deliver them up God sayes sometimes to thee Not take thou thy Child but let me take him be content that I lay mine hand upon him and smite him with Sickness or Death No thou canst not bear it but takest on and murmurest and art impatient and wilt not be comforted or quieted Some Parents can better bear it that the Devil should take their Children than that God should take them If the Devil takes thy Child and makes a Prodigal Child of him makes a Drunkard of him or a Rioter if evil Company carry him away from thee into the Paths of the Destroyer thou canst bear it with more patience though possibly it be some trouble to thee At least if the Devil take him and only make him a greedy Worldling or Muck-worm though that make him a sure to Hell as Prodigality yet this thou canst bear with ease Though we may sometimes hear Parents say I had rather my Child had been dead it would not have been such an affliction to me to have followed him to his Grave as it is to see him buried alive in Lewdness and Debauchery yet to see him held by the Devil under a blind Mind under an hard and impenitent Heart so he be civil and sober and thirty for this World though he be but a civil Infidel a thrifty Unbeliever this is not so heavily taken But let God lay hands upon him and take him away out of the World and then no other noise is heard in the House but such as was heard in Ramah Matth. 2.18 Lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her Children and would not be comforted because they were not 4. Fear the Cross or Afflictions You 'l say this is strange counsel the Scripture give the quiet contrary Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Rev. 2.10 Fear not them that kill the Body Luk. 12.4 I shall therefore shew 1. How we are not to fear the Cross 2. How we are to fear the Cross 1. How we are not to fear the Cross Now the Cross must not be feared either 1. Out of tenderness to the Flesh or 2. Out of faintness of Spirit 1. The Cross is not to be feared out of tenderness to the Flesh By the Flesh understand both our Bodies of Flesh and out fleshly Lusts 1. Not out of tenderness to our Bodies 'T is this which makes us shrink from and shun the Cross that it is such a trouble to our outward Man that it puts it to so much pain and hardship The Soul suffers not immediately by any thing that Man can do unto us but as it partakes in the sufferings of the Body If our Bodies could bear with Ease their own Infirmities the Soul could not feel them what the Body cannot endure makes the Soul sick because of its tenderness towards it Upon this account 't is that we fear bodily Afflictions but thus it must not be A Christian is a Souldier and Souldier must not fear but endure hardness 2 Tim. 2.3 Endure hardness as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ It is not for tender Persons to be Souldiers hunger and thirst cold and weariness is their ordinary lot and their hardness must be their Armour against all It is not for tender Persons to be Souldiers and therefore it is not for Christians to be tender the most tender of Sin of any Persons in the World but not so of Sufferings There are several kinds of Sufferings we may be exposed to some fall at a greater distance when we are smitten only in our Goods or Estates others come nearer and touch our Flesh and our Bones and these are they that are hardest born The Devil in his tempting Job knew which was the tender part and therefore reserves that for his last trial Job 2.5 Put forth thine hand now and touch his Bone and his Flesh and he will curse thee to thy face And if this tender part once becomes hardy then thou art a Souldier fit to fight the Devil and his Armies Christian be not tender of thy Flesh and then thou wilt not thence fear Sufferings 2. Much less is the Cross to be feared out of tenderness to our fleshly Lusts Here let three things be considered 1. The Intention of the Cross is the Destruction of the Flesh 2. 'T is this corrupt Flesh that makes the Cross to pinch 3. This Flesh is no such Friend to us that for its sake the Cross should be feared 1. The Intention of the Cross is the Destruction of the Flesh Afflictions as ill-favouredly as they look come to us upon no ill intent 't is to save us from that which is worse God delivers his People up to the Cross to the same end for which the Church was to deliver up Offenders to the Devil for the destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus Sin must be put to death and it must be put to the same death which Christ was put to it must be Crucified Rom. 6.6 Our Old Man is Crucified with him Our old Man I that 's the Male-factor that must be executed on the Cross God would have the Souls of his People to live and thrive in warm weather the most hopeful Blades are even chok'd up with Weeds then come the Frosts to kill the Weeds and save the Corn. 2. 'T is this corrupt Flesh that makes the Cross to pinch 'T is the Flesh that 's struck at and 't is that that smarts Afflictions would fall more easie on mortified Hearts Dead Flesh cannot feel And therefore 't is that what-ever complaints and groanings are heard from mortified Christians 't is usually much more for their Sins than for their Sufferings Their Medicine is sharp and puts them hard to it at first to bear it but when it hath a little conquered their Disease much of its tartness is allayed 'T is their Sore or Disease that makes them so full of pain What 's the reason that losses in Mens Estates the spoiling of their Goods that Poverty so vexes their Hearts and puts them into such fits of Impatience O 't is their Covetousness and the Cares of this Life that are the Teeth of Poverty and Want Had we once mortified our earthly Members and learn'd in every Estate to be content how easie would losses be What 's the reason that contempt and disgrace raises such a storm in others 'T is their Pride that cannot be patient He whose Heart is humble can be content to be humbled and laid low The like may be said in all other afflictive cases 't is Lust that makes Affliction tedious 3. The Flesh is no such Friend to us that for its sake we should fear the Cross 'T is near us 't is true and cannot suffer but we our selves suffer and are pained in it But so 't is with an Ulcer in the Body 't is in thine own Flesh and whatever smart is felt 't is thou
that feelest it but would'st thou therefore fear to have thy Wound cured Christian wouldst thou have thy Lusts live Dost thou not pray for their Destruction Dost thou not sigh and groan under them Dost thou not wish and wait and hope and long for thy Redemption from them Dost thou count them as Enemies and art thou afraid of that Weapon that 's now put into thine hand to avenge thee of thine Enemies Objection I would be glad this Flesh might die but O may it not be put to an easier death 'T is not their death that I fear but those Instruments of death that are so tormenting Answer 1. Then save thy self that torment by laying thine own hand upon them Prevent thy need of the Cross by doing its Work thy self Let it be thy daily Work by Faith by Prayer by Watchfulness by Self-denyal by Temperance by Meditation by Resolution and such other gentle means by degrees to destroy thy Lusts thy self save the Cross its labour by doing its Work to its hands 2. Must they die an easie death What or else wilt thou not that they die at all Will it be so easie for thy Soul to die by their hand that thou wilt rather venture on that than a little present trouble Shall thy right hand or thy right foot cast thee and carry thee to Hell because it would be painful to cut them off and cast them from thee Is it become so easie to thee to be in bondage to these Egyptians that thou wilt rather serve at the Brick-kilns than venture for thy Redemption on the hazards of the Red-Sea or the hardships of the Wilderness Fear this Flesh more than thou dost and that Servitude it holds thee under and that future Misery it's dragging thee to Fear this more and then thou wilt not fear thy Redemption by what means soever it be brought about Thou wilt not say Deal gently with mine Enemy deal tenderly with this Flesh Let it die Lord let it die let me be delivered from the Body of this Death and I will not prescribe to thee for the way and means 2. Fear not the Cross out of faintness of Spirit-Faint not when thou art chastned saith the Apostle Heb. 12.5 much less before-hand before the chastning comes I shall put in a word or two as Cordials to preserve from fainting Let these two things be considered 1. The Lord is his Peoples God This is his Covenant with them Jer. 30.22 I will be your God and you shall be my People Let us consider a little what great support this Promise yields I will be your God What 's the meaning of that What is there in this more than every one may lay claim to Is he not the God of all the Earth Is he not the Sinner's God Is he not the Drunkard's God the Atheist's God the God of them that say in their Hearts there is no God He is so The God that made them the God that rules them the God that Judges and will Condemn them This is a word of terror to the ungodly World I am their God that is I am above them as high as any of them are I am higher than they and will bring them down to the Dust of Death But what is there in this word as to Believers What meaneth the most High when he speaks this word I will be your God to them The meaning is this I will be your God in Covenant I will be your Friend and your Father your Portion and Heritage your Rock and your Refuge for ever I am the Almighty God and able to save you from all your distresses I am the All-sufficient God and able to supply all your Wants and Necessities and whatsoever I am all is yours Now Friend when God sayes I am thine what matters it who or what can say I am none of thine Suppose the gods of the Earth should say to thee Away we are none of thine Suppose thine old Friends and Acquaintance should say Stand back we are none of thine Suppose thy nearest Relations thy Father or thy Brother or thine Husband or thy Wife should say We are none of thine Suppose thine House and thy Countrey should cast thee out and say neither are we thine Yet this one word from the Lord but I am thine how would it support and abundantly satisfie thy Soul 2. None so well know this ordinarily that the Lord is their God as his suffering People It may be thou wilt say Ah this word this word I am thine what a good word is here O were I but sure it were spoken to me what then should I fear Let the Lord but speak thus to my Soul I will be thy God and then let the World and the Devil too speak what they can we 'l be thine Enemies if God be thy Friend we 'l curse thee if God bless thee we 'l hunt thee if God harbour thee we 'l stick in thy sides if God be in thine heart we 'l lay thee low enough if God exalt thee we 'l be thy death if he be thy life Well even do your worst were I but sure the Lord hath said this word to me I will be thy God I will not fear though ye all be Devils unto me But O here 's my great trouble 't is this which sinks my Soul and makes mine Heart to faint within me I see the World running against me I see Troubles running upon me and I am in great doubt whether God hath spoken this word to me I will be thine Dost thou doubt Dost thou not know whether God be thine Why the day of Adversity that 's the time when thou mayest be most like to know it There are none ordinarily that so well know that the Lord is theirs as his suffering People For 1. God doth often shew himself in a Storm who hid himself in the Sun-shine 2. The Sufferings of the Saints will be the Proof of their Sonship 1. God doth often reveal himself in a Storm who hid himself from us in our Sunshine Our dayes of Darkness are often the times of Light and Love Light from Above is most needed and will be better accepted when 't is darkest below The hatred of the World doth usually usher in the tydings of Divine Love When thou art led into a Wilderness to be tempted and tryed there thou mayest expect he will speak comfortably to thee Hos 2.14 Why art thou afraid of Affliction Wouldst thou not be glad to know the Lord is thine Follow him into the Wilderness and that may be the Vineyard where he will shew thee his Loves 2. The Sufferings of the Saints will be a Proof of their Sonship Heb. 12.7 If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons Our Sufferings for Christ will be the evidence of our Sincerity to him Prove that thou lovest Christ above all and thou therein provest that God is thine and what greater evidence that we love Christ above all than this
the Lord that thou hast a standing infallible and uninterrupted evidence of thy Sincerity and an undoubted Security for thy perseverance to the end Is there not room for such a question What if I should fall short Art thou gotten beyond all possibility of miscarrying for ever Friends know that a possibility of falling into the Wrath to come were that Wrath throughly understood would work more fear than a certain expectation of all the Torments and Miseries of this Life O Fear Hast thou Faith Believe and Fear Hast thou Hope Hope and Fear Hast thou Joy Rejoyce with trembling Rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God and tremble and fear his Wrath and Vengeance There will be this double use and advantage besides others of this fear of the Curse 1. 'T will quicken our necessary fear of Sin 2. 'T will quench our sinful fear of the Cross 1. This fear of the Curse will quicken our necessary fear of Sin Yea and of all the temptations to it Sin is the sting of Death and this Death is the sting of Sin How bitter would Sin taste how gastly would it look were this Gall that lies in its Belly this sting it carries in its Tail discovered and heeded Thou wouldst quickly be filled with thine own wayes didst thou but see what stands at their further end That Bed of Scorpions whither Sin is dragging thee would make every Sin as a Snake or Adder And of all Sins 't would strike the Heart with the greatest fear of its beloved Sins These are they especially under which Hell lies in ambush for us these are Hell's strongest Ropes by which it pulls in Souls Hath any Sin cast a Cord of Love about thee That 's it that 's like to be the Rope to draw thee to the Slaughter Thou canst get loose from many Sins at pleasure but take heed that foolish Heart of thine will die for it s Beloved If thou ask What wouldst thou have O my my beloved Sin What comest thou to me so often for Why takest thou up thy dwelling so near mine Heart It will answer O 't is to please thee that I am so often with thee I know thou lovest me I am the delight of thine Heart and the pleasure of thine Eyes thou canst not be content without me I am that Ease or that Wealth or that Credit that thou lovest Is there not a league betwixt me and thee Am not I the nearest Friend thou hast Thy Health and thy Welfare and thy Soul are not so dear as I am to thee thou lovest me and therefore 't is I come that thou mayest have what thou lovest But what hast thou now to say to it No no Traitor 't is my Life thou seekest 't is my Soul thou comest to steal away and devour O I dread thy fawning Face thy smiles are Darts in mine Heart I tremble at thy wooings and embraces Get thee gone Harlot thy kindnesses are deadly kindnesses What means that Dagger in thine Hand whilst thou thus kissest me with the kisses of thy Mouth 'T is my Death thou art designing I must die if I will any longer love thee and what Death must I die Is it a short and easie Death that thou art betraying me to No no 't is a bitter Death and 't is a lingring Death an eternal Death that thou art preparing for me This Heart hath been under-ground in the dark Cavern of Pitch and Brimstone I have been in the Deep and viewed those Chambers of Death where thou lodgest thy Lovers I have sent down my Spies my thoughts have been below in the Belly of Hell I have beheld how they lie in that Pit roaring and yelling and blaspheming raving mad with the anguish of their burning Souls I have seen the very Smoke and Fire that devours them the burning Teeth of that everlasting Worm that gnaws their Hearts and the fury and rage of that Serpent that deceived them in O my Soul quakes my Bones tremble terror and astonishment have taken hold of me at the Description my thoughts have brought me up of that place of torment And thou O my beloved Sin even thou art it that art most like to carry me down and bury me there If I die that Death 't will be by thy hand if I run my self into that Fire 't will be for thy sake Away from me thou proud Heart get thee gone Covetousness or Sensuality or Slothfulness or whatever the Name of my Beloved be I dare not have any more to do with thee I fear thee more than ever I loved thee I fear where thou mayest lay me before tomorrow if I should suffer thee to lodg but one night more with me Such dread of thy beloved Sin would a fear of the Curse work in thee Friends consider Are there yet any Sins that have such power over your Hearts are your Spirits so chained by them that you cannot get loose O look to those Chains of Fire into which by this Chain of Love your Sins are dragging you Are you afraid of the Curse of God Are you afraid to burn Are you afraid to be rack'd and torn and gnawn and groun'd under the Milstones of eternal Vengeance then be afraid of Sin Let Hell be your Fear and Sin will be your Fear let Sin be your Fear and it will be no longer your Love If you will not fear this Fear if you will laugh at Hell you will sport at Sin If you fear not to be Cursed you will less fear to be Wicked if you fear not Hell you will hardly fear to be Devils on Earth O Sinners steep all your pleasant Morsels in that Vinegar and Gall spice all your stollen Waters with that Pitch and Brimstone strow all your pleasant wayes with those Serpents and Adders which will bite and sting your Souls for ever Mingle all your Carnal Delights with some such deep thoughts of what they are betraying you to and then go on after them without fear if you can And as this fear of Wrath will work a fear of Sin so will it also work the same fear of temptations to Sin Sin and Temptation lead the same way though Temptation be one remove farther back Temptation leads to Sin and Sin to Death He that fears the Fowler will fear the snare of the Fowler he that fears the Hunter will fear his Dogs and his Toyls Get a fear of the Land of Darkness and you will fear to be Companions of such as are travelling thitherward fear the Plague and thou wilt be no company for them whose dwelling is in the Pesthouse Afraid of Hell and yet never well but when thou art amongst those Decoys that are enticing thee thither What are the Allurements of Sinners to the Ear of him that hath Death and Wrath in his Eye Let them entice thee Come Let 's be merry let 's to the Alehouse or the Tavern or to a Play Let 's feed to the full let 's cloth our selves with the best let
fruits may sprout forth and grow up again the root was not touched whatever was done upon the boughs The heart-Adulteries and heart drunkenness the swearing and lying and oppressing heart the root of all these wickednesses remained untouch'd Let that inward corruption of Nature which is the root of Actual sin be first and most effectually laid at The root of sin is to be destroyed By the Word of Christ By the Blood of Christ 1. By the Word of Christ Heb. 4.12 The Word of God is quick and powerfull sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of the joynts and marrow It reaches to the inwards and pierces the Entrails Like the Lightning it will melt the sword in the scabbard 't will break the bones 't will slay the babe in the womb When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts Act. 2.37 Friends do not open the Ear only but open the Breast to the Word set the point of this Sword to the very heart of your sins and count not that it hath done its work whatever slaughter it hath made of your sins without till the Soul of them the inward pravity of your Natures and the inward lusts immediately issuing thence have received their mortal wound 2. By the Blood or Death of Christ Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him Ay that 's it that must do it 't is Christ crucified that must crucifie sin We read Mark 5.29 of a Woman that had been many years afflicted with an issue of Blood who by the influence of Christ through the touch of his hemme had the fountain of her blood dried up and so her bloody issue cured The irruptions and breakings forth of lust into action are as so many Issues of blood running upon us the workings of pride the workings of Covetousness sensuality and the like are a filthy fluxe so many unclean issues or running sores upon us Those that sport themselves with their sins are as men that make a sport of their filthy ulcers and unclean diseases Now the way of cure of these unclean issues may be illustrated from that Scripture There are three things to be noted in the cure of that woman 1. The bloody Issue was cured by the drying up the Fountain of her blood These filthy fluxes of lust and wickedness will never be cured till their Fountain be dryed up till the Body of sin be destroyed 2. The fountain of her blood was dried up by vertue issuing from Christ There went out vertue from him 't is said upon which the woman was cured Sin can never be slain but by vertue and influence from Christ Therefore he is said to be a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13.1 Here 's a Fountain prepared against a Fountain and a fountain of blood against a fountain of blood the blood of Christ is a fountain opened to drayn out and dry up our fountain of iniquity 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. The vertue of Christ was received and the cure wrought by a touch of the hemme of his garment that is by the faith of the woman who said that is who believed If I may touch the hemme of his garment I shall be whole Her faith was it which got out the vertue as Christ himself afterwards testifies vers 34. Thy faith hath made thee whole Friends would you be healed of your plagues Go to Christ for a cure Put forth the hand of faith and touch touch not the hemme of his garment but his side and his heart his hands and his feet touch this Jesus as a crucified Jesus Christ can heal you with a touch but he will not touch your diseased Souls unless your faith first touch him We read Numb 21. that a look of a stung Israelite which was the same thing with this womans touch on the brazen Serpent got out such vertue from him who was signified by that Serpent as cured him of his sting Christ look'd on by faith will not only heal thee of the sting but will kill the Serpent that it shall never smite thee with such a deadly sting again Go to Christ sinner say within thy self If I can but touch him I shall be made whole look to the brazen Serpent and both thou shalt be healed and the fiery Serpent slain Believe that there is such vertue in Christ as will do the cure and lay hold and relye upon him for it Bring thy unclean fountain to that fountain which is opened for sin and for uncleanness and thou shalt certainly find that this blood of Christ shall cleanse thee from all sin Thou that art a Saint mayst set thy Probatum est to this remedy thou hast been with Jesus and thy Faith hath made thee whole thine Old man is crucified with him and the body of sin is destroyed onely because the cure is but begun and must be perfected by degrees by the same remedy as long as thou livest in this imperfect state by renewed acts of faith upon the blood of Christ expect thy total cure From the continual issuing forth of the same vertue by which sin hath received its deaths wound let it die daily till it cease to be for ever 2. Put a knife to the throat of sin My meaning is cut it short of that Provision that would feed and nourish it The old man is given to Appetite and you know what the counsel is in that case Prov. 23.2 Put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite Look how many lusts there are so many sorts of feedings there are to keep them in heart Pride must have ornaments or honour applause respect and observance and for want of other feeding 't will feed upon thoughts upon our self-reflections and dotages any vain conceit of some worth or excellency we find in us Covetousness must have money houses and lands the hopes of getting and the content of possessing them Sensuality must have carnal pleasure and mirth wine and strong drink and dainties and varieties c. and whilest the flesh may have its lust it growes head-strong and imperious there 's no way to keep it tame but by keeping it short of what it craves Make no provision for the flesh saith the Apostle Rom. 13.14 to fulfill the lusts thereof And you may observe it that he prescribes this as a remedy to cure those intemperances riot and drunkenness chambering and wantonness strife and envying mentioned ver 13. It may be thou complainest sometimes of thy corruptions of the impetuousness of lust of the unruliness of thy spirit and confessest it and prayest against it but whilest thou prayest thou canst not find in thine heart to make thy lust to fast it must have its provision still allowed it It may be even when thou art praying against thy pride thou letst it feed upon thy very Prayer thy eloquence or affectionate Enlargement or
out upon me in vain Behold the winter is past and the spring comes on the flowers appear the fig tree putteth forth and the vines with the tender grapes give a goodly smell Behold the fruits of that blessed blood and spirit in the reviving of this dead heart in the fructifying of this barren heart My Soul make thy boast of God though I have nothing of mine own but what I loath and am asham'd of yet here 's through rich mercy something of his fruits I have brought forth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me and his grace hath not been bestowed on me in vain Come on thou withering Soul cry out with the Spouse Awake thou North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden let the Spirit of the Lord breath upon me that my Spices may flow forth and my fruits may appear and then thou mayest go on now let my beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits I cannot enumerate the particular fruits that you should bring forth they are all the fruits of righteousness but in hope that after all that hath been said your fear of being found among the barren may prepare you to receive some farther instruction for your growth and fructifying in every good work I shall only lay before you seven things which if they be in you and abound will make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Follow after 1. Power 2. Activity 3. Severity 4. Simplicity 5. Ingenuity 6. Spirituality 7. Pleasure 1. Power Grace in the very being of it includes power 1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdom or grace of God is not in word but in power Natural men have natural powers but there is nothing of spiritual power in them wishes and velleities they may have after that which is really and spiritually good O that I could forsake this world and crucifie this flesh and follow God and walk worthy of the Gospel in all things thus they may wish and desire but for their hearts they cannot come to it they cannot bring forth their wish into a will nor their will into performance The least child of God hath more of the power of God in him than the most knowing and the very best of natural men all the parts and vertues of a natural man do fall as much short as to this spiritual vital power of the least of Saints as a dead man does of a living child But yet where there is grace in the beginnings of it in comparison of what it may grow to its power may be small and its strength may be but weakness How great is the power of the healthy above the sickly and faint how much is the power of a man above the power of an infant 'T is well thou art alive but wilt thou still be but a child O what weakly Souls are many amongst the living Souls How ordinary is this complaint To will is present with me but how to perform I find not O how many frustraneous attempts and ineffectual offers do we make at an holy fruitful life we wish for more care and more diligence and more usefulness but still we fall short we are reaching towards but cannot reach to it We judge our selves for our failings we groan under our imperfect duties we are sick of those corruptions that are mingled with them but we cannot overcome them we lament our barrenness we hunger and thirst after more fruitfulness and yet we cannot obtain we cannot do the good that we would we cannot forbear to do the evils that we would not so weak is our heart that though we can weep over our falls and failings yet we cannot amend them But art thou not afraid to continue thus what if death should overtake thee thus how would'st thou dye when thy sin is so much alive yea how canst thou live in any peace whil'st thou seest thou livest to so little purpose Therefore my Brethren let me exhort you in the words of the Apostle Ephes 6.10 Be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put forth the power that you have receiv'd trust on God for more Put forth that power that you have that 's the way to encrease your strength Do not make your selves to be weaker than you are say not 't is for want of power that 't is no better with you when 't is for want of care and industry much more certainly might be done if we were better Stewards of what we have Let there not be a pretence of weakness to excuse your laziness do what thou canst thou canst do more than thou do'st and if indeed thy strength be but small thou knowest whether to go for more Study well and lay hold on that word Isa 40.28 29.31 Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as the Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint Christians let it not suffice you that you are men of understanding and good affections get a Spirit of power as well as of love and of a sound mind 2. Activity An unactive spirit is next to impotence Awaken from thy liveless wretchless temper put away sloth thou sluggard wilt thou still be a drone this drone hath a sting thine own Soul will feel it sooner or later that thy sloth will sting thee to the heart Christians let it appear that the spirit of the living God is in you by your sprightfulness and vivacity Shall the evil spirit be the only active spirit shall sinners flow forth in vanity and wickedness shall their filthy waters be such a quick and running stream and shall the waters of the Sanctuary be but as a standing pool Be bent for holy action be prepared and ready for every good work It 's said Ephes 2.10 that Christians are created unto good works in the very make and constitution of the new creature we may read its use and end we are new made for this very end and purpose we are adopted and prepared for an active useful life for those good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Thou had'st need stir up thy self and put thy self on lest thou quickly come to question whether thou be a new creature or no if thou continuest so backward and unready to that for which the new creature is Hast thou grace indeed blow off the ashes from that living coal that it may burn and shine out in a gracious life Fire it the most active of all the elements it will not be inclosed but will find a vent for its flames sure thou hast little of that divine fire in