way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thee Though thou walkest through the shadow of Death thou may'st now sit thee down under the shadow of thy Lord with great delight and with great security whose Fruit shall be ever sweet to thy Tast Though thou dwellest in Mesech and hast thy Habitation among the Tents of Kedar yet thou may'st lay thee down in peace and take thy rest for the Lord doth the Lord will make thee to dwell in safety 2. To the Godly Happy Souls The God of Peace is with you all things shall work for good to you onely that he may continue with you continue you with him in the obedience of that Gospel to which you have deliver'd up your selves My Exhortation to you shall be 1. General Respecting the whole course of your Lives 2. Particular Respecting your daily Walk My general Exhortation shall be bottom'd on that of the Apostle Phil. 1. 27 28. Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospell of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your Affairs that you stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel In nothing terrified by your Adversaries which is to them an evident tâ—ken of Perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel Walk worthy of the Gospel let your lives be suitable and answerable to the Holy Gospel which you profess 1. Let your lives answer the ends of the Gospel the exâ—ltation of the Name and glorious Grace of God in Christ live an humble self-denying self-abasing this is a Christ exalting life 2. Let your Lives answer the Dignities and Honours the Gospel invests you with You are the children of God the Heirs of Glory the Spouse of Christ the Bride the Lambs Wife You are a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people know your priviledges and do not live below your selves defile not your glory by stooping to a Carnal and Earthly Life a Jewel is not more unbecoming a Swines snout than fleshly Husks a Saints Palate 'T is below you who are a peculiar people to your God to live in common with the men of this World humble your selves into the least of Saints but do not humble your selves into Bruits Live in the Spirit converse with God be dealing for Glory Honour and Immortality 3. Let your Lives answer the Names which the Gospel puts upon you Doves Lambs Lillies be harmless peaceable gentle beautiful fragrant sending forth a precious savour in the World 4. Let your Lives answer the Riches the Reward the Crown the Kingdom which the Gospel sets before you Live a contented life be satisfied be well pleased with what you have here be it little or much disgrace not your portion the Gospel allots you as if it were a poor insufficient portion Let your Souls say How small an handful soever you have of this Earth it is enough Christ is mine A discontented Christian says Christ is not enough Heaven is not enough Let the Contentation of thy Spirit declare before the World that the Lines are fallen to thee in a pleasant place and that thou hast a goodly Heritage Do not put this Scorn upon God and Glory that thou must be beholding to the Devil to mend thy portion Christian Either thou art within the Promise or a stranger from it Either thou hast the God of Peace with thee or not If not me thinks thou should'st find other matter to take up thy Thoughts and not have leisure to perplex thy self with every â—â—ivial want that thy meat or thy drink or thine house or the carriage of thy Friends towards thee are not according to thy mind thy Soul thy Soul man thy life is in danger Oh what an Eternity art thou like to have of it Canst thou want a God a Christ an Heaven and thine Heart never stir at it And is the dissatisfaction of thy vain mind or appetite such a Burthen Is the Devil in thine heart and it never moves thee and shall an ill Neighbour be a vexation to thee Canst thou feel a Feather when thou hast a Talent upon thee The Curse the Curse of God is upon thee I cannot wonder thou should'st be discontent but me thinks these small matters by a man in thy case should not be minded If Christ and the Promise be thine is not that enough Are not all things enough God is all things He that hath the Son hath not onely with him but in him all things Are all things nothing with thee What would'st thou have more than all The Heathens acknowledged That Vertue is sufficient It was a Maxime among the Antient Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue is self-sufficient A vertuous man hath no need to be beholding either to Friends or Fortune He hath enough in himself The Apostle tells us That Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with its self sufficiency is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. Solomon tells us Prov. 14. 14. A good man is satisfied from himself He hath that within him out of which his satisfaction grows A Christian hath the whole Gospel within him He hath Christ the Promise the Everlasting God Heaven Glory within him As rich as he is he may truly say Omnia mea mecum porto He carries his All in his Heart and can thence get out a Living a Sufficiency for all Times Cases and Wants Cast him out naked out of his Habitation out of his Countrey yet he carries all with him he leaves not an Hoof behind him Christians leave it to the Poor of the Earth to carnal men the richest of them is poor enough leave it to them to be discontent A carnal man hath so many to be beholding to to patch up his contentment that 't is no wonder he falls short of it the Sun the Clouds his Fields his Folds his Friends his Enemies his Honours his pleasures his meat his drink his house his mony yea the Devil all his Lusts every Creature must come in with their part to contribute to his contentment if but one thing fails him there 's something wanting to make it up Nay if none fail but they all do their best to please him yet all will not do in the fulness of his sufficiency he is in straits When he hath all he can have his still hungring Heart cries out of what it hath Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Leave it to these Christians who have nothing but emptiness to fill their Souls withal leave it to them to be discontented Will you lay the same imputation upon the God of Glory The Discontent of a Christian is a kind of Blasphemy it proclaims concerning God also and all the Glory of the Gospel This also is Vanity Vanity of Vanities all is vanity Christians study your Riches more count over your Treasures dwell more in
of Peace The greatest of Blessings is the Blessing of Peace Peace hath all blessings included in it It hath possession fruition and security it hath plenty pleasure and sâ—fety where there 's no peace there 's no security for the holding nor opportunity of enjoying what we have Whatewe have we have it as if we had it not Peace is the greatest of Blessings Peace with God is the most glorious of Peace What is there that 's excellent what is there that 's desirable that is not comprehended in this Peace with God Where there 's Peace there 's Pardon guilt cannot consist with this Peace being justified by Faith we have peace with God Where there 's Peace there 's Grace and holiness there 's no Peace saith my God to the wicked Where there 's Peace there 's Love and good will As love so peace is the union of hearts The God of Peace is with you signifies no less then this the Almighty God beares you good will These two peace and good will are Twins On Earth peace good will towards men Where there 's peace there 's life everlasting life Internall is the seed of eternall peace This peace is a Portion peace with God is our possession of the God of Peace This peace is a Sanctuary if the God of Peace be with us the Peace of God will keep our hearts Christians in the Woâ—ld you must have trouble suppose you have yet in him you shall have peace who hath overcome the World Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace in peace peace 't is in the Originall whose mind is stayed on thee Psal 85. 8. I will hear what the Lord God will speak he will speak peace to the People and to his Saints What a clattering is there in the World what tumults and commotions are raised about the followers of Christ as if the World were falling about their ears The Devill speaks wrath evill men speak death and bonds to them breathing out threatnings reproaches persecutions against them In the midst of all this fearful noyse I le hearken saith the Psalmist what the Lord God will speak Whatsoever men or Devils speak I le hearken if the Lord God speak at the same rate Oh no he will speak peace to his Saints Let the Sons of contention do what they can the Sons of God shall be Sons of Peace they shall live in peace they shall dye in peace they shall dwell in peace for ever Isa 32. 17. 18. The work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness shall be quietness and assurance for ever And my people shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Oh how great is the peace that they have who love thy Law Christians fear not to follow God let not that sad word nor the fulfilling of it scare you out of your duty All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution What if they do whâ—lest you are able to say I am persecuted but I have peace I am poor but I have peace in a Prison but I have peace in a Wilderness but I have peace though all the World be against me God is at peace my Soul is in peace what discouragement should all that be to you 2. He that is the God of peace is the God of power He promises peace and he promises no more then he can perform He can create peace he can make their enemies to be at peace with them He can make a league for them with the Beasts of the field with the Lions with the Wolves with the most brutish among the people He can say to the proud Winds and Waves peace be still and they obey him He can give them rest from the dayes of adversity he can give them rest in the dayes of adversity he can give his Beloved sleep upon the points of Swords and Spears 3. He that is the God of peace is the God of patience This is my great fear that though God gâ—ves yet I shall break my peace The God of peace with me oh this is he whom I dishonour and disoblige daily by my distrusts discontents impatiencies murmerings and what peace to such an heart what peace so long as such unbelief so much iniquity as I find daily within me remains upon me Will he with whom no iniquity can dwell dwell in that heart where there is so much iniquity by which he is provoked every day but he that is the God of peace is also the God of patience who though he will not bear the iniquities of his adversaries yet he will bear much with the infirmities of his People Psal 89. 30. c. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgressions with a Rod and their iniquities with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 4. He that is the God of peace is the God of hope I have no peace in possession whatever there be in the promise I live in the fire am born a man of contention What likelyhood is there that I should ever live to see a good day my comforts are broken my Estate is lost my liberty is gone friends I have none enemies I have many and mighty I dwell in Mesech I have my habitation in the Tents of Kedar I am for peace they are for War whither ever I look round about me before me behind me on the right hand or on the left all speaks trouble and errour to me I have no peace What nor no hope of peace neither where is thy God man hast thou a God in thee and yet no hope in thee the God of peace and yet no peace the God of hope and yet no hope the God of hope will yet fill thee with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. Why art thâ—u cast down oh my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Psal 43. 11. The God of hope will open a Window of hope in the darkest times a door of hope in the most desperate cases The God of hope will bear up the spirits of his Saints in hope against hope and this hope will never disappoint them It shall never be said there is no peace there is no hope till it can be said there is no God in Israel But how or in what sence is it to be understood that this God of peace will be with us I answer in 3. particulars 1. The heart of God will be with you Josephs blessing the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush will be thy portion Deut. 33. what was that Bush the Church or Israel of God What case was the Bush in 't was all on a light fire 't was all in
Reproach in Renown the double of thy Tears in Triumphs all thy bottled Tears shall be returned in Flagons of Joy yea in Rivers of Eternal Pleasure By this time Christians you see what Glory there is in this good Word All things shall work together for good to them that love God And that none may have the Face to say all this is but conceit I shall in the next place bring in clear and undeniable Evidence that it is certainly and unquestionably so as hath been said And therefore know 5. That all things do and shall certainly work for good to them that love God This besides the Testimony of this Scripture I shall make evident from these three Propositions 1. There is a Divine Providence that governs the World 2. The Design of Providence is the accomplishment of the good purpose and promise of God 3. The Providence of God shall never fail of accomplishing its End 1. There is a Divine Providence which governs the World the Epicurâ—ans who deny Providence and leave all on Chance and Fortune may as well deny that there is a God which yet they are asham'd to stand to Of Epicurus himself it was said Quem nihil pudendum pudet pudet tamen Deum negare It can be no way reconcileable to the infinite Wisdom of God who made this Glorious Fabrick with the various Creatures therein either not to determine them to their Ends or else to take no care for their accomplishing those Ends they are determined to The whole Current of Scripture is so plain in these matters that he that runs may read Let the following Scriptures amongst others be considered Psal 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the Isles be glad Psal 67. 15 16. The Eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their Meat in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Psal 36. 6. Thou preserved Man and Beast Psal 75. 6 7. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Amos 3. 6. Shall there be Evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Psal 17. 13 14. Deliver my Soul from the wicked which is thy Sword from Men which are thy Hand The confessions of those Infidels Nebuchadnezzar and Darius speak the same Dan. 4. 35. All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Army of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his Hand or say unto him What doest thou Dan. 6. 26. I make a Decree that in every Domiâ—ion of my Kingdom Men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the Living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion shall be even unto the End He delivereth and rescueth and he worketh Signs and Wonders in Heaven and Earth who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the Lions But more distinctly the Lord governs all inanimate and sensitive Creatures in their actions he orders the Stars in their courses The Stars in their courses he made to fight against Sisera He governs the Winds and the Flouds he bringeth forth the Winds out of his Treasures he rides upon the wings of the Wind. He maketh the Clouds his Chariots he sitteth on the Flouds the Thunder and the Hail and the Rain and the Frosts are all at his Command He giveth Snow like Wooll and scattereth the hoar frost like ashes He casteth forth the Ice like morsels he sets bounds to the Sea which it shall not passe the Birds of the Air the Beasts of the Field the Fishes of the Sea yea the stones and dust of he Earth are all at his beck More especially he rules an governs the men of this World He sits in all the Counsels of men though they see him nor he orders all their Decrees there 's no Decree can passe unless God gives his Vote He rules in all the actions of men even those things that are acted through our improvidence come not to passe without the Providence of God He rules in all the changes that are in the World he changes the times and the seasons he changes Kingdoms and Governments he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he make War and creates Peace he bendeth the Bow and he breaketh the Bow and cutteth the Speare in sunder and burneth the Chariots in the fire Peace and War Health and Sickness Plenty and Famine Life and Death are all the disposures of his hand He orders all the events and causalities of the World even from the greatest to the smallest Without him not a Sparrow shall fall nor a hair of the head shall perish though there be to men yet to the Lord there are no causalities or contingencies But all things come to passe according as his Hand and Counsel had before determined 2. The design of Providence as it respects the Elect is the accomplishment of Gods good purpose and promise Providence governs the World and the purpose and promise governs Providence All the works of Providence have rationem mediorum ad finem God doth nothing in vain it is not consistent with the wisdom of God to do any thing for nothing God would have his People look farther than to the things that are before them because all those things have a farther aspect themselve All the works of Providence have a double aspect they look backward to the purpose and promise and they look forward to the end for which they are as they look backward so they have truth in them exactly answering the purpose and promise from which they have their birth As they look forwaâ—d to their end so they have good in them and that good their subservience to their end is the reason of their being Here note 2. things 1. That the subserviency of things to their end is the goodness of them if the end be good the means must as such be good also If what God hath purposed and promised be good then all things that fall in between having the respect of means to their accomplishment must upon that account be good If our crosses and afflictions do subserve the bringing about of Gods good will and good word we must say concerning them Good are the Works of the Lord. It is not how any thing looks or feels at present but what it meanes and to what it tends If the potion be bitter and yet it tends to health if the Messenger be ill-looked and ill-favoured and yet comes upon a good errand you may bid them welcom And thus all the Providences of God are good If you should ask of any Providence wherefore art thou come comest thou peaceably comest thou for good they must all answer yes peaceably for good and no hurr 'T is but to help all that good into thy hand which hath
means often prove better than means when I say no means I do not understand simply none means they shall have of one kind or other their understandings their memories their secret duties Prayer Meditation c. but by no means I understand nothing from without no Ordinances Friends Societies Books c. Gods feeding of a Soul more immediately is much sweeter then when he sends Provision by the hand of another the Samaritans hearing Christâ— Words from his own mouth was much more to them than the same words reported by the Woman Dulcius ex ipso fonte Water is the purer the nearer the Fountain the Bread that comes down from Heaven is better Bread than that which grows up out of the Earth though that be originally from Heaven also By how much the more immediately our comforts come from Heâ—ven by so much the more they have of Heaven in them If upon the failing of publick Communion it be made up so much the more in secret sure the Saints have no reason to complain And whether this be not so let the Prisons into which the Saints have been sometimes cast the Wilderness into which they have been sometimes banished let Elihu's Songs in the night Peters Pauls Silaghs Songs in the Prison in the Stocks stand forth and testifie If Prison joyes and exile comforts have not been often both fuller and sweeter to them than when they have rolled in Manna and lived in the fulness and freedom of all helps and means then not a few Christians have either mistaken or mis-reported their experiences To pretend to live above Ordinances whilest God affords them is a wickedness that some men have to repent of but where God denies them he doth he will provide a better subsistence without them Now lay all this together and then you will see that even this also this most grievous of Judgments the famine of the Word when ever it befalls shall work for good to those that love God Christians chear up your hearts whatever drought or dearth may fall upon the World you are provided for you shall have enough If the shoures fail without you have within you that which shall spring up to eternall life If your streams should be dryed up if your Pastures should be trodden down you have a God that will be both your Pastor and Pasture If the Riveâ— fail you the Rock shall supply you what you want in ordinary you may look to be made up in extraordinary means The drying up of the waters shall but drive you up to the Spring-head If ever the Stars fail you God shall but exchange Star-light for Sun-light while there 's light in the Sun you shall not walk in darkness See but to this make sure that this God is yours and he must find out a comfortable feeding for you if you can but say Davids first words after him the Lord is my Shepherd you may then with confidence say the whole Psalm after him I shall not want he will make me to lie down in green Pastures he will lead me by the still Waters though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill thy Rod and thy Staff shall comfort me Thou shalt prepare me a Table in the presence of mine Enemies Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever 2. There is another Objection that seems to have â—ore difficulty in it Suppose a Saint to fall into Distraction and thereby to be deprived utterly of the use of his Reason and so to live and die How can it be imagined that this can work for his good either in this World or the World to come Can any good arise out of an incapacity of any longer doing or receiving good or patiently suffering Evil Can either his Grace here or his Glory hereafter be increased or advanced by a man's being converted into a mere Bruit 1. There 's no doubt at all but this may make for the Churches good Is there nothing that others may learn out of such a sad Providence If others may reap good by my evil is it nothing to me May it not be said to be good for any particular Saint to bear the sorest Affliction by which the Church may have benefit He hath not much of a Saint to whom if it were afore-hand proposed whether for the benefit of the Church he would be content if God see it good to fall into such a calamity He hath little of a Saint that would deliberately refuse it Doubtless a sincere Christian who would count his usefulness to the good of the whole Body to be his good would say even concerning such a Message were it brought to him Good is the Word of the Lord And that which afore-hand he would judge to be good for him to submit to may it not be good for him to be under 2. It may also be more directly for his particular personal good For 1. It may do him the same good which Death will do for him Concerning which the Apostle says it is yours 1 Cor. 3. that is it is for your advantage It may take him from the evil to come from those Sorrows and that Trouble of Heart which God might fore-see falling upon him by any calamities coming either on the Church in general or himself or Family in particular which being deprived of his Reason and power to reflect on he cannot feel or in the least be afflicted by If you Reply But the Remedy is worse than the Disease To be useless and unserviceable is less eligible than to be sorrowful and afflicted Will any man chuse to fall into a Lethargie or Apoplexie because 't will secure him from the Torment of a Feaver If there be any weight in this Reply I shall adde a farther Answer which if I misjudge not will cut off all Râ—plyes 2. Who knows what Sins and Temptations he might have fallen into and fallen by had not the Lord by this means prevented it he might possibly have been a Back-slider have fallen into gross sin by which he might have been a Terrour to himself and a Scandal to the Gospel and is it not good for him that this is prevented Is not that Affliction 〈◊〉 Mercy which secures from such Iniquity Who can say it is not thus that the Lord foresaw he would have fallen into sin and for prevention brought him into this Affliction Who can say it is not thus If none can then this is no Objection If you Reply you say it may be this is the case and I may as well say it may be not there might be no such thing that God fore-saw as the Reason of this Providence 'T is but a Conjecture and an Uncertainty when you have made the most of it Be it so yet it will fully answer my end I am not now proving that all things work for good to the Saints that 's
both keep you faultless and save you harmless and thereby secure you from sinking and fainting in your minds If this be not enough let me add That Faith will yet farther scatter all your fears by this double Act 1. It will put your reward into your hâ—nds 2. It will put all your troubles to a present end 1. It will put your reward into your hand it will set the Crown on your head even whil'st the Cross is on your back Faith makes things to come present Heb. 11. 1. It is the subsistence or being of things hoped for it gives being to the good things promised before they are Hope carries the eye to the object looks on things to come as to come Faith brings the object to the eye looks on things to come as come it looks on distance of time as God looks on it on a thousand years but as one day It looks on God's saying and doing on God's promising and performing as all one It aâ—â—â—dates Glory and gives a kind of present possession of it in hand Rom. 8. In all these things we are more than Conquerours In Tribulation in Persecution in Famine in Nakedness In all these things we are more than Conquerours Not onely afterwards we shall be but in all these things even whil'st we are under them we are more than Conquerours The Conquest is obtained in the very entrance of the Combat This is the Victory that over cometh the World even our Faith Believe Christian and thy Faith will be thy Victory thy Shield will be thy Palm 2. It will put all our Troubles to a present end Faith looks on things to come as present and thereby on things present as past It looks on all things according as they will be in their issue and end It looks on things to come according to what they will be when they are come It looks on things present according to what they will be when they are past It sees all passing and considers it as past already It sees all passing the World upon its Wing the Fashion of it passeth away It sees the Riches of the World upon their Wings the Pride and the Pomp and the Gallantry and the Glory of the World upon their Wings And it sees the Poverty of the World the Troubles of the World all upon the Wing It look on the blackest Clouds as flying Clouds and it considers all as gone already It looks on the clear that is beyond the Clouds it says as God says Babylon is fallen is fallen Not onely it shall fall but it is fallen and shall not be able to rise And what place can there then be left for fear or fainting Was the Red Sea a Terrour to Israel when they saw themselves gotten to the other side Did Sampson's dead Lion fright him Will the Remembrance of what you have suffer'd be a Terrour to you when you have gotten through and are come out of Tribulation Why open the Eye of your Faith and see the Coast already clear You will see the Red Sea behind you the Wilderness behind you Jordan behind you and your selves gotten safe on the Banks of Canaan Come on Soul what should hinder thee May be thou supposest thou hast a great Fight of Affliction to indure grant thou hast yet fear none of those things thou shalt suffer till thou canst fear those things thou hast suffer'd Though thou be now putting on thy Armour believe and thou may'st boast as if thou hadst put it off Death where is thy sting Grave where is thy victory Where is the Fury of the Oppressour Thine Enemies are already under thy feet man Death it self is swallow'd up in Victory Christians Cherish improve increase your Faith and this will clear your way of all your fears Wherfore didst thou doubt oh thou of little Faith Oh 't is a sign our Faith is but low when our fears are so high The day the Lord hears you in this Prayer Lord increase our Faith He delivers you from your fears Wax stâ—ong in Faith and you will wax bold in your God 3. Be humble 't will be your advantage that you stand on the lower Ground He whose Heart hath already laid him in the Dust will not fear how low his Enemies can lay him 4. Be peaceable your Preces lachrymae will be your best Weapons The guilt of your unquiet and unwarrantable Resistance will weaken your hearts more than all your partakers will strengthen your hands Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recompence evil wait on the Lord and he will save thee Patient and peaceable suffering will be the best way to abash your Persecutors and embolden your Souls Now gather up all these Particulars and you have the Conversation that becometh the Gospel wherein that I may perswade as well as direct you consider these following Arguments 1. This is to them to your Adversaries an evident token of Perdition This united humble peaceable unanimous boldness in your holy course whereby you walk in the Spirit and power of the Gospel and are â—ot frighted or terrified out of it this is and will be to your Persecutors an evident token of Perdition The falls and slaws in the Lives of Saints and their Quarrellings and Divisions amongst themselvs do strengthen the hands and the confidence of sinners against â—hem The Fears and Faintings of Saints are the flushings of sinners when Saints hang the Wing sinners lift up the Head The Majesty and Beauty of an Holy Life joyned with an humble and patient Magnanimity and undantedness will be a Dart in the Liver of the Enemies of it It is an evident tokâ—n to them of Perdition It is not onely a Death-Token upon them Persecution is a black Mark of a Son of Perdition but it is an evident Token unto them It will read them their Doom it will make their own hearts to fall upon themselves and their own Consciences to give them their Sentence 2. This is to you an evident Token of Salvation but to you of Salvation The Word is sure To him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God If we be dead with Christ we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also be glorified together with him To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me on my Throne even as I have overcome and am set down with my Father on his Throne Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Be thou faithful unto the Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Salvation and that of God There 's much in that Addition and that of God it notes that the Salvation of the suffering Saints shall be Sure Great 1. It notes That their Salvation shall be sure You shall certainly be saved for God hath undertaken for it that 's the import of the Expression If it be God that justifies who shall condemn If it be God that will save who shall destroy The matter is sure
thee here will add to the horrour of thine everlasting darkness Every drop of Honey thou hast tasted in Religion will be thy Gall and Worm-wood in the day of thy condemnation Be not more miserable hereafter for that thou hast been less wicked here the remembrance how fair thou wert once for Glory will be one of the sharpest Teeth of thine everlasting Worm 6. Lastly Be all or nothing come up hither or get thee Down to thy lot particularly 1. Be all unto Christ 2. Let Christ be all to thee 3. Let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee 1. Be all unto Christ have none to please but Christ and for Christ hâ—ve nothing to seek but Christ and for Christ resolve against Reserves and limits give up all and keep back nothing say not thus much I can spare and no more hitherto I will go and no farther Divide not thy self thy love thy care thy aims betwixt Christ and any thing else Let thy whole Soul run in one Channel Rest not short of a full resignation and when thou hast resigned repent not 2. Let Christ be all to thee say not I must have an Estate too my Friends too my pleasures and my ease too let Christ be enough and all to thee Father Mother House Lands Portion say concerning all thou hast else Be thou mine Lord and let these go their way 3. Let all of Christ be accepted and improved by thee Divide not thy self and divide not Christ leave not any thing of thy self for any but Christ refuse not any thing of Christ for thy self Think not thy all too much for thee to give nor Christ's all too much for thee to embrace Thy half will not satisfie Christ nor will half of Christ suffice thee Thou must give and have and therefore resolve to give and take all or none Let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee 1. The merit of his blood 2. The light and Authority of his Law 3. The power of his Spirit 1. Accept the merit of his blood renounce thine own and rely on his righteousness as God hath so do thou lay on him all thy iniquities Think not of Sanctification without satisfaction Think not to satisfie in the least by ought that thou canst do let that lie upon him Judge thy self but seek to be justified alone through faith in his blood Say unto the Lord what I owe to thee put it upon his account my Christ must answer for me 2. Accept and submit to the light and authority of his Law Think not he is thy Priest unless he be thy Prophet and thy King If he must answer for thee let him instruct thee and be thou willing to learn of him since he hath bought thee let him govern thee say not of any thing he requires this is too much to do since he said not to thee 't is too much to die Count not thy self a Christian whilest thou art unwilling to receive the utmost light or to submit to the utmost of thy duty say not of any one thing of all that Christ requires This I must have abated and then I will be his 3. Accept and exert the power of his Spirit the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of Power The same Argument which the Apostle uses to prove himself a Minister of Christ is necessary to prove thee a Christian 2 Cor 13. 3 4. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you ward is not weak but is mighty in you Though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God for we also are weak in him but we shall live with him by the power of God Ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me ye put me to prove that I am a Minister of Christ why here 's the proof of it My preaching hath not been weak but mighty in you It hath been followed and attested by the power of Christ which hath wrought mightily in you as weak as we are yet the power of Christ hath been manifested and magnified in us Doest thou seek a proof of thy Christianity why here must be the proof that though thou art weak of thy self yet thou livest in the power of God which is mighty in thee Though thou canst do nothing of thy self yet thou art able to do all things through Christ which strengthens thee Thou sayst thou art willing but thou art weak thou desirest to be and to do what God would have thee but thou canst not perform This may comfort and support thee much under thy failings and miscarriages in some particular duties but if this be thy case in ordinary in the main of thy life that to will is all thou hast thou art not a Christian He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And he that hath the Spirit of Christ it is in him as the living power of God actually carrying him on in an holy life Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them I will not onely command perswade incline you but cause you It shall be done my Spirit shall bring you on and help you through Ye shall keep my Statutes and do them Where ever the Spirit of God hath breathed in the life of Grace there are more than breathings out after a gracious life Sincere grace hath more in it than wishings and wouldings than Attempts and Overtures Life is a power to act Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your own Salvation for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do Where ever God worketh the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle he works also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari Where ever God works in he gives us a power to work out the Works of Christianity Oh rest not till thou find thy self inâ—ued with this power from on high and inabled to go through with thy work They are not thy Attempts but thy Atchievments They are not thy Offers at an Holy Life but thy acting it that must prove thee a Christian He that doth Righteousness is Righteous Be it thus with thee be all to Christ let Christ be all to thee let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee heartily accept the merit of Christ's Righteousness submit to the Light and Authority of his Law get thy self possest with and live in the power of his Spirit Be it thus with thee come up hither and then thou art safe Thy almost is now come to altogether and if I must â—ow leave thee thou wilt be the better able to spare me These things do and the God of Peace shall be with thee Thou art gotten into Sanctuary and now whatever Tossings and Tumblings whatsoever unpleasing or afflicting Changes may be thy Lot in this World thou may'st sing that Requieâ—â— to thy self Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Go thy