Thus have I finished this Subject of Self-Examination a Duty which the Ungodly mind not which Hypocrites are afraid and do not care to meddle with and which if Saints would more frequently and thorowly engage in there would be less unbelief and fear more joy and Faith in the Church of Christ You that are Saints In this discourse I have been helping of your Joy Let it not be hindred by your selves Some clusters of Canaan might be brought to the Wilderness and more of Heavens joys might be tasted in the Vale of Tears if the Heirs of Heaven would but take more pains in self-trial to clear up their Title And as for you that are Hypocrites and Vnbeleivers I have don you a kindness in telling you what you are and what you may expect hereafter If after all you will put a cheat upon your own souls you must be blamed and your selves must smart for it If you will cry peace and safety till Christ himself does thunder that sentence in your ears Go ye Cursed into Everlasting fire Who can help it Alas Alas 'T will be too late to look up to Heaven and to look into your selves when the Gulph is fixed between Heaven and you Let every sinner therefore try his own ways and cry to the Lord to search and change and turn his Heart For 't is the greatest Wisdom to prevent those mistakes which will be the mistakers Eternal ruine and which after death will be found impossible to be corrected Herbert page 105. CAnst he idle Canst thou play Foolish soul who sinn'd to day Rivers run and springs each one Know their home and get them gone Hast thou tears or hast thou none If poor soul thou hast no tears Would thou hadst no faults or fears Who hath these those ills forbears But if yet thou idle be Foolish Soul who di'd for thee Who did leave his Fathers Throne To assume thy Flesh and Bone Had he life or had he none If he had not liv'd for thee Thou hadst di'd most wretchedly And two deaths had been thy fee. He so far thy good did plot That his own self he forgot Did he die or did he not If he had not di'd for thee Thou hadst liv'd in misery Two lives worse than ten deaths be He that loseth Gold though dross Tells to all he meets his cross He that sins hath he no loss He that finds a silver vein Thinks on it and thinks again Brings thy Saviours death no gain Who in Heart not ever kneels Neither sin nor Saviour feels Meditations ON THE LORDS SUPPER MEDITATIONS I. WHerefore do I spend my money for that which is not Bread And my labour for that which can never satisfie Many a time have I made trial of the things that are visible but the higher my expectations have been raised the greater has been my disappointment I have sought that among the Creatures which is not to be found Sin has turned this World into a Country far from God and truly Husks are the best fare that ever this World hath yeilded me 'T is high time to come out from the World and to be separate left my Soul perish for hunger there Meat that perishes is improper for a Soul that is of an immortal nature and of an Everlasting duration I will arise and go unto my God and Father He has promised to satiate and replenish the weary and sorrowful Soul In his House I am sure there is Bread enough and to spare MEDITATION II. Boast not O Mammon of thy Treasures Unless thou hast that which is of sufficient value to be a ransom for me Can all the Wealth of both the Indies pay the debt which by sin I have contracted Can Riches satisfie for the wrong I have done to the justice of God by my Transgression Oh no I was not Redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Pardon Grace and Glory are such gifts of God as are not to be purchased with money for if they were so many Rich men would not be lost for ever Wealth cannot buy any out of the Devils possession but rather brings them more under his power it cannot save any from Hell but rather proves a means to send them thither For they that will be Rich fall into Tempttaion and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in Destruction and Perdition MEDITATION III. O my Soul strive not to load thy self with the thick clay of this present World this will debase thee exceedingly and defile and burthen thee Thou needest that which is of more value then Gold that perishes to enrich thee and that is precious Faith Thou needest a garment to cover thy nakedness which no Shop on Earth can furnish thee withal and that is the Robe of Christs Righteousness Thou needest Food to satisfie thy hunger which cannot be got for money or price but may be had without it and that is the Bread of God which came down from Heaven to give Life unto the World Thou art of Heavenly original and therefore mind not Earthly things for it can never be well with thee untill thou return to that All-sufficient Lord who is the Father of Spirits and alone can fill them out of his own fulness MEDITATION IV. Lord Thou who art full of Love nay love it self and art jealous of my love lest it should be misplaced Turn away my Eyes that they may not be set upon that which is not If Riches take to themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle towards Heaven let my Heart be so wise as to get the start of them and fly away first from such transitory and fading vanities and fly towards the highest Heaven of all How great a gain will it be to lose my love to the World And though it be no gain at all to thee for me to love thee who art so self-sufficient from Everlasting to Everlasting yet I shall hereby be an Eternal gainer and shall be interested in that love which is Everlasting and unchangeable Oh! Love me freely in the Son of thy love and inflame my Heart with love to Thee 'T is my Honour that I have leave to love thee who art so high and glorious and 't is thy first and great Command that I should love thee with my whole Heart and Soul and Strength Let this Command be kept and let not the biggest offer the World can make me ever tempt me to break it so as to prevail with me MEDITATION V. Pleasures of sin and sence have often charmed and deceived me Those things which have gratified the Eye the Ear the Touch the Taste have had a kind of an inchanting Force and Power Sensual Delights have been some of the finest and strongest cords of vanity to draw me a way from God and Duty But now I see what madness 't is to please my self and displease my Lord
Discourse of Excommunication The middle way of Predetermination Popery an Enemy to Truth by Mr. Sheldreck Dr. Dumoulins conformity of Independent Government to the Antient Primitive Christians Excommunication Excommunicated in a Dialogue between a Doctor of both Laws The Case of the Protestants in England under a Popish Prince A rebuke to Informers A modest Inquiry into Dr. Stilling fleet Historical mistakes The State of Blessedness An Answer to Dr. Stilling fleets Book by J. H. Liberty of Conscience in order to universal peace The Lords voice crying to England Life of Herod the Great A Manifesto or an Account of the State and differences between the King of Denmark and Norway and the Duke of Slesmick Phelps Innocencies reward Materials for Union A sheet of Union Rosses Mestogogus Poaeticus Phelps on the Revelations Gilaspys Ark of the Covenant Present State of New England Dr. Collings of Providence Froysells Sermons of Grace and Temptations Yarringtons Englands Improvement First part Idem second part Meaning of the Revelation by John Hayter The Morning-Lecture against Popery or the principal errors of the Church of Rome detected and confuted in a Morning-Lecture preached by several Ministers of the Gospel in or near London Four useful discourses 1 The art of improving a full and prosperous condition for the glory of God being an appendix to the art of Contentment in three Sermons on Philip. 4. 12. 2 Christian submission on 1 Sam. 3. 18. Philip. 1. 21. 4 The Gospel of peace sent to the sons of peace in six Sermons on Luke 10. 5 6. by Jeremiah Burroughts Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks and Poems A new Copy-Book of all sorts of useful hands The new World or new-reformed Church by Doctor Homes The Vertuous Daughter a Funeral Sermon by Mr. Brian The Miracle of Miracles or Christ in our Nature by Dr. Rich. Sibbs The unity and essence of the Catholick Church visible by Mr. Hudson Brightman on Revelations Canticles and Daniel Canaans Calamity The intercourse of Divine Love between Christ and the Church or the particular Beleiving soul in several Lectures on the whole second Chap. of Cant. by John Collins D. D. Large 8 vo The sure mercies of David by Nath. Heywood Heaven or Hell here in a Good or Bad Conscience by Nath. Vincent Closet-Prayer a Christians duty all three by O. Heywood A Practical discourse of Prayer wherein is handled the nature and duty of Prayer by Tho. Cobbet Of quenching the Sprit the evil of it in respect both of its causes and effects discovered by Theophilus Polwheile The sure way to Salvation or a Treatise of the Saints mystical Union with Christ by Richard Stedman M. A. Sober Singularity by the same Author Heaven taken by Storm by Tho. Watson The Childs Delight together with an English Grammar Reading and Spelling made easie both by Tho. Lye Aesops Fables with morals thereupon in English Verse The Young-mans Instructor and the Old-mans remembrancer being an Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Captives bound in Chains made free by Christ their Surety both by Tho. Doolittle Eighteen Sermons preached upon several Texts of Scripture by William Whitaker The Saints care for Church Communion declared in sundry Sermons preached at St. James Dukes-place by Zech. Crofton The life and death of Edmund Stanton D. D. To which is added a Treatise of Christian-conference and a Dialogue between a Minister and a Stranger Sin the Plague of plagues or sinful sin the worst of Evils by Ralph Venning M. A. Cases of Conscience practically resolved by J. Norman The faithfulness of God considered and cleared in the great Events of his Word or a second part of the fulfilling of the Scripture The immortality of the Soul explained and proved by Scripture and Reason to which is added Faiths-triumph over the fears of death by Tho. Wedsworth A Treatise of the incomparableness of God in his Being Attributes Works and Word by George Swinnock M. A. A discourse of the original c. of the Cossacks The generation of Seekers or the right manner of the Saints addresses to the throne of Grace with an Exposition on the Lords-Prayer The administration of Cardinal Ximones An Essay to facilitate the Education of Youth by bringing down the rudiments of Grammar to the sense of seeing which ought to be improved by Syncrisis by Lewis of Totenham An Artificial Vestibulum wherein the sense of Janua Linguarum is contained compiled into plain and short sentences in English for the great ease of Masters and Expeditious progress of Scholars by M. Lewis Speculum Sherlockianum or a Looking glass in which the admirers of Mr. Sherlock may behold the man as to his Acuracy Judgment Orthodoxy A discourse of Sins of Omission wherein is discovered their Nature Causes and Cure by George Swinnock His Majesties Propriety in the British Seas vindicated Quakerism no Christianity or a through-Quaker no Christian proved by their Principles and confirmed by Scripture by J. Faldo Differences about Water-baptism no bar to Communion by Jo. Bunian The Dutch-dispensatory shewing the virtues qualities and properties of Simples the vertue and use of Compounds whereto is added the Compleat Herbalist Judg Dodaridge's laws of Nobility and Peerage Dinglys Spiritual Feast Solitude improved by Divine Meditation by Matth. Ranew A Murderer punished and pardoned or Tho. Savage his life and death with his Funeral sermon Hurst Revival Grace Buryes Husbandmans Companion help to holy walking Hanmers view of Antiquity Nomenclaturas Wases Grammar Vincent of Conscience Gouges Principles of Christian Religion Christian Direction Word to Saints and Sinners Young mans guide Christian Housholder Perrots Englands duty The Nonconformists vindicated Wadsworths remains Shepherdy Spiritualized Calamys Art of divine Meditation Faldos Quakerism no Christianity vindication of 21 Divines Small 8vo A defence against the fear of death by Zach. Crofton Gods Soveraignty displayed by William Gearing The Godly mans Ark or a City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moors evidences for Heaven by Edmund Calamy The Almost-Christian discovered or the false-Professor tried and cast by M. Mead. The true bounds of Christian-freedom or a discourse shewing the extent and restraints of Christian-liberty by S. Bolton D. D. The sinfulness of Sin and fulness of Christ in two Sermons by Will. Bridg. A Plea for the godly or the Righteous mans Excellency The holy Eucharist or the Sacrament of the Lords Supper A Treatise of self-denial All three by Tho. Watson The life and death of Tho. Wilson of Maidstone in Kent The Life and Death of Dr. Samuel VVinter A Covert from the Storm or the fearful encouraged in the day of Trouble Worthy-walking press'd upon all that have heard the Call of the Gospel The Spirit of Prayer All three by Nath. Vincent The inseparable union between Christ and a Believer by Tho. Peck A discourse of Excuses setting forth the variety and vanity of them the sin and misery brought in by them by John Sheffield Invisible reality demonstrated in
premised 1. The Children of men do owe obedience unto God as their rightful Lord and Governour and consequently it concerns them to examine whether the Lord has been obeyed or other Lords have had and still have the dominion over them Man did not make himself neither is he able to perserve himself and he is farthest off from being able to redeem and save himself therefore man is not his own 't is impious in him to speak that language Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over me But that God who gave him his being who holds his soul in life and alone can redeem and save his soul from wrath does justly lay claim to him as his subject and require obedience from him 2. The Sons of men are under a law which they are obliged to keep as a rule of righteousness God himself has given them a law which is holy just and good they are therefore to examine what respect they have had to this law Whether it has been kept as it ought like the apple of the eye Or whether it has been hated and broken and cast behind the back For sincere obedience and life and death and disobedience are joyned together Deut. 30. 19 20. 3. We are all of us not only under a law but under the eye of our Lord and Law-giver continually He compasses our path and our lying down and is acquainted with all our ways Psal 139. 3. And shall we be ignorant of our own ways His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11. 4. When we would look more intently our eye-lids are more contracted Gods eye-lids are mentioned to signifie how intently he eyes when he tries the Children of men and shall not they prove and try themselves 4. Naturally we are prone to nothing but what is contrary to that Law and Rule we should walk by The Apostle sticks not to say that the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can it be Rom. 8. 7. And as the heart of man is desperately wicked so 't is deceitful above all things and it manifests its deceitfulness in concealing and hiding that it may hold fast its wickedness Those that have such hearts how jealous should they be of them How careful to prove and to pry into them And suppose there be a new nature given yet upon proof 't will be found that there is too too much of the old remaining 5. We are endued with a power of self-reflection and may take notice both of our hearts actions There is a law written in our hearts by nature which does in part discover what we should do and be but the Word of God much more fully informs us of our duty We may erect a Bar or Tribunal in our own souls and call our selves before it Conscience can first be Witness and afterwards a Judge And truly a right judging of our selves is one way to escape being condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 31. 6. All must be Summoned to give an account of themselves unto God at last Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us must give accout of himself unto God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or evil Should we not then try and prove our selves before hand repent of our evil deeds believe in the Mediator and throughly amend our doings that we may be found of our Lord and Judge in peace These propositions premised I shall open the nature of this duty of self-proving 1. Self-proving implies a serious Inquisition and Search into our selves Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search And truly a diligent search is but needful for as Augustine observes Grande profundum est homo Man is a great deep and therefore 't is difficult for a man to sound himself and to come to the bottom of his own heart Job speaks of the secrets of nature and says there is a path which no fowl knoweth and which the Vultures eye though it be so piercing hath not seen Job 28. 7. But the secrets of the heart are more abstruse and hard to be found out The Heathen Poet advised Tecum habita Dwell with thy self our thoughts should dwell much upon our selves that we may find out the utmost of our selves Our whole man is to fall under our inspection our ways our words our senses our souls are all to be lookt over 2. Self-proving implies a fear of self-deceit The Apostle cautions against being deceived by man Eph. 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words against being beguiled by Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ He cautions also against self-deceit 1 Cor. 3. 18. Let no man deceive himself He that is not jealous over himself will easily mistake and may go out of the World mistaken and after death the mistake will be impossible to be corrected we must therefore take heed to our selves that our spirits deal not treacherously 3. Self proving implies using the Light of the Word of God This Word is quick and powerful and as the Anatomists Knife dissects all the parts of the Body and lays even the inmost of them open unto view so the Word like a sharp and two edged Sword does pierce through all and divides between Soul and Spirit i. e. between Nature and Grace for the natural man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the meaning may be that the Word discovers not only the corruption in the Affections and the inferior faculties of the Soul but also that depravation and sin which is in the faculties which are Superior and discerns what the intents and thoughts and reasonings of the heart are Heb. 4. 12. Unless we make use of the light of the Word we shall be lost in the dark while searching our selves The Word makes manifest the very secrets of the heart and hereby 't is plain that God who searches the heart is the Author of this Word and does accompany it 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. We find an Hearer convinced of all and judged of all the secrets of his heart are made manifest and worshipping God he acknowledges God is in the Preachers of a Truth 4. Self-proving implies comparing our selves with that Rule whereunto we ought to be conformed The Commands of God lay an obligation upon the whole man We are required to cleanse our hands and purifie our hearts Jam. 4. 8. We must be holy in all manner of Conversation and our affections must be set on things above not on Earthly things our Minds also and Consciences must be purged from their defilements Now a comparison is to be made between what we should be and what we are This bringing our selves to the right
are but for a season Job 20. 5 8. Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon Earth that the triumphing of the Wicked is short and the joy of the Hypocrite but for a moment Though his excellency mount up to the Heavens and his head reacheth to the Clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have seen him shall say Where is he He shall fly away as a dream and shall not be found yea he shall be chased away as a night vision 3. Better their false peace which must quickly end should be disturbed by Self-trial than that it should cease by their Trial at Gods Bar. The ungodly cannot carry a false peace along with them into another World The rich man in the Gospel that fared sumptuously every day carried none of his good things with him when he died his pleasure then came to a full stop and we read of nothing he met with but evil things torments flames endless and unquenchable Luk. 16. and then the rich man saw it had been better before to have broken off his sinful pleasure by Self-reflection and Repentance 4. Though a false peace upon Self-examination be banished yet there may a true peace be obtained in the room of it Be not unwilling to look into your selves though you find matter of sorrow for godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal 126. 5. And Christ pronounces the mourners blessed for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. Case 2. The second Case is this Is it not time enough hereafter for Sinners to search and look into themselves Then when prosperity and youth are gone and affliction and old age are come What necessity is there to put themselves upon the rack presently Ans 1. The longer they defer the more afraid they will be to begin and so it may never be done in this World especially considering that delay will make the work more difficult and grievous The larger the scores are the more loath they will be to look them over and the more peccant and wicked the heart has been the more unwilling it will be to be called to account therefore 't is best to begin this very instant and 't would have been better to have begun before 2. Sin is so great an evil that none can be too soon convinced of it nor too soon converted from it as on the other hand Grace is so excellent that we can never be too early enriched with it and assurance of the love of God so desirable and delightful that it can never be too soon obtained Why should there be a delay in the search after Sin This Enemy should speedily be inquired after since if let alone it may ruine us suddenly before we are aware 3. If Sinners refuse to mind the Lord and themselves in the time of youth and prosperity God may refuse to have any regard to them in the time of their distress Now is the accepted time now they may seek the Lord and search themselves to good purpose but whether the time of affliction may be an accepted time or no is questionable The Lord threatens to laugh at the calamity of some and to mack when their fear comes and that he will not be found of them Prov. 1. 26 28. They that refused to hearken and stopt their Ears and made their hearts like an Adamant Stone see what came to pass at last great wrath came upon them they were scattered with a whirlwind and as he cried and they would not hear so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts Zach. 7. 13. 4. Why should such a short lived creature as Man delay to examine himself What is his life 'T is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4. 14. How quickly may Death arrest him and summon him before the Lords Tribunal Some are well in one hour sick the next and dead the third nay some are well and sick and dead the same hour if not the same minute Defer not then to look into thy state and heart speedily since upon the sudden it may be said to thee Render an account of thy Stewardship for thou shalt be no longer Steward Luk. 16. 2. Case 3. The third Case follows which is this How shall Sinners that all their days have been careless of and utter Strangers to themselves manage this business of Self-examination Ans 1. Let them get alone not to be speculatively wanton or project for the World or to please themselves with vain and proud and towring imaginations but that they may seriously bethink themselves what is likely to become of them for ever Let them get out of the croud and hurry of worldly business and shake off carnal company and be at leisure to understand their Souls condition Certainly a Soul that is of greater value than all the World is worth minding is worth saving 2. Let the thoughts of God and of Eternity make them serious especially considering how much God has been provoked and how near they may be unto Eternity Time is posting away from them and Death is making great haste towards them and immediately after Death they enter upon Eternal state and how sad will it be if it be a state of eternal woe 3. Let them cry unto God for his Convincing Spirit When the Spirit is given and truely the Lord is ready to give his Spirit unto all that ask him he does discover that in Sin that before was not perceived he makes Hell to become naked and takes off that covering that was upon destruction He holds before Sinners the Glass of Gods holy Law that in that Glass they may behold their hearts and lives shews unto them that the characters of Gods Enemies agree to them and that their spot is not the spot of his Children Deut. 32. 5. Then Sin will revive and Sinners die that is become sensible they are the sons of death and wrath and in great danger of Eternal ruine Now they are to hold up their hands and cry Guilty Guilty and to lament and bemoan themselves as Ephraim did to see themselves in such a lost condition 4. Let them be very inquisitive what they shall do that they might be saved Thus were those Jews that were prickt at the heart Act. 2. and thus was the trembling Jaylour Act. 16. A lost estate being perceived is not to be rested in none ought to be contented to be damned but they must inquire what they must do to escape the wrath to come and they must give themselves to prayer in good earnest and use the other means of grace and the sense of their sin and misery should make them the more servent in crying for that mercy and grace which they so highly stand in need of Case 4. The fourth Case this When Sinners upon Self-trial have found out the badness of their State is there any
for in his House Ordinances are administred that they may behold the beauty of the Lord and enquire in his Temple Ps 27. 4. Case 7. The seventh Case follows What are the lower degrees of true Grace Grace in Scripture being compared to a grain of Mustard seed which is indeed the least of all seeds that are sown in the field Mat. 13. 31 32. Hereby there is an intimation given us that Grace is but little in the first beginnings of it and because small 't is not so easie to be discerned Yet the least measure of true Grace being of far greater value and more precious than Gold that perishes 't is worth our while to bring it to the Touchstone that it may be proved and known Before I resolve the Case wherein I must be very wary lest the unsound presume and lest the sincere be discouraged I shall premise these particulars 1. True Grace has different degrees and the higher and lower degrees are vastly different from each other Such a difference as there is between a grain of Mustard-seed and the Plant grown up so that the Birds of the air may lodge in the branches of it Such a difference as there is between a new born infant and a man grown truely such a difference there is between weak and strong Grace and yet as the infant has all the parts which the man hath and is of the same kind with him so weak grace and strong grace are of the same kind and the weak is true and saving as well as the strong That there is a difference in the degrees of Grace is evident Some are babes and some are strong men Heb. 5. 13 14. Some are styled little children some young men and some are called Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. 2. True Grace is consistent with little knowledge in the things of God There may be a great measure of notional knowledge where there is no true Grace at all and there may be true Grace where there is a great weakness as to understanding The Disciples when first they were chosen out of the World and regenerated by the Spirit understood but little of the Gospel Peter himself would have disswaded Christ from dying not knowing that his blood was to be the price of the Churches Redemption Mat. 16. 21 22. The very Apostles themselves wondred what the Resurrection of Christ from the dead should mean Surely they had not then much light and yet they had true Grace And though these and such like great Articles of the Christian Faith are more fully revealed so that 't is necessary to salvation to know them yet in some heads the knowledge is but little where yet the heart is truly turned unto God and prizes Christ above all 3. Where there is true Grace there may be many doubts and fears Our Lord says unto Peter O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Mat. 14. 31. And unto all his Disciples he speaks thus Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Mat. 8. 26. Faith they had and yet 't was little and this faith is own'd though accompanied with doubts and fears Doubting believers for ought I know are the far major part of them Sincere Souls are prone to be jealous of themselves and they apprehend how much it stands them upon to make sure work for Eternity Hereupon Satan and the remainders of unbelief take the advantage and they are still questioning their state and are full of fears that nothing is wrought in them but what is common unto Hypocrites 4. Where there is true Grace there may be much corruption I grant that Grace reigns wherever it is in truth and yet much Sin may remain though it be an underling thus the Oyl is at the top of the Vessel though the Water which is under it be a far greater quantity Grace is compared unto smoaking Flax now in the smoaking Flax there 's much of stench and cloudiness and but little heat and yet this heat is taken notice of and cherisht and the promise is Mat. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory 5. Those that have true Grace may fall into Sins that are foul and scandalous and by such falls they break their bones disturb their peace and wound their Consciences and weaken themselves exceedingly so that they are the apter to stumble and fall again upon the next temptation When notorious Sins are thus committed by Believers Grace is at a very low ebb and yet the living Water which springs up to everlasting life so Grace is called is not quite dried up It is strange yet not so strange as true that righteous Lot who vexed his soul from day to day because of the Sodomites unlawful deeds should give way to drunkenness first though 't is not so strange that he should commit incest afterwards for he that is drunken knows not what he does Though he was delivered out of Sodom yet he carried but too much of Sodom within him in his heart David a man after Gods own heart yet in his heart there did kindle an impure and hellish flame of lust whereby Bathsheba was scorched and hurt as well as himself and which was the occasion of the death of poor Vrijah Now though David's joy was quite gone yet the Sanctifying Spirit was not clean departed though his operation was for a while suspended therefore he prays for the restoring of joy but that the holy Spirit might not be taken away Psal 51. 11 12. 6. Those that have true Grace may send forth such sad complaints as speak a nearness to despair Job cryes out The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my Spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me Job 6. 4. The Church complains Lam. 3. God hath set me in dark place as those that have been dead of old he hath hedged me about that I cannot get out and made my chain heavy he hath filled me with bitterness and made me drunken with Wormwood also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer This was worst of all to be in a deplorable case and not to be regarded when crying for relief and pitty Eminent Saints have sometimes concluded themselves forsaken and forgotten no wonder if they that have weak Grace confidently affirm they have none at all and as peremptorily conclude they never shall have any These things being premised I am to tell you which are the lower degrees of true grace 1. A sense and weariness of hardness of heart argues some measure of true Grace it shews some life and softness when deadness and hardness is felt as a burthen Though hardness of heart was incomparably the worst of all the plagues of Egypt yet this Pharaoh and the Egyptians were never sensible of nor desirous to be delivered from it though other plagues they cry to have removed That 's true
to serve me too much mine to do me any real harm Christ by dying has taken out the sting of Death so that I need not any longer be under bondage through the Fear of Death O Death Thou hast left thy sting in the side of Christ and there hast lost it O Grave My Lord has broke thy gates open and because he is risen I may joyfully conclude my own Resurrection My body must lye in darkness for a while but it shall not always be Death's Prisoner This corruptible shall put on incorruption this mortal shall put on immortality and as the Corn cast into the ground does rise with advantage every single grain yeilding sometimes an hundred fold so my flesh shall come up out of the Earth with an hundred fold better qualities then now it has 'T is sown in weakness 't is raised in power 't is sown in dishonour 't is raised in glory But O my Soul Death will not be able at all to seize on thee Thou wilt be delivered out of a dungeon when thou leavest thine Earthly Tabernacle and go unto a glorious Palace assoon as ever thou art absent from the Body thou wilt be present with the Lord assoon as thou art departed thou will be with Christ and how much better that is thou wilt find to thy full and Everlasting joy MEDITATION XLVIII If my Beloved is mine and all things mine is there not reason I should be His His I am and His I will be to eternity Lord I am Thine for thou hast made me and not I my self I am thine by the right of purchase as well as Creation for thou hast bought me with a price Nay thou hast new made me on purpose for thine own use and that I should shew forth thy praises And I do willingly resign and yeild my self to thee if I am thy Servant make use of me if I am thy Treasure keep me if I am a child let me be imployed in my Fathers business if I am Betrothed to thee let thy love and jealousie secure me from other Lovers Oh let me be wholly only always Thine Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity Let my tongue be like an Angels continually sounding forth thy Name Let my hands be holy the path of my feet pondered let all my members be yeilded as instruments of Righteousness and let my soul with all its powers love and serve thee Lord sanctifie and satisfie and save me and honour me by employing me for I lift up my soul and give my very heart to thee MEDITATION XLIX Ten thousand times ten thousand praises to the God of love and peace Who would not worship thee and give thee glory O thou King of Saints Let thy Church on Earth as well as Heaven ring aloud with Hallelujah's Who is God save the Lord who is a Rock save our God! Who in Heaven above or in Earth beneath is to be compared to Thee a God glorious in holiness terrible in Majesty rich in mercy abounding in Grace wonderful in working and keeping truth for ever Who can by searching find out God! who can find out the Almighty to perfection It is high as Heaven what can we do Deeper then Hell what can we know Who is a God like unto thee abundant in loving kindness goodness and truth Delighting in mercy Forgiving iniquity Transgression and sin and reconciling the world to himself in Christ Glory be to God in the highest for such good will towards men Let the Heavens rejoyce and let the Earth be glad let the Sea roar and the fulness thereof Let the floods clap their hands and the hills be joyful together Let all the creatures joyn in magnifying that God which made them And let all Saints shout aloud for joy unto Him who has visited and redeemed them MEDITATION L. Lord How much art thou above thy Creatures reach Who besides thy self can conceive thy excellency Who can shew forth all thy praise Thou art exalted above the blessing and the thoughts of Angels above the songs of Seraphims Everlasting thanksgivings are thy due Oh let me live with thee to Eternity that I may ever be paying this debt of praises Bless the Lord ye innumerable company of Angels which excell in strength who see the Glory of your Maker and Lord Praise him O ye Thrones Dominions Principallities and Powers Exalt that mighty and gracious God who elected and confirmed you when so many other Angels sinn'd and are eternally left and miserable in their Apostacy O all ye Triumphant Saints that are with the Lamb upon the heavenly Mount Sion Strike up with your Harps and if it be possible let your strains be still higher and higher Ascribe blessing and honour and glory and power unto Him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever O thou Militant Church Begin this heavenly work of praising here on Earth Thy Redemption and deliverance is begun and will most certainly be compleated The Captain of thy Salvation will stand by thee in thy spiritual warfare and having made thee more then victorious over all thy Enemies will bestow upon thee the promised Crown of life and glory MEDITATION LI. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name What hast thou breath for but that it should be spent in his praises Wherefore hast thou a tongue at command but that it should be employed in glorifying thy Lord and hereby become thy glory Should not a slave that has been in very hard and cruel bondage be thankful to him that redeemed him Should not a Malefactor condemned to dye be thankful unto Him that pardoned him Should not the patient that has laboured under a Death threatning distemper be thankful to the Physician that has cured him And how much greater reason is there O my Soul that thou shouldst abound in thanksgivings unto thy God and Saviour Thou wast in the worst sense enslaved and he has made thee free indeed Thou wast condemned to the second Death to be separated for ever from the Lord and to be thrown into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone and he by dying himself has purchased a pardon for thee Thou wast sick of spiritual which are the worst kind of plagues and He is the Lord that heals thee Awake Awake Oh my soul Awake Awake And utter a song of praise Rejoyce in Christ Jesus Glory in the Father of mercies Who forgiveth all thy iniquities who healeth all thy Diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies MEDITATION LII Shall I not magnifie and advance my Lord who am so highly advanced my self I was once in darkness and securely went on towards the blackness of darkness forever but I am called out of darkness into marvellous light â— I was once a stranger and a forreiner but now I am a fellow Citizen with the Saints and of the houshold of God I am become a child of God who