life I would do mine utmost to save and recover your lost souls and O let me help you to Christ let me be a means of your recovery But that I have no hope of unless vâ—â—n will so fâ—r heed and believe the word that I prâ— â—nd â—â—vâ—â— so close and so home upon your hearts 〈…〉 no longer be hardned through the deceit◠〈…〉 might be said concerning you up◠〈…〉 â—ords as concerning them Acts 〈…〉 heard this they were pricked at their 〈…〉 Brethren what shall we do 〈…〉 so concerning thee Hath this 〈…〉 heart Dost thou feel thy heart 〈…〉 art thou afraid and in that fear dost thou cry out Men and Brethren what shall I do Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Hath it made thee so sick that thou art calling after the physitian Is there such a cry in thy soul Help Lord save Lord or I perish Wo is me I am undone what must I do to be saved If the Lord hath made thee thus sick in smiting thee sick of thy covetousness sick of thy wickedness and of that bondage thou art hitherto held under If the word of the Lord hath pricked thee to the heart and put thee to pain so that nothing but a deliverance from thy wretched state can ease thee or satisfie thee if it be thus with thee if thou art thus sick thus pricked at the heart then be of good comfort it is an hopeful sign that thou art upon recovery there is now good hopes concerning thee that though thou art dead thou mayest be made alive 2. Vnderstand what Christ hath done and must do for your recovery Christ is our only Reedemer and Reconciler and Christ redeems 1. By price 2. By power 1. Christ redeemeth by price 1. Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price Christ himself was that price and he laid down his life as a price for us In this respect he is called our ransom Mat. 20.28 He gave his life a ransom for many And his redeemed ones are called his ransomed ones Is 35.10 We by sin are become prisoners and captives Prisoners to the justice of God to whom by sin we had forfeited our lives and Justice took hold of us as a company of Traitors and Malefactors whom it condemned to death Now Christ paid himself to divine justice gave himself to die that he might ransom us from death Let me stand in these Sinners stead let thine hand be upon me and let them escape death is the wages of sin let my death says Christ pay that wages 2. Christ redeemeth by power Sinners were prisoners to divine justice and captives to the Devil 2 Tim. 2 26. By price he redeems them from the revenging justice of God and by power be redeems them from the Devil In the former sense he redeemed us as a purchaser he bought our lives in the latter sense he redeemeth as a Conquerour the Devil held us and Death held us too death reigned over all Christ conquereth both Death and the Devil He overcame death and him that hath the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 Having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself Col. 2.15 He brake the Serpents head as it was promised he should Gen. 3. that he could no longer hold his captives The Devil tempted him to sin but he overcame the temptation and sinned not The Devil set the Jews to slay him but he overcame death by his resurrection from the dead The Devil got him among the dead but he could not hold him he rose from the dead by which it was impossible for him to be holden beyond the time appointed And as Christ conquered the Devil and conquered Death so he conquereth Sin too He conquered the Devil as our Captain so called Heb. 2.10 The Captain of our Salvation he broke the power of the Devil and led out his captives as a Captain doth his recovered prisoners He conquers sin as a Physician healing all those wounds and diseases which the Devil had brought us under he is therefore called a Physician Mat. 9.12 The whole have no need of a Physitian This now is that which Christ hath done and hath to do for our recovery to give himself a price or ransome to the justice of God by laying down his life for sinners to break the power of the Devil and rescue us from his captivity and to heal us of our sins and thereby destroy the works of the Devil 2. Vnderstand what sinners have to do towards their own recovery that they may obtain the benefit of what Christ hath done and performed This I shall sum up in this one word To perform the conditions of their recovery What are those conditions 1. To accept of Christ as your ransom to give off all other hopes of recovery and to take him as our only Redeemer Some sinners reject Christ and will none of him they care not for a ransom nor will mind any such thing as their recovery but are content to be slaves to Sin and the Devil for ever like those slaves under the Law who when they might would not go out from their Masters but would have their ears bored to the threshold that they might not depart for ever How many such desperate wretches are there among sinners Sinners they are and sinners they will be slaves to the Devil they are and they will not accept of deliverance Christ is preached to them a Redeemer and tendered to them as their ransom and liberty is offered to these captives but they will not accept him they say in their hearts as that servant I love my old Master I love my sins I love my lusts those very chains by which the Devil holds them and reject Christ who comes to ransom them How is it sinner that thou art yet a captive to the Devil and a slave to thy sins How is it that thou art left out from among the redeemed ones of the Lord There is a ransom paid there is a price laid down to buy out that soul of thine from the wrath of God and this ransom hath been offered thee and thou hast been persuaded to come out of the prison but yet there thou art yet thou art a bond-slave to the Devil and thy sin Why is it thus with thee Why onely because thou wilt not accept of thy ransom thou wilt not accept of Christ who would redeem and recover thee Thou art such a stupid sensless soul that thou dost not mind any such thing as thy recovery or redemption thou mindest thine ease or thy pleasure thou mindest thy trade and thy gains and thy business in the World but thou never mindest the redemption of thy soul never hast such a thought how shall I escape out of the hands of the Devil How shall my soul be delivered from sin and everlasting wrath When dost thou use to mind seriously any such thing Not being sensible of thy misery thou mindest
Temptations are to be feared and warily used Riches and outward Prosperity is a Temptation our Money and our Lands and our businesses in the World are Temptations He that will be Rich falleth into Temptation c. and therefore must so be feared as to make us the more wary and circumspect in the seeking and using of them follow your Trades with fear go into your Fields and Markets with fear Eat and Drink with fear fear your fine Houses fear you Plentiful and Prosperous Estates lest by these you be led away to sin and to forget God You are every day among Temptations throughout the whole time of your lives and therefore is the Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.17 Pass the time of your Sojourning here in fear 4. The punishments of sin are to be feared The wrath and the curse of God that Everlasting death which is the wages of sin as I told you before fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell He is able and he will do it if thou continue in thy sin This fear is planted in the heart as the Sword of the Angel was placed in the way of Balaam to keep him back from his wicked designs This world is a wicked world notwithstanding that God hath placed such a flaming sword in sinners ways notwithstanding all their fears how wilfully wicked are they but what world would this world be if there were no fear upon mens hearts to bridle or restrain them Secondly We are to keep the heart out of fear of what it should not fear to suppress and keep down all unreasonable and sinful fears There are two things especially which men fear but should not fear 1. The Yoke of Christ the difficulties and severities of Religion some men continue to be sinners because they are afraid to be Saints they continue under the power of the Devil because they are afraid of Christ They look on Christ as an hard Master his service as hard service his Yoke as an hard Yoke some desires they have after Religion they could wish themselves Christians but they are afraid to venture The difficulties and the severities of a Godly life keep them off they are afraid of them that they shall never bear them As God placed a flaming sword in Eden Gen. 3. so these fears are a flaming sword of the devils placing to keep the way of the tree of Life to keep sinners back from Christ they dare not come to Christ for fear of him and the heavy yoke that he would put upon their Necks 2. The Cross of Christ that is 1. The sufferings of this Life These are not to be feared Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things which you shall suffer And this very charge not to fear them is an Evidence that even Christians are too apt to fear Sufferings 2. Death for Christs sake Luke 12.4 Fear not them that kill the body Fear not the worst that men can do You may not only be persecuted by evil men imprisoned spoiled of your Goods but you may be slain put to death by them yet fear them not and as a violent death a being put to death for Christ so neither is a natural death to be feared death is the King of terrours The Apostle tells us Heb. 2.15 That for fear of death men are all their life time subject to bondage There is a natural fear of death implanted in every man even in Christ himself and there is a sinful fear of death and then 't is sinful when 't is excessive when there is so great a fear of death as to distress and distract us in the duties of our lives When there is so great a fear of death that we cannot quietly and patiently submit to its stroke when we cannot comfort and support our selves against the fear of death by the hope we have in our death the righteous hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 As the Apostle speaks concerning sorrow for the dead 1 Thes 4.13 Sorrow not as men without hope the same may be said concerning the fear of death fear not as men without hope The righteous hath hope in his death he lies down in hope goes to his grave in hope and this hope fortifieth his heart under all its fears Now friends would you keep your hearts under Government learn these two Lessons 1. Keep your hearts in fear and particularly 1. keep you in the fear of God keep up the Aw and Reverence of God in your hearts get you trembling hearts before the Lord behold the severe and jealous eye that is upon you live under such a deep sense of the Greatness Glory and Majesty of the great God as may constantly awe you Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and let him be your fear and your dread Those that live not under an awe of God lye open to the Devil and all his Temptations It is this the fear of God that is the bridle to keep us in due order 2 Keep you in fear of sinning against God Psal 4.4 Tremble and sin not Art thou a professor of faith in God and dost thou not yet fear to sin against God dost thou believe that God is the observer of all ungodliness that thine iniquities are all marked before him dost thou believe that God is the avenger of all ungodliness and that all thine iniquities shall be recompensed and returned upon thine own head how is it then that thou art no more afraid of iniquity Art thou an hypocritical professor and doth not thine hypocrisie make thee afraid art thou a proud Professor or a worldly Professor or a luke-warm or froward or carnal or slothful Professour how is it that thy pride thy covetousness that thy coldness or frowardness or carnality or slothfulness doth not make thee afraid are these Evils this Pride and this Hypocrisie this Coveteousness this frowardness rooted and raigning in thy heart where are thy fears all this while call up fear put on fear and let this suppress these lusts which will else be breaking forth into practical iniquity If you would fear a life of Covetousness a life of Pride fear this heart of Pride this worldly carnal heart if you would fear a froward look a froward tongue fear a froward heart crush this Cockatrice Egg before it hatch into practical wickedness 3. Fear Temptation to Sin What does use to foment or heighten the lusts of thine heart What doth use to draw them forth into practice Whatever it be fear it as you would fear the Devil Particularly 1. Fear whatever you over love in the World 1. When you have your pleasant dishes before you and varieties of them when you have your pleasant cups before you fear your being tempted to excess feed not your selves without fear especially feast not without fear put a knife to thy throat if thou be given to appetite when thou seest dainties before thee Prov. 23.2 Look not on the wine when it is red in
call upon you and encourage you in the Name and the Words of the Lord Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. Let your hearts be thus kept and then come come with your prayers come with your praises and I will hear and accept you 8. It is the Temple of the Lord. 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the temple of the living God 't is the heart especially that is this Temple There are four things in the Temple of God which are so many reasons why our hearts should be carefully kept and guarded 1. The law of God is in his Temple The law was read in the Temple and kept in the Temple and as in that Temple made with hands so in that living Temple made without hands the Law of God is placed and preserved Christians have the Law of God within them their Bibles in their hearts in the heart of a Christian is the Copy of the Bible God hath not only preach'd it to their hearts but they have laid it up in their hearts Psal 119.11 I have hid thy word within mine heart that I might not sin against thee Mary kept the sayings of Christ and laid them up in her heart Luk. 2.51 God promised Jer. 31.33 I will write my Law in their hearts and he hath done what he promised he that once wrote his Law in Tables of Stone hath also written it in fleshly Tables of Hearts Therefore Psal 40.8 Thy Law is within mine heart The Law written in the heart Notes 1. All those holy Notions of God of Christ of Glory Honour Immortality of the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God and of the Mistery of Christ which are written in the Scriptures are revealed in the heart 2. All those holy Principles or divine Axioms concerning Truth Righteousness Holiness Mercy Temperance Sobriety c. the nature and necessity of them to true Godliness and Blessedness 3. That Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus the new Law or Covenant of Grace by which we are freed from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 the Tenour and the Terms of the Covenant the Promises and the Conditions of the Covenant the great Charter of the Saints which gives them Title to and will give them an entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom The writing that Law is the writing the new Covenant in the heart 4. That inward living Law the holy bent inclinations dispositions begotten in the heart by the Word and Spirit of the Lord that renewed Conscience inwardly obliging and holding the heart to the Obedience of the Word A Christian hath not only something without him but something within him binding him to obedience whereby it may be said much more of him then of those Gentiles Rom. 2.14 He is a law to himself His own heart holds him in to Christ his own heart holds him on in Obedience to the Gospel If all our Bibles should be lost or burnt if all our Preachers that urge and press our Obedience were laid aside and trodden under foot a Christian hath that within him that would hold him on in his Christianity That knowledge of God and those Principles of Christianity that love of Christ and that renewed Conscience within him will keep him a Christian still Now all this treasure those holy Notions holy Principles this Law of Grace and this living law of the new Covenant being all kept in the heart the heart being the Temple of God wherein all this is preserved had need be carefully kept Would you not have all the Notions of God and the knowledge of Christ dimm'd and darkned and razed out would you not loose all your holy Principles of Righteousness and Honesty of Temperance and Sobriety would you not have the book of the Covenant stolen away on which all your Hopes and Expectations all your title to Everlasting blessedness depends would you not loose that holy bent and those holy inclinations and that renewed Consciences by all which you are disposed and inwardly bound bound in Spirit to the life of Christianity would you not that all these should be lost would you not return to be dim sighted and dark Souls would you not exchange your holy Principles for carnal Principles your renewed purged Consciences for corrupt Consciences would you not that the Temple of the Lord be robb'd would you not that your heart be robb'd of all these Treasures then set a Guard upon your hearts 2. The name of God is in his Temple Jer. 7.10 12. 't is said often he places his name there And of these living Temples the hearts of Saints 't is said Rev. 3.12 I will write the name of my God and the name of the City of my God upon them And Chap. 2.17 in this heart there is a precious stone put and upon this stone a new name written which no man knows but he that hath it A Christian hath not only the names of Christ call'd upon him he is call'd a Christian after the name of his Lord but he hath this name written upon him written upon his heart Sure that Table should be kept clean in which is written such a precious name What shall the name of God be written on a dunghil wilt thou suffer Sin and the Devil to make a very dunghil of thy heart and in that dunghil write the name of thy God If the heart be not well guarded the Devil will be not only carrying out but carrying in all the precious Treasures that are in your hearts let Satan alone a while and hee 'l carry them all away Whatever thou hast now thou shalt have nothing of God left in thee nothing of Christ lest in thee none of all thy Graces none of all thy comforts Hast thou love for Christ hast thou hope in Christ hast thou peace or joy in God hast thou either the image or the comforts of God in thee Satan stands ready if thou look not to him to carry all away thou wilt quickly be left a very miserable Soul poor and blind and naked if thou take not heed And as the Devil will be carrying out so he will be also carrying in to that heart of thine Thy Gold and thy Jewels he will carry away and he will bring in dirt and filth and trash As he unloads thee he will load thee unload thee of the treasures of light and load thee with the treasures of darkness He will fill those hearts with every unclean thing he will make those Temples to be very Stables or Sties he will make that heart a very Dunghil and Christ must either have no name within thee or that precious name written on a dunghil and will you suffer such an affront and abuse to be put upon your Lord If you do not keep your hearts so it will be 3. The Worship of God is in his Temple Mine house shall be called an house of Prayer Mat. 21.13 In this inward Temple the heart is the inward and spiritual Worship of
to be religious but bridle not their tongues they pretend to be of circumcised hearts but are of uncircumcised lips 3. The unbridleness of their tongues is an evidence that their Religion is in vain When is Religion in vain Why when it cannot reach its end when it cannot save the soul and sure that Religion which cannot bridle the tongue cannot save the soul Man in what a case art thou Thou professest Religion and hopest for salvation but if thou art of an unbridled froward tongue thy Religion is vain and cannot save thee III. Frowardness hinders all that little Religion that such men have in the exercise of it it puts them besides Prayer or Reading or Meditation or spending one serious thought upon Eternity all Religion is thrust behind the doors when the froward fit is up Friends pray do not make light of this grievous evil turn every one of your eyes homeward and reflect upon your own spirits and carriages do not presently say I am not guilty or I am not much guilty this way it may be it is for want of observing thy self Look again and again how thou carriedst it at such a time how to such or such persons and you thaâ—â—re guilty do not make light of it do not count it aâ—â—ll fault Is that but a small evil which proves thee an hypocrite Where this evil reigns and is not checked nor controlled by thee is not mourned over nor art thou ashamed of it nor wilt resist it when this evil reigns it is a sign thou art but an hypocrite and thy religion is in vain Christians our Lord Jesus whose Disciples we profess our selves to be and to learn of him was meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 and art thou his Disciple who art of a proud and furious spirit The Apostle tells us that a meek and quiet spirit is an ornament to the Gospel and of great price in the sight of God 1 Pet 3.4 If meekness be an ornament then frowardness is a blot and a blemish and a stain upon our Profession If meekness be pretious then frowardness is odious in the sight of God Wouldst thou make thy self a disgrace to the Gospel an odium and an abomination unto the Lord If thou wouldst not then cease from thy frowardness and study and follow after that gentleness that sweetness and candor and meekness of heart and behaviour which is so grateful both with God and men Friends though I would not say much yet finding it lie in my way I would not pass by this evil without saying something though but thus briefly to it But though I have said but little yet pray let not this little be forgotten especially by any such among you whose Consciences may tell you God hath sent this Word as an Item to me Doctr. from V. 26. Every foot hath his path There are two paths in one of which every one is walking There is the good path or way and there is the evil path These two are distinguished by their ends or term to which they lead that is the good path that leads to Good called the path of life Psalm 16.11 that is the evil path that leads to Evil the way of death and destruction Mat. 7. 2. By their Adjuncts or Qualities The good way is general the way of Holiness in particular the way of Humility Meekness Temperance Patience c. the way of Faith and Love and Prayer The evil way is the way of Sin in general and in particular it is either the way of Lying or the way of Covetousness or the way of Pride or Envy c. But here note â—â—at the good way is made up of all these good Qualities or else it cannot be the good way but any one of the evil Qualities makes the way evil He that is humble and is not temperate he that is temperate and is not patient he that is patient and is not merciful he whose life is not led in universal holiness that hath any one grace wanting is not in the good way one Fly spoils the whole Box. Christians must stand compleat in all the wills of God Col. 4.12 But for the evil way he that walks in any one particular branch of that his way is evil He that is not a Liar if he be a Swearer he that is not a Swearer if he be a Drunkard he that is not a Drunkard if he be Covetous he that is none of all these if he be carnal and walks after the flesh or any one particular Lust thereof he is in the evil way the path of sin if it be but any one sin that is our path or our way wherein we use and allow our selves to walk the path of sin is the way of death Now every one in the World hath his path is either in the good way the way of Holiness or the evil way the way of Sin And of those that are in the way of Sin some are in the way of the Proud others in the way of the Scornful others in the way of Lying others in the way of Covetousness every one hath his way Doctr. 2. Every path must be pondered To ponder our ways is to weigh and consider them the same which is charged Hag. 1.5 Consider your ways spend some deep and serious thoughts upon them Now there is 1. A consideration of the ways that we have hitherto gone on in A bethinking our selves a reviewing our course this is that which the Psalmist did Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways that I had hitherto been walking 〈◊〉 I thought and repented of what I had done I thought and turned And this is that for which Israel was reproved No man said what have I done No man said in his heart no man thought with himself what have I done For the Objects of these thoughts must be 1. The matters that we have done the particular actions of our lives Carnal men never observe or mark what they do they never review or reflect upon their actions How many words do â—â—en speak how many works are men engaged in that they never observe or mark or bestow one thought upon they cannot remember their ways because they do not observe their ways Think what you have been doing all your life long think what you have neglected to do and think what you have done and are doing to this day let your eye be upon the particular actions of your lives 2. The Quality of our ways whether they are good or evil whether they are holy or sinful Thy way hath been the way of Lying the way of Covetousness the way of Pride a carnal careless fleshly way think with thy self Is this a good way or an evil way do these my ways please God or are they contrary to God 3. The end of our ways or whither they tend and to what issue they will come at last Is this my way to God Is this the way of the everlasting Kingdom Is this the path
of life Have I been all this while in the strait and narrow way that leads to life or have I not hitherto been travelling in the broad way that leads to destruction This worldly way this fleshly way it is that which hath pleased me at present but whether will it bring me at last Sinners bethink your selves thus Whither is it that I am going What is like to be the end of this course I am taking Either to God or the Devil either to Heaven or Hell every one of you have been going and which of the two have you been making towards Is lying the way to God Is Drunkenness and carnal mirth and pleasure is this the way to Heaven Is hardness of heart in your way Is impenitence in your sin is this the way to blessedness Do not your own hearts tell you I must turn out of these evil paths I must take a new course ere ever I can be saved Be so wise as to spend some such thoughts This is sinners great folly and their great misery that they run on in their ways and we cannot perswade them to think whither they are going But what is it of so little weight with you whether you are saved or damned that it is not worth a few serious thoughts Sure you could never go on at that sensless rate you do if you did think whither you were going We come and preach Christ and righteousness and holiness to you as the only way of life you have been often told that Christ is the way and that no man cometh to the Father but by him Jo. 14.6 And you have been told that there is no coming to God by Christ to Heaven by Christ unless there be a coming to Christ a joyning your selves to him as his disciples and followers Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Jo. 6.37 but will bring him to Life you have been often told that without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 That this way of Faith in Christ and this way of holiness is the only way of life this hath been told you this hath been preached to you over and over again and yet we cannot perswade you into this way The reason is because you will not consider what we preach you will not consider what it is to be damned and perish for ever you will not consider whether you can think of any other way by which it is possible to escape damnation but this way of faith and holiness If you did consider and understand what an Hell it is whither your neglect of Christ and running on in your ways is leading you how hot that furnace is into which you are like to fall within a few days how dreadful it will be when you are in once and shall feel the scorching of those flames What think you would not such scalding and burning thoughts make you weary of your sins and willing of Christ Would they not awaken you would they not affright you out of this secure and vain course that you are now going on in Where do you think your fellow-Swearers and fellow-Drunkards and fellow-Worldlings that have been cut off in their sins and carried away into the other world in there impenitence that were laughing with you and mocking and scoffing with you a few years ago where do you think they are now What do ye think they are doing at this hour O it would make an heart of stone to tremble and quake to think what their companions that are dead in their sins do now see and feel Think with thy self man those that were a while agone drinking with me and laughing with me making a mock of Christ and of sin as I do O where are they now It would make thine eyes stare and thine hair stand on end and thy bones shiver to think where they are O consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you from that place of the dead that place of Pitch and burning Brimstone where you have reason to fear your companions in sin are frying at this hour Whilst Christ is preaching to you whilst God is yet a warning you to fly from the wrath to come Oh how are they tearing their hair and biting their tongue and wringing their hands to consider that preaching of Christ to them shall be no more that all their warnings are over that they must for ever feel and faint and perish under that wrath which is now too late for them to fly from or escape Bestow some thoughts upon your companions that are dead and gone and then consider your self whether if you keep on the ways you are walking in you must not shortly be with them in the same condemnation and if yet you will not consider it presently as Jer. 23.20 in your latter end you shall consider it perfectly Therefore yet again I say to you and charge you from the Lord consider your present evil ways and to what a fearful end they will certainly bring you if you speedily turn not out of them 2. Considering the ways that are before us that we should for the future go on in God hath given sinners there choice whether to continue as they are in the same way or to take up a new and a better way of life Think what you have done and how you have lived and think what you have now to do for the future let thine eyes look straight on c. What course do you think it is best for you to take for the future Dost thou think it is best to continue as at present to hold on your worldliness in your drunkeness in your lying in your carnal careless course or is it not best for you to hearken to Christ and to turn from your sins and to betake your self to a serious godly and holy life Which of the two is best May be it never came into your thoughts to put the question to your self but you have run on from one day to another without asking What were I best to do Why now here is that I would perswade you to to look before you and consider What is best for you from henceforth to resolve upon What would a wise man do in this case what choice would a wise man make Sure methinks a little consideration should bring you to this If I be wise I should turn and knock off from my wonted ways I shall be a fool and a mad man if I go on thus What doth God offer to pardon my neglects of Christ my neglects of my soul and all my sins if I will yet but turn to him What doth Christ yet offer to bring me to God and to save me from the Eternal Dungeon if I will yet come unto him and become a new creature What will my going on as I have hitherto done my spending the remainder of my life as I have spent that which is past in sin and
vanity will this a running on upon mine own death and a shutting up the door of mercy forever against me and yet shall I continue as I am Is there a way of life yet before me is there a door of mercy yet open to me and shall I not get into the Way and be making towards the door Consider sinners what is the best the wisest and the only safe course to take from henceforth and do accordingly 2. Why must we ponder our paths 1. God pondereth them Is 26.7 Thou weighest the path of the just 2. The devil pondereth them Luke 22.31 That he may sift you as wheat 3. Wicked men our enemies ponder them 4. Our way may be right in our own eyes for want of consideration when yet upon consideration it may appear to be the way of death Prov. 14.12 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death 1. There is a way of some men that is not so much as right in their own eyes who as little as they do consider it do see their way to be the way of death and not of life the way of the openly Prophane the way of the Drunkard and Adulterer the way of the Swearer and Blasphemer Prophanness doth not pretend to be the way of life Drunkards and Adulterers know they are out of the way their consciences tell them this is not the way of God this is not the way to heaven their conscience tells them I must turn I must repent and take up a better way ere I die I must not die a Drunkard I must not die a Blasphemer or a Scoffer I must repent or I am lost and hopes they have that they shall repent and this their hope hardens them The consideration that such men should take up is not to convince them that they are out of this way of life that they know already but to convince them of the necessity of a present turning and changing their way Darest thou not to die a Drunkard or a Libertine or a Licentious Liver how then darest thou to live so a day longer Art thou sure but that death may meet thee before thy turning day comes And how if it should thou knowest that then there is no hope of thee but Everlasting wrath must be thy portion Thou countest upon turning and repenting but consider what is the reason thou dost not repent at present that thou dost not this day give a divorce to all thy wickedness shake hands with all thy companions and forthwith become a new man Why not now O I cannot bring mine heart to it And dost thou in good earnest think that it will be easier hereafter Hath the Lord been perswading thee to a change all thy life long and thou seest his word cannot prevail thou seest it doth not after all thy convictions and fears and threatnings of the Word and checks of thy conscience hitherto thou goest on thy lust is too hard for thy conscience or convictions and dost thou think in thy heart that this is the way to make it easy to repent to continue longer in thy sin A course of sin hardens thee sinner Thine heart is not so hardned against repentance this year but look for it thou art like to find it harder the next year The farther thou goest on in sin the farther off art thou from repentance 2. There are others whose ways are right in their own eyes which consideration would make appear to be the way of death and not of Life I shall instance in two sorts 1. The ways of moral unbelievers These are they that are sober and temperate and harmless and just in their dealings with men and courteous and good natured this is their way and this way seems right unto them in this way they hope to come to heaven though whatsoever they have of morality they have nothing of Christianity in them Conversion or Regeneration are as strange things to them as they were to Nicodemus Jo. 3.3 who when Christ told him except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God he answered how can these things be And they have need to ask as Pilate did what is truth So they what is this new birth what is this new creature what is this conversion Consider man what dost thou think of this plea at last when this is all thou canst say I am an honest man but God help me no good Christian I am no drunkard but yet an unbeliever I am no Lyar nor Swearer but yet no convert to Christ Consider those scriptures Jo. 3.3 except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God â—â—d Mat. 18.3 Except a man be converted he cannot enter into the kingdom of God And dost thou bless thy self in thy harmless and less vitious way when thou hast never felt any such thing as Regeneration upon thee This thy way is thy folly and though it be right in thine own eyes yet it is and thou will find it to be the way of death 2. The way of hypocritical professors some hypocrites know themselves hypocrites and the way seems not right to them others are hypocrites and yet take themselves to be sincere and the deceit of their hearts may be so deep that there is need of deep consideration to discover it They pray and they hear and have some face of Religion upon their ways they will speak of God and the things of God with some affection and live in the visible communion of the church with good approbation they are it may be well reputed and well reported among all men and yet for all that the root of the matter may not be in them they may be unsound and rotten at heart and neither themselves know it and others suspect it there may be some secret reigning lust in their hearts they may be lovers of the world lovers of their ease or their pleasures more than lovers of God Whatever they have there may be one thing lacking as it was the case of the young man Mar. 10.21 whose life was commendable in many things yet says Christ one thing lackest thou and that one lack was loss of heaven And have we not all need to consider our selves and to consider deeply how it is with us A sincere Christian is an entire christian psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled that is the entire in their way that labour to be entire lacking nothing and sure we had need consider whether we are or no. Some Professors are so lame and halting in their way that they lack many things almost all things of serious Christianity Thou hast the profession of christianity but is not the power of it lacking Thou dost some of the works of righteousness but may not the Lord complain of thee as of Sardis Rev. 3.2 I have not found thy works perfect before me thou dost some of the works of Christians but are not the inward graces lacking Some of
rejoicing over the recovered souls Our great joy should be every man over the recovery of his own soul With what joy should this word be spoken this my soul was dead and is alive and we should rejoice over any other recovered souls It is matter of rejoicing when we can say this my Child or this my Brother or this my Neighbour was dead and is alive What joy is it to a travailing woman when she is safely delivered of a living child J h. 16.21 A wâ—man when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of thâ— chilâ— she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man child is born into the World Sinners your deliverance may cost you pain and travel but when you are once delivered and recovered you will forget all this pain then you will and then you ought to rejoice What joy is the day of victory to the triumphing Souldier What joy was the year of Jubilee to the indebted or the servants when they were to go out free from there debts and service What joy to the Mariner who hath been tossed with tempests to have gotten safe to shore Hast thou shot the gulf and gotten safe to land Hast thou gotten death and hell under thy feet Is death destroyed and is life and immortality brought to light in thy soul Art thou passed from death to life O what a day of joy what a day of praise should this be to thee Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous and again I say Rejoice Phil 4.4 Stand Christian stand and look back on that death that was lately feeding on thy soul stand and look down into the hole of the pit from whence thou art delivered Remember how it was with thee not long since when thou wert without Christ and without hope and without God in the World when thou wert a slave to every lust in thy heart to every vile companion when thou wert by led by the Destroyer and posting on to destruction When thou Wert without fear and without sense of that danger and misery which was running upon thee like a floud Remember how it was with thee when God first open'd thine eyes and thy fears came upon thee How did thy soul cry out I am lost I am undone when thou sawest what a gulf there was fixed between thy natural estate and the state of grace When thou sawest a necessity of conversion and yet wert astonished at the difficulty of obtaining it When thy proud heart would not stoop thine hard heart would not break nor yield unto the Lord When thou wert afraid that thou shouldst have perished in the birth and never have seen life remember how it hath been with thee and how it is now What hath the Lord delivered thee from thy fears conquered to thee thy difficulties Is thine heart broken and brought about to the Lord Is the day broken and the day star risen in thine heart art thou passed from death to life What s y st thou now Is it not meet thou shouldst rejoice Is not this birth day the day of thy new birth a day of joy and praise Dost thou not bless thy self that it is not with thee as it hath been Does not thine heart shake to think what if I had been let alone let to go on in the way that I was going I went with the Drunkards I was among the Lyars and Swearers and Covetous and the Scoffers I was one of them As much against a new heart and new life as any of them as true a drudge to my flesh and this world as the worst of them How is it that the Lord God singled my soul out of that wicked crowd and brought me up out of that state of the dead and brought me into the light of life and hath written me amongst the living in Jerusalem Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Magnifie the Lord O my soul and let my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour He that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his name 3. Let us again take up a lamentation over the imperfection of our recovery Rejoice in the Lord but rejoice with trembling Psal 2.11 Rejoice that the work is begun that thou art come to the morning of the day of redemption that the day is dawned that the Sun is risen upon thee yet lament that there are still such clouds yea so much of the darkness of the night remaining upon thee Rejoice that thou art born again but yet lament that thou art but as a new born Infant so imperfectly washed from thy pollution in thy bloud and that so much of the shame of thy nakedness is yet appearing that though thou art made a child of light yet there is so much of thine old darkness of thine old ignorance and unbelief abiding upon thee that though thou art born from above yet thine heart should be so much below that though thou art risen with Christ thy affections should be so little set on things above that though thou art born of the Spirit the Flesh should still have such power in thee Lament and bewail it that thou art no more perfectly recovered that it can yet hardly be discerned whether thou be alive or dead or if it appear thou art alive lament that thou art such a a dwarf still or such a sickly and unthriving child that thou art such a froward and unruly child Lament that thy recovery is so imperfect and be growing up towards perfection be working out those remains of thine old corrupt state be working out this carnality and this earthliness and working up thine heart to more spirituality and heavenliness and let both thine heart and thy life be as the path of the just which shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 Christians whilst I have hope of many of you that you are passed from death to life and in this hope do rejoice over you yet I have sorrow in mine heart for you that you that have life have it no more abundantly that you are yet so imperfectly recovered from among the dead and that you are not which I doubt is the case of too many among you contending and reaching forwards towards perfection How many living Christians soever there be of you yet I can see but few growing Christians among you Pray Friends look inwards what sensible improvement have any of you made of late years Yea how many of us are there that do not lay it to heart that do not lament it that they are improved no more Who of you can say that you are breathing and thirsting after an increase or if you thirst for more grace how very few are reaching forth and labouring and that in so good earnest that they are impatient in their spirits and restless till it may be better with them O what might I do to whet your appetites after
day Am not I concerned in it Was not this word spoken to me Am not I one that committeth sin Do not I live after the flesh Was I ever regenerated or born again What then Why then think farther Is it nothing to be of the Devil Is everlasting death nothing Is it nothing to be shut out of the kingdom of God Awaken O my sleepy soul yet break and melt and tremble oh mine hardned heart awaken escape for thy Life there is but a step betwixt thee and everlasting death Consider this now whilst the day of adversity comes nor but if thou shouldst be so unwise as not to consider at present yet at least in the day of thy distress consider Then think how little the word hath done to the breaking and awakening of thee What a stock what a senseless stone hath it left thee Then think now God is using one means more to cure me of this sleepy hardned heart God hath laid this sickness upon me or this poverty upon me to humble me and awaken me And now I am come to my last remedy if affliction if distress if sickness if the sight of death and the grave do not work upon me nor cause the word which I have heard to work yet upon me what then Why then I am undone forever I am within a step of the Pit just dropping in and then this lost soul of mine will be past recovery forever O sinners how does this word sit upon your hearts Are not you greatly concerned in it Does not thy life lie at stake thy soul lie at stake upon thy considering or slighting thy warning O consider let present consideration prevent the great necessity of sickness consideration of death-bed consideration At least when any of you shall come to be in distress when pains shall come upon you or poverty come upon you or death make its approach to you then remember the warning of this day In the day of adversity consider 3. Take your physitians counsel and follow his rules Physitians besides their medicins do usually give rules to their Patients for their well ordering themselves and these rules they must observe or they are never like to recover and there are these three rules which ordinarily Physitians give which our great Physitian of souls gives also to them that will be recovered by him 1. Keep a good diet 2. Vse good exercise 3. Take heed of taking cold 1. Keep a good diet Abstain from all such things as will nourish and feed your diseases What is it that hath brought thee to this wretched pass That hath made thee this sick and miserable soul Thou hast been with the prodigal Luk. 15. Feeding upon husks Thou hast been with Israel Is 44 20. Feeding upon ashes Thou hast been with Ephraim Hos 12.1 Feeding upon wind These husks and these ashes and this wind have been all thy poor soul hath been feeding upon the vanities of this world the lust and the pleasures the carnal delights and the profits of this world these are but windy food for thy soul these are the very ashes and husks that have filled thee with such sore diseases thou hast fed thine heart so long with these carnal things thy soul hath been eating these ashes and drinking this wind so long that it is even turned into ashes and wind it is becom an earthly soul a fleshly soul a vain frothy soul and never think to be recovered to a better case till thou feed upon better food Wouldest thou be recovered and get thee a new heart and a new soul Then abstain from thy old feeding Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1. Pet. 2.11 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13. ult Deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 My meaning plainly is this If ever you would recover allow not your fleshly appetites the liberty as formerly Come off from your carnal pleasures which have been such a band to you Come off from your carnal companions drink no more with the drunken run not with them to their excess of Riot No more such vain sportings and revellings Not in chambring and wantonness not in Riot and Drunkenness Come off from this greedy worldly life feed not your souls upon your lands or your monies or your trades Though you must have something of these for your bodies yet feed not your hearts with them Set not your hearts upon them that is the advice of the Psalmist Psal 62.10 If riches increase or whether they do increase or no set not your hearts upon them Let not your souls be drudges to your flesh to gather in provision for it nor let them feed with your flesh at the same trough You have better things for your souls to feed upon you have God to feed on you have the bloud of Christ the Covenant of grace the hope of Salvation the joys of the spirit the pleasures of Eternity the bread that comes down from Heaven the wine that makes glad the city of God Let these be the food of your souls feed your thoughts upon them Think often of God of his infinite goodness and grace of his eternal treasures and everlasting pleasures Think of Christ what he hath done for you what he hath purchased for you how he hath loved you and washed you in his bloud and saved you by his death Feed your affections on God and his Glory to come feed your desires upon him let this be your voice Js 26.8.9 The desire of my soul is to thy name Enlarge your desires here you cannot be too greedy and of too eager an appetite Delight your selves in the Lord get the savour and relish of things spiritual taste the pleasures of religion taste the sweetness of Christianity Do not onely spend now and then a sudden thought upon God and the things above but live in such frequent and serious meditation that you may get down something of the sweetness and fatness of heaven and digest holy meditations into holy affections Never count you have thought of God to any purpose till you can love and taste and get out good nourishment for your souls by which you may thrive and flourish and with which you may be so delighted as to wean you from the Love and Lusts of this world Believe it friends as loth as you are to let go your pleasant morsels the stolen waters of your own Cisterns as hard as you find it to diet your souls so as to deny your selves the pleasures and contentments of a worldly fleshly life as strongly as your hearts lust after ease and lust after the world and the contentments thereof get but once to be so inwardly acquainted with religion as to taste the pleasure thereof and you will be able to despise this carnal life and all its advantages and wonder at your selves that ever you should find out contentment in such a life as you have lived And now your souls are like
to flourish amain when you are come to this once to disrellish your old delights and to feed your thoughts and feed your affections on things above and to forbear and come off from the love and lusts and companions and pleasures of this world then you will live and thrive and flourish in the House of the Lord and grow up before him as his peculiar children whom the Lord hath saved The sum of this direction I shall give you in short in these three particulars If ever you would recover 1. Abstain from that carnal worldly life in which hitherto you have lived 2. Abstain from those carnal companions in whose converse you have delighted 3. Delight your selves in God feed your thoughts and affections upon things above 2. Vse good exercise Stir your selves out of your lazy humours and keep doing Idleness breeds diseases exercise will help to the cure Particularly exercise your selves 1. To prayer 2. To repentance 3. To the keeping a good conscience 1. Exercise your selves to prayer The prayer of the faithful shall save the sick Jam. 5.15 The sick soul as well as the sick body Prayer is a stirring exercise that if performed as it ought sets all the powers of the soul on work it is a striving with God it is a wrestling with God it is the lifting up of the heart and the pouring out the soul to God When thou settest thy self to praying it is both a sign that thy recovery is begun and an hope it will be perfected Set your selves to praying Sinners stir up your selves to prayer There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee Is 64.7 Pray and stir up your selves in prayer It is not sleepy lazy cold formal praying but stirring prayer that must do the cure Stir up your desires in prayer be passionate and affectionate seekers stir up your fears in prayer consider what if I should not prevail What if the cry of my sins should be louder than the cry of my prayers I come for the pardon of my sins I come for power against sin I am begging my life and the saving my soul from going down into the Pit my very life my soul lies at stake if God should not hear me I am lost for ever Awaken oh my soul and pour forth strong cries bow thy self with thy might before the Lord. Plead with God poor sinner for that poor miserable soul of thine plead with him upon his mercies upon his bowels upon his promises upon the bloud of Christ Take unto thee words Lord I am a miserable sinful soul I am a lost creature I am sick unto death I am bound in the chains of my sins and cannot get loose I am a blind hardned defiled creature these eyes must be opened this heart must be broken this filth and pollution must be washed away or I shall be swallowed up of the pit Where are thy bowels O Lord Art thou a God of pity and hast thou no pity for me Where is thy promise Lord Thou hast said Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you To whom hast thou spoken this word Is it not to me as well as to others Where is the bloud of Christ doth it not speak for sinners Doth it not make intercession for transgressors It doth Lord thou hast said it doth And what doth this bloud speak Lord forgive this poor sinner that comes to thee for pardon Lord purge him with thy bloud Lord heal him with thy bloud Lord give him that new heart and life which he comes for O doth this precious bloud speak thus for me and wilt thou not hear Sinners if ever you would be recovered set upon this exercise and keep you to it Go to God this night be with him again to morrow morning and again in the evening and every day as duly as the day comes go alone and retire your selves into the presence of God fall upon your knees and pour forth your souls in your requests to him Beware you neither neglect it and beware you do not trifle at it do not deceive your selves with the shadow or image of Prayer in stead of Prayer Consider thou art upon a matter of life and death when thou goest to prayer and let that awaken and stir up all thy powers in it Friends I doubt either that you do not pray or that it is but mock-praying that too many of you satisfie your selves withal O what pitiful hasty short dead praying is it that thou satisfiest thy self with Trace thy self into thy praying corners consider how seldom thou art there how quickly thou hast done how miserably thou shufflest over thy duties without life or affection what is this but mock-prayer will such praying recover thy lost soul No thou seest it will not thou art the same man of the same spirit running the same course from one week to another from one year to another without any change for the better It may be said of such praying as it was said of the false Prophets preaching Jer. 6.14 They heal the hurt of my people slightly Slight praying is attended but with slight healing something it seems to do it skins over the wound that it smart not for the time it keeps people quiet for the time but it will never work a thorough cure Your wound is deeper your disease is eaten into your flesh and your bone to your heart and your soul and your medicine must go as deep as your disease There must be deep sighs and groans and deep desires that must come up from the bottom of your hearts or they will never reach the bottom of your disease Be ashamed of your slightness be ashamed of your folly that you should ever think that God would help you the sooner for such trifling and mocking prayers Oh pray and exercise your selves in prayer Stir up all within you to this work look to your selves I am afraid that this duty which is a means of recovery may prove the loss of your souls I am afraid lest the Lord the jealous God that will not be mocked I am afraid that he may damn you for your prayers your trifling mocking prayers Dare not to trifle any longer dare not for thy life that the Lord ever again meet thee in thy closet meet thee on thy knees with nothing but the sacrifice of Fools a few heartless words upon thy lips Beloved I can hardly pass over this word thus there being so much weight lying upon it and yet there being so much hardness of heart under this soul-deceiving and soul-damning practice shuffling in prayer What say you Have I said enough yet Are you yet made sensible how much you are many of you concerned in this word Are you yet sensible how greatly guilty you are of this miserable hypocrisie Will all that I have said yet do to bring you to be serious and in good earnest in every prayer you make Are you come
in an Army what would an Enemy desire more than to have the Army he was to fight against to be in a Mutiny amongst themselves the Devil will not doubt his Conquest whilst he can but keep all within you in disorder Mens Damnation does frequently begin in Thoughts evil Thoughts corrupt the Affections evil Affections corrupt the Manners and practice and evil works have their end in Destruction Never again make a light thing of Thoughts how many men are there who by giving themselves leave to be thinking of their Pleasures and thinking of their Gains and thinking of their Lascivious lustful Objects do think themselves into very Beasts first and then into Devils Job 31.1 I made a Covenant with mine eyes why then should I think upon a Maid The next to looking is thinking the eyes let in Fuel for the Thoughts the next to thinking is lusting the Thoughts provide Fuel for Lust the next to Lusting is Whoring and the next to Whoring is Death and the like in other Cases For the World the next to thinking is loving the next to loving is lusting and inordinate desiring the next to lusting is seeking and progging the next to seeking is getting and heaping up and loading our selves with thick Clay and the next to this is sinking and drowning our selves in Perdition and Destruction 2. These are the Evidences of what we are in respect to our Eternal State Men may judge themselves and come to know themselves by the Thoughts and Affections Rom. 8.7 To be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace Those that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh and those that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit Where art thou Friend art thou in the way of Life or the way of Death why how may I tell that why where are your minds what are they running upon where are your Thoughts your most serious and delightful Thoughts are they in Heaven or on Earth on things Spiritual or on things Carnal where are your Affections working upwards or downwards Such as thy Thoughts and Affections are such is the State of thy Soul To be Carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace It 's true many serious Christians have too many Carnal Thoughts Vain and Wandring Thoughts but 't is their Affliction and 't is their care and endeavour to give check to such Thoughts but when the allowed Stream runs towards Earth and sin 't is a sign thou art an Earthly Fleshly Man and in the State of the Dead 3. There are Idols set up in the Heart after which if it be not well looked to it 's apt to go a Whoring It is true more or less of all men what is said of the Elders of Israel Ezek. 14.3 These men have set up their Idols in their Heart Whatsoever the Heart loves more than God whatever the Heart serves or seeks more than God yea whatever the Heart loves or serves or seeks ultimately for it self without respect to any higher end this is an Idol set up in the Heart those very men that abhor those Idols that are set up in the House or the Church that detest Saint-Worship or Image-Worship the Worshipping of Stocks or Stones or Pictures the work of mens hands yea that call that an Idol or Idolatry which God never called so that cry out Idolatry Idolatry against every thing that is not according to their own Minds even these very men may have set up their Idols in their Hearts The Heart hath multitudes of Idols set up in it there are in the Heart as the Apostle said 1 Cor. 5.8 there are in the world Gods many and Lords many The World is an Idol some men make their Lands and their Money their Gods though Job would not chap. 31.24 yet some mens Hearts will say to their Gold Thou art my God Others there are who make their Belly their God Whose God is their Belly Phil. 3.19 Others make their Honours and their Pleasures their God and these may be said to be as those 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God The Heart hath many Idols set up in it but the great Heart-Idol to which all the rest must stoop and serve is Self the World is served Honours are sought Pleasures are loved but all for the sake of Self Whatever Idol there be the great Idol is Self which is set up in the room of God Mans original Apostacy was his falling from God to Self and mans recovery to Christ is his bringing back from Self to God Therefore he tells the World that whoso will come along with him and be his disciple must deny himself Mat. 16.24 If any man Christ suffered that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 And that he cannot do unless he come back from Self he departed from God when he declined to himself and he must deny himself that will return to the Lord. God and Self divide the whole world The most are for Self and there is not a man of all these for God some few are for God and every one of these have denyed and departed from Self Mens recovery by Christ is their returning from Self unto God but this Recovery is but imperfect this Self carnal Self I mean hath a Seat higher or lower in the best hearts There is a sinful Selfishness wherewith we still remain infected and there is still a danger even after our recovery of Apostacy to this Self again The great Idoll set up in the heart is self and the great Idolatry or going a whoring after this Idol the great heart Idolatry stands in these three things 1. Self-conceit 2. Self-will 3. Self-love 1. Self-conceit The magnifying our own Opinions the Idolizing our own apprehensions the growing wise in our own eyes and the resigning up our selves to the conduct and government of our own carnal Reasons or Understandings This Solomon intimates is an encroaching upon God yea denying of God he sets these two as Opposites one to another the acknowledging of God and the leaning to our own understandings Prov. 3.5 6. Lean not to thine own understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him Intimating that whilest we lean to our own understandings we deny and do not acknowledge God It belongs to God as God to be the Supreme Guide and Dictator to us but when men take upon them to be so wise as that their own Opinions and Conceits must be their Guide they therein deny the God that is above Take heed of being self-conceited The worst of Sinners as blind as they are yet they are wise in their own eyes they think their Way is good and their State is good they have a conceit that their own way is best they have taken up conceits against the ways of God this strictness of Religion this Preciseness of Holiness they have a conceit 't is all but Nicety and Hypocrisie and that
Voice of Converts which was the Voice of the Church Isa 26.13 Other Lords have had Dominion over us but now by thee only will we make mentiom of thy Name they are Dead they shall not live they are Deceased they shall not rise the old Lord is dead it is Deceased and shall never rise sin shall no longer have Dominion over us the Devil shall no longer Will shall no longer have the Dominion over us to thee Lord to thee only do we resign up our selves I resign to the Lord I subscribe to the Lord I give the Hand to the Almighty and put my Neck under his Yoke for ever his I am and him alone will I serve This is Conversion this breaking off from under the Dominion of your own wills and resigning up to the will of the Lord. 2. He doth actually submit to and obey the will of God A Convert doth not only say I will submit I will obey but he doth submit he doth obey The old Will will be contending still for the Government but the Heart now answers as the Men of Sodom to Lot Gen. 19.9 Stand back this Fellow came in to sojourn and now he will be Lord. Stand back O my Carnal Will stand back this Stranger shall no longer be Lord over me I have resign'd up my self to the Lord and him will I obey Yea and his will it doth obey this is the will of God that he repent and the Convert doth repent this is the will of God that he be Holy and harmless that he walk in all the Commands of God blameless and this he sets his Heart to do Psal 119.3 They do no iniquity they walk in his ways 3. Yet the will is not so broken but that this Self and Flesh hath a Root remaining in it and this Root will be Springing and growing up again like that Root of Bitterness mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 12.15 That Root of Malice that Root bearing Gall and Wormwood the Apostle warns them to look to it that it spring not up again to trouble and defile them this Root that Self hath even in the will of Converts how often doth it actually spring up and trouble and defile them There 's scarcely any business but self will have a stroak in doing of it there 's scarcely any Duty but Self strikes in and spoils it in the performance O how much of this self-will'dness is there to be found even amongst Christians How often is it that their wills are set upon vanity and how strongly are they often set upon their own wills How heady and wilful are they in their way What stiffness and tenaciousness is there of their own purposes They will not be advised nor perswaded out of their course though as to the main they have resigned themselves up to the will of God yet in many particular Cases either upon mistakes in their Opinions or being overswayed by corruption they are head-strong in their way and will not be turned back When they come to themselves it is their shame and affliction it should be so yet too often so it is that this self-will'dness carries them on even against Counsel and Conscience It 's true where this self-will does carry the main stroak in the Life where the ordinary course and way of the Life is Governed by will there 's no Conversion but there 's no Convert but more or less does groan under the Usurpation and Tyranny of this Self and Flesh You that are Christians would never have liv'd as sometimes you have done would never have carried it as sometimes you have so much against Judgment and Counsel and the most serious advices if Will had not had too much power over you We should be even all of us more considerate and deliberate in our goings we should be more easily intreated and perswaded back from running headlong on in some of those wayes which cost us sorrow afterwards if this self-will'dness had not prevailed in us 4. Therefore there is a necessity that the Heart be kept under Government The Government of the Heart is to the same end and of the same necessity as the Government of a Kingdom The Government of a Kingdom is to be for the encourageing of the good and for the terrour and suppression of the evil Rom. 13.3 And to the same end is the Government of the Heart to foster and cherish and maintain and keep alive the good that is in it and to crush and keep under the evil that is in it If self-will hath an evil Root in the Heart if this evil Root be apt to spring up then is there necessity of governing the Heart to keep it under To the governing the Heart is necessary a double instrument a Spur and a Curb a Spur to the good that is in us to quicken Grace and keep it in action a Curb to that which is evil in us to curb and hold under corruption these two instruments of Government are the reward and punishment the blessed reward will be a Spur to Grace the punishment to come will be a Curb to Lust and Flesh the eying these two great recompences of reward Glory and Wrath the holding the sense of that Life and Death upon the Heart is a great part of our excercising this Government upon us thy self-will is such an obstinate Enemy as nothing but Fire and Sword the Fire of Divine Indignation and the Sword of Divine vengeance will conquer and subdue it There must be Government and there must be severe penalties kept in sight or there 's no good to be done Friends If ever you would Conquer this self-will'dness shew it the Fire the Racks the Gridirons the Gibbets the everlasting Prison that it 's rushing and hurrying you upon Self-will'dness is not only a kicking against the Pricks but a running upon the Pikes of Divine Vengeance thou art heady and wilful in thy way thou art set upon thine own will whatever thou likest and art pleased with thou art so set upon it that there 's no perswading thee back but be advised take heed if thou wilt be wilful at thy Peril be it look before thee to the precipice by which this self-will'dness is tumbling thee headlong down into the Everlasting Pit whenever you feel Will begin to rise and work work against Reason work against Conscience work towards iniquity and vanity when you feel this self-will getting up lay hold on the Bridle put on the Curb give check to it with all your might look towards the land of Darkness whither it 's carrying thee when the fit is up the wilful fit for though there be an abiding habit of wilfulness in the Heart yet it comes forth but by fits when the wilful fit is up think Lord what now Whither is this wilful will driving me What will be its Fruits and Wages What end am I like to come to if this be my way Stop Oh my wretched Heart strike sail Oh my obstinate will take
our Duty Let him that Blesseth himself in the Earth bless himself in the God of Truth He that loveth himself will bless himself There 's a double Self-blessing 1. A seeking our own blessedness Self-love will prompt us to seek an happiness for our selves not only to save our selves from Misery but to bring our selves to Blessedness The blessedness which true Self-love wisheth and seeketh for Self is in God in the God of Truth He that truly loveth his own Soul can be content with nothing less than God for the blessedness of of it No State no Inheritance no Treasure can satisfie him below Heaven and everlasting glory There 's not a man of you that loves his Soul but he is seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality for it he is taking care and taking pains to get a place in Heaven for his Soul to lay up Treasure in Heaven for it Dost thou love thy self who dost not bless thy Self or seek a Blessing in God for thy Self Dost thou bless thy Self in God who slightest God who carest not for God and who refusest the blessing of God and this for the sake of thy Lusts and Pleasures Sinner lovest thou thy Self lovest thou thine own Soul O seek a Blessing for it a blessing in God a blessing in Heaven for it 2. An enjoying and rejoycing in your own Blessedness Loving our selves aright is part of the fruition and enjoying our selves as loving God is of the fruition of God No man that loves himself but he would enjoy himself and bless himself in the reflection on his own Happiness And this is the self-blessing mentioned let him bless himself in the God of Truth that is let him satisfy himself let him comfort himself let him enjoy and rejoyce over himself upon this account that the God of Truth is his God and his Happness Let him not bless himself in the Earth that Riches are his that Pleasures and Honours are his that he hath the World at will but that the Lord God is his let him not chear himself with the Rich Man's Song Luke 12. Soul take thine ease thou mayest enjoy thy Self for thou hast goods laid up for many Years but let him take up the Psalmist's Song Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul herein thou mayest bless thy Self herein thou mayest comfort thy Self the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee Friends you whose God is the Lord you are the Men that may bless your Selves you are the Men that may enjoy your Selves you may look into your Hearts with comfort you may look upon your States with Joy you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such an Heart you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such a Portion You that have an Interest in God and this witnessed by the Image of God upon your Hearts you may enjoy your Selves and take comfort as often as you look inward and see the Marks and the Prints of Divine Grace stamped upon you your very love to your Selves will make you to rejoice over your Selves as often as you view the blessed Frame into which the Goodness and Grace of God hath brought you Well this Self-love with it's Fruits Self-preservation and Self-blessing is our Duty and the Lord hath planted it in our Hearts on purpose to bring us on upon all our other Duties God makes great use of this innocent Self-love in his Government of the World God Governs by Laws and Laws Govern by their Rewards and Punishments and Rewards and Punishments have their Efficacy by vertue of this love of our selves what would Laws signifie were there no Rewards to the Obedient nor Penalties to the Disobedient These are the Sinews and Strength of Laws and what would Rewards and Penalties signifie to us were we not lovers of our Selves Our Self-love prompts us to seek our good and to prevent our misery As far as we love our Selves we desire our own Happiness 'T was Self-love that made those many Psal 4.6 to say Who will shew us any good 'T was the Psalmist's Love to the Church Psal 122.9 that made him say I will seek thy good and hence 't is that we endeavour the prevention of our ruin Self-preservation is the Fruit of Self-love Self-love is the first spring and motive to Religion 't is true when we come to be Religious indeed there are higher motives the love of God the Love of Christ is the great Argument to carry us on in sound Religion when we come to be Christians then the main Motive to Christianity is that which Christ used to Peter John 21.15 to faithfulness in his Ministry Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Lambs If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 But the first Motive to bring us to be Christians is this Self-love Lovest thou thy Self Then give thy Self to Christ Lovest thou thy Soul Then be a Christian Christ is the only way to blessedness He that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5.12 And he that not the Son hath not Life Christ is the only way to blessedness and the only security against misery against Everlasting misery There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 There is no Name under Heaven by which we must be saved saved from Death from Eternal Death but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4.12 Now when Christ says Come unto me and ye shall have rest Mat. 11. Follow me and ye shall have Treasure in Heaven Mark 10. He that is ashamed of me of him will I be ashamed before my Father that is in Heaven the intent and meaning of all this is if you love your Selves come to me if you love your Souls keep my Commandments if ever you would that those Souls of yours should be happy Souls if you would not that they should be Lost and Burned and Drowned in everlasting Destruction if you love your Souls and wish their good and happiness if you would not be your Destroyers and Murtherers if you have so much love to your Souls that you would they should be Saved and would not that they be Damned then come unto Christ then be followers of Christ then believe then repent and obey the Gospel If you love your Selves be Holy if you love your Selves be Heavenly minded if you love your Selves be humble be painfull be circumspect and walk in all things as becometh the Gospel By the way I exhort you to improve and maintain your true Self-love I say not to you only Husbands love your Wives Parents love your Children Christians love one another but every one of you love your Selves If you love your Selves you will love God if you love your Selves you will love Christ if you love your Selves you will love Godliness if you love your Selves you will be the followers of God the Disciples of Christ and will give your selves to live godly in Christ Jesus See therefore that you love your Selves that your poor Souls may grow more dear
forth and Self eat them up there was nothing for God Israel was an empty Vine to him her Fruits were to themselves Friends would you not be rejected for Barren empty Vines for false-hearted and rotten Professors Would you not be found rotten at the Core See that it be the Love of God and not this Self-love lying at the Bottom at the Root of your Religion 2. It is the Root of all Vnrighteousness and Vnmercifulness to Men. Self-love will never learn that Lesson to do to others as it would be done by it will catch all it can and keep all it has Self must be advanced Self must be enriched whoever be ruined by it all manner of Frauds and Deceits all manner of Oppressions and Wrongs all Mens underminings all Mens over-reachings of their Neighbours all Mens falshoods in their Words their Promise-breakings their Lyings all their falshood in their Dealings in their Tradings in their deceitful Words in their deceitful Weights and Measures all this Unrighteousness 't is their Self-love that puts them upon it so they may get for themselves and enrich themselves how wicked soever the means or wayes be to it they care not who be impoverished or ruined And where Self will not suffer Men to be Righteous it will less suffer them to be Merciful what they are so much for getting they will be but little for giving the Hunger and Nakedness the pinching and Pining and even Starving of so many poor amongst us the short Alms they can get and that little that it 's so hardly come by the failing of Compassions the shutting up of Bowels against those that are in need this is all from Self-love I shall need it for my self I need it for mine own I cannot spare it that 's often the Word that must go in stead of an Alms. 3. It is the Root of all Brawls and Quarrels and Contentions in the World Whence are there such Multitudes of troublesome Law-Suits What are they but the contendings of Self with Self one says 't is mine own and I will have it whatever it cost me another says 't is not thine but mine and I will have it this Meum and Tuum how hath it set the World together by the Ears Not that there is Unrighteousness in all Suits at Law the Love of God may sometimes put Men to make use of the Law of Man but those unjust or unreasonable contendings about trifles or for that which is none of their own in hope by their Might or their Money to Rob the Poor of their Right these are pernicious Quarrels and 't is Self that sets them on 4. It 's the Root of Self-seeking Holy Self-love is the Root of Holy Self-seeking as the love of God is the Root of seeking God so sinful Self-love is the Root of all sinful self-seeking and sinful self-seeking is contrary to the seeking of God The love of God is the Root of our seeking God These two Love of God and seeking God are put both together in one Promise Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and those that seek me Early shall find me Isa 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee there 's the love and what follows With my Spirit within me will I seek thee Early the love of God will set us a seeking God 't is in vain that thou sayst I love God if thou canst not say also I seek God and the love of Self will put us on self-seeking and this sinful self-seeking is ever contrary to the seeking of God Phill. 2.31 All seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christ's all seek their own things that is their own Carnal things and those that thus seek their own seek not the things of Christ there is this difference betwixt Self-love and the Love of God Self-love divides Interests Self stands single and hath a separated and divided Interest that 's the Interest of Self which is the Interest of none else and Self-love in seeking it's own Interest seeks the Interest of none else neither of Christ nor of Men the love of God unites Interests he that loves God the things of God and his own things are the same he counts nothing his own things but those that are also the things of God and when he is seeking God he is then most seeking his own God is his own and he counts nothing his own but what is also the Lords when he seeks God he therein seeks his own and where he seeks his own he therein seeks God his Soul is his own and the Interest and Prosperity of Soul these are the things of God it 's the Love of the Brethen unites our Interest with the Interest of the Saints 't is the Interest of the whole Body that is the Interest of every Member all the Saints have the same common Interest so the Love of Christ unites the Interest of every Member with the Interest of the Head the love of God makes the things of God our own things and the love of the Saints makes the things of the Church to be all our own It is betwixt Christ and Christians and betwixt Christians one toward another as 't was betwixt the Primitive Christians they have all things common Acts 4.32 None said of ought that he possessed that it was his own but they had all things common Not but that Christians have a real Propriety in their own Estates by virtue of which civil Right their Estates are so their own as that they are not anothers but yet by vertue of the community of Interests what one Man hath should be as there is occas on to the benefit of the Community And whence was this The love of God had united their Interests and the Multitude of them that believed were knit together by that love as one Man they were of one Heart and of one Soul there 's no Meum and Tuum Thine and Mine betwixt Christ and his Saints but all is Mine I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine Cant. 2.17 We are not our own say Believers we are thine and I am not mine own says Christ I am yours and that which I have is yours John 20.17 Tell my Brethen I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God my Father is yours my God is your God all I have is yours I am yours and and my Blood and my Bowels are yours my stripes my wounds and my Righteousness and my Inheritance is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods my Ministers are yours mine Ordinances are yours my Possessions are yours things present and things to come if I have any right in this World the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if I have any thing in the World to come the everlasting Crown the everlasting Mansions all are yours and
but for a Moment 4. Sinners live in their own Light in the Light of their own Fires and Sparks Walk in the Light of your Fire that 's all the Light you have it is all Dark to them from above the Sun shines not the Candle of the Lord gives them no light God speaks Terrour and Trouble to them but they speak Peace to themselves their own Joy and Mirth is all they have to comfort and chear them 5. Sinners Light serves for nothing but to Light them down to Darkness Walk in your Light this shall ye have of mine Hand ye shall lie down in Sorrow Sinners how Light soever your Walk be how Merry soever your Lives be yet what is your lying down like to be He is a Wise Man that taketh care that how uncomfortable or weary soever his Way and his Walk be yet he may have a comfortable lying down Psal 37.37 Mark the Just Man and behold the Perfect Man the End of that Man is Peace But O ye Jolly and Merry Souls what is your End like to be Remember your lying down when your Hearts are Merry within you when you live such Laughing and Sporting Lives in the midst of your Cups of Pleasure your Musick and Dancing your Feasting and Sporting and the Jollity of your Revelling and Rioting think with your selves What doth all this lead to When these Merry dayes are over what a Night am I like to have of it When the Candles of your Worldly Prosperity are Burnt down in what a stinking Snuff will they go out What a stink will they be in your Nostrils When your Fires and your Sparks will Light you no longer then they will burn you your Mirth will burn you your Pleasures will burn you your abused Prosperity your Riches your Money your Plenty and the Joy that you now take in them will burn you and they will burn to the bottom of Hell Will you yet rejoyce in these Carnal things Rejoyce with Trembling Tremble to think what the End of these things will be Prov. 14.13 In the midst of Laughter the Heart is Sorrowful and the End of this Mirth is heaviness if the former of these in the midst of Laughter the Heart is sorrowful c. should not be true if you should Laugh and rejoyce and know no Sorrow if it should be with you as with those Merry ones Job 21.9 Their Houses are far from Fear and your Hearts should be as far from Sorrow as your Houses from Fear if you should have all Sweet and no Bitter all Sun-shine and no Clouds if the first Part should not be true upon you if in the midst of Laughter your Hearts should not be sorrowful yet the latter shall certainly be true there shall be no avoiding of that the End of your Mirth shall be heaviness Hold up while you will maintain the Mirth and the Jollity of your Hearts while you can the End of this Mirth will be heaviness you shall lie down in Sorrow Sinners what will ye choose What would a Wise Man choose A Merry Life or a Joyful Death Which do ye think in your Judgments and Consciences is the best choice to Die in Peace to Die in Joy or to Die in Sorrow How would you have it with you when you come to Die Would you then find that all your Sorrow is gone and now your Joy is come Or would you be forced then to say Now farewel all my Mirth I have seen my last of it and henceforth nothing but Sorrow and Anguish for ever Dost thou not tremble to think What if this should be my Case Know it for a Truth there 's no avoiding it if you go on to live this Merry Jolly Life this shall be thy End thou must lie down in Sorrow Christians envy not the World's Mirth nor let your Hearts lust after it you have other Joyes than their crackling Thorns will yield you have your Sorrows while they have their Mirth but you have this advantage of the World 1. You have Joy in your Sorrows as in the midst of Laughter the Heart is sad so in the midst of your Sorrows your Hearts may be Joyful 2. Your Sorrows shall End in Joy this shall you have of the Hand of your God you shall lie down in Peace You that Sow in Tears shall reap in Joy Psal 126.6 Whilest those that Sow in Mirth shall Reap in Tears you that go on your Way weeping whilest they go on their Way Laughing yet mark the End of both Isa 65.13 14. Behold however it be now behold how it shall be hereafter How shall it be My Servants shall Eat but ye shall be Hungry my Servants shall Drink but ye shall be Thirsty my Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed my Servants shall sing for Joy of Heart but ye shall cry for Sorrow of Heart and shall howl for vexation of Spirit and ye shall leave your Name for a Curse to my chosen for the Lord God shall slay thee Now your Enemies Eat and some of you are an Hungry c. But think how it will be in the Day when the Scales be turned when the Sinners Eating Days and Drinking Days and Jolly merry Dayes are over and their Hungring Dayes and howling Dayes overtake them and you that now Hunger and are Sorrowful shall Eat and Drink and be satisfied with the Joy of the Lord. O envy not and meddle not with the sinful Joyes of the World these Strangers shall not meddle with your Joy Prov. 14.10 Meddle you as little with theirs let your God be your Joy and if he give you any matters of rejoycing in this World and allow you some Measures of Joy even in these outward things yet rejoyce with trembling and let your Fear so moderate your Joy in these lower things that you do not lash out into that Carnal Mirth the End whereof is Heaviness Especially when the Matters of Worldly Joy increase upon you you that grow Rich and Prosper in the World that find the World smiling and come crowding in upon you that have even what your Hearts could wish and then feel your Hearts to be tickled and pleased and delighted in your Prosperity then take heed then fear lest you forget God and your Soul and neglect and lose the Joy of the Lord and your care of pleasing the Lord in your abounding Worldly Joyes and never count any such Joyes lawful or safe for you but such as make you to love the Lord the more and serve the Lord with more chearfulness and care If you do not serve the Lord better and walk with God closer and bring forth more of the Fruits of Holiness and Righteousness in more Spirituality and Heavenliness of mind if you be not some way the better God-wards and Heaven-wards in the abundance of all things than you could be or than others are in the want of all things count that Prosperity greater cause of trembling than of rejoycing to you 4.
prosper if it hath not your constant care 'T is true we are not to speak the same words in all Companies and our behaviour is not to be alike in its particular Circumstances in all Companies but in the general a serious and holy behaviour the carrying our selves so as men that are in a journey heavenwards the owning and propagating serious Religion the behaving our selves so that others may evidently see the spirit of Glory and of God resting upon us and may be both convinced that God is in us of a truth and if it be possible be gained to God or at least made ashamed of their own sinful and carnal ways Such a temper should we be in and such a carriage should we be of in what Company soever we be we are alwayes in the sight of God and we should be no where but upon business for God and we should carry our selves as such What the Apostle speaks of his Ministry should be exemplified in the practise of Christians 2 Cor. 2.17 As of sincerity as of God in the sight of God so speak we in Christ Wherever you are behave your selves in sincerity in simplicity whatever you speak speak it as in the sight of God be faithful approve your selves to God in all that you do O friends this even this steady this sincere course of life this universal approving your selves to God in all you do will be the fruit of such an abiding sense of God upon your hearts This will be the poise that will make you move swiftly this will be the Ballast that will make you sail steadily And this swift and steady motion heavenward will both make you appear to be Christians indeed and mightily improve and advance your souls in that grace of God that bringeth Salvation O beloved that this now might be the fruit of these many words that I have spoken to you that you would every one of you set your hearts to it to get and to hold such a deep sense of the eternal things upon your spirits as might have influence to the carrying you on in this even and steady course Do not every one of you need some establishment more settledness more fixedness in an heavenly frame do not you feel your selves so up and down so off and on that you can hardly fix Would it not be more comfortable for you if you could get to be more like the unchangeable God that as he is the same God so you might be the same Christians of the same Spirit of the same way so fixed and composed in your Spirits that you might not be moved from the hope nor from the holiness of the Gospel would it not be comfortable to you were it thus with you would it not be much to the honour of the Gospel and to the joy of your own Souls then once again I exhort you by the Lord Jesus get this sight of God in your eye keep this sense of God upon your hearts which will have its fruit unto this settled and even course of holiness the end whereof will be everlasting life This is that which I strive for and am reaching towards in mine own Soul and I must say with the Apostle Phil. 3.12 I press these things upon you not as though I had already obtained but I follow after if I may obtain through Christ Jesus And what I seek and wait and hope for in mine own Soul my hearts desire is that you also may follow after and be partakers of the same Grace that my Soul is in pursuit of that you and I may rejoyce together in the day of the Lord. Thus much for the keeping the heart under Government 2. Keep the Heart under Guard Keep it and all the good that 's in it in safety that it be not lost Christians must keep their Hearts as Worldlings keep their Money and their Jewels and their writings by which they hold their Estates If they have any stronger or safer place than other there they lay them up and whatever else they have to look to their special eye and their strictest Watch is upon their treasure And here I shall shew you 1. Why Christians must especially guard their hearts 2. How Christians must guard their hearts 1. Why Christians must especially guard their hearts They must set a guard upon their tongues they must watch their words and all their carriages but above all keeping they must keep their hearts So the word in the Text is rendred and interpreted by some keep the heart with diligence above all keepings Keep the heart but why so because the heart is 1. The fountain of Life 2. The spring of all vital actions 3. The record of all our sacred Transactions 4. The cabinet of our Jewels 5. Our box of evidences 6. The ark of our strength 7. A sacrifice for God 8. The temple of the Lord. 1. Because the heart is the fountain of Life It is the reason urged in the Text for out of it are the issues of Life The issues that is the streams or rivuâ—ets of life The heart is the fountain from whence all our living streams do flow Christ is our life and the seat or habitation of Christ is in the heart therefore that expression Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory The hope of the Saints is a living and lively hope the life of our hope is from Christ and from Christ within us Eph. 3.17 Christ dwells in the heart by Faith The heart Natural is the fountain of Natural Life it is the primum vivens and the heart Spiritual is the fountain of Spiritual Life we begin to live from within as death begins in the heart so life Death Natural ends in the heart the heart is the last that dieth but death spiritual begins in the heart the heart is the first that dies Sinners dead works do all arise from their dead hearts the root dies first and then the branches and fruit wither and fall off the Devils great design is firstly upon the heart when he hath slain the good that is within he can with ease destroy whatever good is without the fruit will fall off of it self when the root is dead The heart is the first that dies in a spiritual sense and 't is the first that lives It is there the seed of God his immortal Seed is first received and takes its root so that there is the same reason to set a guard upon our hearts as to preserve our life if you would keep your selves alive if you would not fall down among the dead then look well to your hearts which are the fountain of life 2. It is the spring of all our vital actions and operations This is included in the former the heart is the fountain of life and life is the fountain of action A dead man cannot see nor hear nor speak nor move he must live before he can speak or move And what can the spiritually dead do The dead praise
have need of many washing dayes who have so many sinning dayes Every day should be a washing day to us Take that counsel of the Prophet Isa 1.16 Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings Make you clean and keep you clean Wash ye and watch ye put away the evil of your doings if you would that your hearts should long be kept clean Wash your hands and wash your face and wash your feet or these will defile your hearts Put away the Garment spotted with the flesh keep your outward man clean keep you unspotted from the World that so you may be blameless and unreprovable in the sight of God O Christians let us study every one of us to get to such a blameless and unrebukable Conversation that not only the world may have nothing to spot us with but that our Consciences may have nothing to spot us with that our hearts may not have wherewith to reprove us as little as may be of the common and unavoidable infirmities of our flesh but however we may be overtaken as to these yet be unreproveable as to any tolerated or allowed iniquities these are the great blots wherewith the heart is defiled Brethren beloved whoever among you that fear the Lord I would fain do what I can to prepare you an holy habitation for the holy one that whereas he hath said 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell with them and walk in them you may be such in whom his Soul may delight to dwell that he may say of you all as Psal 132.14 This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it It is a strange expression the holy God speaks this to all his holy ones to thee in particular to thine heart if it be but a clean heart the Almighty God says to thee there is my rest in that heart of thine will I dwell for I have desired it the Lord God hath a desire to be thy Guest hath a desire to that poor Soul of thine to take it up for his own dwelling I would that you may be presented at last unspotted and unreproveable in his sight and to this end that you may be presented holy at last I would that you may be preserved holy and without blame at present O look to those hearts keep you pure let there be written upon you holiness to the Lord they should be a little heaven into which nothing that defileth should enter O purge your selves of whatever may offend and then guard your selves against it This is my warning to you and this is my prayer for you that the very God of Peace will sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole Spirit Soul and Body may be preserved blameless against the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And to him I commend you who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy to him be Gloro for ever Amen 3. Against Distempers A good temper of heart will be an advantage to us in any thing we have to do An heart out of temper is like a bone out of joint or like a Tempestuous Sea there 's no good sailing in it We cannot keep our way but shall be driven about this way and that way with every wind and wave An heart out of temper is like a door off the hinges or a Chariot off the Wheels it draggs and goes untowardly and heavily on O how often are our Souls unhinged our Chariots off the wheels or our wheels without oyl and then what pitiful work do we make at any thing we have to do when we have been in a crowd of worldly business or been foolishly merry and vain what a discomposure do we find upon our Souls and how unfit are we then for duty when we come to pray or to hear what labour doth it cost us to reconcile our hearts to our Duties or to get us into a praying or hearing frame We come to pray as a Musitian comes to play when his Instrument is out of Tune he must spend a good deal of his time in tuneing before one stroke can be strook How much work have we to tune our hearts at such times and it may be at last 't is more then we can do and so we must either let the duty alone or make such sad melody in the Ears of the Lord as a Musitian would do in ours who should play on his Instrument when every string is out of tune Get your hearts in temper and keep them so Be able to say with the Psalmist Psal 57.7 O God mine heart is fixed mine heart is fixed The good temper of the heart notes freedom and towardliness and disposedness for any thing God calls to and firmness and stability in that towardliness Let your hearts be established in Good Let there be an abiding holy temper upon your Spirits some of the distempers that we should guard our hearts against are 1. Slightness and vanity of Spirit A well tempered heart is a serious heart Seriousness of heart is as ballast to a Ship we shall go steadily whilst our hearts are serious 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loyns of your minds and be sober Soberness here is the same with seriousness Christians are always engaged about serious and weighty things their Eternity is concern'd in every day they live and in every thing they do Every action of our Lives is a stroke at that work which must have an influence upon our Eternal State We have weighty work lying upon our hands every day and hour and how unsuitable is a slight and trifling Spirit to important affairs a slight heart is an empty and shallow heart and a shallow heart is unfit to meddle in the deep things of God Watch against slightness of Spirit Frothiness and Vanity becomes not a Christian at any time we may say of the frolicks and light and jovial lives of the carnal world as Solomon says of laughter Eccl. 2.2 I said of laughter it it is mad A Christian is besides himself when he indulgeth to a vain and frothy Spirit Friends 't is not for us to live in jest Eternal Life and Death are no jesting matters learn to live in good earnest those that are light and vain that are little else but froth and vapour in their ordinary Course do use to be but little better in their most serious Duties O what slight praying is there amonst us what shallow and empty Duties do our slight and trifling hearts satisfie themselves withal it may be some of us when we have spent a whole Sabbath with the Lord if we do reflect upon the temper we have been in may sometimes find that we have hardly had a serious hour in a whole day If they should be asked as Christ asked his Disciples Mat. 26.40 What could ye not watch with me one hour what could ye not be serious with me one hour what could we answer
are questioning whether you should go on or forbear why then examine would this be a serving my flesh or a serving the Lord determine that well and then your covenant would guide you whether to do or forbear Once let your hearts stand resolved to pursue the ends of your covenant to live such an holy such an heavenly such a mortified such a self-denying such a diligent life as you have covenanted to live and then your very hearts which are the records of your covenant your very hearts will teach you what you should do When your flesh at any time pleads with you for any abatement of the strictness of Christianity for any Liberty of compliance with the more remiss and loose amongst Christians and suggests to you not too far not too fast not too high in Religion drive on softly deal gently with thy flesh be not over rigid or severe to it be not over busie do not tire thy self at thy work take time take thine ease drive on as thy carnal interest and thy carnal inclinations can bear then read over your covenant and consider Is such a life according to the writeing that hath been agreed upon betwixt my Lord and me Is this cold and indifferent and easie way of Religion all that I have covenanted for well this is one thing if you would keep to your Colours keep to your Covenant 2. Take up your Cross upon your back This is your Lords word Mat. 16.24 Whosoever will come after me let him take up his Cross This will be the proof of what there is of Christ or Christianity in your hearts a sound heart will make a strong back He that loves much will bear any thing he whose heart is not cross-proof is an unsound Christian Your sinful shunning the Cross is your running from your Colours Christians some little Trials we have had some crosses we have met with but for ought I know the Lord may be preparing heavier crosses greater sufferings for you then ever you have been proved withal O be so busie a fortifying your hearts that you may never baulk your Christian course whatever cross may stand in the way I would not that we should needlesly run upon the cross when we may avoid it Sufferings may come fast enough without our pulling them upon our selves But this I would we might every one stand to resolve in the strength of the Lord to be never the less hearty Christians never the less holy never the less precise never the less zealous in the pursuit and practise of a sincere and exemplary Godly Life for any thing you may suffer for it from Men or Devils I do not barely say take up your cross rather then lay down your Christianity but take up your cross rather than lay down your bold Profession of Christianity take up your cross rather than lay down your zeal for Christ or turn aside from the closest and most resolved following of Christ Let the Cross neither make us of Christians to become no Christians no nor to be less Christians than we have seemed to be It hath been so in former ages that Christianity hath never improved nor thrived so much as under the sharpest and severest persecutions and why should it not be so still Look to your selves friends there is hazard that your Souls may suffer that you may be inward loosers by your over solicitousness to escape outward losses the Souls of many Professors may be losers and the Souls of some may be quite lost by the fears of the cross Look to your selves that this be none of your Cases that you be not loosers by persecutions especially take heed that you be not lost your Souls lost by them Be not persecuted from Christ be not persecuted to Hell let not the cross drive you ba k under the curse from which you hoped that you had escaped And that you may not be loosers do what you can to be gainers as other Christians have been before you If it grow to be winter without get you to be warmer within if the winds rise keep your garments the Closer about you Think not to make your peace with evil men by striking sail and following Christ more aloof but make your Peace with God more sure that you may be the more able to bear the reproaches of the World Be as the Stars that are never so bright as when the night is darkest Love one another help one another quicken and comfort and encourage one another so much the more for that the world hateth and goes about to hinder you and never think after all that hath been said about the governing and guarding the sanctifying and keeping your hearts that yet your hearts are right till you can hold fast your integrity and hold on your way in all changes of weather 3. Keep the Crown in your eye and let that word be ever in your ear Rev. 3.11 Hold fast what thou hast that no man take thy Crown Run from your Colours and you loose the Crown He that hath heaven in his eyes will not fear to have holiness in his life The hope of the victory will encourage in the fight the hope of the Crown will make the cross to be easie and make us faithful in the covenant Therefore Remember that word Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Christians if you would not loose the Crown then be faithful be faithful to the death in the covenant of your Lord. Whatever difficulties or discouragements you may meet with in your way what ever hardships or tribulations may befal you if you can yet say with the Church Psal 44.17 18. Though all this be come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way If you can but say this your Lord will say also to you whatever I have done or brought upon you yet I have not forgotten thee the Covenant of my peace shall never be removed Fight the good fight keep the faith till you have finiâ—hed your course and then know there is laid up for thee a Crown of Righteousness which I will surely give thee at that day 4. Carry up your hearts thither where your enemies can't come Carry them up to heaven whatever treasure you lay up there neither moth nor rust can corrupt nor theives break thorow and steal There 's no safety below the Theif will be every where upon you whilst you are conversant in the world walking after the flesh these are your enemies quarters your hearts are in the midst of them in the midst of those Thieves that seek your life whilst they are conversant about these fleshly things Yea whilst you are where God is in your Duties in Ordinances if your hearts be not above at such times if you feed only on what comes down if you ascend not in your Duties if