and deportments towards God and man Christ formed in the soul or put on the new creature in its being and operations the truth learned as it is in Jesus to the putting off the old man and the putting on the new More distinctly we may yet see wherein it lyes upon a premised view of some few things necessary to be foreknown in order thereunto As That this righteousness is a renewing righteousness or the righteousness of one formerly a sinner a lapsed perishing wretch who is by it restored into such a state towards God as he was in before that lapse in respect of certain great essentials though as yet his state be not so perfectly good while he is in his tendency and motion And shall by certain additionals be unspeakably better when he hath attained the end and rest he is tending to That a reasonable creature yet untainted with sin could not but have a temper of mind â—uteable to such apprehensions as these Viz. That as it was not the Author of being to it self so it ought not principally to study the pleasing and serving of it self but him who gave it being that it can no more continue and perfect it self unto blessedness than it could create it self and can therefore have no expectation hereof but from the same Author of its being And hence that it must respect and eye the great God its Creator and Maker as The Soveraign Authority whom it was to fear and obey Soveraign Good whom it was to love and enjoy But because it can perform no duty to him without knowing what he will have it do nor have any particular expectation of savours from him without knowing what he will please to bestow and is therefore obliged to attend to the revelations of his Will concerning both these It is therefore necessary that he eye him under a notion introductive and subservient to all the operations that are to be exerted towards him under the two former notions i. e. as the Eternal never failing Truth safely to be depended on as intending nothing of deceit in any the revelations whether of his righteous Will concerning matter of duty to be done or of his good Will concerning matter of benefit to be expected and enjoyed That Man did apostatize and revolt from God as considered under these severall notions And returns to him when an holy rectitude is recovered and he again becomes righteous considered under the same That it was not agreeable to Gods wisedom truth and legal justice to treat with Man a Sinner in order to his recovery but through a Mediator and that therefore he was pleased in wonderfull mercy to constitute and appoint his own Son Jesus Christ God-man unto that Office and Undertaking that through him man might return and be reconciled to himself whom he causlessely forsook designing that man shall now become so affected towards himself through the Mediator and firstly therefore towards the Mediators own person as he was before and ought to have been towards himself immediately Therefore whereas God was considerable in relation to Man both in his innocency and Apostacy under that forementioned two fold notion of the supream Authority Goodness He hath also set up and exalted our Lord Jesus Christ and represented him to Sinners under an answerable two fold notion of a Prince Saviour i. e. a mediating Prince and Saviour to give repentance first to bow and stoop the hearts of sinners and reduce them to a subject posture again and then remission of sins to restore them to favour and save them from the wrath to come Him hath the Father cloth'd with his own authority and fill'd with his grace requiring sinners to submit themselves to his ruling power and commit themselves to his saving mercy now both lodg'd in this his Son to pay him immediately all homage and obedience and through him ultimately to himself from him immediately to expect Salvation and blessedness and through him ultimately from himself That whereas the Spirits of men are not to be wrought to this temper but by the intervention of a discovery and revelation of the divine Will to this purpose Our Lord Jesus Christ is further appointed by the Father to reveal all this his counsel to Sinners And is eminently spoken of in Scripture upon this account under the notion of the Truth in which capacity he more effectually recommends to Sinners both his authority and his grace So that his three fold so much celebrated Office of King Priest Prophet the distinct parts of his general Office as Mediator which he manages in order to the reducement of lost Sinners exactly correspond if you consider the more eminent acts and properties of each Office to that threefold notion under which the Spirit of Man must alwayes have eyed and been acted towards God had he never fallen and hence this righteousness which consists in conformity to the Gospel is the former righteousness which was lâ—st with such an accession as is necessary upon consideration that it was lost and was only to be recovered by a Mediator Therefore you may now take this short and as compendious an account as I can give of it in what follows It includes so firm and understanding an assent to the truth of the whole Gospel Revelation as that the soul is thereby brought through the power of the Holy Ghost sensibly to apprehend its former disobedience to God and distance from him the reasonableness of subjection to him and desirableness of blessedness in him the necessity of a Redeemer to reconcile and recover it to God the accomplishments and designation of the Lord Jesus Christ to that purpose And hence a penitent and complacential return to God as the supream Authority and soveraign Good an humble and joyful acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ as its Prince and Saviour with submission to his Authorâ—y and reliance on his grace the exercise of both which are founded in his blood looking and pitching upon him as the only medium through which he and his duties can please God or God and his mercies approach him and through which he hath the confidence to venture upon a Covenant-acceptance of God and surrender himself to him afterward pursued to his uttermost by a continued course of living in his fear and love in obedience to him and communion with him through the Mediator alwayes while he is passing the time of his pilgrimage in this world groaning under remaining sin and pressing after perfect holiness with an earnest expectation animating him to a persevering patience through all difficulties of a blessed eternity in the other world That such a conformity to the Gospel should be expressed by the name of righteousness cannot seem strange to such as acquaint themselves with the language of the Scripture That graoious frame which the Gospel made essential impresses upon the soul is the Kingdom of God in the passive notion of it his Kingdom received and now actually come with power upon our Spirits
satisfaction and blessedness of the expecting soul. And wherein it may do so is not altogether unapprehensible Admit that a Spirit had it never been imbodied might be as well without a body or that it might be as well provided of a body out of other materials 't is no unreasonable supposition that a connate aptitude to a body should render humane souls more happy in a body sufficiently attempered to their most noble operations And how much doth relation and propriety endear things otherwise mean and inconsiderable or why should it be thought strange that a soul connaturallized tâ— matter should be more particularly inclined to a particular portion thereof So as that it should appropriate such a part and say 't is mine And will it not be a pleasure to have a vitalitâ— diffused through what even more remotely appertains to me to have every thing belonging to the Supposition perfectly vindicated from the Tyrannous dominion of death The returnâ—ing of the Spirits into a benumb'd or sleeping toe or finger adds a contentment to a maâ— which he wanted before Nor is it hence neâ—cessary the Soul should covet a re-union wiâ—â— every effluvious particle of its former body A desire implanted by God in a reasonable soul will aim at what is convenient not whâ— shall be cumbersome or monstrous And how pleasant will it be to comtemplatâ— and admire the wisdom and power of thâ— great Creatour in this so glorious a change when I shall find a Clod of Earth an Heaâ— of Dâ—st refined into a Celestial purity anâ— brightness when what was sown in corruptiâ—â— shall be raised in incorruption what was sown 〈◊〉 dishonour is raised in glory what was sown in weakness is raised in power what was sown a natural body is raised a Spiritual body When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal an immortality and death be wholly swallowed up in victory So that this awaking may well be understood to carry that in it which may bespeak it the proper season of the Saints consummate satisfaction and blessedness But besides what it carries in it self there are other more extrinsical concurrents that do further signalize this season and import a great increase of blessedness then to Gods holy ones The body of Christ is now compleated the fulness of him that filleth all in all and all the so nearly related parts cannot but partake in perfection and reflected glory of the whole There is joy in Heaven at the conversion of one sinner though he have a troublesome Scene yet to pass over afterwards in a tempting wicked unquiet world how much more when the many sons shall be all brought to glory together The designes are all now accomplished and wound up into the most glorious result and issue whereof the Divine Providence had been as in travel for so many thousand years 'T is now seen how exquisite wisdom govern'd the world and how steady a tendency the most intricate and perplexed Methods of Providence had to one stated and most worthy end Specially the constitution administration and ends of the Mediatours Kingdom are now beheld in the exact aptitudes order and conspicuous glory when so blessed an issue and success shall commend and crown the whole undertaking The Divine Authority is now universally acknowledged and adored his Justice is vindicated and satisfied his Grace demonstrated and magnified to the uttermost The whole assembly of Saints solemnly acquitted by publique sentence presented spotless and without blemish to God and adjudged to eternal blessedness 'T is the day of solemn triumph and jubilation upon the finishing of all Gods works from the creation of the world wherein the Lord Jesus appears to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all that believe Upon which ensues the resignation of the Mediatours Kingdome all the ends being now attained that the Father â—imself may be immediately all in all How aptly then are the fuller manifestations of God the more glorious display of all his Attributes the larger and more abundant Effusions of himself reserv'd as the best Wine to the last unto this joyful day Created perfections couldnot have been before so absolute but they might admit of improvement Their capacities not so large but they might be extended further and then who can doubt but that divine communications may also have a proportionable increase and that upon the concourse of so many great occasions they shall have so CHAP. XI An Introduction to the use of the Doctrine hitherto proposed The Use divided into Inferences of Truth Rules of Duty 1. Inference That Blessedness consists not in any sensual injoyment 2. Inference The Spirit of man since 't is capable of so high a Blessedness a Being of high excellency AND now is our greatest work yet behind the improvement of so momentous a truth to the affecting and transforming of hearts That if the Lord shall so far vouchsafe his assistance and blessing they may taste the sweetness feel the power and bear the impresse and image of it This is the work both of greatest necessity difficulty and excellency and unto which all that hath been done hitherto is but subservient and introductive Give me leave therefore Reader to stop thee here and demand of thee ere thou go further hast thou any design in turning over these leaves of bettering thy Spirit of getting a more refined heavenly temper of soul art thou weary of thy dross and earth and longing for the first fruits the beginnings of glory dost thou wish for a soul meet for the blessedness hitherto described What is here written is designed for thy help and furtherance But if thou art looking on these pages with a wanton rolling eye hunting for novelties or what may gratifie a prurient wit a coy and squeamish fancy Go read a Romance or some piece of Drollery know here 's nothing for thy turn and dread to meddle with matters of everlasting concernment without a serious Spirit read not another line till thou have sighed out this request Lord keep me from trifling with the things of Eternity Charge thy soul to consider that what thou art now reading must be added to thy account against the great day 'T is amazing to think with what vanity of mind the most weighty things of Religion are entertained amongst Christians Things that should swallow up our souls drink up our Spirits are heard as a tale that is told disregarded by most scorned by too many What can be spoken so important or of so tremendous consequence or of so confessed truth or with so awful solemnity and premised mention of the sacred name of the Lord as not to find either a very slight entertainment or contemptuous rejection and this by persons avowing themselves Christians We seem to have little or no advantage in urging men upon their own principles and with things they most readily and professedly assent to Their hearts are as much untouch't and void of impression by the
towards one another they slide insensibly into each others bosomes even the most churlish morose natures are wrought upon by assiduous repeated kindnesses gutta cavat lapidem c. as often falling drops at length wear and work into very stones Towards God their hearts are more impenetrable then Rocks harder then Adamants He is seeking with some an acquaintance all their days They live their whole age under the Gospel and yet are never wonne They hearken to one another but are utterly unperswadable towards God as the deaf Adder that hears not the voice of the Charmer though charming never so wisely The clearest Reason the most powerful Arguments move them not no nor the most insinuative allurements the sweetest breathings of love How often would I have gathered thee as the Hen her Chickens under her wings and ye would not God draws with the cords of a man with the bends of love but they still perversly keep at an unkind distance Men use to believe one another were there no credit given to each others words and some mutual confidence in one another there could be no humane converse all must affect solitude and dwell in Dens and Desarts as wild beasts but how incredulous are they of all Divine Revelations though testified with never so convincing evidence â—ho hath believed our report The word of the eternal God is regarded O amazing wickedness as we would the word of a Child or a Fool. No sober rational man but his Narrations Promises or Threatnings are more reckon'd of Men are more reconcileable to one another when enemies more constant when friends How often doth the power of a conquering enemy and the distress of the conquered work a submission on this part and a remission on that How often are haughty spirits stoopt by a series of calamities and made ductile proud arrogants formed by necessity and misery into humble supplicants so as to lie prostrate at the feet of a man that may help or hurt them while still the same persons retain indomitable unyielding spirits towards God under their most afflictive pressures Though his gracious Nature and Infinite fulness promise the most certain and liberal relief 't is the remotest thing from their thoughts to make any address to him They cry because of the oppression of the mighty but none says where is God my Maker who giveth songs in the night Rather perish under their burdens then look towards God when his own visible hand is against them or upon them and their lives at his mercy they stand it out to the last breath and are more hardly humbled then consumed Sooner burn then weep shrivel'd up into ashes sooner then melted into tears Scorched with great heat yet repent not to give glory to God Gnaw their tongues for pain and yet still more disposed to blaspheme then pray or sue for mercy Dreadful thought As to one another Reconciliations among men are not impossible or unfrequent even of mortal enemies but they are utterly implacable towards God! yet they often wrong one another but they cannot pretend God ever did them the least wrong yea they have liv'd by his bounty all their days They say to God depart from us yet he filleth their houses with good things So true is the Historians observation Hatred is sharpest where most unjust Yea when there seems at least to have been a reconciliation wrought are treacheries Covenant-breakings revolts strangeness so frequent among men towards one another as from them towards God How inconsistent with friendship is it according to common estimate to be alwayes promising never performing upon any or no occasion to break off intercourses by unkind alienations or mutual hostilities to be morose reserv'd each towards other To decline or disaffect each others converse To shut out one another from their hearts and thoughts But how common and unregretted are these carriages towards the blessed God It were easie to expatiate on this Argument and multiply Instances of this greater disaffection But in a word what observing person may not see what serious person would not grieve to see the barbarous sooner putting on civility the riotous sobriety the treacherous fidelity the morose urbanity the injurious equity the churlish and covetous benignity and charity then the ungodly man piety and sincere devotedness unto God Here is the principal wound and distemper sin hath infected the nature of man with Though he have suffered a universal impairment he is chiefly prejudic'd in regard of his habitude and tendency towards God and what concerns the duties of the first Table Here the breach is greatest and here is greatest need of repair True it is an inoffensive winning deportment towards men is not without its excellency and necessity too And it doth indeed unsufferably reproach Christianity and unbecome a Disciple of Christ yea it discovers a man not to be led by his Spirit so to be none of his to indulge himself in immoral deportments towards men to be undutiful towards Superiors unconversable towards equals oppressive towards Inferiors unjust towards any Yet is an holy disposition of heart towards God most earnestly and in the first place to be indeavoured which will then draw on the rest as having in it highest equity and excellency and being of most immediate necessity to our blessedness Fifthly consider That there may be some gradual tendencies or fainter essayes towards godliness that fall short of real godliness or come not up to that thorough change and determination of heart Godward that is necessary to the blessedness There may be a returning but not to the most high and wherein men may be as the Prophet immediately subjoyns like a deceitful Bow not fully bent that will not reach the mark They come not home to God Many may be almost perswaded and even within reach of Heaven not far from the Kingdom of God may seek to enter and not be able their hearts being somewhat inclinable but more averse for they can only be unable as they are unwilling The soul is in no possibility of taking up a complacential rest in God till it be brought to this to move toward him Spontaneously and with as it were a seâ—f motion And then is it self moved towards God when its preponderating bent is towards him As a massie stone that one attempts to displace if it be heav'd at till it preponderate it then moves out by its own weight otherwise it reverts and lies where and as it did before So 't is with many mens hearts all our lifting at them is but the rolling of the returning stone they are mov'd but not remov'd sometimes they are lifted at in the publique Ministry of the Word sometimes by a private seasonable admonition sometimes God makes an affliction his Minister a danger startles them a sickness shakes them and they think to change their course but how soon do they change those thoughts and are where they were what inlightnings and
substance The most hazardous services undertaken even an Apostleship to a despised Christ. In the hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised All difficulties encountred and overcome while the heâ—met is the hâ—pe of salvâ—tion things reserved for Saints in general Faith can go no further for the Word of Promise goes no further and so serves instead of eyes in the Divine Light to view those glories or it presents them as so many substantial realities demonstrates them submits them to view whence Hope reaches forth to them contends against and triumphs over all attending difficulties and possesses them gives the soul an early anticipated fruition of them for its present support and relief So that it rejoyces in the hope of the glory of God It might well therefore be said I had fainted if I had not believed or who can express how sad my case had been if I had not believed for there is an elegant Aposiopesis in the Hebrew Text the words I had fainted being supplyed in the translation If I had not believed what had become of me then q. d. In as much as faith feeds as it were those hopes which more immediately the Lord makes use of for the strengthening his peoples hearts as it is intimated in the following words compared with Psal. 31. 24. In the present case Faith ascertains the heart of the truth of the Promises so that thus the Soul states the case to it self Though I have not walkt to and fro in 〈◊〉 upper regions nor taken a view of the heavenly 〈◊〉 though I have not been in the third 〈◊〉 us and seen the ineffable glory yet the 〈…〉 which hath brought life and immortality to light the word of the eternal God who hath 〈◊〉 me this is the state of things in the other world cannot but be true my faith may therefore be to me instead of eyes and the Divine testimony must supply the place of light both together give methinks a fair prospect of those far distant glorious objects which I have now in view Now this awakens hope and makes it revive and run to imbrace what Faith hath discovered in the Promise In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised 'T is the Word of God that causes the soul to hope i. e. believed for disbelieved it signifies nothing with it and that not onely as it contains a narration but a promise concerning the future estate I may without much emotion of heart hear from a Traveller the description of a pleasant Country where I have not been but if the Lord of that Country give me besides the account of it an assurance of enjoying rich and ample possessions there this presently begets an hope the pleasure whereof would much relieve a present distressed estate and which nothing but that of actual possession can exceed That 't is not more so with us here admits of no excuse Is God less to be believed then a man will we deny him the priviledge of being able to discover his mind and the truth of things credibly which we ordinarily allow to any one that is not a convicted Lier Christ expects his Disciples should very confidently assure themselves of the preparations made for them in another world upon that very ground alone that he had not told them the contrary Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me In my Fathers House are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare c. Intimating to them they ought to have that opinion of his plainness and sincerity as never to imagine he would have proselyted them to a Religion that should undo them in this world if there were not a sufficient recompence awaiting them in the other but he would have certainly have let them know the worst of their case much more might he expect they should be confident upon his so often and expresly telling them that so it is If his silence might he a ground of hope much more his word And surely so grounded an hope cannot but be consolatory and relieving in this sad interval till the awaking hour Lastly Since this blessedness of the righteous is as to the season of it future not expected till they awake we may infer That 't is great wisdom and sagacitie that guides the righteous mans choice while he waves a present and temporary and chuses this future expected blessedness 'T is true that Philosophy hath been wont to teach us that choice or election hath no place about the end because that is but one and choice always implyes a competition But that very reason evinces that in our present state and case choice must have place about the end That Philosophy might have suited better the state of innocent Adam when there was nothing to blind and bribe a mans judgment or occasion it to deliberate about the supreme end then it might be truly said deliberation it self was a defection nor to pervert and misincline his will and so its action in proposing its end would be simple intention not choice But so hath the Apostasie and sin of man blinded and befooled him that he is at a loss about nothing more then what is the chief good And though S. Augustine reduce Varro's 288. differing Sects about it to 12. that 's enough to prove but daily experience doth it more convincingly and sadly a real though most unjust competition Therefore a sinner can never be blessed without chusing his blessedness and therein it highly concern's him to chuse aright and that a Spirit of Wisdom and Counsel guide his choice While Man had not as yet fal'n to deliberate whether he should adhere to God or no was a gradual declension the very inchoation of his fall but having fal'n necessity makes that a vertue which was a wickâ—nâ—sâ— before There 's no returning to God without considering our ways The so much altered state of the case quite alters the nature of the things It was a consulting to do evil before now to do goâ—d And hence also chusing the Lord to be our God becomes a necessary duty Which is to make choice of this very blessedness that consists in the knowledge likeness and enjoyment of him And now in as much as this blessedness is not fully attained by the longing soul till time expire and its eternity commence here 's a great discovery of that Wisdom which guides this happy choice There is great wisdom in prospection in taking care of the future and at how much the further distance one can provide so much the greater reputation of wisdom it justly acquired to him Yea we seem to place the summe of practical wisdom in this one thing while we agree to call it providence under the contracted name of prudence The wise man makes it at least an evidence or part of wisdom when he tells us the prudent
lapsed state What a blessedness he hath designed for them what means he hath designed to bring them to it Tell him thou only needest a temper of Spirit suitable to this blessedness he invites thee to That thou can'st not master and change thy sensual earthly heart thou know'st he easily can thou art come to implore his help that his blessed and holy Spirit may descend and breath upon thy stupid dead Soul and may sweetly encline and move it towards him that it may eternally rest in him and that thou may'st not perish after so much done in order to thy blessedness onely for want of a heart to entertain it Tell him thou com'st upon his gracious encouragement having heard he is as ready to give his Spirit to them that ask him as Parents bread to their craving Children rather then a stone That 't is for life thou beggest That 't is not so easie to thee to think of perishing for ever that thou canst not desist and give up all thy hopes that thou shalt be in Hell shortly if he hear and help thee not Lastly If thus thou obtain any communication of that holy blessed Spirit and thou find it gently moving thy dead heart let me once more demand of thee Is it impossible to forbear this or that external act of sin at this time when thou art tempted to it sure thou can'st not say 't is impossible What necessitates thee to it and then certainly thou may'st as well ordinarily with-hold thy self from running into such customary sensualities as tend to grieve the Spirit debauch Conscience stupifie thy Soul and hide God from thee And if thou canst do all this do not fool thy slothful soul with as idle a conceit that thou hast nothing to do but to sit still expecting till thou drop into Hell 2. But have I not reason to fear I shall but add sin to sin in all this and so increase the burden of guilt upon my own soul and by endeavouring to better my case make it far worse Two things I consider that suggest to me this fear The Manner End of the duties you put me upon as they will be done by me in the case wherein I apprehend my self yet to lie 1. Manner As to the positive actions you advise to I have heard the best actions of an unregenerate person are sins through the sinfulness of their manner of doing them though as to matter of the thing done they be injoyned and good And though it be true that the regenerate cannot perform a sinless duty neither yet their persons and works being covered over with the righteousness of Christ are look't upon as having no sin in them which I apprehend to be none of my case 2. End You put me upon these things in order to the attaining of blessedness and to do such things with intuition to a reward is to be as may be doubted unwarrantably mercenary and â—ervile 1. First as to this former reason of your doubt methinks the proposal of it answers it For as much as you acknowledge the matter of these actions to be good and duty and plain it is they are Moral duties of common perpetual concernment to all persons and times dare you decline or dispute against your duty Sure if we compare the evil of what is so substantially in itself and what is so circumstantially onely by the adherence of some undue modus or manner it cannot be hard to determine which is the greater and more dreadful evil As to the present case shouldst thou when the great God sends abroad his Proclamation of pardon and peace refuse to attend it to consider the contents of it and thy own case in reference thereto and there upon to sue to him for the life of thy own soul. Dost thou not plainly see thy refusal must needs be more provoking then thy defective performance This speaks disability but that rebellion and contempt Besides dost thou not see that thy objection lies as much against every other action of thy life the wise man tells us the ploughing of the wicked is sin iâ— that be literally to be understood And what would'st thou therefore sit still and do nothing Then how soon would that Idleness draw on gross wickedness and would not that be a dreadful confutation of thy self if thou who didst pretend a scruple that thou mightest not pray read hear meditate shalt not scruple to play the glutton the drunkard the wanton and indulge thy self in all riot and excess Yea if thou do not break out into such exorbitances would any one think him serious that should say it were against his Conscience to be working out his salvation and striving to enter in at the strait gate Seeking first the Kingdom of God c. would not this sound strangely and especially that in the mean time it should never be against his Conscience to trifle away his time and live in perpetual neglects of God in persevering Atheism Infidelity Hardness of heart never regretted or striving against as if these were more innocent And what thou say'st of the different case of the regenerate is impertinent for as to this matter the case is not different they that takeâ— themselves to be such must not think that by their supposed interests in the righteousness of Christ their real sins cease to be such they only become pardoned sins and shall they therefore sin more boldly then other men because they are surer of pardon Secondly As to the other Ground of this Doubt there can onely be a fear of sinning upon this account to them that make more sins and duties then God hath made The doubt supposes Religion inconsistent with Humanity and that God were about to raze out of the nature of man one of the most radical and fundamental Laws written there A desire of blessedness And supposes it against the expresse scope and tenour of his whole Gospel-revelation For what doth that design but to bring men to blessedness and how is it a means to compass that design but as it tends to ingage mens spirits to design it too unless we would imagine they should go to heaven blindfold or be roll'd thither as stones that know not whether they are mov'd in which case the Gospel that reveals the eternal glory and the way to it were an useless thing If so express words had not been in the Bible as that Moses had respect to the recompence of reward yea that our Lord Jesus himself for the joy set before him indured the Cross c. this had been a little more colourable or more modest And what do not all men in all the ordinary actions of their lives act allowable enough with intuition to much lower ends even those particular ends which the works of their several callings tend to else they should act as bruites in every thing they do And would such a one scruple if he were pining for want of bread to beg or labour
glances or which speaks more inwardness more fixed views when their eyes do even feed and feast upon each other This we should endeavour to be as in a continual interview with God How frequent mention have we of the fixed posture of his eye towards Saints To this man will I look I have found out q. d. that which shall be ever the delight of mine eye do not divert me Towards him I will look What he speaks of the material Temple is ultimately to be refer'd to that which is typified his Church his Saints united with his Christ mine eys and my heart shall be there perpetually and elsewhere He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous He cannot admirable grace allow himself to look off to turn aside his eye And he seems impatient of the aversion of theirs Let me see thy countenance saith he for it is comely Is it not much more reasonable it should be thus with us towards him that we should be more delighted to behold real comelinesse than he with what is so only by his gracious vouchsafement and estimation how careful should we be that our eye may at every turn meet his that he never look towards us and find it in the ends of the earth carelesly wandring from him How well doth it become us to set the Lord alwayes before us to have our eye ever towards the Lord This you see is the initial leading thing in this blessedness of heaven So it must have also a prime ingrediency into our heaven on earth It is a part of celestial blessedness but it is not peculiar to it The present blessedness the righteous injoy here is a participation of heaven It hath something in it of every thing that is ingredient into that perfect blessedness Our present knowledge of God is often exprest by vision or sight as we have had occasion to observe in many passages of Scripture He hath given us such a visive power and made it connatural to that heavenly creature begotten of him in all the true subjects of this blessedness We know that we are of God and presently it follows he hath gâ—ven us an understanding to know him that is true This new man is not born blind The blessed God himself is become liable to the view of his regenerate intellectual eye clarify'd and fill'd with vigour and Spirit from himself He therefore that hath made that hath new formed this eye shall not he be seen by it shall not we turn it upon him Why do we not more frequently bless our eye with that sight This Object though of so high excellency and glory will not hurt but perfect and strengthen it They are refreshing vital beams that issue from it Sure we have no excuse that we eye God so little i. e. that we mind him no more Why have we so few thoughts of him in a day What to let so much time pass and not spare him a look a thought Do we intend to imploy our selves on eternity in the visions of God and is our present aversion from him and intention upon vanity our best preparation thereto This loudly calls for redress Shall God be waiting all the day as on purpose to catch our eye to intercept a look and we studiously decline him and still look another way as of choice and what is it but choice can we pretend a necessity to forget him all the day How cheap is the expence of a look how little would it cost us and yet how much of duty might it express how much of comfort and joy might it bring into us How great is our offence and loss that we live not in such more constant views of God Herein we sin and suffer both at once things both very unsuitable to heaven Mindfulness of God is the living Spring of all holy and pleasant affections and deportments towards him sets all the wheels agoing makes the soul as the Chariots of Aminadab These wheels have their eyes also are guided by a mind by an intellectual principle Knowing intelligent beings as we also are by participation and according to our measure so act mutually towards one another We cannot move towards God but with an open eye seeing him and our way towards him If we close our eyes we stand still or blindly run another course we know not whither All sin is darkness whether it be neglect of good or doing of evil It s way is a way of darkness as a course of holy motion is walking in the light Our shutting our eyes towards God creates that darkness surrounds us with a darkness comprehensive of all sin Now is every thing of enjoyned duty waved and any evil done that sinful nature prompts us to Well might it be said He that sinneth hath not seen God When we have made our selves this darkness we fall of course under Sathans Empire and are presently within his Dominions He is the Prince of darkness and can rule us now at his will Perishing lost souls are such as in them the God of this world hath blinded their minds To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light is to turn them also from the power of Sathan unto God What an hell of wickedness are we brought into in the twinkling of an eye We are without God in the world as if a man wink though at noon-day he hath as it were put out the Sun 't is with him as if there were no such thing When we have banished God out of our sight and forgotten him 't is with us as if there were no God If such a state grow habitual to us as we know every sinful aversion of our eye from God tends thereto what wickedness is there that will not lurk in this darkness How often in Scripture is forgetting God used as a character yea as paraphrase a full though summary expression of sin in general As if the wickedness the malignity the very hell it self of sin were wholly included and not connated only here Now consider this after so dreadful an ennumeration so black a Catalogue all that forget God And as deep calleth to deep one hell to another The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the people that forget God That keep that mass of wickedness of pride of persecution cursing blasphemy deceit and mischief all meet with one that hath not God in all his thoughts But who is so hardy to look the holy God in the face and sin against him what an astonishment is it when he watches over present sin or brings forth former sins out of secret darkness and sets them in the light of his countenance Who that understands any thing of the Nature and Majesty of God dare call him for a witness of his sinning The worst of men would find themselves under some restraint could they but abtain of themselves to sit down sometimes and solemnly think of God Much more would it prove