I will give to him that is athirst of the fountaine of water of life freely Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled A bruised Reed shall be not breake and the smoaking flax shall be not quench And if there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath By faith Abraham offered Isaac Of a truth this poore widow hath cast in more then they all The desires of the righteous shall be granted Isa 55. 1. Joh. 7. 37. Rev. 21. 6. Joh. 7. 33. Mat. 5. 6. Isa 42. 3. 2 Cor. 8. 10 11 12. Gen. 16 17. with Heb. 11. 27. Luk. 21. 3. Prov. 10. 24. Psal 37. 4. To be meeke Seeke meeknesse The meeke will he teach his way and will save all the meeke of the earth he will beautifie the meeke with salvation Psal 25. 9. Psal 76. 9. Psal 149. 4. To be sincere Thou Lord requirest truth in the inward parts Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Psal 51. 6. Mat. 5. 8. To confesse our sinnes Confesse thy sin If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all iniquitie If any man say I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not he will deliver his soule from going downe into the pit and his life shall see the light 1 Joh. 1. 9. Job 23. 27 28. To forgive others Forgive unto seventy seven times in a day thou shalt forgive Forgive and yee shall be forgiven If yee forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive your trespasses against him Luk. 17. 4. Mark 11. 25 26. 6. 37. Mat. 6. 14. Ephes 4. 23. To be a peace-maker Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Mat. 5. 9. To devise good Mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good the liberall deviseth liberall things Pro. 14. 22. Isa 32. 8. To selfe-deniall If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe Maâ— 16. 15. To watch But let us watch and be sober blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching blessed is he that watcheth Maâ— 13. 37. 1 Thes 5. 6. Rev. 16. 15. Luk. 22. 37. Mat. 24 47. To be patient Be yee also patient in your patience possesse your sâ—ules James 5. 8. Luk. 21. 9. After he had patiently indured he obtained the promises Heb. 6. 15. To be contented Be content with those things yee have Heb. 13. 5. To resist the Devill Resist the devill and he will fly from you Jam. 5. 4. To resist sin Sin shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6. 14. Not to be afraid of the world Yee are of God little children and have overcome them and greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world Joh. 16. 33. see 1 Joh. 4. 4. To subdue the flesh If yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit yee shall live Rom. 8. 13. Live to the glory of God and your own and the Saints comfort To be mercifull Be yee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Mat. 5. 7. Jam. 2. 13. To give to the poore See that yee abound in this grace also Cast thy bread upon the waters and after many dayes thou shalt find it He that gives to the poore shall not lacke Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble the Lord will preserve and keepe him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sicknesse Eccl. 11. 1. Pro. 28. 17. Psal 41. 1 2 3. To give chearfully God loves a ohearfull giver 2 Cor. 9. 7. To give bountifully He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully The liberall soule shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered himselfe If thou draw out thy soule to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soule then shall thy light rise c. 2 Cor. 9. 6. Prov. 11. 25. Isa 48. 10 11. Who so shall give a cup of cold water in the Name of a Disciple because he belongs to Christ verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward in heaven Mat. 10. 42. Mark 9. 41. 6. The life of faith in the use of meanes It is the souls cleaving to God in Christ for a blessing upon his Ordinances or the meanes he hath appointed that we may receive strength from them and profit by them The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Pro. 9. 29. I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit Isa 48. 17. Faith beleeves God will blesse his own meanes seeing he hath appointed them all to this end therefore all must needs be effectuall So it is the duty of a beleever to use all constantly closely wisely despise not them because they seem weak and silly to flesh and bloud know by their use under God a holy life is preserved and observe how thou thrivest by them use all if by any meanes thy wants may be supplied Phil. 3. 11. And honour not any of them as to exclude or sleight another Some there be that are guiltie herein men onely prise that themselves like But oh yee sonnes and daughters of God love yee and use yee all Gods meanes they are all for his glory and thy good let not any of them be a stranger to thee the neglect of one may hinder the fruit of another the command is to all the Lords to use all and if we be weake in the use of meanes what should we be if wee used them not let not the difficultie of any dismay thee consider seriously the soveraigntie of God in all his commands and what obedience to God meanes and what God requires for matter manner measure time and end To pray consider such places as these Pray continually I will powre upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication Aske and ye shall have If yee which are evill know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to those that aske him And all things whatsoever yee shall aske in prayer beleeving yee shall receive What things soever yee desire when yee pray beleeve that yee receive them and yee shall receive them Verily I say unto you whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my Name he will give it you And it shall come to passe before they call I will answer and while they yet speake I will heare 1 Thes 5. Zech. 12. 10. Mat. 7. 7 8 9 11. Luk. 11. 13. Mat. 21. 22. Mark 11. 24. Mat. 16. 23. Isa 65. 24. To read the word Give attendance to reading Behold I will powre out my Spirit upon you and make knowne
to the multitude of his loving kindnesses Psa 63. 7. Who is wise and be shall understand these things prudent and be shall know them Hosea 14. 9. THE Perfection and happinesse of a Beleever in Christ Some briefe Observations or Meditations on some part of the 16. Psal which Psalm is a Prophesie of Christ as appeares Acts 2. 25. to 35. verse Psalme 16. IN this Psalme appeareth the wonderfull goodnesse of God in Christ to all the sonnes and daughters of Christ and the exceeding great and happy estate of all that are in him Preserve me O God There is no preservation in any thing but God Preserve me Christ in the dayes of his flesh put up strong crys and supplications to his Father For in thee doe I put my trust there is no trust to be put in any thing but in God I put my trust Christ as he was man had faith and it was in God Thou art my Lord Christ honours the Father in acknowledging him onely yet Christ and he are one My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth My goodnesse Christs goodnesse was from himselfe therefore his own Goodnesse Jesus Christ is full of goodnesse Col. 2. 3. Therefore all that Christ hath done is wonderfull excellent and meritorious in this is our happinesse and comfort Extendeth not to thee Viz. God God is perfect and infinite therefore he is not capable of any addition of goodnesse Oh admire his perfection But to the Saints c. Those who are Saints had no goodnesse of their own Their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord Isa 54. 17. Christs goodnesse was for the Saints they stood in need of it Extendeth It reacheth the Saints they shall injoy the fruit of it there is no place of the earth that is out of the reach of Christ This goodnesse of Christ was not for every person in the world but to the Saints that are in the earth Saints Christs goodnesse made them Saints Christ found them no Saints but wicked sinners Oh Saint admire the riches of Christ and his love to thee the Saints goodnesse is in Christ O soule rest satisfied in Christs goodnesse which is thine rejoyce in it and admire at it be thankfull for it walke sutably unto it and improve this goodnesse against all thy doubts and feares c. To the excellent The Saints are excellent to Christ yea all of them are alike excellent beautifull glorious unspeakeable infinite excellent with the excellent beauty of Christ Ezek. 16. 14. They are more excellent then the whole creation of heaven and earth Christ calls them excellent and he esteemes them so Eph. 5. 27. Oh Saint esteeme thy selfe as Christ doth to be excellent in his excellency for thy beauty it is perfect through my comelinesse I have put upon thee saith the Lord God Ezek. 16. 14. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse Isa 61. 10. O glorious Saint the world knows not thy worth therefore it esteemes thee not yet sleight not thy selfe because Christ hath made thee excellent In whom is all my delight Jesus Christ is fully pleased and contented with his All my delight an infinite delight Christ takes in his All One Saint is esteemed by Christ to be of more worth then the whole creation of heaven earth those things have none of his delight the Saints have it all the quintessence of all fulnesse All Infinite is the love and contentment that Christ takes and gives to them O precious Saint delight thy self in God rest satisfied with him in his love and the delight he takes in thee Their sorrowes shall be multiplied that hasten after another God their drink-offerings of bloud will I not offer nor take up their names into my lips As for the wicked it is not so with them they are not in so happy a condition they shall finde the contrary from Christ he will not once name their names to God nor offer their offerings to his Father Their offerings of bloud Their costly services shall be rejected they shall finde no entertainment no acceptāce from Christ they shall have no peace nor comfort no cessation of sorrow their sorrowes shall never have an end their sorrowes shall increase and be multiplied therefore they are in a miserable condition Mine inheritance and lot Christs lot and inheritance is his people The Lords portion is his people Deut. 32. 9. Mine Christ layeth claime to his people to have an interest in them Christ is not ashamed to own them to be his Heb. 2. 11. The Saints are not their owne but Christs 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. 1 Cor. 3. 23. Seeing the Saints are Christs they are to doe all for him to serve him to be at his disposing onely and not at their own Inheritance of my cup Christs people are his by purchase let this cup passe from me they cost a great price even the precious bloud of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 19. He that payd so much for his will not lose them nor leave them Heb. 13. 5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance The Saints have God for their portion The Lord is my portion saith my soule Lam. 3. 24. Thou art my portion O Lord Ps 119. 57. The portion of a childe of God is infinite because God is infinite God esteemes nothing too much for his in that he declares himselfe and all that is his to be theirs The Saints are infinitely happy in having such a portion Jer. 10. 16. Happy is that people that is in such a ease yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. A Saints portion can never be spent nor lost God is my portion for ever Psal 73. 26. None are so rich as a Saint the poorest Saint shall never want The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want Psal 23. 1. There is no want to them that feare him they shall not want any good thing Psal 34. 9 10. Oh rich and happy Saint admire free grace which doth abound to thee be content with thy portion and well thou maiest for more thou canst not have rejoyce in thy portion for it will be a full supply to thee They shall rejoyce in their portion Isa 61. 7. Be thankfull for thy portion for it was freely given thee Hos 14. 4. Esteeme not any thing too much for him who esteemes nothing too much for thee Be content if outwardly poore because richer thou canst not be in that thou art an heire of glory improve thy portion and live upon it richly Thou maintainest my lot God hath undertaken to preserve the Saints and he doth it Christs inheritance can never be lost because it is maintained by God The Saints safety and perseverance depends not upon themselves nor anything below God but upon God who maintaines
out of your selfe in the conceits of other men he that is little in his own eyes will not be troubled if he seeme so to others he that is troubled because others words answer not his desires he shall never live quietly and he that priseth others praises he injoyeth neither God nor himselfe 18. To sympathize with others Every day to take notice and sympathize with the sorrowes and sufferings of those that are the Lords and to be content to stand or fall into any sorrow or sufferings with the Church of Christ to part with estate friends libertie life If I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth Psal 137. 6. Lam. 1 2 3 4 5. Chapters 19. To meditate Every day to meditate upon God in his goodnesse unto me and mind what God hath prepared for me in heaven and how I may be preserved from sin selfe c. and order my conversation aright Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide Gen. 24. 63. doe so or enter into thy closet Mat. 6. 6. Consider Psal 1. 2. 32. 4 5 6. Heb. 10. 38. Jos 1. 8. The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night Meditation is wonderfull sweet and profitable by it wee winde up our minds from things below Col. 3. 4 5. and injoy God and thy selfe and live in heaven while thou art in the earth refreshing thy selfe with the great varietie of those invisible comforts in heaven the interest joy rest that thou shalt finde at last we might meditate of the miseries frailtie and shortnesse of the time we have to live here and how we may prevent sin beare the crosse deny our selves live by faith be contented in want grow in grace escape temptations keepe a good conscience and what is my duty to God and man and-wherein I come short what mercies I injoy and how I live by faith in every thing how I profit by afflictions or am thankfull to God for his sweet mercies to my soule or body and a thousand profitable things in which the soule may finde sweetnesse and if yee be risen with Christ seeke those things that are above Col. 3. 1. By faith and meditation keepe thy heart above to view thy everlasting glory filling thy selfe with joy injoying the joyes of heaven which I shall certainly and quickly injoy unutterable unconceivable and infinite bottomlesse boundlesse endlesse Oh the ocean of the joyes of heaven the greatnesse of sweetnesse in so great confluence of all joyes pleasures and delights which shall be for ever and never have an end 20. Watch to deny selfe That I daily deny my selfe wit wisdome carnall reason learning favour of men applause passion ease libertie and all things for God Consider Luk. 14. 20. 33. Mat. 16. 24. Mark 8. 34. Luk. 9. 23. It is good thus to crosse our selves if we could deny our selves every thing would be easie for us to doe for all things are so sure under us as we are above our selves in the same measure we are spirituall or live by faith so much we deny our selves such as cannot deny themselves are not able to indure the troubles and indignities of this world but will shrinke and fall off in the day of battell Luk. 14. 28. 31. 21. To be humble That in all my actions I be humble and meeke sincere serious fervent chearfull For humilitie and meeknesse consider Mat. 11. 29. Sinceritie Deut. 18. 13. Ephes 6. 14. Joh. 1. 47. Without faith and sinceritie all is nothing worth Fervency Fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. Jam. 5. 16. Fervent prayer Chearfulnesse Rejoyce evermore 1 Thes 5. 16. A chearful and a willing spirit is most sutable and acceptable wee oft looke not so much what is done as from what affection it is done an unchearfull spirit is soone weary if we be overwhelmed with sorrow feare c. and if we be filled with lightnesse vanitie wee are unfit for any service of God 22. Watch in use of meanes That I use the meanes to injoy and increase in holy resolutions desires purposes c. to injoy God and the things of God for God With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thee Psal 119. 10. If resolution be wanting if thou beest forgetfull sloathfull thou art like to be a poore Christian Oh the strong and restlesse desires and the unweariednesse thereof after God of a heart touched with his love and tasted of his sweetnesse 23. Watch to joy in God That every day I rejoyce in God my union with him and interest in him and priviledges and happinesse by him c. and in the exercises of his graces and his word and Saints as the temptations chiefest joy and greatest advantage I was in his love before the world was love was the cause he shed his bloud for me it is his love that preserves me and crowned with it I shall be to all eternitie 24. That I scorne none That I sleight none nor checke any with their deformitie of body dulnesse or weaknesse of wit or memory meannesse of outward estate birth or smalnesse of gifts parts c. and to pitie those who are still in their sinnes Consider who made the difference between him and thee see 1 Cor. 4. 7. Job 10. 10. Psal 39. 13 14. 16. Isa 28. 26. In spirituall things Ezek. 16. Isa 43. 25. Rom. 5. 11. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Phil. 1. 29. Rom. 3. 24. Ephes 2. 10. The free grace and love of God onely maketh the difference and if God should convert him he may soone become better then thee or me 25. To know the vanitie of the creature Every day to consider the vanitie of these outward things and the hurt wee receive by them how wee exceed in our affections unto them notwithstanding they are not ours and may in a lesse time then an houre be taken all from us or us from them and that we are often distracted and unsetled by them to the end I may with more content want them and be weaned from them in my injoyment of them and so to use the liberties of this life soberly so as to be bettered by them All things below are full of transitorinesse mortalitie and change vanitie of vanities c. all is vanitie Eccl. 1. 2. These things are under the Sunne Eccle. 2. 7. but above is constancy and eternitie of all excellencies perfections and pleasures we have no certainty of any thing below Eccl. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 5. 25. Pro. 23. 4. Luk. 12. 15. Experience makes it appeare the more men possesse of outward things the lesse many use and injoy the more wee love them the more we are crossed with them and the more they have the more they are in want because of their insufficiency uncertainty and perishing nature Religion oft payeth for mens getting riches and oft suffers most by them 26. Watch in solitarinesse That