the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet Psal. 91.9 10 11 12 13. In secular Enmity true Valour may be oppress'd but not easily daunted with Multitude I will not be afraid of ten thousand saith David Psal. 3.6 and Psal. 118.12 They came about me like Bees but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them 8. IT was a brave Resolution in that General when a Soldier told him the Persian Arrows darkned the Sun be of good chear said he then we shall sight in the shade Answerable to which was that Heroical Determination of Luther who against all Threats and Disswasions would go into the City of VVorms though as many Devils were in it as Tiles upon the Houses and why should we not imitate this Confidence What if there were as many Devils in the Air as are Spires of Grass upon the Earth God is our refuge and strength as a very present hâ—lp in trouble therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed though the Mountains be carryed into the midst of the Sea Psal. 46.12 Behold God is our Salvation we will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is our strength and our song he also is become our Salvation â—â—a 12.2 Let God arise and let his Enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee bâ—fore him like as the smoake vâ—nisheth so shalt thou drive them away Psal. â—8 1 2. 9. BUT on the malice of those infernal Spirits is implacable and deadly whose Artifice is Temptation and Accusation whose delight Torment Shrieks Howlings Groans and Gnashing whose main Drift is the Eternal Damnation of miserable Mankind Why should we expect otherwise from him who is a Manslayer from the beginning That carries Destruction in his Name and Nature That goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour 10. SURELY this Malignanty is restless on this side Hell But comfort thy self in spight of Hells malice thou art safe Dost thou not know by thee stands the Victorious Lyon of the Tribe of Judah whom that infernal Fiend dare not look in the Face Dost thou not remember when sentence was pronounc'd of Eternal Enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent it was with this Doom It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 11. A bruise of a Heel is far from the Heart but a bruise of the Serpents Head is Mortal where his Sting is there his Life lies Neither did the Seed of the Woman Christ Jesus this for himself who was infinitely above all the Power and Malice of the Devil but for us the impotent and sinful Seed of Man The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your Feet saith the blessed Apostle Rom. 16.20 not under his own only Of whom God the Father had long before said Sit thou on my Right Hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Psal. 110.1 But what do I speak of the Future Already is this great work atchieved For the Lord of Life having spoiled Principalities and Powers hath made a shew of them openly triumphing over them on his Cross Col. 2.15 12. ALL the Powers of Hell were dragg'd after this Conquerour when he advanced upon that Triumphant Chariot Look therefore on these Hellish Forces as vanquished and know that in all things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 Only do thou by the power of thy Faith apply to thy self this great work that thy Victorious Saviour hath done for Salvation of all Believers 13. POWER without Malice were Harmless and Malice without Power Impotent But when both combine together they are Dreadful But Malice to execute Mischief hath Force or Fraud now the Malice of Satan prevails more by the latter and the Subtilty of these Malignant Spirits is perniciouser than their Power In his Power he is a Lion Psal. 7.2 in his Subtilby he is a Serpent Gen. 3.1 He is that Old Serpent Rev. 20.2 Whose craft is marvellously increased by the Experience of so many thousand Years 14. THEN the more careful ought we to be lest as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 2.11 Satan should get an advantage of us This he seeks and if our Spiritual Wisdom and Circumspection be not vigilant will be sure to find It is a Word too sublime for us which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 2.11 For we are not ignorant of Satans devices Alas he hath a thousand that weak Simplicity is not able to reach The Wisest knows not the Deceitfulness of his own heart much less can we dive into the Plots of Hell that are against us 15. WE hear and are forwarned of the wiles of the Devil Eph. 6.11 But what his Machinations are how can we know or prevent Ev'n the Children of this world saith our Saviour Luke 16.8 are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light How Craftier is their Father from whom their cunning is deriv'd Be as humble then as thou wilt and say with Agur the Son of Jakeh Prov. 30.2 3. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned Wisdom nor have the knowledge of the Holy 16. BUT what ever thou art in thy self know what thou art in Gods esteem Consider what the Psalmist impartially professes Psal. 119.98 Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than mine Enemies for they are ever with me The Spirit of Wisdom is ours as well as Righteousness Deut. 34.9 Eph. 1.17 1 Cor. 1.30 And he who over-rules Hell hath said Mat. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church 17. WHAT are Hell Gates but the deep Plots of those Infernal Powers The Serpent is the Emblem of Subtilty The Serpents of the Egyptian Sorcerers were devoured by Moses his Serpent Wherefore but to shew that all crafty Counsels and Machinations of hellish Projectors are easily destroyed by the Power and Wisdom of the Almighty It was the Rod of God that swallow'd 'em all and was still it self when they were vanquished And when Satan thought to have won most honor to himself attended him shame and loss 18. WHAT an advantage did the Powers of Darkness think to acquire in drawing our first Parents by their subtil Suggestions into sin and perdition imagining either Mankind shall not or shall be ours But the Incomprehensible Wisdom and Mercy of God disappointed their hopes and took occasion by Man's fall to raise him to a greater Glory and so order it that the Serpents nibling at the heel lost him the breaking of his head What Trophies did that wicked Spirit think to erect upon the Ruines of miserable Job and how was that Saint doubled in his Estate and Honour by his conquering Patience 19. HOW confidently did the Subtilty of Hell say concerning the Son of God exhibited in the flesh This is the Heir come let us kill him and the Inheritance shall be ours Mat. 21.38
beset with Parasitical Friends Young Man said he I pity thy Solitude Perhaps thou may'st be more alone in such Society than in the Wilderness Such Conversation is better lost than continued If thou canst but be well acquainted with thy self thou shalt be sorry thou wert no sooner solitary 12. THOU art from thy Country Who is not so We are all Pilgrims together with thee 1 Pet. 2.11 Heb. 11.13 Whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 Miserable are we if our true home be not Above That is the Better Country which we seek even an Heavenly Heb. 11.16 And thither thou mayst equally direct thy Course in whatsoever Region This Center of Earth is equidistant from the Glorious Circumference of Heaven If we may once meet there what need we make such Difference in the way A Prayer in Exile O LORD GOD Lord of the Mountains and Vallies Land and Sea and the God of the Exiled and Out-crst thou dost with much Patience behold Oppression and Wrong until the measures of Iniquity be filled up O Lord behold the pressures of me thy poor dispised and dejected Servant Thy Mercy and Gracious Audience of the Afflicted is neither limited to Jerusalem nor this Mountain every place is equally near Heaven and where ever Men lift up pure Hands and Hearts Worshipping of thee in Spirit and Truth thou art there present to hear and help them Lord thou seest good to permit me to the power of Men to Exercise me yet can they not shut thy Merciful Ear against me O let my Complaint therefore come before thee Let thy word be as the Cloudy-Pillar to lead me in thy Way and let thy good Spirit direct me 2. LORD leave me not destitute and comfortless in my Afflictions Be my Guide and Helper in this Earthly Pilgrimage and Valley of Tears unto and in the Hour which thou hast appointed to take me hence into the incorruptible and undefiled Inheritance which thou by â—hy Power hast reserved in Heaven for all Believers There no hand of the Oppressor can reach and where shall be no Curse no Sin nor fear of Forfeiture Into which no Enemy shall be admitted and from which no Inhabitant shall ever be cast out Lord Hear and Help me Lord have Mercy on me and grant me that which I ask according â—o thy will and that which I should ask which thou knowest best for me through the Infinite Merits of of the Son of thy Love the Author and Finisher of our Salvation Christ the Righteous Amen SECT XII Of Blindness and Deafness 1. THOU hast lost thine Eyes a Loss which all the World is uncapable to repair and thou art condemn'd to perpetual Darkness For the Light of the Body is the Eye and if the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness Mat. 6.22.23 Couldst thou have foreseen this Evil thou hadst anticipated this Loss by weeping out those Eyes for Grief which now thou art destitute of There are but two Senses by which any external Comfort can have free access to thy Soul Seeing and Hearing One of 'em is now extinguish't for ever Yet thou hast two internal Eyes that can supply the want of thy external the Eye of Reason and the Eye of Faith The One as a Man the Other as a Christian. Answerable to which there is a double Light apprehended by 'em Rational and Divine 2. SOLOMON tells thee of the one Prov. 20.23 The Spirit of a Man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the Inward Parts of the Belly St. John tells thee of the other 1 John 1.5 7. God is Light and in Him is no Darkness and we walk in the Lgiht as he is in the Light Now the two Lights so far exceed that external and visible of which thou art depriv'd as Light Darkness If then by the Eye of Reason thou attainst to intelligible Things and by the Eye of Faith to things Supernatural and Divine the Improvement of these Eyes will make amends for the want of thy Natural ones 3. THY Sight is lost Let me tell thee what Antony the Hermite whom Ruffinus is not doubious of stilling Blessed said to Learned Didymus of Alexandria that was Blind Let it not trouble thee O Didymus that thou art bereft of thy Carnal Eyes for thou lackest only those Eyes which Mice and Flyes and Lyzards have But rejoice that thou hast those Eyes which the Angels have whereby they see God and by which thou art enlightned with a great measure of Knowledge Endeavour to perfect this and thou shalt not be much discomforted with the absence of them 4. THINE Eyes are lost and the chief Comfort of thy Life gone with them The Light is sweet saith Solomon and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun Eccles. 11.7 Hath not God done this purposely that he might take thee off from all Earthly Objects that thou might'st fix thy self upon him and seek those Spiritual Comforts which are to be found in a better Light The Sun is the most glorious Planet the Eyes can possibly see but thy Spiritual ones may behold him that Created that glorious Luminary who is infinitely more glorious than what he Created If thou hast now an Inspection into him more than thou hadst that which thou countedst thy Loâ—s hath prov'd thy Gain 5. THOU art Blind and certainly it is a sore Affliction The Men of Jabesh Gilead offered the Tyrant of the Ammâ—nites to serve him 1 Sam. 11.1 But when he required the loss of their Kâ—â—ht Eyes as a Condition of Peace they will rather hazard their Lives in an unequal War as if Servitude and Death were a less Mischief than one Eye's loss How much more of Both For tho one Eye be but Testis Singularis yet the evidence of that is as true as of both and in some Causes more For when ye take a perfect Aim we shut one Eye as being conducive to an accurate Perspective Yet for ordinary use we value equally these Lights that there is no wise Man but would rather lose a Limb than one of them 6. A Person not less Religious than Witty when his Friends bewail'd the loss of one of his Eyes ask'd them whether they wept for the Eye which he had lost or the Eye which remain'd Weep rather said he for the Enemy that stays behind than for the Enemy that 's gone He look'd upon his Sight with Eyes different from others he look'd upon 'em as Enemies which others beheld as Officious Servants good Friends and dear Favourites 7. INDEED they are all of these as they are us'd Good Servants if they go faithfully on their Errands and return true Intelligence Good Friends if they advise and invite us to Holy Thoughts But Enemies if they suggest Evil. If thine Eyes have been employ'd in evil Offices to thy Soul God hath done that for thee which he hath in a Figurative Sense enjoyn'd thee to
no Man to be no Brawlers but gentle shewing all Meekness unto all Men Tit. 3.2 16. AND the means to obtain this Vertue are these First To make a deep Impression in our Minds of the Loveliness and Benefits of Meekness together with the Deformity and Mischief of Anger Secondly To set before our selves the Example of our Blessed Lord and Saviour who indured all Reproaches and Torments with a perfect Patience that was Led as a Sheep to the Slaughter Isa. 53.7 That when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not 1 Pet. 2.23 Thirdly To be very vigilant in preventing the beginnings of Anger and to that end we must mortifie all inward Peevishness and Frowardness of Mind which is a Sin in it self if it proceed no further but if cherish'd will break out into open Effects of Danger Therefore when ever thou find'st the least Motion of it within thee make as much haste to check it as thou wouldest to quench a Fire in thy House And be sure to keep a strick watch over thy Tongue that it break not out into any angry Expressions for that Breath will fan the Fire not only in thine Antagonist but thy self too Therefore though thy Heart be ardent within suffocate the Flame that it break not out and the greater the Temptation is the more earnestly call upon God to assist thee to conquer it Fourthly Often call to mind the great Punishments thy sins have deserved and then whether thy Afflictions be from God or Man thou wilt acknowledge them to be far short of what thou deservest and wilt be ready to blush at thy great Impatience A Prayer for Meekness and Humility O Most Blessed Lord God the Perfect Pattern of Humility and Meekness infuse into me I humbly beseech thee those Excellent Graces whereby I may be fully convinced of my own Wretchedness and Evidently behold that I am sinful Dust and Ashes Lord work in me such a lowliness of Mind that I may in the sincerity of my Heart confess and acknowledge that I am less than the least of all thy Mercies and justly deserve the greatest of thy Judgments Give me O Lord a Contrite Spirit a Meek and an Humble Heart and chase from me all Pride and Vanity of Mind whereby I may become lowly yea base and vile in my own Eyes 2. ROOT out O Lord from me all perverseness of Spirit and wholly dispossess it of its residence that I may be fit to entertain that good Spirit of thine and thou mayst take delight to dwell and remain with me Grant that I may every day be more humbled with the sight of my own Unworthiness and Spiritual Wants and to esteem my self as nothing without thee but always acknowledge my own frailty and weakness O let me wholly depend and rely upon thee and ascribe the Praise and Glory of whatsoever good is wrought in me or by me unto thee alone who art the God of my Strength the Author and Giver both of Grace and Glory and the Beginner and Finisher of every Good Thing which is wrought in any of thy Servants to whom be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen SECT II. In time of Sickness 1. WHAT should we do in this Vale of Tears but condole each others Miseries Every Man hath his weight and happy is he whose Burthen is so easie that he may assist his Neighbours Many have waded through a Sea of Sorrows and the Angel of the Lord that hath Redeemed their Souls from Evil and led them within few Paces of the Shore offers to lend thee his Hand to guide thee in this dangerous World wherein every Error is Death Let us follow him therefore with a humble Confidence and be safe in the View and Pity of the woful Miscarriages of others and take warning by their sad Misfortunes 2. THOU art on thy Bed of Sickness and with holy David Roaring all the day long Psal. 32.3 for the Extremity of thy pain measuring the slow Hours not by Minutes but by Groans Thy Soul is weary of thy Life Job 10.1 through the Intolerable Anguish of thy Spirit Job 7.11 Of all temporal Afflictions this is the sorest And Job 1.21 after the loss of his Goods and Children could yet support himself and Bless the God that gives and takes But when his Body was tormented and made one Boyle then his Patience is extended so far as to curse not his God but his Nativity Job 3.3 Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night in which it was said there is a Man Child conceived And King Artaxerxes questioning with his Cup bearer Nehemiah could say Why is thy Countenance sad seeing thou art not Sick Nehem. 2.2 implyed that the Sick of all others hath just cause to be dejected Humane Crosses are at a distance but Sickness is in our Bosoms Those touch Externaly these Internally our Selves Here the whole Man suffers What could the Body feel without the Soul that animates it How can the Soul which makes the Body sensible chuse but be most affected with that Pain wherewith the Body is afflicted Both Partners are perplex'd to encounter so fierce an Enemy and the sharpest requires the most powerful Resistance Therefore let us recollect our selves and summon all the Powers of our Souls to engage with so violent and potent an Enemy 3. THY Body is by a sore Disease confin'd to thy Bed I should be sorry to say thy self wert so Thy Soul which is thy self I hope is at a distance from thee but however it is content to take a share in thy Sufferings soars above to the Heaven of Heavens and is prostrate before the Throne of Grace imploring for Mercy and Forgiveness beholding the Face of thy Glorious Mediator interceding for thee Unhappy were we if our Souls were lockt up in our Bosoms that they could use no Motions but what our lumpish Bodies could contribute But blessed be God he hath animated us with active Spirits that can move themselves while our Bodies lie still that can be so agil in their Motions as they can pass from Earth to Heaven ere we can turn our wearied and sick Bodies to find ease 4. AND how much shall we be wanting to our selves if we do not make use of this Spiritual Agility sending up these Spirits of ours from this brittle Clay of our Bodies to those Regions of Blessedness that they may from thence Extract Comforts to alleviate the Sorrows of their heavy Partners Thus if thou imployest thy better part no Pains of the Body can make thee miserable that Spiritual Part of thine shall ere long be in Bliss whil'st this piece of Earth lies putrified in the Grave Why dost thou not then even now before thy Dissolution improve all the Powers of it to thy present Advantage Let thy internal Eye still behold the Face of thy God in Glory whil'st thy Corporal Eyes observe those Friends at thy Bed-side which may pity but cannot help thee 5.
disquiets thee Doubtless thou art Soul-sick thy Spirit is wounded within thee and what can thus affect thy Soul but sin Or what can this Affection of thy Soul be for Sin but true Penitence 7. THOU repliedst I am indeed sorrowful for Sin but not upon the right Grounds I grieve for the misery that Sin hath brought upon me not for the evil of Sin but for the Punishment not the Offence for my Peril not for the displeasure of my God Beware lest an undue Humility cause thee falsely to accuse the Graces of God's Spirit Thou art no competent Judge whilst thou art under Temptations Had not thy Sorrow a relation to God why wouldst thou Sigh to Heaven Why would thy Heart challenge thee for unkindness in Offending And to cry out of the Sordidness not of the Peril of thy Sin What renders the act of thy Sin to be sinful but the offence against the Divine Majesty How canst thou be sorry that thou hast Sinned and not be sorry that thou hast Offended Tell me What is it thy Conscience primarily suggests to thee in this impression of thy Sorrow Is it thou shalt be Punish'd or that thou hast Sinned And were it put to thy Choice Whether thou hadst rather enjoy the Favour of God with extremity of Pain or continue in his Displeasure with Ease Or if Liberty were tendred to thee that thou mightst freely sin without danger of Punishment Whether doth not thy Heart rise at the Condition as ready to flie in the Face of the Offerer Besides Fear and Horror dost thou not find an internal Indignation at thy Miscarriage and such a detestation of thy Sin that were it to be reiterated if it were possible to be concealed from God and Men and if there were no Hell to avenge it woulst thou not abhor to commit it All these are strong Convictions of the right grounds of thy Repentance and of the injury which thou dost thy Soul in the unjust Scruples which thou raisest against it 8. IF the grounds thou say'st of my Repentance be regular yet the measure is Insufficient I am sorrowful for Sin but not enough An effectual grief for sin should be serious deep hearty intensive mine is slight and superficial I Sigh but my Sighs proceed not from an humble Heart I can sometimes Weep but cannot pour out my self in Tears I mourn but don't continue my Sorrow To this I Answer Thou hast to do with a God which in all the dispositions of thy Soul regards Validity and not Quantity If he find thy Remorse he exacts not the solid Measure He doth not meet up our Repentance by Inches or Hours but where he finds sincerity of Penitence is Indulgent Look upon David and acknowledge his Sin formidably detestable no less than Adultery Inebriation and Murder Yet no sooner did he in a true Compunction of Heart cry out I have sinned against the Lord then he hears from that Mouth which accused him The Lord also hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not die 2 Sam. 12 13. Here is a penitent Confession which was efficacious in the Expiation of those grievous Crimes Thou art deceived if thou imaginest God delights in the Affliction of his Creatures So far only is the grief of his Servants pleasing to him that it may conduce to the health of their Souls in the sensibleness of their Sin and meet capacity of Mercy 9. I do not with some Casuists flatter thee with an Opinion of the sufficiency of any slight Attrition and empty wishes that thou hast not Sinned doubtâ—ess a true Contrition of Spirit and Compunction of Heart are necessarily required to a saving Repentance And these wert thou but an indifferent Censurer of thine own ways thou would'd find within thy self Why is thy Countenance so dejected thy Cheeks pale and watered so oft with Tears thy want of Rest and loss of Appetite Wherefore dost thou pour out those doleful Complaints and vehement Deprecations But after all this art thou such as thou accusest thy self defective in thy Repentance Dost thou rest contented in this condition and not complain of it as the greatest Misery Art thou not heartily sorry that thou canst be no more grieved for thy Sin Comfort thy self even this is an acceptable Repentance and God accepts it What is Repentance but a change from Evil to Good And how sensible is this Change that thou who formerly delightedst in thy Sin now detests it and thy self for it and art yet ambitious of more Grief for being transported into it Let not thy Souls Enemy who desires nothing more than to make thee perfectly Miserable so allure thee as to render thee unsatisfied with the Measure of that Penitency which is accepted of God Rather turn thine Eyes from thy Sins and look to Heaven and fix 'em upon thine All-sufficient Mediator and behold his Face smiling upon thy humbled Soul and perfectly reconciling thee to his Eternal Father as being fully assured That being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5.1 2. 10. THERE thou say'st is the very root of my Complaint I want that Faith that should give me an interest in my Saviour and afford true Comfort to my Soul and Boldness and Access with Confidence to the Throne of Grace Ephes. 3.12 I can be sorry but cannot believe my Grief is not so great as my Infidelity I see others full of Joy and Peace in believing Rom. 15.13 But my stubborn Heart cannot soar up to a conformable apprehension of my Saviour So as indeed I dwell in obdurate Darkness and a sad ponderosity of Incredulity wanting that Assurance which others profess to find in themselves Take heed lest whilst thou art too querulous thou prove unthankful and whilst thy Humbleness disparages thee thou make God a Loser A Man may have a rich Mine in his Ground which he knows not of and there are Shells furnish'd with Pearls whose Worth many are not sensible of This is thy State Thou hast that Grace thou complainest to want and there is no measuring of thy self by Sense especially in the time of Temptation Thou coulst not so sensibly lament the want of Faith if thou hadst it not Thou canst not deny an Assent to the verity of all God's Promises Thou acknowledgst he could not be what he is if he were not even Verity it self Thou canst not doubt but he hath made those promises of Grace and Mercy to all Penitent Sinners which tend to their Salvation and thou canst not but grant thou art sinful enough to need Mercy and sorrowful enough to desire and Embrace it 11. CANST thou but love thy self so well that when thou seest a Pardon held forth to stretch forth thy Hand and take it This Hand is thy Faith which takes hold of thy Redeemer As for that Assurance thou mentions they
following If you add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness Charity 2 Pet. 1.5 6. 23. IF Thou wouldst be inform'd what God hath written concerning thee in Heaven look into thy own Bosom and see what Graces he hath wrought in thee Truth of Grace saith the Divine Apostle will make good the certainty of your Election Not to instance the rest of that Heavenly Combination do but single the first and the last Faith and Charity For Faith how clear is that of our Saviour He that believeth in him that sent me hath Everlasting Life and shall not come into Condemnation but hath passed from Death to Life Joh. 5.24 What danger can befall us in our acquiring Heaven All the Peril is in the way Now the Believer is already passed into Life This is the Grace by which Christ dwells in our Hearts Ephes. 3.17 and whereby we have Communion with him and an assured Testimony of and from him For he that believeth in the Son of God hath the Witness in himself And what Witness is that This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life And this Life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. Oh happy Connexion Eternal Life first This Life Eternal is in and by Christ Jesus he is ours by Faith and this Faith testifieth to our Souls assurance of Life Eternal Charity is the last which comprehends our love to God and Man For from the reflection of God's Love to us ariseth a Love from us to him again The beloved Disciple can say We love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4.19 And from these resulteth our Love to our Brethren And such an Evidence we have that the Apostle tells us expresly That we know we are passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 For the love of the Father is inseperable from the love of the Son He that loveth him that Begets loves him that is Begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 25. NOW deal impartially with thine own Heart and enquire seriously as in the Presence of the Searcher of all Hearts Whether thou dost not find in thy self these Evidences of thine Election Art thou not effectually tho not perfectly called out of the World and corrupt Nature Dost thou not inwardly abhor sinful ways and think of what thou wert with Detestation Dost thou not endeavour to be in all things approved to God and confirmed to thy Saviour Dost thou not cast thy self upon the Lord Jesus and depend upon his free All sufficiency for Pardon and Salvation Dost thou not love that infinite Goodness who hath been so rich in Mercies to thee and bless those Beams of Goodness which he hath cast upon his Saints on Earth Lastly Dost thou not love a good Man because he is so Comfort thy self in the Lord and let no Fear and Distrust possess thy Soul Faithful is he that hath Called thee 1 Thes. 5.24 who will also Preserve thy whole Spirit and Soul and Body blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes. 5.23 A Prayer for an Afflicted Conscience O GOD the Father of all Mercies and Heavenly Consolation suffer me not at any time to fall from thee or to be swallowed up in the depth of Affliction but when ever it shall please thee to try me in that Furnace let my sure Hope and Confidence be fixed on thee that when multitude of Sorrows shall encompass my Soul my only trust may be in thy Mercies Give me the Oil of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of Gladness for the Spirit of Heaviness that thy great Name may be Glorified by me in a thankful acknowledgement of thy Goodness towards me 2. LORD thou beholdest afar off the manifold Perils and Dangers I am exposed to in this World which is a sea of Miseries and numerous Calamities The Winds blow the deep Waters lift up their proud swelling Waves and the stormy Tempests threaten me with Ship-wrack to the Ruine and Destruction both of Soul and Body But O thou who art the God of Unity speak Peace unto this inward Voice and say unto it I am thy Salvation so shall I be refreshed with thy loving Kindness and Praise thee ever more Amen SECT IV. Remedies against Temptations 1. THOU art assaulted with Temptations And what the Enemy cannot do by Force or Fraud he seeks by Importunity Can this seem averse to thee when the Son of God was in the Wilderness forty Days and forty Nights under the Tempter He that durst set upon the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 How shall he spare frail Flesh and Blood Why should Christ suffer himself to be Tempted but to support thee in all thy Temptations The Keys of the Bottomless Pit are at his disposal He could have confin'd that Presumptuous Spirit to Chains of Darkness and admitted him no nearer to him than Hell but he would let him loose and permit him to act his worst purposely that we might not dislike to be Tempted and that he might foyl our greatest Enemy 2. CANST thou think that he who sits at the right Hand of Majesty commanding the Powers of Heaven Earth and Hell could not keep off that malignant Spirit from assailing thee Canst thou think him less Merciful than mighty Would he die to save thee And will he turn that Miscreant of Hell loose to worry thee Dost thou not Pray daily to thy Father in Heaven to Lead thee nâ—t into Temptation Thou hast to do with a God that heareth Prayers Oh thou of little Faith why fearest thou He that was led by his Divine Spirit into the Wilderness to be Tempted of that Evil Spirit bids thee pray to the Father that he would not Lead thee into Temptation implying that thou couldst not go into Temptation unless he lead thee and whilst he that is thy Father leads thee how canst thou miscarry Let no Man when he is Tempted say I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with Evil neither tempteth he any Man Jam. 1.13 God Tempteth thee not yet being his thou couldst not be Tempted without him both permitting and ordering that Temptation to his own Glory and thy eternal Welfare 3. THAT Grace which God hath given thee he will have thus manifested How had we known the admirable Continency of Joseph if he had not been strongly sollicited by a Wanton Mistress Or David's Valour if the Philistines had not had a Giantly Challenger to encounter him How had we known the invincible Piety of the Three Children had there been no Furnace to try ' em Or of Daniel if no Lyons to accompany him Be assured thy Glory shall be Proportionable to thy Tryal Neither couldst thou ever be so happy hadst thoâ— not been beholding to Temptations How often sayst thou have I beaten off these base Suggestions yet still they retort upon
me as if Denials invited 'em as tho' they meant to tire me with their Solicitations as if I must yield and be overpow'rd though not with their Force yet with their Frequence 4. KNOW thou hast to do with Spiritual Wickedness Ephes. 6.12 whose Nature is as unweariable as their Malice unsatisfiable Thou hast a Spirit of thine own and God hath inspir'd thee with his So as he expects thou should'st through the Pow'r of his Gracious Assistance match the Importunity of that Evil Spirit with an indesatigable Resistance Be strong therefore in the Lord and in the Power of his Might and put on the whole Armour of God that thou may'st be able to stand in the Evil Day and having done all to stand Ephes 6.10 11 13. Look upon a stronger Champion than thy self the blessed Apostle thou shalt find him in thy own Condition See the Messenger of Satan sent to buffet him 2. Cor. 12.7 and he did it to purpose With what extream Rigour was he buffeted on both sides and how often Thrice he besought the Lord that it might depart from him Verse 8. but the Temptation holds only a Comfort countervails it My Grace is sufficient for thee for my Grace is made perfect in VVeakness Verse 9. 5. IT is not to be consider'd how hard thou art aim'd at as how strongly thou art upheld How many with the Blessed Martyr Theodorus have upon Racks and Gibbets found their Courage stronger than their Pains Whilâ—st therefore the Goodness of God supplies thee with abundance of Spiritual Vigour and Refreshment answerable to the worst of Assaults what dost thou complain of suffering The Advice is Sublime which St. James gives his Compatiots My Brethren count it all Joy when ye fall into divers Temptations Let Temptations be rather Trials by Afflictions than Suggestions of Sin yet even those overcome yield no small cause of Triumph For by them is our Faith tried and the trying of our Faith worketh Patience and the perfect work of Patience is a blessed Entireness The number of Enemies adds to the Praise of Victory To overcome a single Temptation is commendable but to subdue Multitudes is glorious 6. ALAS thou repliest I am opprest not with Multiplicity but with Pow'r In Duelling respect is had to the Equality both of the Combatants and Weapons But alas how am I overmatch'd I am a weak Wretch and We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against Spiritual Wickedness in Heavenly Places Ephes. 6.12 Behold the Amorite whose height is like the height of Cedars and their Strength as the Strength of Oaks Amos 2.9 We are but poor Pismirs in the Valley to these Men of Measures Who can stand before these Sons of Anak I did not advise thee to be strong in thy self we are all Compounds of weakness One of those Pow'rs of Darkness were able to subdue all Mortality But to be Strong in the Lord whose inferiour Angel is able to vanquish a Hell of Devils And in the Pow'r of his Might commandeth the most furious of those Infernal Spirits to their Chains What a Condition should we be in if left to our selves there were no way for us but Circumvention and Death But Our Help is in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth Psal. 124.8 The Lord is our Strength and our Shield Psal. 28.7 He is our Rock and our Salvation He is our Defence so as we shall not be moved Psal. 62.2 6. It is he that hath girded us with Strength unto Battle and that subdueth those that rise up against us Psal. 18.39 7. ASSUME Courage therefore to thy self there can't be so much difference betwixt thee and those Hellish Pow'rs as there is betwixt them and the Almighty There Force is finite and limited by Omnipotence How glad do'st thou think Jannes and Jambres the great Magicians of Egypt would have made but an Insect in affront to Moses but could not How earnest was that Legion of Devils fain to beg leave to prevail over a few Gaderene-Swine How strong soever they seem to thee yet to him they are so weak that they cannot move without him Who fears a Bear or a Lion when chain'd to a Stake Children then can be Spectators when they are so Restrained Look not on thy self therefore nor them but look up to the Almighty who ordinates all Motions to his own holy Purposes and even out of their Malice raises Glory to himself and Advantage to his Servants 8. IT is a sad Advantage thou say'st I have made of Temptations For Alas I have been soil'd by 'em what by their Subtilty and Violence have been seduced into a grievous Sin against God and lie down in a just Confusion of Face to have been so miserably vanquished Had'st thou wanted Tears for thine Offences I should willingly have lent thee some But it is indeed a deplorable Case that thou hast given thy deadly Enemy this occasion to Triumph over thee and hast thus provoked God Nevertheless be thou throughly humbled under the Guilt of thy Sin and be not too hasty in snatching a Pardon out of the hand thou hast offended Be humbled and after a serious Repentance be not dis-heartned with thy Failings Neither do I dread to tell thee of an Advantage to be made not of thy Temptations only but of thy Sin 9. ART not thou a Gainer if after this thy Assault thou dost in a Holy Indignation rise up and fight the more valiantly A Wound received whets the Edge of Fortitude Many a one had not been Victorious if he had not bled first Look where thou wilt upon all the Saints of God observe if thou canst see any of them without his Scars Many fearful Gashes we have beheld of the Noblest of God's Champions whose Courage had not been raised to so high a Pitch had it not been out of the sense of some former Discomfortures As some well-spirited Wrestler be not troubled with thy Fall as zealous to repay it with a successful Encounter We know saith the blessed Apostle that all things worketh together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 Yea even their very Sins The Corinthians offended in their silent Connivance at the Incestuous Person The Apostles Reproof produced their Sorrow What was the Issue For behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what Carefulness is wrought in you Yea what clearing of your selves yea what Indignation yea what Fear yea what vehement Desire yea what Zeal yea what Revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 What a marvellous Advantage is here made of one Offence And what hath Satan gain'd by this Encounter One poor Corinthian is misled to an incestuous Copulation The Evil Spirit rejoiceth at such a Prey but how long shall he enjoy it Soon after the offending Soul upon the Apostles Censure is reclaim'd he is deliver'd to Satan that he should never possess him 10. THE Corinthians
do thy self Matt. 5.29 If thy Right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee For it is better for thee that one of thy Members should Perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell 8. THOU hast lost thine Eyes and with 'em Earthly Contentment But thou art hereby freed of many Temptations for those were the Inlets of Sin and the very Panders of Lust for Debauching of the Soul How many thousands on their Death-beds upon the sad recalling of their guilty Thoughts have wish'd they had been Born Blind So as thy Joy is less thy Sin is less neither shall any vain Objects take away thy Thoughts from the serious Meditation of Spiritual things 9. BEFORE it was no otherwise with thee than the Prophet Jeremiah reports of the Jews That Death is come up by the Windows Jer. 9.21 And our great Grand-mother Eve She saw the Tree was pleasant to the Eyes and took of the Fruit Gen. 3.6 And it hath been so ever since with the Fruit of her Womb both in the old and latter World The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men that they were Fair and they took them Wives of all which they chose Gen. 6.2 Insomuch as not filthy Lusts but Adulteries take up their Lodgings The blessed Apostle mentions it 2 Pet. 2 14. Having Eyes saith he full of Adultry and cannot cease from Sin Whilst thine Heart walked after thine Eyes as Job speaks Job 31.7 It could do no less but Carry thee down to the Chambers of Death Prov. 2.27 Thou art now deliver'd from that danger of so deadly a Misguidance 10. HATH not the loss of thine Eyes freed thee of a World of Sorrows Hadst thou but seen what others are forc'd to behold those fearful Conflagrations savage Violences and Sacrilegious Outrages thine Heart would bleed within thee Now thou art affected at a distance receiving 'em by the imperfect Intelligence of thine Ear from the unfeeling Relation of others 11. THINE Eyes are lost What need thy Heart to go with ' em Old Isaac was Dark-sighted when he gave the Blessing contrary to his own Intentions to his Son Jacob yet he liv'd forty Years after and could be pleased to have good Provision made him with Wine and Venison Gen. 27.25 Our Life doth not lye in our Eyes The Spirit of a Man is that which upholds his Infirmities Prov. 18.14 Labour to raise thy self to a cheerful Disposition and in thy Bodily Darkness There shall be Light and Joy to thy Soul Est. 8.16 12. HATH God taken away thy Sight But hath he not given thee a supply in other Faculties Are not thy internal Senses more quick thy Memory stronger thy Fancy more active and thy Understanding more apprehensive The Wonders we have heard of Blind Men's Memories were if to be credited not obvious to conceive that the removal of Distractions gives them opportunity of a careful reposition of desired Objects and a sure Fixedness of 'em where they are laid Hence hath it come to pass that some Blind Men have attain'd to those Perfections which their Eyes could never have endu'd 'em with 13. OUR Ecclesiastical Story reports of Didymus of Alexandria being Blind from his Infancy through his Prayers and diligent Endeavours reach'd unto such knowledge in Logick Arithmetick and Astronomy as was admir'd by the Leard Masters of those Arts and for his rare insight in Divinity was by St. Athanasius approv'd to be Doctor of the Chair in that Church What need we doubt the Verity of it when our late Times have so clearly seconded it having yielded divers worthy Divines which have been depriv'd of Sight 14. THERE was one very Eminent in the University of Cambridge of great skill in Tongues and Arts and of singular acuteness of Judgment Suidas reports of Neoclides that being Blind he could steal more cunningly than any that had use of Eyes I may as boldly say of Mr. Fisher That he was more dextrous in picking the Locks of difficult Authors and extracting their Treasures of hidden Secrets than those that had the sharpest Eyes about 'em insomuch as it was noted those were singular Proficients which employ'd themselves in reading to him If they read Books to him he dictates Lectures the while to them and taught 'em more than he learn'd himself 15. AS for the other external Senses they are vulgarly more exquisite in the Blind We read of some who have been of so accurate a Touch that by their feeling they could distinguish betwixt Black and White And for the Ear as our Philosophers observe Sounds are sweeter to the Blind than to the Sighted being more curiously judg'd by 'em But the most perfect recompence of these Natural Eyes is in the Exaltation of our Spiritual Ones We are more Illuminated towards the Beautifical Vision of God as they apprehend more Obscurity in all Terrestial Objects Thou wilt not miss the loss of thy Sight if thou findst thy Soul thus happily Illuminated 16. THINE Eyes are lost It is a Blessing that once thou hadst 'em Hadst thou been Born Blind what a Stranger wouldst thou have been to God and the World Hadst thou never seen the Face of the Elements what Expressions could have made thee apprehensive of the wonderful Works of thy Creator Not any Discourse could have made thee understand what Light is The Sun the Fountain of it the Heavens the Glorious Region of it and the Moon and Stars Illuminated by it How could'st thou have had thy Thoughts raised so high as to give Glory to that Great God whose infinite Power hath wrought all these marvellous things 17. NO doubt God hath his ways of Mercy for those that are Born Blind not requiring what he hath not given supplying by his Spirit in the internal Vessels what is wanting in the External So as even those that never see the Face of the World shall behold the Face of God that made it But in an ordinary Course of proceeding those which have been Blind from their Birth must needs want those helps of knowing and glorifying God in his mighty Works which lye open to Sight These once satisfied thine Eyes and remain with thee in their absence 18. THEREFORE walk on in the strength of those fixed thoughts alwayes adoring the Majesty of that God whom thy Sight hath represented to thee so Glorious and in an humble Submission to his Pleasure strive against all the discomforts of thy Sufferings It is reported of a valiant Soldier Polyzelus who after his Eyes were shot out in Battle covering his Face with his Target fought and laid about him vehemently as if he had receiv'd no hurt Strive to imitate this Courage and let not the loss of thine Eyes hinder thee from a cheerful Resistance of those Spiritural Enemies which labour to draw thee into an impatient Murmuring against God But wait humbly upon him who hath better Eyes for thee than thou hast lost 19. THOU hast lost thy Hearing It is