his doors he will certainly opeâ— the door let you in give you life anâ— make you blessed I will also finish this Chapter with a verse borrowed from divers of those Poetical Prophets Vast Ocean of light whose rayes surround The Universe who know'st nor ebb nor shore Who lend'st the Sun his sparkling drop to store With overflowing beams Heav'n ayer ground Whose depths beneath the Centre none can sound Whose heights 'bove heav'n and thoughts so loâ—ty soar Whose breadth no feet no lines no chains no eyes survey Whose length no thoughts can reach no worlds can bound What cloud can mask thy face where can thy ray Find an Eclipse what night can hide Eternal Day Our Seas a drop of thine with arms dispread Through all the earth make drunk the thirsty plains Our Sun a spark of thine dark shadows drains Guilds all the world paints earth revives the dead Seas through earth pipes distill'd in Cisterns shed And power their liver springs in river veins The Sun peeps through jet clouds and when his face Are maskt his eyes their light through ayers spread and gleams Shall dullard earth bury life-giving streams Earths â—oggs impound heav'ns lightâ— hell quench heav'n kindling beams How miss I then in bed I sought by night But found not him in rest nor rest without him I sought in Towns in broadest streets I sought him But found not him where all are lost dull sight Thou canst not see him in himself his light Is maskt in light brightness his cloud about him Where when how he 'l be found there then thus seek thy love Thy Lamb in flocks thy Food with appetite Thy Rest on reâ—ting dayes thy Turtle Dove Seeâ— on his cross there then thus Love stands nail'd with love For surely know that Eternal life even CAP. XI All Blessedness is found only in the Lord Iesus Christ. THE whole Portion of man all treasures and true riches which fill man with true blessedness are stored up in Christ Riches and honour are with him yea durable riches and righteousness Prov. 8.18 In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 He is full of grace and truth and from his fulness we all receive and grace for grace Joh. 1.14 16. and so are we filled with the fulness of God Ephes. 3.19 It will therefore be not more needful than delightful to take a further view of this glorious inheritance so to kindle and inflame our dull hearts with more love and longing after him to drive us to seek and quicken us in seeking that â—o we may find him Of all the Artifices devised and practised by that envious and subtle Serpent this is the principal to draw a Curtain before this express Image of Gods person who being the Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 if we could behold with open eyes his Divine beauty would wonderfully ravish our enamoured spirits and so attract win and hold our eyes and hearts that he would utterly raze out all other vain loves and washy colours and cause us wholly to despise all those painted flowers of counterfeit beauties which grow not in his face and shine not in his eyes As therefore that our heavenly Father the Father of lights in his gracious wisdom to draw us to Christ commands his light to shine out of darkness and opens for it a window in our hearts to give us knowledge of the glory of God in no other object but the face of the Loâ—d Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 so this Prince of darkness imployes all his Engines with all diligence to obscure that light of the Gospel lest in it this Image of God should shine out unto us 2 Cor. 4.4 And as he by his false Apostles deceitful workers labours to distort those amiable lineaments and darken the radiant beauties of the Lord Iesus so our God sets his servants of the Ministry on work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.3 to limb out Christ in all his love and excellency to us Now it is he who hath committed that pencil of his Gospel into my weak hand I desire therefore as I can a poor Apprentice in my trade and as I have learnt of him to describe him to you you know well as other Princes so this King of Kings wooes by picture He sends here unto you drawn by a rude hand his pourtrait which as dimm as it is by reason of my unskilfulness is able through his working to enflame your hearts with love with sickness of love with ardent desire and restless longings after him As in the Creature there is a double quality which kindles affection either simple whereby it self is perfect or relative whereby others are bettered so is there in our Lord and Creator a double excellency â—imply considered wherein himself is incomprehenâ—ibly blessed in his most glorious perfections relative in his infinite both goodness and fulness to supply our imperfections and fill us with blessedness For the first because our infirm eyes would soon be dazeled with the rayes of that Sun of Righteousness if in open light and full view he were presented to us therefore the Lord is pleased to mask the face of â—hat glorious lustre with shadows of earthly comparisons and to let us here see the â—ight of it as through a cloud Now as corporal beauty consists 1. Of a â—omely feature when the whole body and â—very limb is cast into a due frame keeping â—ust proportions and every one fashioned in â— right mould neither excessive nor defeâ—tive and 2. Of an amiable colour dispread â—ver the whole body and every member â—hen each part is dressed and tired in such â—livery as most commends it to the eye of the â—eholder so also doth the spiritual view 〈◊〉 curiously drawn Cant. 5. from the 10. v. 〈◊〉 the end There may you behold our beâ—â—ved excellently pourtrayed by the hand of 〈◊〉 own Spirit as well in all his excellencies 〈◊〉 head locks eyes cheeks lipps hands leggs 〈◊〉 countenance mouth as also in his most â—â—vely colours white and ruddy c. The meaning is Look as a person excellently comely in all the lineaments and proportions of every member and exquisitely fair in the natural tapestry of a pure complexion is a most ravishing object to an eye of flesh so in that second Adam the quickning Spirit could we lift up our eyes to take a full view of his dazeling beauties which now are veiled from our imperfect sight for no man can see him and live could we behold in their measures those his most glorious Attributes and then clearly discern that infinite purity shining and sparkling in every one of them it would as once it certainly shall fill our spirits with heavenly raptures and ravishing extasies in contemplation of those divine beauties Take a more particular and distinct view of these most glorious perfections Look what comeliness is in man that in Christ is Omnipotency or All-sufficiency Comeliness iâ— nothing else but that form of body whereby
glittering of rotten wood in the night hold when the Creatour is in the other scale The third Stale is Pleasure a wanton petulant luxurious pack which in respect of your youth if God keep you not will easily draw away your hearts from the love of Christ. She hath all the properties of an Harlot By means of a whorish woman shall a man be brought to a piece of bread Prov. 6.26 and he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man Prov. 21.27 they that live in pleasure are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 stinking coarses buried in living bodiesâ— Oh take heed of this perfumed piece of Carrion Perhaps she will send in her Brokers voluptuous vain persons nay perhaps shâ— will have your own hearts to plead for heâ— What should you bury the April of youâ— years in a Winter of sullen melancholyâ— May you not specially in youth enjoâ— some pleasure and refresh your selves witâ— the delights of the Sons of men Truly oâ—â— gracious Lord is far from interdicting us anâ— lawful or true pleasure To wallow as Swine in the mire to pollute our souls which he hath washed in that precious fountain opened in the side of Christ for sin and for uncleanness as a Dog to lick up our vomit as that Demoniack to dwell among the Tombs Mar. 5.3 and converse with the dead in their graves this if this be pleasure our Lord hath prohibited But surely whosoever account these things delightful must needs also rank themselves with hoggs doggs and demoniacks Your Father alloweth you a sober and wholsome use of all his creatures for your comfort and refeshing and lest this should be too little gives himself to be your Pleasure and joy bidds you â—o rejoice in him and again to rejoice Phil. â—4 4 he allows and gives you joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 provides for you fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures Psal. 16.11 He will be to you a fountain â—f life and will make you to drink and abunâ—antly satisfie you with rivers of his pleasures Psal. 36.8 9. The Lord of glory offers himself and his â—onjugal love unto you to endow you with â—ll his goods with himself the supream the â—nfinite Good Are there no pleasures in his â—mbraces If you sit down under his shadow â—ou will find great delight and his fruit will 〈◊〉 most sweet unto your taste Cant. 2.3 If a man who hath married some fair lovely and loving Spouse should yet doat upon a stinking but perfumed and painted Harlot who scorns not his folly who detests not his perfidious and perjurious wickedness who looks on him but as a man impotioned and with strong sorceries bewitched God proffers himself to you as a Father offers the Son and Heir of his glory into your bosome and shall we leave this glorious Spouse to follow those dirty Prostitutes sinks of all uncleanness and filthiness The good Lord keep our hearts from such a witchery Now therefore fence your hearts from such inchantments with these thoughts No other passage what no way but this Can bring my Pilgrim soul to rest and bliss Proud Seas in Gyant waves 'gainst Heaven riâ—e And casting mounts fight with loudâ—thundring Skies Skies charge their double Cannons and let fly Their fires and bullets waters hizz and fry How shall my tir'd Bark climb those mounts how shâ—â— It fall and not than hell much deeper fâ—ll How shall a Potsheard stand one Volly how Shall glass cut through such storms with brittle prow Were sails as wings to mount me o're those hills Who could secure me in those lesser rills Where Sirens fill the ear and eye with wonder I more fear calm than storms more songs than thunder Lend to the Latine Siren eyes and ears Her face will seem an Angel voice the Spheres The Belgian melts the soul with sugred strains Drops Wine and loosness into swilling veins A third Gold Plenty Wealth abundance sings And binds the captive car with â—ilver strings A fourth guilds all her notes with Thrones and Crownâ—â— So Heav'n in earth glory in honour drowns The last powrs honey from her pleasant Hive So stings and kills and buries men alive Lord steer my Bark draw thou mine eye and ear From those vain frights thy Word and thee to fear Lord tune my heart to hear in Saintly throngs More musick in thy thunders than their songs Make me to think in all these storms and charms In Sirens notes and thundring Worlds alarms Thy presence is my guard my Port thy Bed and armsâ— But is such a match feasable CAP. XIII There is no impossibility or very much difficulty to attain it TRue it is that Satan as an old and expert Pandar with exquisite art and cunning labours both to obscure the radiant beams of that Sun of Righteousness lest that great Light the Image of God and Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 should shine forth unto us 2 Cor. 4.3 4. and in dark shadows to kindle those rotten sticks of superstition errour profit pleasure preferment so with these glistering shews of false light to draw away our eyes and hearts from our Lord and true Spouse to the adulterous love of these painted Sâ—rumpets And truly it is with us as with some silly children we are more taken with the glaring dust of rotten wood than with those glittering beams of that great Light of Heaven yet were not these eyes and heart as wicked and as if not more deceitfuâ— as he deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 he could not sâ— â—asily bewitch us with those false blazings of plaistered and painted beauties But when he without and our hearts within are cunning to deceive hence it comes that these loathsome Harlots seem altogether lovely which indeed are sheer vanity and he who in truth is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 hath his visage so marred more than any man and his form more than the Sons of men that he hath in our eyes no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty why we should desire him Isa. 52.14 53.2 I have therefore before as I could weakly endeavoured to uncover as well the loathsome deformity of those hellish Stales as also the glorious beauties of our gracious Lord. But who is suâ—â—icient 2 Cor. 2.16 and who less sufficient than am I Blessed be the Father of lights who hath in any measure purged and cleered our dimm and abused eyes to discern the abhorred filthiness of the one and the excelling excellency of the other Now if our poor souls enamoured on his perfections should say Blessed indeed is the hand that weds and the heart that beds him But I am a worm and no man what hope to match with so greaâ— a Lord I am a dead Coarse dead in sins and trespasses a painted Sepulchre a grave full of dead Corpses what possibility for such a wretch to rise up to so high an advancement How should such a Body of death be espoused and match with the
which was against us Col. 2.14 we were Captives 2 Tim. 2.26 he the Price of our Redemption Matth. 20.28 we were fools Tit. 3.3 he our wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 we poor Rev. 3.17 he our Riches Col. 1.27 Rev. 3.18 we Vile Job 40.4 he our Praise and Glory Deut. 10.21 Luk. 2.32 we joyless our very joy madness Eccles. 2.2 he our exceeding joy Psal. 43.4 To conclude We dead Ephes. 2.1 he our Life Joh. 14.6 we Vanity at our best Psal. 39.5 and very nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 he All in all Col. 3.11 we empty he our fulness Ephes. 1.23 Oh that the Lord would embrighten our eyes to behold some sparks of this glorious excellency and our happiness in beholding it that the eyes of our understanding being opened we might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes. 1.18 If our God should create for us as many worlds as we could number what were all these Creatures in comparison of the Creaâ—our a drop of a bucket or the dust of the ballance Isaâ— 40.15 He is the glorious Spouse of ouâ— souls but all the Creatures his servants and in him ours Let him therefore be the Covering of our eyes unto all that are with us and with all others Gen. 20.16 upon him let us fasten our sight with all admiration and burning affection but on them in comparison of him let us look as upon loss and dung Phil. 3.8 A chaste Spouse will respect her servants and behold them in their affliction with pitty in their wants with mercy in their diligence and service with a kind acceptation but in competition with her husband if they would presume to be Rivals in his love and sharers of her heart and his bed with disdain scorn and hatred Let us therefore stir up and quicken our dull hearts with some such meditation I. How is 't my soul that thou giv'st eyes their sight To view their objects yet hast none To see thine own Earths ayers Heav'ns beauties they discern their light Fair flowers admires their several dresses Their golden tresses The Lilly Rose the various Tulip scorning The pride of Princes in their choice adorning II. They joy to view the ayers painted Nations The Peacocks train which th' head out vies With fairer eyes And emulats the heav'nly constellations The Ostâ—ich whose â—air plume embraves Kings Captains Slaves The Halcions whose Triton-bills appease Curl'd waves and with their Eggs lay stormy seas III. Pilots fixt eyes observe the Artick Bear With all her unwasht Starry trains In Heav'nly plains Night-Travellers behold the Moon to steer Her Ship sailing while Eol raves Through cloudy waves Our less Worlds sunns with pleasure view the light Which gives all beauties beauty them their sight IV. Thou that giv'st â—ight to clay to blackness light How â—rt so dull so dimm in duty To view his beauty Who quickens every life lights every light His height those Eagles eyes surpasses Thou wants thy glasses Take up that Perspective and view those streams Oâ— light and fill thy waning Orb with beams V. Then see the flowers clad in his Liveries And from his cheek and lovely face Steal all their grace See Fouls from him borrow their braveries And all their feather-painted dresses From his fair tresses See Starrs and Moon the Sun and all perâ—ection Beg light and liâ—e from his bright eyes reâ—â—ection VI. Look on his lipps heav'ns gate there open lies Thence that grace-breathing Spirit blows Thence honey flowes Look on his hands the Worlds full treasuries Fix all thy looks his heart upon Loves highest Throne And when thy sight that radiant beauty bleâ—rs And dazels thy weak eyes see with thine ears CAP. XII When our hearts are set upon our voyage we shall meet with opposition many rocks and Sirens in our passage BUT in this way to our happiness we shall meet with much opposition we cannot steal such a Nuptial if we will needs be walking in this way of life he that hath the power of death will beat us with many storms assault us with many encounters before we can land in the arms of Christ and be bedded in his bosome That great enemy of man Satan swells with spite and envy to see us presented with such an offer and ready to embrace it and therefore in his inveterate malice will not cease to cross us as he can in this blessed match and high advancement It bursts his gall to see us contracted unto the Lord Iesus us poor worms his captivesâ— pluckt out of his chains and instantly drawâ— into a covenant of marriage with the Goâ— of Heaven to be admitted to such an union and fellowship instated in such a Jointure of divine glory and eternal happiness which he hath utterly lost Oh how can it but grate his heart and be another hell unto him who is so stuffed with malicious envy and envious malice against the Lord Iesus and his Spouse But as it is with those Locusts his venemous armie so is it with their Captain Rev. 9.19 His power is in his mouth and in his tail He is a Serpent more subtil than strong or strong only by subtilty His lying tongue and â—inful stinging tail is his mighty and almost only weapon Therefore in your passage to your Heavenly Spouse he sets many crafty Bauds and painted Harlots to lay wait for you at every corner Prov. 7.12 we have great need then to stand upon our watch and to set a strong and faithful guard at our gates our eyes ears c. lest as he beguiled Eve with his subtilty so he should corrupt our minds and inveigle us by those Strumpets whose hearts are nets and snares and whose hands bands Eccles. 7.26 That old Baud the world and her Pandar Satan have painted and drest up divers Harlots which attired in all deceitfulness of cunning allurements they present to our sight and so draw away the wandring heart and eye after lying vanities The Turks Saraglio is not so furnished with Concubines as this old Baud with filthy Stumpets some enticing the mind some the heart Of the former rank are numberless but beside those Triobolax and obsolete fit now to work only in gross darkness upon blind or mop-eyed creatures she hath newly trimmed up two notable Harlots The first is that State of Rome but so varied in unwonted tires so curiously painted by her last dresses the cunning Iesuits and turchest in new fashions that we have need of purged eyes and much intention to know her and to see her leprous hide plastered with fair colours The second is that daughter of old Pelagius which by abasing the grace of God in Gods election binding his choice to the works of men and advancing the power of man in mans election flattering him with false abilities of an unrenewed will perverts the right wayes of the Lord who hedging and walling us out of our wayesâ— and conducting us only in the way of
disobedient and obstinate against an heavenly and most gracious Father Isa. 48.4 Tit. 3.3 She youthful beautiful we full of the old man corrupt in lusts Eph. 4.22 Filthy even to stinking Psal. 14.3 and loathsome Prov. 13.5 She vertuous and holy we out of measure sinful and vicious And he our Spouse the true Boaz that is strength the mighty the Almighty How uneven a yoke yet our Will in all these defects received willingness in his unutterable grace and unconceivable mercy being accounted and accepted as our portion and beauty and we in the day of our espousals endowed with all his goods adorned with his beauty and crowned with his glory But is it possible that when the Husband is so rich great excellent nothing should be demanded but heart and will To make the match nothing else but after it is made all Conjugal duties required And what are they 1. Love to cleave to him in all dear affection 2. Constancy to hold us to him in all estates better worse 3. Chastity to keep our selves only to him 4. Subjection to obey and serve him But this seems a very hard and heavy burthen It is only so in seeming and to some only As in the night many things seem very terrible which in the day are very delightful to the eye As to a sick palate that meat seems very iâ—ksome which in health is sweet and pleasing so men that sit in darkness and look on these things with dimm eyes imagine rather than see many Buggs to fright and scare them when their hearts are surfeted with sinful lusts this most sweet yoke is very distastful and bitter but where there is a new Creature and the sense uncorrupted no soul is able to comprehend either the full excellency of it or to utter in any measure that little it doth comprehend Let us thereâ—ore draw nigher and take a better view of â—hese things And 1. Love is as the object very sweet â—or very bitter sometimes excessively grieâ—ous sometimes exceedingly pleasant If â—he object be loathsome love is burthenâ—ome Seven years for beauteous Rachel â—eemed but a few dayes but a few dayes for â—lear-eyed Leah would have been many years 2. Be the object very lovely but not at all loving such love is full of vexation and anguish Thus Amnons fair Sister Tamar afflicted him to sickness and leanness 2 Sam. 13.2 3. 3. If the object be worthy and reflecting our love yet if it prove unfruitful it brings often more grief than comfort Sarah's and Rebecca's beauty yielded their husbands less content than their barrenness trouble The extraordinary kindness of Hannah's husband could not in barreness so sweeten the bitterness of her soul but that all meat was distastful and no drink relished but tears 1 Sam. 1. But when all these meet when our hearts are pitched upon an object 1. Lovely and amiable 2. Kind and loving 3. Fruitful and beneficial our affection will rather need a bridle than a spur not a switch but a snaffle If then we look upon our Heavenly Spouse we shall see 1. That he is fairer than the Children of men Psal. 45.2 altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 his beauty the longing of Saints Psal. 27.4 the ravishment of Angels Isa. 6.3 from whose beams the whole world borrows its spark of beauty 2. His Love is first preventing ours 1 Ioh. 4.19 passing all not only love but expressions nay knowledge of all Creatures Eph. 3.19 3. The fruit of this mutual love exceeding much and glorious It lifts up from a despised condition Cant. 8.1 makes us honourable Isa. 43.4 It prefers uâ— from the basest drudgery in the world from the Skullery of Satan to the bed of Heaven to the union and glory of the Lord of Heaven and earth Ioh. 17.21 22. In a word it gives us perfection elevates our abased nature above the Heavens and exalts it to the uttermost extent of which a Creature is capable and therefore justly termed the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 To love therefore him who is above measure lovely above apprehension loving whose love â—ully perfects the beloved Lover can be a burthen to none but those who hate their rest and love their burthens yet were it a burthen justly might he expect and exact of us cheerfully to bear itâ— For will not all bonds of gratitude and equity tye us to it were it a burthen for us to love him our glory life heaven it were far greater for him to love us his death hell abasement He loved us when dead and no way but by his death to be revived he loved us when sunk into hell children of wrath and Satan and never but by his descent into hell even suffering that wrath to be rescuâ—d He loved us when we were utterly fallen thrown down from the highest honour to the bottomless pit when filthy loathsome stinking and never but by his abasement from the form of God to the form of man and of a servant to be restored never to be washed but by his blood never to be reformed but by his deformity If then not for love yet for shame how should we deny to be pressed for his who was oppressed for our sake to bear his cross who hath borâ— our curse to carry the heavenly burthen if any were of his life who hath undergone the hellish load of our death and misery 2. Secondly We are enjoyned to hold us close to him in all estates better and worse This condition affrights many and makes them shrink But only flesh and blood is startled at it Christ even to a carnal eye is beautiful in his crown of glory but in his crown of thorns they think he looks not like himself they have no pleasure in him lovely on his Throne loathsome on his Cross. Alas poor souls Is it another Sun which shines in his brightness and is shadowed in a cloud The Moon interposing may ecclipse the beams of the Sun to usâ— but can it stain or diminish his glory and excellence A mask may hide but empairs not beauty Is Christ less lovely where he shews most love Look better upon himâ— eye him at the whipping post on the Cross. How do those dying looks set out to life that incomprehensible love Our wordsâ— our thoughts fall infinitely short of itâ— Here only it stands out pencild to life in full expression and offers it self to our view in just proportion How do those fires â—â— love burn in his quenched eyes what seâ—â— of love flow in every drop of that precious blood How many fountains of love and life streaming from his hands feet side open the very Cataracks of Heaven anâ— surround the World with floods of love wâ— have no eyes if we stand not dazeld witâ— this Sun of righteousness more brightlâ— shining forth in the beams of his love froâ— the Axel-tree of his Cross than from the sphere of his glory Some perhaps will confess that Christ never more manifested his love than on hiâ— Cross but yet to
the longest wing too sluggish to clip away to it But oh this disgrace scorn contempt We know not how to bear that No do wâ— not see the Lord Iesus despised rejected Isa. 53.3 Oh the base works scoffs derisions which the Lord of glory suffered only for us to bring us to glory It were a prodigious pride to desire that we might bâ— glorified by Christs sufferings but never suffer for his glory Nor let the contrary practice of men wise in their way and learned divert you Yoâ— know your calling Not many wise not many learned c. 1 Cor. 1.26 A wiser than the wisest the Eternal wisdom of God calls us to zeal Be zealous Rev. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous for things spiritual 1 Cor. 14.1 He that looks to the buâ—ning love of Christ toward his soul flaming out even unspeakable sufferings and thinks his love to Christ and his glory too hot and fiery proclaims to all the world his gross hypocrisie or rather palpable Atheism Let that sentence ever sound in your ears He that is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels Mar. 8.38 But that blasphemy whereby sin and Satan would perswade us that holiness is the very damp and death of all mirth the barr that stopps our way to profit or honour is a notorious slander of that Father of lies a loud ly that of all the rest deserves the whetstone When our Father commands us to be holy as he is holy doth he interdict us pleasure riches honour Is there any so holy as our God and doth his holiness extinguish his joyes and the pleasures at his right hand Doth his holiness impoverish him dispossesse him of Heaven and Earth doth holiness dethrone him or embase his glory nay is it not his glory Exo. 15.11 where did he forbid us pleasure profit honour Indeed if the drudgery to sin and Satan be honour such honour he hath interdicted if bartering Heaven for Earth our Angel-like souls for dust if this be profit such profit hath he forbidden If the hoggish wallowing in the mire of sinful filth the dog-like licking up of an hellish vomit the lying of our living souls rotting and stinking in a grave of lust if this be pleasure such pleasure Hell affordeth he denieth No no our gracious God hath not only permitted us to use all creatures for our good and comfort but hath straitly commanded us to set our hearts upon and to covet and that most earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 He hath purchased the rich portion of grace and inheritance of glory for us He hath stored up for us durable riches Pro. 8.18 and exhorts us to provide and fill everlasting baggs with never failing treasures Luk. 12.33 He hath conâ—erred upon us most glorious honour to be heirs of his Kingdom and gives us command to unbridle our ambition and with the most vast desires of our heartâ— to seek this glory and promises to fill us Psal. 81.10 Matth. 6.33 Rom. 2.7 Thaâ— fountain of life pours out rivers of pleasure and commands us to drink abundantly Psal. 36.8 9. Cant. 5.1 Beside other numberless objects of joy he hath given us himself the greatest the only the infinite good and commands us again and again to rejoice in him Phil. 4.4 Let us therefore fire our hearts with earnest longuings after this divine nature follow hard toward it and never faint in the pursuit Be not ashamed of Christ and of his truth in this hypocritical age which profess Christ and serve the world give to him the Title of Lord but heart and hand to every lust Think no age unripe to be Gods Child no estate too great to be Gods Heir The service of Princes how much more of God are great preferments Beware of that hellish proverb A young Saint an old Divel Those young Saints Ioseph Samuel Daniel Ieremie Iohn Baptist c. how glorious were they once in the militant Church and now and ever in the triumphant Seek for earthly literature and knowledg studie and labour for it but thirst for holiness longue for it strive sweat for it Let it be all your ambition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.9 to please God and to be accepted with him And thus commune with your own hearts I. Is this the Yoke which fools abhor to be Great Lord made like to thee Is this a burthen Cannot flesh indure To be as thou art pure Is this so scorn'd so loathsome a condition Poor swinish soul canst thou desire To be an Hog daub'd cas'd in mire Is this the height of thy deep â—alâ— ambition II. This all the service which thou dost dâ—sire To wash me â—rom my mirâ— This all the burthen which thou laist upon me To set thy beautie on me That beautie which those glorious Spirits viewing Are rapt in heavenly ecstasies Drink healths and making drunk their eyes Sing drencht in amorous joyes thy praise renewing III. How beauteous is thy house thy spangled Court Yet to thy beautie durt How glorious is the Sun the spring of light Yet to thy glory night How bright thy Angels in their spritely â—eature Yet to thy brightness smoke to fire How then should we poor souls admire Thy beautie glory brightness in thy creature IV. Oh what am I my Lord without thy likeness But a dull dying sickness Stript of thy Image and that God-like â—eature I less than any creature The meanest sensless liveless overgits me And goes beyond me stones last longer Flowers are saireâ— trees are stronger The beasts out-sense the Divels self outwits me V. Let Swine then serve their muddy lusts and ly Mir'd in their stinking sâ—ie Doggs serve the ravening world devour be sick Spew and their vomit lick But oh let me renew my first condition Conâ—orm'd unto thy glorious beautie Serve thee in every holy dutie This my whole honour this my sole ambition Holiness is the body of our service CAP. XVII What then are the branches HOliness spreads it self into three mayâ— branches Sâ—brietie Righteousness and â—odliness Tit. 2.12 Sobrietie or Temperance may be thus described It is that fruit of the Spirit whereby we are enabled to moderate our selves our affections and actions in the use of the creature 1. It is wrought in us by the holy Ghost and is his fruit Gal. 5.22 23. It is taâ—ght us by the word of grace the Gospel Tit. 2.11 12. And thus it differs from that moral virtue with which we may observe many heathens fairly to glister Have ye never seen dishes of fruit stand out upon some shops composed oâ— wax and curiously painted How much more fair and lovely do they seem to the eye than the same natural fruit which you pluck from the tree But if you weigh them in your hand or much more if you taâ—â— them what a palpable difference do ye find between