the nostrils feel and smell So knowledge is involved in every grace Faith knows and believes Charity knows and loves temperance knows and abstains patience knows and suffers humility knows and stoops repentance knows and mourns obedience knows and does compassion knows and pitties hope knows and expects confidence knows and rejoyces And therefore wee believe and love and obey and hope and rejoyce because we know God gives us this knowledge as the eye of our souls and by that eye hee enters with all his power and Glory Ephes 3.19 That ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and bee filled with all the fulness of God Day-light is not that light wee receive by reflection from the Moon and Stars at second hand when the Sun is risen and come in among us then it is day When the Sun of Righteousness is risen in the heart there 's the light of life God is and God dwells in this light and where God dwells every unclean thing vanishes can Darkness dwell with the Sun can Death dwell with Life according to the measure of the manifestation of God in us so far forth is sin necessarily vanished Thou art but the carkasse of a Christian the light that is in thee is darkness the life that is in thee is death if thou bee not in the whole man renewed after the Image of him that Created thee If Christ bee not formed in thy heart if the Love the humility the meeknesse the patience the compassion the holiness of the Lord Jesus be not begotten in thee whatever thou knowest thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know if thou hast all knowledge and hast not charity and so if thou hast all knowledge and hast not humility meekness holiness thou art nothing thou art but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cimbal Doubting Christian that complainest of and bewailest thine ignorance and fearest that thou knowest not God look upwards where his Glory dwells lift up thine eyes and see or if thou canst not see lift up thy heart for eyes Lord where dwellest thou let mee see thy Face shew mee thy Glory pitty thy blinde let the eyes of this blinde bee opened and the tongue of this dumb shall bee loosed and speak forth thy praise Look upward and if yet thou seest not thy God look inward canst thou see his Face in thy soul canst thou see his Image on thy heart canst thou behold in this Glasse the Glory of the Lord and finde thy self changed into his Image Comfort thine heart how short sighted soever thou seemest to bee how dimme soever thy Candle burns how weak soever in the Knowledge of God thou complainest thou art thou hast seen God thou hast seen his Face in peace God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into thine heart and given thee the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ 2. A Fructifying Power this Sun-shine makes a fruitful soil Colos 1.9,10 my desire for you saith the Apostle is that you may bee filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdome and Spiritual understanding That yee might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful unto every good work and encreasing in the Knowledge of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious Power unto all Patience and long suffering with joyfulness and Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the Glory and praise of God Full of Light and full of Love of Faith of Patience of Humility and fruitful in every good work Mat. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things A good man hath a good treasure within him a treasure of Heavenly Wisdome of Divine Truth a treasure of Light God hath shined into his heart Hee 's filled with all the fulness of God And what is laid up within hee brings forth without An evil man hath an evil treasure Satan hath been filling his heart Act. 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thine heart the treasures of darkness are there a treasure of lust and lies Falshood and folly are found with him these treasures of darkness within bring forth darkness dark souls lead dark lives their way is dark their deeds are darkness O how fruitful are sinners in their unfruitful works filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickednesse covetousness maliciousnesse envy murther debate deceit malignity c. Rom. 1.29,30 Their hearts are full and thereupon their mouths full their eyes full their hands full mouths full of cursing eyes full of adultery hands full of violence filled with all unrighteousness O Generation of Vipers how can yee being evil having such hearts speak good things all is evil that comes from you and how can it bee otherwise Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks And in like manner O Generation of Believers How can yee being good but bring forth good things Or how can you say or think there is a treasure of Grace a fountain of light within when no streams spring forth Penury in the life speaks no great plenty in the heart the Truths of God within you are the Seed of God the good seed that hee sows in his fields where there 's good seed sown in good ground you will expect a fruitful Harvest a barren crop speaks a barren soil or no good seed sown there 1 John 2.3 Hereby we do know that wee know him if wee keep his Commandements We know God but are you sure of it are you not mistaken No wee are not mistaken wee know that wee know him But how do you know it Why how are trees known By their fruits ye shall know them How do yee know that this is indeed the Tree of Knowledge Why see what fruits are hanging upon it wee keep the Commandements Here 's Obedience growing here 's Holiness and Righteousness and Mercy Doubtless this is the right Tree for behold all the Commandements the two Tables hanging upon the boughs of it and not broken but kept and observed Wee may as well say Obedience is no Obedience Duty is no Duty Faith and Love and Humility and Patience are not what they are as that the Tree that brings forth this fruit is not the Tree of Knowledge Wee know that wee know him because wee keep his Commandements Yea and the Tree of Life too both in one a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her Prov. 3.18 Where these fruits are not found where are nothing but shews and sounds painted fruits where are nothing but the fruits of unrighteousness contention strife covetousness sensuality and the like he 's very ignorant indeed that is not able to say what ever I am ignorant of this one thing I know that I know not God Christian boast not of what thou hast but consider what thou doest try thy head by thine heart and thy
O the unsearchable Riches of Christ that hee that searcheth all things reveals unto the Saints O the hidden treasures they now discover in this deep Mine To you that beleeve hee is pretious a Praise an Honour all Fair all Glorious and you have seen his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Sonne of God full of Grace and Truth Again there are marvellous evils as well as good things that by this light are brought to light Sin with all the hidden things of darkness that lay below in those chambers of death the secrets of the evill heart of man Sin appears a wonder to the savingly enlightened soul Exceeding sinful a world of wickedness There 's Death and Hell and the Devil in every sin unkindness unthankfulness folly enmity rebellion spite and the blackness of darkness What once appeared as a pleasure a delight a beauty or at least if an evill yet but a trifle a matter of nothing is become a plague a terrour a burthen a bondage bitterness shame sorrow and such an high provocation that whereas once hee swell'd and murmur'd and cryed out of rigour feverity cruelty in the least punishment of it now hee wonders at the clemency and patience and forbearance of God that such an affront and provocation had not long since turned the whole earth into an Hell Christian thou complainest thou canst not see thou canst not feel thou canst not mourn thou canst not break under all the guilt that lies upon thee thine heart is hard thine eyes are dry not a tear not a groan scarce a sigh will all this evill fetch out from thee O this blinde and sottish minde O this dead and senseless heart what shall I do what would I not do to get mee a melting mourning broken spirit but I cannot I cannot I cannot see I cannot bleed nor break O beg the light of this Holy Spirit and if the sight that that will present thee with of this wonderfull evill do not rend thy heart and turn thy stomack and open all thy sluces and let out thy soul in sighs and groans in shame and sorrow thou mayest then well be a wonder to thy self But be nor discouraged bee not dismayed do not say this Rock will never break this Iron will never melt I may go sighing for sighs mourning after tears groaning after groans but all in vain it will never bee past feeling past feeling sorrow flies still from mee repentance is hid from mine eyes do not thus discourage thy self wait for this spirit open to it and thou shalt see flowing in such streames of self-shaming self-confounding light as shall flow forth in self-abasing self-abhorring streames of tears 3. These marvellous things are revealed with marvellous clearness That is in comparison of what they are to the purblinde world and in comparison of what they themselves once saw They come to see the glory and the beauty and the reality of the wonderful things of God Wee have seen his glory saith the Apostle Joh. 1. The kindness of God our Saviour appeared But we all with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor 3.18 Out of Zion hath hee appeared in perfect beauty It 's Prophesied Isa 53. of the unbeleeving world that when they should see Christ they should see no beauty in him Strange though hee were all beauty yet they should see him and yet see no beauty That is they shall see him and yet not see him They see not wood for trees What is thy Beloved more than other beloveds VVhat is Christ more than an ordinary man VVhat is the Gospel more than an ordinary Story VVhat is the Spirit What is Truth VVhat is there in this Faith and Love in this Holiness and Righteousness in this Peace of Conscience and Joy of the Holy Ghost VVhat substance is there in them VVhere 's the Glory and wherein is the Excellency of them Which way came the Spirit of the Lord from mee to thee Thou shalt know in that day when thou shalt call to the Mountains to fall on thee and the Rocks to hide thee from the face of God and the Lamb. Wee know whom wee have beleeved Wee know that wee know him Wee speak that which wee know and testify what wee have seen Wee have an Vnction from the Holy one wee know all things God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God Now wee have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God VVee have a clear and certain sight VVee do not see men as Trees walking with our eyes half open wee see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth in its naked lustre and evidence This wee have seen and do testify neither deceiving nor being deceived VVee thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes And as they see Truth and Holiness and Goodness in their wonderful Glory and Beauty so also Folly and Falshood and Sin in its wonderful uglâ—ness and deformiâ—y Sin appears to bee sin to them Rom. 7. Folly to bee folly falshood to bee falshood they see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth Holiness as Holiness and they see beasts as beasts fools as fools sin as sin devils as devils hell as hell They see all things as they are temptations as they are delusions as they are they see what 's under them the hook under the bait the sting in the Locust's tail the warre in the Devils heart carried on under his fawning face Wee are not ignorant of his Devices Sinners cease your wondring at the Saints let them bee no longer for signs and for wonders in Israel cease your wondring at the Saints come and wonder with them Wonder not that they say not as you live not as you run not with you after the same follies and vanities Oh! if ye once come to see what they see you will bee a wonder to your selves Mock not at their blessedness Blessed are their eyes for they see The blinde envy but do not disdain the seeing Say not these men are in a dream or drunken or mad take heed blaspheme not the Holy Spirit call not his light darkneâ—s put not your darkness for light Would you know when these men testifie what they have seen and heard whether they are sober or beside themselves Come and see I say not stand and see you cannot see at that distance you stand come near come in and you shall see see your blindness first if ever you will see the light Oh! bewail your darkness and seek light seek and you shall see it Son of David have Mercy on mee Why what wilt thou man Lord that I may receive my sight Shall that bee thy cry O pitty thy blinde soul O pray
mine and shew it unto you As much as you have in the world to afflict and amaze you as little as you have of your own to comfort you either in your hearts or in your houses or among your friends hee shall shew what I have for you to refresh you O Christians a sight of Christ in our sorrows in our fears in our thickest darkness what day-light would it bring in When thou lookest into thine heart and art astonished and confounded at what thou findest there at the blindness and the hardness the poverty and the emptiness the guilt and the guile the pride and the peevishness the evil thoughts the vile affections the filthy lusts that are swarming and working in thee when thou lookest into the world and tremblest at what thou beholdest there the malice the craft the power that is engaged against thee the furious spirits the fiery tongues the fierce looks the violent hands that are flying upon thee and the little relief the earth will afford thee when thy heart faints and dies within thee at the sense of this thy woeful and forlorn state A sight of what thou hast in thy Lord presented to thee by his Spirit look thee here soul what thy Jesus hath sent thee down a glance from his eye a drop from his heart a messe from his table and all to tell thee yet I do not forget thee behold the care I take of thee the treasures I have for thee to encourage thy love and reward thy faithfulness Oh! how will this make all thy darkness to depart and turn the shadow of death into the morning Thus is the Holy Spirit given to the Saints to bee the light of their eyes the death of their sins the guide of their waies the stay of their hearts to up-hold their grace and to maintain their peace to subdue their enemies or their fears to secure them from temptations or succour them when tempted to wipe off their reproach or make it their crown to heal their diseases or make them their cure to help their infirmities to work their works to make their yoke easie and their burthens light to turn their sighs into songs to form their groans into prayers to send them up to their Lord and bring down their returns to comfort their hearts to establish strengthen settle them that they be neither offended at the chain nor moved from the hope of the Gospel CHAP. IV. The Earth in the Covenant 4. GOd hath put the earth into the Covenant Though the Saints have not their reward in this life their portion in this world yet this world also is theirs Mat. 5.5 The meek shall inherit the earth 1 Cor 3.22 Things present and things to come all are yours 1. The good things present 2. The evil things present 1. The good things present Mark 10.30 Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands now in this time Prov. 3.16 Length of daies are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Houses and Lands and Riches and Honours where are they who are the poor of this World the houseless harbourless and friendless who have wo and want and shame and sorrow who are Strangers and Pilgrims dwelling in tents driven into corners into dens and caves hunted up and down upon the mountains of the earth to whom is hunger and thirst cold and nakedness but to the meek of the earth Is this to inherit the earth All theirs when nothing theirs yet they do inherit the earth For 1. They shall ever have as much as will suffice them and that 's as much as all They shall not want any thing but what they may want Your Father knoweth that you have need of these things and he knows how much they need More than needs is more then enough and more then enough is a prejudice Many men have too much too much money too much esteem too many friends more than they can bear so much as to sink them and drown them in perdition and destruction Christians shall have enough they shall never be in such a needy state but whatever is necessary for them in all the earth they shall have it The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and he hath said That those that seek him shall not want any thing that is good Psal 34.10 if the whole world can supply them out of all its store they shall be supply'd 2. What they have they have a better and farther title to then any others in the world Though the dominion be not founded in grace yet by grace it is established What they have descends upon them not barely by providence but by promise Heb. 1.2 Christ is heir of all things and they are fellow-heirs with Christ A little coming from the promise hath more in it than the greatest abundance that 's only handed down by common providence that which comes in from the promise comes in with a blessing if thou hast but an handful thou hast a blessing in thy hand if thou hast but a corner thou hast a blessing in thy corner A little from love is a great blessing Thou hast God in every morsel thou eatest and in every drop that thou drinkest a drop from heaven will turn thy bran into the finest flower and thy Water into Wine O what serene and quiet lives how void of care distracting care might the Saints live in the world what are the burthens that do gall our backs what are the briars that tear our flesh what are the thorns that pierce through our hearts ordinarily but the cares of this life what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewith shall I be clothed where shall I dwell how little have I for to day what for to morrow what for hereafter how shall I secure what I have when this is gone whence shall I be supplyed thus do we go on piercing our selves through with many sorrows Our cares for supply eat up what we have our thoughts cut deeper than our wants we cannot at so cheap a rate fear as we often bear the want of all things And why take ye thought the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and he hath said All this is yours you shall want nothing You have not only your Deus providebit providence to live upon you have also your Deus promisit the promise before you and this hath all things in it all is yours What for to morrow what for hereafter why what saith the promise Thou shalt want nothing neither thou nor thine Never saw I the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread Hast thou two worlds made sure to thee and canst thou want thou mayst as well whine and make a pittiful cry at a full table Oh where shall I have my next morsel as under such a full promise Oh where shall I have my next meal O how much beneath the spirit of Christianity are the carking anxious lives of too many
this world these shall not be thine hire the everlasting God will be thy reward thine exceeding great reward exceeding not thy work only but thy very thoughts also A little is too much for thy earnings but the whole world is too little for his bounty less than nothing might satisfie for thy labours but less than himself will not satisfie for his love the eternal God will be thy reward Oh the unsearchable riches of the poorest of Saints Onimium foelices bona si sua nôrint Poor what and yet hast a God! In want what and yet hast all things Is he a God that is thine and art thou still in straits Would a few sheep and oxen vineyards and olive-yards make thee a rich man and can a God leave thee a beggar Is not a pearl more than pebbles Milk and wine than mud and water Men use to say Money is all things meat and drink and clothes and friends and lands virtually all things And is not God more than money Sure he hath said to his Gold thou art my god that cannot say Let God be mine and then go thou thy way Hast thou a God and yet poor Nay farther would the fatness of the earth and the fulness of heaven if thou hadst both be enough for thee Would corn and wine and houses and lands and pleasures here and eternal life hereafter suffice thee And is not God alone as much as all this Dost thou want Star-light when thou hast the Sun Is the Ocean more full for the Rivers that run into it Or would there be any want there if all these were stopp'd and dry Can they contribute to it which have their rise from it Hath the almighty God a self-sufficiency and hath he not enough to satisfie a poor worm Is he blessed in himself and mayest not thou be blessed in him He that thinks any thing less then God will suffice understands not a soul and he that wants any thing more understands not God God alone is as much as God and all the world and this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord God is their portion If enough be not yet said look a while and consider whence thou art taken up into this blessedness What hast thou left What an exchange hast thou made Thou wert taken with the Prodigal from the trough with the beggar from the dunghil yea as a brand out of the burning there thy lot was fallen Oh where hast thou left the rest of the world Blessing themselves in vanity pleasing themselves with shaddows and apparitions feeding on ashes warming themselves at their painted fires sporting themselves with the wind rejoycing in a thing of nought their crackling thorns their glozing pleasures their drinkings and dancings and riotings their horses and their dogs and their hawks and their harlots making a shift a while to make merry with these whilst they are hasting to the pit To that fire and brimstone which is the portion of their cup. Consider man what is the chaffe to the wheat What is a Comet to the Sun What is the night to the day What are bubbles and childrens toyes to â—…e durable riches What are things that are noâ— to hâ—m whose name is I am But oh what is death and wrath and the curse which was once all thine heritage to that life and love and peace and joy and glory which thou now possessest in that God that is thy portion What a poor wretch wert thou once when thou hadst nothing but sin and shame and misery that thou couldst call thine own these thou mightest call thine sin was thine woe was thine death and the grave and the curse and the pit were thine own but that was all thou hadst thy good things thou livedst upon had they been of never so great value were none of thine thine house and thy lands are none of thine thy gold and thy silver and thy substance are none of thine they are all but borrowed or committed to thee as a Steward and all to be given up upon demand and what thou hast spent of them thou must be brought to a reckoning for a poor wretch thou wert and hadst just nothing all that thou hadst was none of thine But now God is thine own all that he is all that he has is thine never couldest thou lay such a claim to any thing thou possessedst to house or wife or childe or body or soul as now thou mayest to thy God God is as surely thine as thou art thy self as sure as thou art a man thou hast a God Come Christian here 's now thy poâ—tion the light of thine eyes the lifting up of thinehead the joy of thine heart the strength of thy bones thy stock thy treasure thy life thy health thy peace thy rest thy all Whom have I in heaven but thee and in the earth there is none that I desire besides thee My flesh and mine heart faileth but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Psal 73.25,26 Here is thy portion know it for thy good take it for thine own live upon it and live up to it 1. Live upon thy portion Here thou mayest feed herein thou mayest rejoyce herein thou mayest bless thy self for ever Let him that blesseth himself on the earth bless himself in the God of Truth Let him that rejoyceth in the earth rejoyce in the God of truth Let the strong man live upon his strength let the wise man live upon his wits let the rich man live upon his lands come thou live upon thy God come enjoy God and thy soul enjoy God in thy soul enjoy thy soul in God Thou hast possession what should hinder thy fruition In fruition the Schools tells us there are three things which go to the making it up Cognitio Delectatio Quietatio 1. Knowledge according to the clearness or cloudiness of our apprehensions of any good we more or less take the pleasure or comfort of it and therefore the full fruition of God is not till at last when we shall know as we are known Here we see but as in a glass and darkly we know but in part and while we know but in part we love but in part and joy but in part the dimness of our sight makes an abatement upon our joy When the vail shall be taken away when we shall come to see face to face then we shall fully feel what it is to have a God Christian know thou the God of thy Fathers the more thou knowest the more thou hast The carnal world enjoy not God at all God is not known in their Tabernacles In Jewry is God known his Name is great in Israel at Salem is his Tabernacle and his Dwelling in Zion But what of God in Edom or Ammon or Amaleck or Aegypt those dark Regions wherein neither Sun nor Star appears Leave them to their dunghil gods to the gardens which they have desired and the Oaks which they have chosen The
iniquity to bring in everlasting righteousness and so to bring us to God What-ever difficulties there appear in thy way what-ever doubts arise in thine heart from thy sins from thy guilt from thy poverty from thy impotence what-ever objections thy fears may hence put in there 's the blood of the Lamb that will answer all Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 2. As a merciful and faithful high Priest Heb. 2.17 who hath made an attonement for us in the earth and appears for us in heaven who hath made reconciliation for us and makes intercession for us Heb. 9.24 to appear in the presence of God for us we read Exod. 28.12.29 That Aaron as the type of Christ was to bear the names of the children of Israel engraven in stones upon his shoulders and upon his breast-plate when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Our Lord is entred into the Heavens to appear in the presence of God with our names upon his shoulders and upon his heart for a memorial before the Lord there is not the least of Saints but there his name is engraven Here 's my ransome Lord and behold my ransomed ones Here 's my price and my purchase my redemption and my redeemed What-ever accusers there be what-ever charge be laid against them what-ever guilt lies upon them here are the shoulders that have born all that was their due and payd all that they owe and upon these shoulders and in this heart thou mayest read all their names and when thou readest remember what I have done for them and acquit absolve and let them be accepted before thee for ever Remember the tears of these eyes the stripes on this back the shame of this face the groans of this body the anguish of this soul the blood of this heart and when thou remembrest what-ever name thou findest engraven upon this heart and upon these shoulders they are the persons whose all these are and what-ever these are what-ever acceptance they have found with thee what-ever satisfaction thou hast found in them put it upon their account never let me be accounted the accepted if they be rejected never let me be accounted righteous if they lye under the imputation of wicked If they be not righteous in my righteousness I must be guilty under their guilt What-ever I am what-ever my satisfaction is all is theirs for them they plead for them they pray my tears stripes wounds groans anguish soul blood they all cry and say Father forgive them Father accept them Of all cryes there are no such strong cries as the cry of blood and that whether it be against or for the guilty its voice shall be heard on high Thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4. and what followed Wo to those persons against whom blood cryeth but where blood such blood cries for them for pardon for mercy blessed are those souls Christian this blood is for thee it speaks better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12. it pleads sues presses for thy discharge from all that is upon thee Thou hast many cries against thee Sathan cries thy sins cry thine own heart thy conscience cries against thee and thou art amazed at the dreadful noise they make but behold the blood of the Lamb the blood of God cries for thee Thou hast an accuser but thou hast an acquitter thou hast adversaries but thou hast an advocate An Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for thy sins 1 John 2. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.33,34 Nay farâ—her thou hast not onely a righteous but a merciful high Priest that is provided of a Sacrifice and hath an heart to offer it for thee thy name is in his heart as well as on his shoulders in his bowels as well as on his back He hath blood for thee precious blood and he hath bowels for thee pitiful bowels He can have pity and compassion on the miserable Heb. 5.2 if he can finde no other he can finde arguments enough from thy wo and thy misery to draw forth his soul towards thee He is merciful and his mercies are tender mercies he is pittiful and his compassions are tender compassions thou art not so tender of the wife of thy bosome of the childe of thy bowels thou art not so tender of thine own flesh of the apple of thine eye of thine own soul as thy Lord is of thee His spirit is moved for thee his soul melts over thee he bleeds in thy wounds he suffers in thy sorrows his eye weeps his heart breaks over thy broken and undone state fear not his forgetting thee his bowels will remember him of thee He is a merciful and a faithful high Priest No dignity to which he is exalted above thee no distance to which he is removed from thee can make him forget his friends He is gone into the heavens and there exalted far above all Principalities and Powers and set down at the right hand of God He is gone but he hath carried thy name with him as a perpetual memorial for thee Thou art unfaithful shame to thee thou forgettest thy Lord at every turn every business that comes every trouble that comes every pleasure that comes every companion that comes in makes thee forget thy Lord forget his love forget thy duty Oh how small a matter will steal thy heart from him yea stir up tumults and rebellions against him Thy comforts thy hopes thy needs thou hast daily of him will not all prevail to hold him in remembrance with thee Thou forgettest thy Lord but he will not forget thee though thou hast been unfaithful in many things yet he is in nothing 2 Tim. 2.13 Yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself he should not be true to himself if he be not faithful to thee his interest lies in thee thou art his his possession a member of his body fear not if he should be unfaithful to thy soul he is therein unfaithful to his own body If thy case be such that he can help thee if there be any thing wherein he can stead thee if all that he hath his blood his righteousness his interest with the Father will be sufficient for thy help he hath undertaken to procure it for thee and secure it to thee Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it This now is that Jesus that is given unto us as our propitiatory Sacrifice as our merciful and faithful high Priest who suffered on the earth and is gone into the heavens for us standing in his red robes garments rolled in blood with those glorious whites upon the red pardon peace absolution acceptance with the names of his ransomed ones engraven
upon his heart and upon his shoulders This is that Jesus who is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS 3. As our Lord and King A King shall reigne in righteousness in him shall the Gentiles trust Zach. 9.9 Shout O daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh Isa 9.6 The Government shall be on his shoulder God hath more care of his Saints than to leave the government of them on their own shoulder Is not her King in her He is a King to gather them a King to govern them a King to defend and save them to save them from their temporal enemies the sons of violence the men of this evil world from their spiritual enemies to save them from their sins Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Matth. 1.21 'T is a mercy to be under government under government and under protection What would become of us were there no King in Israel Where there 's no King all are kings more kings than men Sathan will be king every lust will be a lord as many kings as there are devils and sins Whither would our unruly hearts carry us How easily would our wily and potent enemies ruine us What tyrannie would sin exercise within What cruelty should we suffer from without Whither should we wander where should we fix What peace what order what stability Whence should counsel and protection and salvation come were there no Lord over us 'T is a mercy to be under government but to be under such a government under a king and such a King such a wise and potent King such a meek and merciful King such an holy and a righteous King O what a wonder of mercy Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an asses colt c. Zach. 9.9 He is just having salvation as a Priest he hath purchased as a King he bestows his salvation He comes not to get but to give not to give Lawes only but to give Gifts unto men and he gives like a King Palmes Crowns and Thrones salvation to his people by the remission of their sins Oh how unthankful oh how foolish is this rebellious world Impatient of subjection shake off the yoke groan under duty under discipline We will not have this man to rule over us Who then shall save you hard to be a Christian strict laws severe discipline no liberty Is this thy complaint that is wo is me I am so limited and hedg'd in on all hands that there 's no liberty left me to be miserable if I will be his I must be happy Let fools inherit their own folly but let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King for the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory the Lord of hosts yea the Lord our righteousness he is the King of glory The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Praise ye the Lord. Come all ye Nimrods ye mighty hunters on the earth come all ye sons of Anak ye seed of the Giants come all ye sons of Belial ye seed of the Adulterer and of the whore come all ye Ishmaelites and Ammonites ye Moabites and Hagarenes associate confederate take counsel together smite with the tongue bite with the teeth push with the horn kick with the heel come all ye gates of hell and powers of darkness thou dragon with all thy armies with all thy fiery darts and instruments of death come thou king of terrors with thy fatal dart the Virgin the Daughter of Zion hath despised you all she hath laughed you to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at you her King is in the midst of her the Lord is her King he will save her 4. As our head and husband He that is given to be head over all things to the Church is given to be the head of the Church Eph. 1.22,23 and of every member in particular 1 Cor. 11.3 Believers are all joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 United in Christ as fellow members united unto Christ as their common head From which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Coloss 2.19 they are married to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband From this Union follows 1. A Communication of Influences 2. A Complication of Interests 1. A Communication of Influences Having nourishment ministred Christ our head is our fountain of life Our head is our heart also out of it are the Issues of life from him we live and are nourished and maintained in life He is our Joseph all the treasures of the holy Land are with him In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge Coloss 2.3 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Coloss 1.19 He is the onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth Here note 1. What grace there is in Christ The Schools tell us that in him there is a three-fold grace 1. Gratia Unionis The Grace of Union The humane Nature of Christ hath received the high grace or favour to be personally united to the second person in the God-head by vertue of which Union the fulness of the Godhead is said to dwell in him bodily Bodily that is personally or substantially in opposition to the types and shaddows of the Old Testament in which God in a figure is said to dwell God is said to dwell in the Tabernacle in the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple but in these he dwelt onely as figures and shaddows of the humane nature of Christ In Christ he dwells not in a figure but personally and substantially As Christ Coloss 2.17 is called the Body in opposition to the types of old which were but the shaddow so bodily here notes not a figurative but a personal inhabitation Christ is the body not a shaddow and God dwells in him bodily that is substantially and not in a shaddow 2. Gratia Habitualis Habitual Grace All those moral perfections wherein stands the holiness of his nature The love and fear of God his humility meekness patience in summe his perfect conformity to the Image and whole Will of God Such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 3. Gratia Capitis or that honour which is given to him to be head of the Church 2. How Christ is said to be full of grace there is a twofold fulness of grace 1. Ex parte ipsius gratiae In respect of grace it self thus he is said to be full of grace that hath all grace and
from falling by the presence of his Grace till he present them faultless before the presence of his Glory O its good being with Christ any where Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest and causest thy flocks to rest at noon Where thou feedest yea where thou art whether feeding or fasting whether rejoycing or mourning where thou causest thy flocks to rest at noon yea and where thou sufferest thy flocks to be scattered in the night Where thy flocks are thou art not far away tell mee where thou feedest tell mee where thou art My beloved that feedeth among the lillies feedeth sometimes among the thorns When his love is a lilly among thorns there hee feedeth Hee feedeth among the thorns he feedeth with his sheep he feedeth with his Lambs where ever they feed when darkness and desolation and devils and death feed upon them even then he feedeth them and takes his feeding with them O where ever my Lord is there let my lot fall Let me dwell amongst the thorns so my dwelling be with my Lord amongst the lillies Let me wander amongst the mountains whilest he is with me telling all my wandrings Let me be scourged so he will wash my stripes let me weep so he will wipe off my tears I would not want wounds whilest I have such oyl to pour in Come all yee thieves and robbers I fear you not my dear Samaritan comes by come yee bulls of Bashan yee boars of the forest let my beloved kiss mee with the kisses of his mouth and I regard it not though you kick me with the heel O my Lord bring me where thou feedest let me live in thy face let me feel thy smiles upon my heart let me love thee tell me thou lovest me remembrest pittiest acceptest takest care for me and then chuse my condition my dwelling and entertainment for me Fainting Christian lift up thine eyes comfort thine heart here 's that thou fearest and tormentest thy self withall Here is the inside of that formidable cross the light side of those dark clouds the sunny side of that shady thorny hedge that so wounds and afflicts thine heart Fear not bee strong and of a good courage Thou still sayest woe is me I can find no such thing Ah Lord God doth he not speak parables O that I were assured it might be thus with me why art thou in Covenant believe and all is thine I believe and therefore have I spoken believe and thou shalt see the salvation of God as sure as the cross is thine all the comforts of the cross are setled upon thee Read over all the gracious words thou hast before thine eyes view over all the instances of suffering Saints that have gone before thee on whom these good words have been made good in conspicuous increases of divine grace in the signal discoveries of divine love in the clearest and fullest revelation of divine glory in the intimate sense of the divine presence quickning enlarging encouraging supporting their spirits in the darkest dens in the sharpest conflicts with reproaches mockings bonds banishments torments and deaths and know that all these things are written for thy learning that thou through patience and comfort of the Scriptures maist have hope Read over Isa 51. Hearken to mee yee that follow after righteousness yee that seek the Lord look unto the Rock whence ye are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged for the Lord shall comfort Zion hee will comfort all her wast places hee will make her wildernesse like Eden and all her desarts like the Garden of the Lord joy and gladness shall bee found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody lift up your eyes to the Heavens c. Verse 7 8 12 13. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear yee not the reproach of men neither bee ye afraid of their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a Garment and the worm shall eat them like wool but my Righteousness shall bee for ever and my salvation from Generation to Generation I even I am hee that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest bee afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man which shall bee made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath stretched forth the heavens and layd the foundations of the earth and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressour I even I am he c. and where is the fury of the oppressour where is the fury of the oppressour where is it not rather is it not in the house and in the field is it not in the City and in the Villages is it not upon my Cattel upon my Purse upon my body upon my Children upon my friends where is not the fury of the oppressour I but when thou remembrest the Lord thy maker the Oath the Promise and Covenant of God the Presence Protection and Comfort of thy God when thou remembrest this then where is the fury of the Oppressour CHAP. V. The Angels of Light in the Covenant 5. THe Angels of Light are in the Covenant Heb. 1.14 are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth for them who shall bee Heirs of Salvation Whilest our Lord himself was sent down to Minister behold his servants are to bee ministred unto the Angels are made their Ministers Psal 91.11 Hee shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies they have received a charge and they have great advantages for the keeping the charge of the Lord. 1. They are mighty Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord yee his Angels that excel in strength an Angel is more than an Armie what slaughters have the Angels made in the Armies of the Aliens an hundred fourscore and five thousand Assyrians are slain by one Angel of the Lord when encamped against Judah Isa 37.36 It is hard service indeed that is too hard for an Angel 2 They are numerous there are great multitudes of them Psal 68.17 Thousands of Angels a multitude of the Heavenly Host Luke 2.13 An Angel is more than an army but what then are an Army of Angels 3. They are faithful They can do much for the Saints but will they do it yes they are faithful They do the Commandements of God Psal 103.20 God bids them keep and they are faithful they will keep his sheep wee are taught to pray that the will of God may bee done on earth as it is in Heaven that men may bee faithful as the Angels of God 4. They are Favourites they behold the face of God they dwell in his presence they are admitted to stand before his Throne they can bee heard they have favour in Heaven and therefore such power on earth Mat. 18.10 Take heed yee despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in Heaven
heart by thine hand Judge of thy light by thy love and thy love by thy life say not that God hath shined into thine heart unless thy light shine thy works shine before men The path of the just shineth Prov. 4. 'T is but a forme of Knowledge that brings forth but a forme of Godlinesse hee that holdeth the Truth in unrighteousness hath not the Truth in truth in him thou sayest thou knowest the Lord but what say thy waies do these speak the same things Action is the best Interpreter of the inner man feel the pulses of thy heart what watchfulness what holiness hath thy Knowledge brought forth hast thou received the spirit who yet walkest in the flesh what Heaven in thine heart and nought but Earth in thy hand Truth in thine heart and Lies in thy mouth Holiness in thy heart Glory in thine heart and in thy tongue nothing but filth or froth What an heart so full and a life so empty how can these things bee Hath the light in thine heart given laws only to thine heart or doth thine heart submit whilest thy tongue rebells and thou kickest with the heel Woe to us Christians that sinners should be so full and Saints to empty that they should speak what they have seen with their Father and we should speak no more what wee have seen with our Father that oaths and lyes and blasphemies and scoffs and cursing should be so rife in theirs and that truth and goodness and holiness blessings and praises should be no more in our mouths that there should be so much guile in theirs and so little grace in our lips that the shade should be more fruitful than the Sun that the good should be only the barren ground that their habitations should be so full of violence and oppression and wantonness and no more mercy and righteousness and sobriety in ours Woe to us that we know so much to so little purpose that we should be bushels to hide and not rather candlesticks to hold forth the candle of the Lord he hath lighted up in us Oh how many dark souls might our candle lead on to the Sun The light that is in Israel might do much to the turning Egypt into a Goshen speak Christians speak what you have seen and testifie what you have believed bring forth out of your treasure pitty the blinde world or at least be more helpful one to another Instruct as you have been instructed convince as you have been convinced comfort as you have been comforted of God Out-vie sinners let not their mouths be so full of cursing as yours of blessing whilest theirs are so full of blasphemies let it be said of you as of your Lord full of grace are their lips Good words are not wind you may reckon them not amongst the leaves but the fruit Whilest you are speaking of the things of God you are therein doing the will of God I confess the Proverb is true The greatest talkers are not alwaies the greatest doers But 't is true also he is seldome a great doer that hath nothing to say There is a speaking which is our doing There is a speaking in a way of boasting to magnifie and set up our selves beware of that and there is a speaking to the use of edifying to build up our brethren When we are thus speaking to instruct to convince to awaken and whet on our own and others spirits to our work wee are then in doing our work Speak Christians and speak often the things that you know onely let me adde let your lives speak also and not onely your lips If you would not bee vain-talkers bee all tongue let your lips speak and your hands speak and your feet speak let your works and your ways speak the wonderful things of God Bring forth what you have received hee that 's all inside and hee that 's all outside are equally nothing The one is a shadow without substance the others substance is but a shadow The one is a deceiver the other a deceived soul The one boasts himself the other thinks himself something but neither is any thing Christians bee full of good fruits and you will make full proof that your wisdome is from above If yee know these things happy are yee if yee do them Weakling Christian that knowest but little of God and callest that little nothing whilest thou doubtest the light hath not shined into thee dost thou walk in that little light thou hast dost thou shine as a light in the world dost thou know how to be holy and humble and harmless and honest dost thou live under the power of those truths thou knowest dost thou fear the Lord and obey the voice of his servants trust in the Lord and stay thy self on thy God thou art a childe of light though through thy trembling heart thou walkest in darkness Having not seen thou lovest and believing thou shalt rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 2. It s favour 2 Cor. 2.14 And maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The Knowledge of God is sweet-sented it casts forth a fragrancy where it comes It hath a gratefulness to the heart leaves sweet impressious on the senses of the Saints They taste that the Lord is gracious As their breathings go up as sweet incense so his beams come down with like sweetness to them As 't was said of Christ so of God Cant. 1.3 The Name of the Lord is an ointment poured forth Why what is his Name Exod. 34.6 This is his Name The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Oh what a bundle of myrrhe what a garden of spices is here enclosed what a sweet smelling savour doth it send forth to them who have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil The Name of the Lord is a precious ointment and the knowledge of God is this ointment poured forth Where God is known in the soul there his sweet savour is shed abroad The thoughts of God are pretious the wayes of God are pleasant to them that understand them His fruit was sweet unto my taste O the ineffable pleasures of Religion the carnal world count it a jejune and insipid thing they cannot taste and no wonder for they do not see the things of God nor can they because they are spiritually discerned Let God be savingly known and then you will find what the savour of his Knowledge is This light is sweet it is a pleasant thing to behold this Sun O my soul let thy walks let thy dwellings bee in this garden of the Lord let the Sun shine and the smell of his spices shall flow forth unto thee O my Lord shed abroad thy sweet ointments let the smell of thy garments refresh my soul Let mee taste and see let me see and I shall taste that the Lord is gracious Vanish all yee
it Rule till it hath put all thine Enemies under thy feet till every thought imagination every high thing be made low and brought into captivity to Christ Let not the light of the Lord help thee to do the Devil's Work Let it not bee fodder for thy flesh lest it bee fuel for thy flames Let it not repent thy God nor thee that ever thou hadst such a talent committed to thee Let it neither be loss to God nor the eternal loss of thine own soul Hee that hath appeared on earth in beams of light will bee revealed from Heaven in flames of fire rendering vengeance to all that Know God and obey not the Gospel of Christ Woe to those that neither know nor obey but Oh! what to those that obey not though they Know Christians know the Lord but know and fear know and serve know and honour thy God Know God and know thy self thy sinne and thy misery thy dangers and thy temptations Know and mourn know and bee ashamed know and fear and watch and fight and overcome Know God and know his Will thy duty and thy way thy priviledges and opportunities thy Race and thy Crown Know and do and run and suffer and wait and hope and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Know God but God in Christ God reconciled pardoning absolving accepting through him Know and believe accept adventure upon resign commit thy self to him Know thy God and behold him look upon thy God in his power in his wisdome in his holiness in his goodness in his loving-kindness in his mercy Behold him in his Word in his Works in his Providence in his Saints in thy Soul in his Son Set him before thine eyes look upon thy God and never leave looking till thou art changed into his Image and satisfied with his Visage and when thou art brought up to this then hee hath done for thee what he hath said I will give them an heart to know mee CHAP. XI One Heart 3. ONe Heart Ezek. 11.19 I will give them one Heart Wee read Hos 14.11 Ephraim is like a silly Dove without an Heart Hath no heart at all none for his God that 's as good as none and Psal 12.2 Wee read that Israel had a double Heart an Heart and an Heart more hearts than one but saies the Lord I will give them an Heart and it shall bee but one and no more For the opening of this to let passe the signification it hath as it respects Christians collectively as it respects each particular Christian This one Heart may bee taken as opposed To A wavering A divided A double Heart 1. As opposed to a wavering unstable Heart Jam. 1.6.8 VVavering minded men have almost as many hearts as they live daies or meet with cases An heart that changes with the weather and tacks about with every winde that resolves and repents that chuses and changes that like a wave of the Sea is tossed about with every VVinde This you may call either many hearts or no heart as you will Thus this one heart is a fixed established resolved heart Heb. 13.9 It is good that the heart bee established with grace Grace fixes and establishes the heart brings it to a consistency in it self which before was any thing or nothing 2. As opposed to a divided Heart Hos 10.2 An Heart cut in two as it were some talk that the Devil hath a cloven foot but what-ever the Devils foot bee to bee sure his Sons have a cloven heart one half for God the other for sin one half for Christ the other for this present World God hath a corner in it and the rest is for sin and the Devil Thus this one heart is an entire heart all the powers of it are united within it self and go the same way God hath the whole heart Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name All its springs are in him and thither do all its streams bend their course 3. As opposed to a double heart or an hypocritical heart properly so called Psal 12.2,3 that 's it which is called an heart and an heart an heart in the breast and another in the tongue Our outside is presum'd to be an expression of our inside what wee speak wee pretend to bee our very hearts 'T is the heart in the tongue that speaks the heart in the eye that weeps the heart in the hand that works the heart in the foot that walks no 't is not so with the Hypocrite he shews another heart in his tongue in his waies than that which is within him He hath an heart and an heart one in his tongue or life and quite another in his breast His course speaks him another man than hee is and thus one heart signifies a single or a plain heart To summe up all together this one heart is such as 1. Pitches on one end 2. Has but one thing to do 3. Does what it does 1. Pitches on one end God is its end There it wholly bestows it self I am thine Psal 119. And there only it takes up its rest Psal 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee God is both its work and its wages To please God this is its whole business and to enjoy God this is its happiness This is the mark it hath in its eye this is the scope of all its motions to honour and enjoy God This it wills this it loves this it desires designs hopes labours for that the Lord may possess and be the possession of it Particularly it gives God the place the power of the end 1. The place of the end God is its first and last Hee 's first in the eye and it looks no farther It makes him not onely the chief but in a sense its onely aim It will have no other God and therefore no other end but the Lord. It makes all things else not onely to stoop and stand by but to serve to him Get you hence stand off is its language to all that stands up in his room or stands in his way Evil men what-ever honour they pretend to have for the Lord they do but make him a servant to their other Gods Religion they will take up but 't is onely to serve their own turns to bring about their carnal ends they serve not the Lord but their own bellies saith the Apostle Rom. 16.18 Phil. 3.19 Nay they make the Lord their fellow-servant They serve and their Religion must serve their sensual appetites Hee that will have so much religion onely as he may live upon which is the measure of the most makes the Lord no longer his God but his servant A sincere Christian will set God upon the throne and makes all things else his servants or his foot-stool What-ever will not be serviceable must bee trodden in the dirt Nothing will bee loved and embraced but what will set God higher or bring God nearer to his
and eat up all thy pleasant things and what have they left thee Such are their complaints and their very complaints are their comfort and the witness of their sincerity whilst they can with openness of heart make their approach and appeal to God yet thou art my Lord thou art my God and I will serve thee I have chosen thee as mine heritage for ever and I will wait for thy salvation Hear the sighing of thy prisoner deliver thy captive mine heart is with thee let not this flesh intrench upon thy light let sin no longer reign in my mortal body let mee have no more to do with the Throne of iniquity unty the cords loose the fetters bring my soul out of prison search mee O Lord and know mine heart prove me and know my thoughts Is there any way of wickedness in mee do I willingly go after the Commandments Do I regard iniquity in mine heart Here it lies 't is true it warres and raises tumults and insurrections against thee but do I resign up my self to it is it a pleasure to mee am I at peace with it O Lord thou knowest I cannot get rid of it I cannot doe the things that I would I cannot pray as I would nor hear as I would nor think nor speak nor live as I would whither I goe sin goes with mee where I lodge it lodges If I sit still it abides with me If I run from it it follows me I can neither rest nor work I can do nothing for it I can do nothing for it and yet blessed bee thy name this one thing I do what I cannot attain I follow after I cannot conquer yet I fight against it I wrestle with it though it so often give mee the fall I trust it not though it flatter me I love it not though it feed mee I prostitute not my self unto it though it commits so many a rape upon mee my heart is with thee Lord my foot is making after thee I groan I travel in pain waiting for thy redemption till I die I vvill not give over I will die fighting I will die hoping I vvill die praying Save me O Lord make no long tarrying O my God And thus you have the description of this one heart It pitches on one end and God is that end It gives him the place of the end hee is its first and last It gives him the power of the end this one thing the obtaining of God to be theirs draws them on guides governs them in their whole course and is accepted by them as their onely and exceeding great reward This instructs them this rules and encourages them calls them off from sin calls them on to duty carries them out in suffering all their powers are united in this one business all their arguments are resolved into this one argument all their rewards are summ'd up in this one reward God shall bee glorified and therein my soul shall bee satisfied God shall bee mine and glory shall bee his In all this wee see what this one heart means but oh how little of this Grace have wee received how many hearts have wee how many gods have wee to divide these hearts betwixt them how small a corner How low a place must the Lord take up with us if hee will have any at all how often is hee made to stand aside or to stoop to a lust God made to give place to the devil Is God our All indeed have wee none else to please have wee none else to serve have wee no portion no inheritance no other God but the Lord Is hee out Alpha and Omega our first and our last our spring and our ocean our summe and our scope the rise and the rest of all our motions what-ever our tongues speak do our hearts also and our lives say To mee to live is Christ none but God none but Christ nothing but heaven and glory when wee are driving so hard for our flesh for our pride for our ease for our gain when wee are so busie this vvay and so hearty and so zealous this vvay vvhen these must have so great a share in our Religion Is this still the voice To me to live is Christ Oh how little power hath the Lord vvith us hovv far is it that the single interest of God vvill carry our souls hovv little is done purely for God wee have often many strings to our bow there are some services wherein there is something coming to the flesh as well as to the name of God Some credit or honour some outward advantage to bee gotten by Religion but when all the other strings crack but this one when there 's nothing to move us but God oh how weak do our motions grow The flesh often goes partner with God there 's a double trade driving in the same actions a trade for heaven and a trade earth together there 's something to bee gotten by our religion besides what 's coming to God there are fields and vineyards and olive-yards friends and honours and preferments as it sometimes falls out when godliness is in the rising side and when 't is thus we go smoothly and vigorously on Come see the zeal that I have for the Lord of Hosts But when the interest of God and the flesh divide and part asunder when the flesh is like to bee a loser by our Religion when God puts us on such duty as will spend upon the flesh and eat out and devour its interest when our hearts tell us as Deborah did Barak Judg. 4. This will not bee for thine honour or this will not bee for thine ease or thy safety then what becomes of our zeal oh how heavily do we then drive on how seldome is it that this word yet God shall bee glorified will ballance all the prejudices and confute all the cross reasonings of the flesh and carry us on our way without and against it How little hath the Lord of the government of us if hee doth govern as a King yet how little as our end how little doth goodness govern how little will love do with us wee must have rigour and severity wee must have spurres and goads and rods and stripes and scorpions too and all little enough to drive us back from those other gods which wee have chosen and to bring us on after the Lord. If the Law be not made for the righteous if they need not a Law then what are we whom a Law will not suffice if commands threatnings terrours penalties judgments can do no more upon us if wee are yet so loose and so carnal and so earthly and so froward and so false and so formal under severest discipline if wee will not bee whip'd into more humility spirituallity self-denial watchfulness care activity zeal but are such drones and such sleepers such earth-worms and such sensuallists still under all the corrections and compulsions of the law oh what should we be did wee want a law were there
nothing but love to restrain us from sin and constrain and quicken us to duty Christians have wee but one thing to do in all wee do sometimes wee are busie in doing nothing Though there bee a Prayer in our mouths the praises of God in our mouths Christ heaven holiness glory a new heart a new life upon our tongues there 's nothing within no prayer no praise no Christ nor heaven what have we been often doing in the closet in the family in the congregation when wee seemed to have been praying nothing nothing but sowing wind and good words Sometimes we have too many things in our hearts what a world of carnal devices and fleshly projects have wee wrapt up in the garment of our Religion Peter's sheet had not a more heterogeneous miscellany of creatures four-footed beasts wilde beasts creeping things and fowls of the air than our religious duties have of designes and ends Wee have men to please our pride our bellies to offer sacrifice to wee bring our farms and our oxen and our trades before the Lord are not our hearts which should bee the houses of prayer the houses of merchandise are wee not talking or pursuing or in a journey or a sleep or driving bargains O Christians if wee were privy to one anothers hearts as God is privy to them what abominations should wee see brought into the holy places What monsters would our most sacred services appear VVhich whilst the out-side is onely viewed are applauded and admired Is this our singleness of heart Oh! for shame and blushing and confusion of face Oh! for a Vail to hide such hearts from the jealous eyes of the holy God a varnish a fair out-side hides all from men but nothing but a dark Vail of shame and sorrow and tears and repentance a Vail dipt in Blood in the blood of Christ will hide them from the eyes of the Lord. Oh how little plainness and singleness of heart is there in our ordinary course in our dealings and conversings in the VVorld how little faith or truth is there in us how little trust is there to us what doubling what deceitful dealing defrauding over-reaching undermining are wee guilty of how false are wee in our promises how insignificant are our words what an uncertain sound do they give our yea may often stand for nay and our nay for yea Psal 12.2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and a double heart do they speak trust yee not in a friend put not confidence in a guide Blessed bee God the Lord hath a Generation on whom this cannot bee charged Children that will not lye nor deceive though Satan and this evil world binde up all in a bundle they are all naught they are all false vain boasters and deceitful workers there 's none up-right no not one but thanks bee to God Satan is a lyer the accuser of the Brethren is a false accuser God hath his children that will not lye But woe bee to those professours by reason of whom the offence cometh Christians hath God promised to give you one heart Let it bee once said this day is this Scripture fulfilled O may you bee the accomplishment of this good word Hath God promised to give you one heart Do not you say but I will not take it two are better than one I have found so much the sweet of deceit that there 's no life like it Hath God said I will give one heart let not any one among you say But I fear he will not Make not the promise of God of none effect either by your impiety or unbelief Doth God promise to give this one heart hee that promised it doth also require it Bee thy self Christian Let it bee said thou art what thou art bee true bee but one have but one heart and let thy one heart have but one tongue but one face and but one thing to do Beware of hypocrisie beware of carnal policy make not thy God to serve thy flesh call not the serving of thy flesh a serving of God and make not thy serving of God to bee a serving of the flesh Bee not divided betwixt God and the World O how easie would our lives bee did we finde our whole souls running one way taking up w th God as the adequate object of all our powers the marke of all our motions and the reward of all our labours did all our streams empty themselves into this Ocean and all our lines meet in this one center Did God onely draw and allure our hearts and the sincerity of our hearts give motion to all our wheels Guide our eyes govern our tongues order our steps animate our duties direct and quicken us in all our goings Oh how sweet oh how beautiful were such a life the Sympathy betwixt our hearts and end there 's sweetness the harmony of our hearts and waies there 's beauty O how sweet are the drawings of love the free and full closure of our Spirits with God dissolving themselves into his Will acquiessing resting satisfyed in his goodness is a sweetness which no man knows but hee that tastes it the harmony of the power of the soul within its self of its motions and actions in the life there 's the beauty which will eclipse the glory of the world Christian bee it thus with thee and thou hast the blessing that covenant blessing which the Lord hath promised in saying I will give them one heart CHAP. XII An Heart of Flesh 4. AN Heart of Flesh Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh The old heart is a stone cold as a stone dead as a stone hard as a stone but I will take away the stone and give an heart of flesh An heart of flesh is a soft and tender heart Flesh can feel any thing that 's contrary to it puts it to pain Sin makes it smart it cannot kick but it is against the pricks by its rebellion and resistance against the Lord it receives a wound it cannot hit but it hurts it self A soft hand gets nothing by laying on on an hedge of thorns A soft heart when it hath been medling with sin is sure to smart for it It can neither escape the pain nor yet endure it and what it cannot bear 't will take warning to avoid it Flesh will bleed A soft heart will mourn and melt and grieve when hard hearts are moved at nothing Flesh will yield It s apt to receive impressions The power of God will awe it his justice fear it his mercy melt it his holiness humble it and leave the stamp and image of it upon it And as the Attributes so the Word and Works of God will make sign upon it Who sets a seal upon a stone or what print will it receive upon the wax the print will abide God speaks once and twice but man hardned man will not regard it Neither his
Word nor his rod neither his speaking nor his smiting will make any signe on such hearts 'T is the heart of flesh that hears and yields And with such hearts the Lord delights to bee dealing Acts 28. The heart of this people is waxed gross they will not hear they will not understand and the next word is away to the Gentiles they will hear Hee will no more write his Law on tables of stone hee 'l write in flesh there the impression will take and go the deeper and therefore where-ever hee intends to write hee prepares his table makes this stone flesh and then engraves upon it Particularly this tenderness admits of a double distinction 1. Respecting the object of it so there is a tenderness 1. Of Sin 2. Of Duty 3. Of Suffering 1. Of Sin and tha't 's twofold such as discovers it self ante factum post factum 1. Ante factum Or before the commissiion Whilest it is under a temptation or feels the first motion to sin A tender heart startles starts back at the sight of a sin as at the sight of a devil Gen. 39.9 How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God the manner of the speech presents Joseph as a man in a fright startled at the ugliness of the motion So David when hee had an opportunity and a temptation to slay Saul 1 Sam. 26.11 rejects it with an absit God forbid The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed And that not onely at the higher and greater but it resists the little ones the smallest of sins Is it not a little one is no plea with it Little or great 't is a sin and that 's enough 2. Post factum After the Commission if it hath been brought on upon sin yet it cannot go out with it The skirt of Saul's garment was too heavy for David's heart to bear His heart smote him ptesently 1 Sam. 24.5 Sin in the review looks dreadfully It s pleasant flowers quickly turn to thorns it pricks the heart how much soever it pleas'd the eye It ordinarily enters by the eye and often runs out the same way it came in runs out in tears When hee thought thereon hee wept At least it warns and makes more watchful after Thou seest what 't is take heed take it for a warning and do no more The pain of sin if it do not force a tear 't will set a watch 2. Of duty A tender heart will neither slight a sin nor neglect a duty It 's loth to grieve and offend and careful to serve and please the Lord. It would not that he should suffer by it nor so much as lose his due It watches against sin and unto duty It cares how to please the Lord and its care is tender It would not displease by its neglects or performances all must bee done that ought and as it ought to be done It will neither stand out with its offering nor will it offer an unclean thing It considers not onely what but how Both matter and manner substance and circumstance all must bee right or 't is not at ease It will keep time and as much as may bee keep touch with the Lord in every point It is not satisfied that it prayes sometimes it would not lose a praying time God will not and it cannot lose a duty It would neither lose by non-performance nor lose what is performed It would neither leave undone nor do amiss any failing not onely in the matter but in the principle end affection intention any failing pains 3. In point of suffering A soft heart will not bee careful what or how much but why and upon what account hee suffers Will neither sinfully shun the cross nor run upon it unwarrantably He waits for a call and then follows Hee is patient under the hand of the Lord but not insensible can be touched with an affliction though not offended at it The hand of the Lord hath touched mee Hee suffers more than his own his brethrens sufferings His brethrens burthens all lie on his shoulders Hee weeps in their sorrows bleeds in their wounds his heart is bound in their chains As the care so the trouble of all the Churches come daily upon him Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not hee espouses all the sufferings of Christ as his own In all his afflictions hee is afflicted 2. Tenderness may bee distinguished in respect of the subject of it and so there is a tenderness of the conscience the will the affections 1. Tenderness of conscience stands in these three things 1. Clearness of Judgment 2. Quickness of sight 3. Uprightness or faithfulness 1. Clearness of judgment When it s well instructed and understands the rule and can thence discern betwixt good and evil Heb. 5.14 There is a tenderness that proceeds from cloudiness scrupulosity that fears every thing stumbles at straws starts at shaddows makes sins picks quarrels at duties and so sometimes dare not please for fear of offending God This is the sickness or soreness of conscience not its soundness 'T is the sound conscience that is truly tender 2. Quickness of sight and watchfulness I sleep but my heart waketh It can espie the least sins and smallest duties It can see sin in the very temptation it can discover the least sin under the fairest face and the least duty under the foulest vizor Call it singularity nicety cloud it with reproaches yet conscience can discover light shining through all the clouds duty within whatsoever unhandsom face it bee presented in the former stands in consciences understanding the rule as was said this in strait applying the rule to cases and distinguishing of them by it The truly tender hath his eyes in his head and his eyes open to discover and discern all that comes bee it good or evil little or great If but a thought comes in what comes there saies conscience what art thou a friend or an enemy whence art thou from God or from beneath 't will examine whatever knocks before any free admission O what a croud of evils do thrust into loose and careless hearts the devil comes in in the croud and is never discovered If the eye bee either dim or asleep there 's entrance for any thing Little do wee think oft-times who hath been with us what losses and mischiefs wee have sustained while our hearts have been asleep which had they been wakeful and watchful might have been prevented 3. Uprightness and faithfulness Which discovers it self 1. In giving charge concerning duty 2. In giving warning of sin 3. In giving check for sin when committed 1. In giving charge concerning duty look to it soul there 's a duty before thee which God calls thee to do not say 't is no great hurt to let it alone 't is no great hurt to do it it is questionable whether it bee a duty or no Many wiser than I think otherwise do not say
Prov. 22.3 The prudent man fore-seeth the evil but fools go on the snare is never nearer than to the secure bold venturous sinners never want woe the Devil may spare his cunning when hee hath to do with such nothing that looks like sin offers it self to a tender heart but hee presently suspects it every pleasant morsel every pleasant cup every pleasant companion that comes any thing that tickles and gratifies the flesh hee looks through it e're hee will touch with it least it betray his soul from God there may bee a snare in the dish a snare in my cup a snare in my company and what if there should he feeds himself with fear dwells walks converses works recreates himself vvith a trembling heart and jealous eye 2. In its Caution Fear is warie some Commanders have set their scout watches unarmed that fear might make them watchful a fearful Christian will take heed what and whom hee trusts hee dares not trust himself in such company as may bee a snare unto him hee dares not trust his heart among temptations hee 'l keep the Devil at a distance hee will not come near where his Nets do lye Blessed is hee that thus feareth alwaies O the unspeakable mischief O the multitudes of sins that wee run upon through our secure hearts I never thought of it I never dreamed of any such danger Oh I am undermined I am over-reach'd I am surprized my foot is in the Snare the grin hath taken mee by the heel my soul is among Lyons Sin hath gotten hold on mee mine heart is gone e're I was aware the enemy hath come in and carryed it away hath given it to lust to the world to pleasure to divide it amongst themselves my faith hath failed my conscience is defiled my love is grown cold my grace withered my comforts wasted my peace broken and my God O! where is hee become Woe is mee the evil that I feared not is come upon mee had I feared I had not fallen O that I had been wise had kept my watch had stood upon my guard had I thought had I thought I had escaped all this danger O Christians bee wise in season and take heed of the fools too late had I wist 3. There 's a tenderness of sorrow Sorrow is the melting of the heart the stone dissolved sorrow is the wound of the heart a wound is tender love is tender and therefore Godly sorrow which is the sorrow of love you may call it a love sickness love is both the pain and pleasure of a mourning heart 't is love that wounds and love that heals it is both the weapon and the oyle this sorrow hath its joy the melted is the most joyful heart 't is love that makes it sad it therefore weeps because it loves and 't is love that makes it glad too It therefore joyes because in its sorrows it sees it loves 'T is love that makes the wound the matter of this sorrow being love abus'd what hast thou done Soul who hast thou despised against whom hast thou lift up thy self thou hast sinned thou hast sinned and hast thereby smitten and grieved thy God that loves thee and whom thou lovest Thou hast but one friend in Heaven and earth and him thou hast abused to pleasure thy lust thou hast pierced thy Lord thou hast transgressed his Commandements and trampled upon his Compassions hast broken his Bonds and kick'd at his Bowels his greatness and his goodness his Law and his very Love hath been despised by thee him who loved thee hast thou smitten Is this thy kindness to thy Friend O vile ungratious unkinde unthankful unnatural heart what hast thou done Put all this now together and you have the heart of flesh which the Covenant promises a Tender Heart an heart that is tender of sin and duty that carefully shuns sin or is sure to smart for it that neither slights sin nor duty that sayes not of the one or the other 't is but a little one that can feel sufferings but not fret at them a Tender Conscience that will neither winck at sin nor excuse the sinner that will not hold the sinner guiltless nor say unto the wicked thou art righteous that will not bee smitten but it will smite again that will give due warning and due correction a flexible tractable heart that will not resist and rebel that sayes unto the Lord what wilt thou have mee to do and will not say of any thing hee will have any thing but this A willing ductile heart stiffe against nothing but sin that a word from Heaven will lead to any thing An Heart of Love that bears good will to the Lord and all that hee does or requires in which good will lies radically every good work that saies not of any duties or sufferings this is too great or of any sin this is nothing that would bee any thing or nothing So God may bee all That would rather bee displeased than displease that is not displeased where God is pleased A trembling Heart that fears more than it sees and flies from what it fears whom fear makes to beware A melting Heart a mourning heart that wounds it self in the wounds it hath given to the Lord and his Name that can grieve in love and can love and grieve where it cannot weep In summe 't is an heart that can feel that can bleed that can weep or at least that can yeild and stoop where it cannot weep nor feel but little that will easily bee commanded where it is not sensibly melted this is a soft heart this is the heart of flesh I will take away the stone and give them an heart of flesh Oh what a blessing is such an heart what a plague is an hard heart oh what prisoners are the men of this evil world in prison under Sathan in prison under sin bound under a curse shut up under unbelief and impenitence the hard heart is the iron-gate that shuts them in that they cannot get out Rom. 2. Oh what an hospital is this world become of blind and lame and sick and creeples and wounded creatures whence are all the calamities and distresses that befall them but from the hardness of their hearts the stone in their hearts breeds all their diseases brings all their calamities hath blinded their eyes and broken their bones and wasted their estates there is not one misery that befalls them but they may write up over it this is the hardness of my heart Oh what a Sodom is this world become for wickedness as well as for wrath what drunkenness what adulteries what oaths what blasphemies and all sorts of monstrous sins do every where abound whence is all this but from the hardness of mens hearts if you say 't is from other causes 't is from unbelief from ignorance from impotence from temptations let it bee granted yet still 't is from hardness of heart They are wilfully ignorant wilfully weak vvilfully run into
temptations they shut their eyes and stop their ears they wil not see they will not believe Oh what losses do they sustain how many Sabbaths are lost how many Sermons are lost how many reproofs counsels corrections are lost a Gospel lost and souls thereby like to bee lost for ever oh what prodigies are they become under all this sin and misery and yet merry jolly laughing and singing and sporting and feasting and braving it out as if nothing ail'd them Feeling nothing of all that is come upon them and fearing nothing of all that is coming Warn them reprove them beseech them 't is all but preaching to a stone It may bee you have sometimes wondred to see a company of thieves in prison to bee drinking and carousing and milking merry when they know that in a few daies they must bee brought out and hanged When thou wondrest at these wonder at thy self What bitter complaints do wee sometimes hear even from the best of Saints oh this hard heart oh this stubborn spirit I cannot mourn I cannot stoop I cannot submit Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our heart from thy fear Or why hast thou left us or given us up to an hard heart why hast thou not softened and humbled and broken us thou hast humbled us and wee are not humbled broken us and wee are not broken thou hast broken our land broken our peace broken our backs but the stone is not yet broken oh for one breach more Lord our hearts our hearts let these bee once broken our streets mourn the Cities of our solemnities mourn the wayes of Sion mourn oh when wilt thou give us a mourning spirit Oh what sorrow-bitten souls are the Saints for want of sorrow I mourn Lord I lament I weep but 't is because I cannot mourn or lament as I should If I could mourn as I ought I could bee comforted if I could weep I could rejoyce if I could sigh I could sing if I could lament I could live I die I dye mine heart dies within mee because I cannot cry I cry Lord but not for sin but for tears for sin I cry Lord my calamities cry my bowels cry my bones cry my soul cries my sins cry Lord for a broken heart and behold yet I am not broken The Rocks rent the Earth quakes the Heavens drop the Clouds weep the Sun will blush the Moon bee ashamed the foundations of the earth will tremble at the presence of the Lord but this heart will neither break nor tremble O for a broken heart If this were once done might my soul have this wish thenceforth my God might have his Will what would bee hard if my heart were tender Labour would bee easie pains would bee a pleasure burthens would bee light Neither the Command nor the Cross would bee any longer grievous nothing would bee hard but sin Fear where art thou come and plough upon this Rock Love where art thou come and thaw this Ice come and warm this dead lump come and enlarge this straitned spirit then shall I run the way of his Commandements Oh Brethren how little how very little of this tenderness is there to bee found amongst the most of Christians The sacrifice of God is a broken heart Oh how far must the Lord go to finde himself such a Sacrifice wee do but cast stones up to Heaven when wee lift up our hearts 'T is a wonder that such hearts as wee carry do not break themselves that our marble weeps not that if nothing else will do it our hardness doth not make us relent that wee should so labour under and complain of and yet not bee sick of the Stone Broken hearts yeilding and relenting spirits tender consciences Oh where are they afraid of sin tender of transgressing or mourning under it when shall it once bee our lusts no more broken our pride our passion our envy our earthliness no more broken So venturous on temptation so bold on sin such liberty taken to transgress such mincing and palliating and excusing of sin as wee finde Is this our brokenness wee are tender 't is true but of what of dishonouring God of abusing Grace of neglecting Duty of defiling Conscience of vvounding of our Souls No 't is of our flesh that wee are so tender tender of labour tender of trouble tender of our carkasses of our credits of our Names and reputations a tender shoulder a tender hand a tender foot they can bear nothing nor do nothing nothing can touch our flesh nothing can touch our Idols our ease or our estates but wee shrink and smart and are put to pain God may bee smitten and wee feel it not the Gospel may bee smitten the Church may bee smitten conscience may bee smitten and it moves us not Wee can fear an affliction fear a reproach Oh did wee so much fear a temptation or a sin wee cannot want bread but wee feel it wee cannot want cloathes or an house or a friend but wee feel it Wee cannot want our sleep our quiet our pleasure our respects from men but wee feel it any thing that pinches upon our flesh pierces our hearts Wee cannot pine or languish in our bodies but wee feel it a feaver or an ague or a consumption or a dropsie or any bodily sickness Oh it makes us sick at heart a froward yoak-fellow an unthrifty servant an ill neighbour a scoffe a sleight cannot bee born but Oh! how much sin can bee born while our flesh will bear nothing Oh! how can conscience bear and never complain Christians consider when our flesh must be thus tendred what ever come of it must be tenderly fed must have soft rayment soft lodging soft usage deal gently with it though to maintain it Conscience must bee racked and wracked and wasted When our Wills cannot bee crossed our appetites cannot bee denied but a tumult follows the soul is in an uproar and conscience mean while must be denied rated and must go away in silence When the Word works no more when the prints of it are not received the power of it is resisted when the rod works no more when our stripes make no sign when the lashes on our backs fall all besides our hearts when wee remain so vain and so wanton so wilful and so carnal and so earthly after the Lord hath been preaching and whipping of us into a better frame when wee stand upon our terms keep our distances our animosities our heats and heighths of spirit our censurings our quarrellings one with another Christian with Christian Professour with Professour after the Lord hath been beating us together to make us friends and all to learn us more humility and charity Is this our brokenness is this our tenderness when upon any the Lords rougher dealing with us spitting in our faces throwing us on our backs trampling us in the dirt wee are yet no more brought on our knees Is this our brokenness when the Lord hath been awakening us out of sleep putting his
their cups amongst their Harlots or in their houses It is good for mee to bee here No wonder Christians that carnal hearts are such strangers to the Word can so well fit out at Duties and can want Ordinances Preaching and Praying and Sabbaths they can spare and not feel their want what wonder What is Heaven to Earth what is God to flesh these Chariots would carry them away from their Gods carry them out of their own Country into a strange Land where they have neither possession nor acquaintance But oh what a sad wonder is it that Saints should go up so often into the Chariots and yet be gotten no nearer home that they should be still so much on the Earth that have been so often mounted for Heaven that those hearts should still bee on the dunghils whose feet are so often on the mountain of the Lord that the Wagons should bee so often sent down and go up empty scarce an heart sent up in them yea that they should be so far from God when God is among them Where 's your love Christians how is it that it is still below what have you here your City is above your home is above your God your Jesus your treasure is above oh how is it that where your treasure is your hearts bee not also hear from God and not God with the messenger send up to heaven your eyes your hands your prayers your complaints your promises and still leave your hearts below send up hearts to heaven and let them return again down to this earth remain earth and flesh and filth and vanity after so much converse or pretence to it with the holy God of spirits lovest thou God when thou canst so often go where hee is and not care to see him or if thou meet him canst let him go without a blessing or if he bless thee canst go presently and exchange thy Fathers blessing for a mess of pottage canst lose a duty in a dinner the comforts and revivings of a Sermon of a Sacrament of a Sabbath in an hours carnal converse in the world did wee love our God more certainly wee should bee more with him and to better purpose His meetings would bee more precious and the fruits of them more lasting Wee should neither go away without his blessing nor throw it away when wee had gotten it Thus much for the object of love 2. It s Act. Love is a natural Affection The love of God is the souls clasping or closing with the Lord. It is the expansion or going out of the heart in its strength after God the uniting or knitting of the soul vvith God vvith a complacency and acquiescence in him There are three things included in this love 1. The strength of the heart making out after God This is that vvhich is commonly called our amor desiderii or our love of desire the breathing or thirsting or panting of the heart after God Psal 42.1 The hearts vvorking God-vvards with its might loving him above all things desiring him above all things and that both Intensivè vvith the greatest vigour and intention and adaequatè as its compleat and adequate object God is its All. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee 2. The uniting of the soul with God Our cleaving to him By love heart cleaves to heart soul cleaves to soul It s said of Shechem Gen. 34.3 that his heart clave unto Dinah Hee loved her vvith his heart shee vvas gotten into his heart and there his heart holds her Acts 11.23 Barnabas exhorts the Church that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. It is the knitting of the soul vvith God Its said 1 Sam. 1.18 That the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul And of Jacob Gen. 44.30 to express his tender love to Benjamin 't is said his life was bound up in the lads life Of the multitude of believers wee read Act. 4.32 that they were all of one heart and of one soul Their love had knit them up all into one By love wee are one with God and hee with us It is the souls willing of God as I may so speak Willing of God to it self and willing it self and all to God All praises all honour all blessedness to him Bee thou mine Lord nothing less nothing else Bee thou mine I need no less I desire no more Let mee bee thine be to thee bee for thee thy servant thy sacrifice or what thou wilt and let all mine bee thine mine heart and my hand and my tongue and my time and mine interest Let all thine bee to thee thy heavens and thy earth with every person with every creature in them Let every heart every mouth every limb every creature bee a praise to the Lord. Let the Lord live and blessed bee my rock let the God of my salvation bee exalted Let every knee bow let every tongue confess unto God This is the amor unionis our love of union as 't is called And 't is the heart the very essence of saving love wherein are included both our accepting of God and our surrender or resignation of our selves unto God Amor non est nisi donum amantis in amaetum And our wishing and willing all glory dominion and blessedness to him And so here also is our amor benevolentiae our love of benevolence All these may bee included in that opening of the heart mention'd Acts 16.14 It s there said that the Lord opened Lydia's heart The heart is then savingly opened when it freely lets out it self upon God all its streams run in to the Lord and when it takes in and takes down God into the depth of the soul The heart thus opened to the Lord when God is come in will close upon him Abide with me thou hast entred upon thine habitation oh let this bee thy dwelling for ever Onely this must bee farther added that with God it takes in all the things of God his Word his Ordinances his waies and all his dispensations With his love his laws with his comforts his counsels with his counsels his corrections with thee I accept of all that 's thine both thy staff and thy rod both thy yoke and thy cross thy self Lord thy love Lord and what thou wilt with thee 3. The souls talking pleasure and taking up its rest in him This is call'd our Amor complacentiae Where wee love there will bee a delightful stay or immoration of the mind upon God Ubi amor ibi oculus The object dwells in the eye we are still looking where we love Anima est ubi amat When I awake I am still with thee there his thoughts are of him is his meditation all the day long My meditation of him shall bee sweet Hee that loves dwelleth in God I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And why there why there his
are over and wee make our returns from Heaven to Earth How much work have wee to keep our hearts by the Lord how do they slink away e're wee are aware and whilst wee are in his Presence how seldome do wee rejoyce in his Presence What hungry meals what jejune feasts do wee make before the Lord Wee relish not his Daintys his Wine is but lees his Marrow and his fat things are but leanness to our Souls a little love would sweeten every drop would season every morsel that comes from his Table would make our very Fasts to bee pleasant bread Wee feed upon the dish or the trencher and not the meat on the bone and not the marrow Ordinances and the external Exercises of Religion are but the bone or the shell or the dish it is God that is the Kernel the Marrow and Fatness How little Communion have wee with the Lord in our approaches to him and how little sweetness do wee finde in the little wee have Communion is the pleasure of Love and Love is the sweetness of Communion Now I am where I would bee O! how amiable are thy Tabernacles very pleasant art thou to mee O Lord that is the voice of Love Had wee more love wee should bee more spiritual and spiritual things would bee more grateful to spiritual hearts Divine Love is like the fire it rarifies and changes hearts into its own likeness and then there 's sweetness O we are carnal and that 's enough to evidence that there 's little of the love of God abiding in us Consider these things and you will see that love is a rarity there 's but little true love in the world O prize the love of God let its want make it prized shall it bee so rare and yet so cheap prize it and press on after it What do these hearts below are they not still below so cold such clods of clay and yet above so carnal so sensual and yet in Heaven so hungry and so greedy in sucking the juice of this earth in taking in its pleasures so busy in digging out the Wealth of the earth and searching for its treasures hearts so busy this way and yet not here how canst thou say I am walking with the God of Glory when thou art still worshipping the Gods of the Earth how canst thou say this heart is risen it is not here when it may bee said to thee behold the place where it lyes it is still in the field in the ridges and furrows thereof it is still in the Mines in the heart of the earth see the place where it lyes we sow our hearts with our seed we send them down to dig in the heart of the Earth But what do these hearts below sursum corda get you up get you up leave nothing but the Mantle here your carkasses Earth to Earth Dust to Dust Come heave these souls Heaven-ward let them take the wing and be gone O that I had the wings of a Dove that I might fly up and be at rest Be lower than ever by humility but let love be on high Behold those cords of love that are let down in every Ordinance in every Providence there 's a cord let down to gather up hearts hearken to those calls of love come up hither come up hither we come Lord thou bid'st us come O lend us thy hand and lift us up Come on Christians come let 's be happy if wee love wee are happy Come let 's rejoyce if wee love wee joy come let 's live wee dye wee dye while wee linger on this earth if wee love wee live let 's live and let our life bee love let our works bee labours of love our sufferings seals of love our sorrows the sorrows of love our wounds loves scars our prayers the cryes of love our praises love songs to our Lord and God Let every duty every exercise let every member every power let our bodies let our souls bee loves Sacrifices as we see in all his so let the Lord see love in all our waies Canst thou not love look till thou canst look up to thy God send up thy thoughts thither let thy Meditations bee of him these will not bee long before the Throne e're they fetch up thy heart Look on thy Jesus behold his hands and his feet come and put thy finger into the print of the Nails and thrust thine heart into his side and there let it lie till thou feel it warm Look up to thy Jesus lift up a prayer Lord let mee love thee if thou lovest let mee love thee I will seek till I can see let mee see till I can love What have I here Lord my all is with thee my help my hope my treasure my life is hid with Christ in God And yet behold this all is nothing to mee while mine heart is no more with thee take it Lord take it up where my treasure is there let mine heart bee also Doubting Christian who because thou lovest so little fearest thou lovest not at all cry for more but bee thankful for what thou hast bee ashamed thou lovest no more but bee not dismayed thou complainest thou canst not love God but dost thou love his Image his Saints his Word his Works his Waies Whilst thou sayest thou lovest not God dost thou love Godliness if thou canst not love can'st grieve can'st lament after him hast thou chosen dost thou hang upon trust in the Lord If thou canst not love can'st fear and follow the Lord If he be not sensibly in thy affection is he in thy thoughts in thy mouth in thine eye Is hee thy aim and thy scope doth thy course bend towards him Comfort thine heart in these things thou mayest see though thou canst not feel thou lovest CHAP. XIV An heart to fear the Lord. AN heart to fear the Lord Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me I shall proceed to the opening of this by these steps I shall shew 1. That the Lord God is a dreadful God 2. That the Lord hath put the dread of himself upon the hearts of all the earth 3. That yet by sin the heart of man is much hardned from the fear of the Lord. 4. That God will recover his Honour and again put his fear into the hearts of his people 5. What this fear of the Lord is that he will put into them 1. The Lord God is a dreadfull God he is dreadfull in the Excellency and Glory of his Majesty Job 13.11 Shall not his Excellency make you afraid and his dread fall upon you His Power is dreadfull Fear ye not me saith the Lord Will ye not tremble at my presence Which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot pass it and though the Waves thereof toss themselves yet they cannot prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it Fear ye not me saith
may sometimes be of carnal respects that may have an influence upon the exerting and bringing them forth yet the great poise that moves the Wheels the swaying motive that brings us on is God and our respects to his will and Honour Now for this also the Lord undertakes promising not onely assistance but success sufficient grace and efficacious grace I will cause them to walk in my Statutes and they shall keep my judgments and do them I will not onely teach them my Statutes I will not onely incline their hearts to my testimonies I will not onely strengthen them for my work but I will cause them to walk in my Statutes The even shall be sure they shall keep my judgments and do them my word shall fail my promises shall be of none effect let me be accounted unfaithfull if I do not make them faithful to me CHAP. XVI Perseverance in the Covenant 8. PErseverance Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me The Perseverance of the Saints is founded on the Election of God and the immutability of his Counsel The foundation of the Lord standeth sure Rom. 8.38 Whom he did Predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This golden Chain will hold not a link of it shall be broken on whomsoever the first link Election hath taken hold it will infallibly bring him up to the last Glory God is not as man that he should repent But not to wade farther into this deep our business lyes in the Promise of God There are two sorts of Promises concerning Perseverance There are Promises To Perseverance Of Perseverance 1. The Promise of eternal life is made to Perseverance Hold out to the end and be saved Overcome and reign Be faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2,10 If thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever 1 Chron. 28.9 If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Christians beware of Apostacy beware of Presumption Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Let it not be said of you ye did run well He runs well that gives not off that sits not down on this side the goal So run that ye may obtain 2. There are Promises of Perseverance The Covenant of God is an everlasting Covenant He hath commanded his Covenant for ever Psal 111.5 There are two things in the fore-mentioned Scripture Jer. 32.40 secured to Believers which secure their Perseverance 1. God will not depart from them 2. They shall not depart from him 1. God will not depart from them I will not turn awâ—… from them God is with me but I fear I shall provoke him away I shall weary him out by my sins and drive him from me No saith the Lord I will not turn away from them to do them good I will never fail thee nor forsake thee 2. They shall not depart from him 'T is true the Lord will be with me but t is onely while I am with him if I depart he wil depart if I forsake him he will caâ—… me off for ever Here 's my great fear that I shall turn away from him there is in me an evil heart of unbelief that 's ever departing from the living God Oh this false and fickle heart I dare not trust it for a day I dare not undertake for it for an hour I doubt it will be gone ere I am aware my corruptions are strong my temptations are many every day brings its temptations and I am in great fear that by one means or other one day or other I shal fall before them and depart from the living God! No saies God fear not thou shalt not depart I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me They shall be kept by my Almighty Power through faith unto salvation My grace shall be with them and my grace shall be sufficient for them and shall preserve them to my Heavenly Kingdom And here is the Saints security The Lord God will not turn away from them nor ever suffer them to run away from him If the Promise fail then may their faith also fail It s true there may be gradual declinings and departures of the Saints from Christ for a season but total or final there shall not be They shall not be of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul Though they fall they shall rise again they may turn but they shal return As Hypocrites will not stay with Christ alwaies so neither will Saints alwais stay from him And there 's a like reason of both Sinners sometimes will step aside and salute Religion and take some turnes with Christ but after a while away they must again And there is a double Reason of it 1. There 's that within them 2. There 's one without them That will fetch them back 1. There 's that within them that will fetch them back Corrupt nature the power of unmortified Lust this it that bears the sway in their hearts and however for the time the stream may be somewhat turn'd out of its course or bayd up however by the impetus of some external Motives or Arguments or the impulses of an awakened Conscience or some sudden heat of affection they are carried on after and in some fair compliance with the Lord Jesus yet when the Bay is removed when the external force is spent Conscience laid to sleep the heat of affection allaid which is often almost as soon out as in thou very natures will reduce and bring them back to their old course What is it that pulls a Stone or a lump of Clay down again that is thrown into the Ayr Why when the vis impressa by which they were forc'd up is spent their natures their innate gravities will bring them down to their place Sinners need no other weights to pull them down to this Earth then their earthly hearts 2. There 's one without them that will fetch them off Satan the god of this world whose they are and whom they serve who though he indulge them so much liberty for their Religion as is consistent with their captive state and may possibly secure them the more under his Dominion Hypocrites are often the faster to Satan for being so near to Christ the very Religion they have is but the Devils snare by which he holds them back from Religion yet lest by venturing them too farr they should be lost to him at last he that first tempted them so near to Christ Hypocrites are often beholding to the Devil for their Religion they have will quickly tempt them back again And so on the other side there are the like Reasons why Saints cannot alwaies
wander or stay sway from Christ 1. There 's that within them which will bring them back the grace of God within them will bring them home The grace of God is now their nature Sinners whilest walking with Christ and Saints whilest wandring from Christ are both under a force they are carried against the stream when the winds are down that carried them on they will return to their course The grace of God is the seed of God He that is born of God sinneth not that is not unto death the seed of God remaineth in him Thy seed of God is immortal seed it may languish and be ready to dye but it shall not dye it shall recover 2. There 's one above them which will bring them back Though he suffer them for a time to wander from the way yet he will not suffer them to perish from the way Of those whom thou hast given me I have lost none He hath lost none and he will lose none He sends a word of command after them Jer. 3.14 Return O lack sliding children for I am married to you Whither are you running Whom are you following after Come back from your Lovers return to your Husband I am married to you and we may not part After the word of Command he sends a word of Promise ver 22. I will heal your back-slidings Return from your back-slidings and I will heal them I will forgive your back-slidings and I wil cure you of your back sliding heart All the Breaches they have made shall be made up I will pass by all that you have done and be reconciled to you If you will return return and I will receive you And this word of Promise is a word of Power I will bring you to Zion then shall she say I will go and return to my first Husband Hos 2. Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Jer. 3.22 He that will not leave his Israel after the flesh with their Idols much less will he leave his Israel after the Spirit Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he that hath begun a good work will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ A good work may be said to be begun in double sence 1. When there is some good think a doing Or when something is done towards it when it is in fieri When the Lord hath been ploughing up the fallow ground making his Batteries against the strong Hold shaking secure hearts breaking false hopes awakening Consciences convincing sinners spreading sin and death and hell before them entring upon a Treaty with them and perswading them over to Christ to make an escape There may be hopes in this The pains of Travel gives hopes of a Birth But this may go back and after the highest hopes prove an abortion Sinners awakened sinners beware you make not a stand at the Threshold beware that your Plough'd ground be not left to lye fallow Beware that the Womb prove not the Grave of all your hopes Mistake not Conviction for Conversion make on let not your God nor your souls lose the things which here been wrought 2. When there is some good thing done When 't is in facto esse When the Rubbish is removed and the first stone is laid when the Plough hath been going and the good Seed is sown when the New-creature hath passed the Birth when Christ is formed and the light of life is newly sprung up in the soul it there be but a grain of Mustard-seed the least and the lowest degree of saving Grace broken forth in the heart the question is not whether it be much or little if it be grace there 's the immortal seed there 's the good work begun which shall be carried on till the day of Jesus Christ Grace is a security for Glory Yet beware Christians let not this security make you secure though there be an Harvest in the seed yet the seed must be cherished watched and well looked to that it may grow up to the Harvest He that lets it dye for want of looking to proves that it was dead whilest alive Let not your falling short of Glory prove that your Grace was not Grace Christians lay hold on the Promise and lift up your heads you are under fears however it be with you for the present you are in doubt how it may be your way is long and dangerous yet your hearts are deceitful and unstable you are going on at present but doubt how you shall hold out I may meet with Lions in the way which may fright me back I may lose my way and never recover I may be weary and faint in the way and lye down and give off My Lord and my soul have been often upon the parting point I have been almost gone and I tremble to think what may yet become of me Yet remember who it is that hath said I will not turn from you to do you good I will put my fear in your hearts and you shall not depart from me Rise soul take care for to day and take no thought for to morrow Mind the present duty go on thy way though weeping and trembling and hard bestead go on thy way and then commit thy way and thy self to him by whose mighty Power thou shalt be kept through faith unto salvation Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it And now you have all Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter God hath made a Covenant with his people hath given himself for their Portion his Son for their price his Spirit for their guide in the way his Earth for their accommodation by the way his Angels for their Guard the Powers of darkness and death for their Spoils everlasting Glory for their Crown And because their way is difficult and their work is contrary to them he hath given them all that grace that is necessary to bring them to Glory In General a new heart in all things suited to their way and throughly furnished for every good work In Particular Knowledge to guide oneness to fix and intend tenderness to submit ro and yeeld love to constrain and bring on fear to fence and hold in obedience to perform and bring forth and perseverance to go through and hold out to the end and there grace and glory meet This is the Covenant of grace this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you It will be said But if God hath undertaken all this for us what is there then left on us to do Here 's a Doctrine according to sinners hearts if this be Gospel then soul take thine ease take thy liberty cast away care make much of thy body God will take care of the rest But is there nothing required of us Let the Scriptures speak Ezek. 36.37 Yet for all this will I be enquired of or sought unto by the house of Israel otherwise let them look for no such things He that will not ask in
trust to it trust everlasting truth trust to everlasting strength Fear not for there shall not fail one word of all that I have spoken by all my servants the Prophets If you should hear the Lord speaking thus to you from Heaven what would you say Would not this satisfie you Why search the Scriptures that more sure word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1.19 Read them diligently understond what thou readest and then say if thou doest not there finde the Lord speaking fully to thee the following words CHAP. XVII God speaking from Mount Gerizim Or the Gospel in a Map being a short view of the exceeding great and precious Promises * Mr. I. A. by another hand The voyce of the Herauld O All ye Inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the Earth Come see and hear gather your selves together unto the Proclamation of the great King Hear you that are farr off and you that are near He that hath an ear to hear let him hear I am the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Let every Valley be exalted and every Mountain made low for the glory of the Lord is to be revealed Go thorow go thorow the Gates prepare the way Cast up cast up the High-way gather out the Stones lift up the Standard for the people for the Lord proclaimeth salvation to the ends of the Earth Tydings tydings O ye Captives Hear all ye that look for salvation in Israel behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy which shall be unto all people Blessed newes Prepare your ears and hearts the Lord hath commanded me saying Go unto the people and sanctifie them lâ—t them waâ—h and be ready for the Lord is coming down upon Mount Sion in the sight of all the Nations Not in Earthquakes and Fire not in Clouds and Darkness not in Thundrings and Burnings rending the Mountains and breaking the Rock in pieces He speaks not to you out of the Blackness and Darkness and Tâ—mpest you shall say no more Let not God speak to us lest we dye He cometh peaceably he Law of kindness is in his mouth he preacheth Peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is near Behold how he commeth leaping upon the Mountains he hath passed Mouth Ebal no more wrath or cursing he is come to Mount Gerizim where he standeth to bless the people As Mordecai to his Nation he writeth the words of truth and peace seeking the welâ—are of his people and speaking peace to all his Seed Behold how he cometh clothed with flames of Love with bowels of Compassion plenteous Redemption and multiplyed Pardons O how pregnant is his Love O the rollings of his Bowels Oh how full are his Breasts even aking till they are eased by the sucking of his hungry Children Hearken therefore O ye Children hearken to me To you it is commanded O People Nations and Languages that at what time you hear the joyful sound the Trump of Jubile the tydings of peace in the voyce of the everlasting Gospel that you fall down before the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Arise and come away Prepare prepare you Hear not with an uncircumcised ear you are not upon a common thing Behold the Throne is set the Throne of grace where Majesty and Mercy dwell together from thence will the Lord meet you from thence will he commune with you from the Mercy-seat from between the Cherubims upon the Ark of the Testimony Lo the Lord cometh out of his Pavilion the mighty God from Sion Selah His glory covereth the Heavens the Earth is full of his praise A fire of love goeth before him mercy and truth are round about him righteousness and peace are the habitation of his Throne he rideth on his Horses and Chariots of Salvation the Covenant of life and peace is in his mouth Rejoyce ye Heavens make a joyful noise to the Lord all the Earth Let the Sea roar the Floods clap their hands and the multitudes of the Isles rejoyce Stand forth the Host of Heaven prepare your Harps cast down your Crowns be ready with your Trumps bring forth your golden Vials full of Odours for our voyces will jarr our strings will break we cannot we cannot reach the note of our Makers praise Yet let them that dwell in the dust arise and sing Bear your part in this glorious service but consider and attend Call out your souls and all that is within you Lift up your voyces fix your eyes enlarge your hearts intend all their Powers here is work for them all Be intent and serious you cannot strein too high Come forth ye graces beset the way be all in readiness Stand forth Faith and Hope flame O Love come ye warm desires and break with longing Let fear with all veneration do its Obeysance Joy prepare thy songs call up all the Daughters of Musick to salute the Lord as he passeth by Let the generations of the Saints appear and spread the way with Boughs and Garments of Salvation and songs of Deliverance Deut. 29.10 to the 13. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains your Elders your Officers with all the men of Israel your little Ones your Wives and the stranger that is within thy Camp from the hewer of Wood to the drawer of Water That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn I have done my errand The Messenger of the morning disappeareth when the Orient Sun cometh forth out of his Chambâ—rs I vanish I put my mouth in the dust The voice of the Lord The soft and still voice O my soul wrap thy face in the mantle and bow thy self to the ground and put thee in the clif of the Rock while Jehovah proclaimeth his Name and maketh all his goodness to pass before thee The voice of the LORD HEar O ye ends of the Earth The mighty God the Lord hath spoken Gather my Saints unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice a a Psal 50.1,5 Behold I establish my Covenant between me and you b b Gen. 17.7 By my holiness have I sworn that I will be your Covenant-friend I lift up my hands to heaven I swear I live for ever and because I live you shall live also c c Ioh. 14.19 I will be yours d d Jer. 32.38,40 Yours to all intents and purposes Your refuge and your rest e e Jer. 50.6 Psal 90.1 Psal 46.1 your Patron and your Portion f f Psal 73.26 Esay 25.4,5 your Heritage and your Hope your God and your Guide g g Psal 48.14 While I have you shall never want and
Hast thou yet such a far deeper sence of the eternal sufferings thou art in danger of such a setled belief of thy absolute necessity of Christ to thy escaping these such an high value of the love of Christ and the everlasting salvation thou expectest by him as does over-ballance and swallow up the sharpest and the quickest sense thou hast or canst have of the greatest things thou shalt suffer by him hast thou cast up all afflictions imaginable and then put thy soul to it now resolve what to do either this or no Christ either this or no Crown either this Cross or the Curse either the wrath of man or the wrath of God Scorpions and Dragons and Devils shriecking and howling and gnashing of teeth for ever and ever Confess Christ and be confessed of him suffer with Christ and reign with him weep with Christ and rejoyce with him die with Christ and live for ever deny Christ forsake Christ and perish for ever hast thou thus put thy self to it and after the most solemn debate thou hast had what is the result Now tell me Christ or no Christ wilt thou have Christ for better for worse how dear soever he cost thee 3. Wilt thou forsake all others Thou hast three Husbands that lay claim to thee Sin the World and the Devil Wilt thou renounce and be divorc'd from all these There 's no compounding betwixt Christ and them he or they must go The renouncing of sin stands In the disengaging of the heart from it In the engaging of the heart against it 1. In the disengaging or loosening of the heart from sin 'T is an hearty willingness to let it go a willingness to part is our parting with sin A breaking the Peace the cutting off the League betwixt sin and the soul when a sinner stands so clearly convinc'd of the worth of Christ of the value of a soul of the enmity of sin against Christ and and the soul of the unworthiness of sin with all its pleasures and so advantages to be laid in the ballance with Christ is willing to be rid of it What is there in it What can it do for me How long will it last me Where will it lead me O the after births of sin O the tail of these Locusts the sting the sting that I see there Can I want a Christ or can I hope that he 'll dwell with such Neighbours Can I bear the loss of my soul or can it escape if these escape I see its vain to think of keeping both Christ and Lusts its vain to think of saving both my sins and my soul t is all one as to be saved and to be damn'd I may as well bring Heaven and Hell together Well let them go henceforth hold thy peace sin plead no more with me for entertainment be a stranger for ever to me henceforth I know thee no more 2. In the engaging the heart against sin When the heart is not onely content to let it depart but gives it a Bill of divorce and sends it away When it can want it and cannot bear it when it deals with it as the Egyptians with Israel at first they have onely leave given them to be gone but at length they thrust them out Exod. 12.33 They were urgent upon them that they might send them out of the Land in hast for they said we be all but dead men Be gone sin I am but a dead man if thou abidest with me and so it will no longer court it as a friend but curse it as an enemy fears it hates it and is resolved to be its mortal enemy and to this end is determined to use all Gods means To discover To destroy it 1. To use all Gods meanes to discover it to bring to light the hidden things of darkness Sin goes under a disguise t is hard to know friends from enemies they had need have their senses about them and well exercised too that can discern betwixt good and evil Heb. 5.14 Who can understand his Errours Psal 19.12 Sinne lies in the dark The heart of man is desperately wicked who can know it There 's too much wickedness and it lies too deep to be discerned by every eye he that means in earnest to cast out must first search out his iniquities Let us search and try our wayes Lam. 3.40 He must search the Scriptures which describe these Enemies and mark them out what they are and how many and how they may be known where ever you finde them and under what disguise soever they appear must search the heart where if they walk no more openly they will hide themselves that they be not discovered or suspected Thou art a fool a self-deceiver Sinner who takest thy self to be an adversary to sin and takest no care to find it out much more who willingly hidest it out of sight He takes part with sin which will not take pains to know it I hate the Devil and all his works I repent I forsake all my sins and though I have done iniquity by the Grace of God I will do so no more Thus vain men talk but dost know what thou sayest What is sin Dost know a friend from an enemy good from evil What are thy sins What hast thou done Wherein hast thou transgressed What are they that have done thee mischief What are their names May be thou wilt say their name is Legion for they are many In many things I have transgressed in many things I have offendied but in what things Dost know thine enemy when thou seest him or wouldst thou know him if thou couldst Dost thou make any search or enquiry after him when thou readest of a proud heart in the Scriptures art able to say there 's one of them that have done me mischief or of a covetous heart there 's another of them or of an envious malitous froward heart there are more of them or of an hard and hypocritical ignorant unbelieving heart this is he This is my great Enemy or if thou canst not tell dost ask Is not this he Are not these they O that I could understand mine errours Lord make me to know my transgressions Sinners never make your selves believe you are enemies to sin till you make narrow and particular enquiry after it after all sin the several kindes of it whether of Omission or Commission whether Outward or Spiritual Open or Secret Greater or Smaller sins of Ignorance or Knowledge of Infirmities or Presumption your beloved your most pleasing sins your most gainful sins whatever they be you never renounce till you resolve to make a diligent search after them 2. To use all Gods means to destroy and overcome them He that hides his enemy and he that will spare him when he hath found him is not an enemy but a friend He that sayes I will destroy and will not use his weapons either knows not what he sayes or sayes what he never means Thou sayest thou wilt renounce and
will they not prove themselves so to be but specially graces will be their own evidence Things outward fall alike to all No man knowes love or hatred by ought that befalls him Eccles 9.1 Thou mayest be a son or a bastard notwithstanding all that thou enjoyest or sufferest here but not one of the fore-mentioned graces but is a childes portion Gods mark upon the heart to distinguish children from strangers Prove that thou truly knowest the Lord hast one heart a tender heart c. and thou therein provest thy self to be a child of Promise Read over the descriptions that have been given of these graces observe diligently where the main differenâ—e lyes betwixt common and special grace compare thine heart with it and thereby thou mayest give a judgement of thy state If it be yet questionable whether it be sound or no sit not down till thou hast obtained but having obtained 2. Keep your evidences clear Have you peace maintain it carefully The hidden Manna will never breed worms by long keeping Content not your selves that you once had peace 't will be but a poor livelihood you will get out of what 's wasted and lost Get you good evidences that God is yours and keep them by you till you need them no more Grace is your best evidence cherish and preserve it Get a seeing eye and keep your eye open get a single heart and let it not be again divided get a tender heart and keep it tender let the love and fear of God be acted in holy Obedience An obedient gracious watchful active life will keep grace in heart and flourishing grace will speak for it self and you Look not that the Lord should so far countenance your declinings to a more fleshly careless state as to smile upon you in such a state God will not be an Abettor to sin Count upon it that your grace and peace your duty and comfort will rise and fall together suspect those comforts that accompany you into the tents of wickedness and forsake you not when you forsake your God Keep up your spirits and then lift up your heads keep heedfully on your way and your joy shal no man take from you Particularly 1. Keep close by God 2. Keep hold on Christ 3. Keep touch with the Spirit 4. Keep in with Conscience 1. Keep close to God Keep thy self under his eye and influences Both thy grace and thy comforts as they had their birth so must they have their nourishment from Heaven Lose the sight of the Sun and darkness follows Let thine eyes be towards the hills Let divine love be the pleasure of thy life Let it be thy Lords cord upon thine heart let it binde thee to him be loves Captive let thine ear be bor'd to the threshold be familiar in Heaven keep thine acquaintance there and be at peace chide back thy gadding heart Soul whither art thou going who hath the words of eternal life let the interviews of love betwixt thy Lord and thee be constant let them not be onely on some few holy days of thy life Count not thou hast lived that day in which thou hast not liv'd with God Keep close to God by keeping close to duty Keep close to duty and keep close to God in duty Call not that a duty which thou canst not call communion with God Make not duty to do the work of sin to take God out of sight Let not Prayer or Hearing or Sacraments be instead of a God to thee Such praying and hearing there is amonst many but know not thou any thing for Religion wherein thou meetest not with God Behold the face of God but behold his face in righteousness Psal 17.15 'T is ill looking on God with a blood-shot eye Guilt upon the heart will be a cloud that will make the Sun as darkness to thee Walk in the light of the Lord. Walk in the light as he is in the light In thy light the holiness of thy life thou shalt see his light The light of his holiness in thee will be attended with the light of his countenance upon thee By the light of his countenance thou wilt both see thy self in thy way to thine hopes and learn thy way more perfectly Psal 119.135 Make thy face to shine upon thy Servant and teach me thy statutes God hath many ways of teaching he teaches by Book he teaches by his Finger he teaches by his Rod but his most comfortable and effectual teaching is by the light of his Eye Send forth thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me to thy holy Hill 2. Keep hold on Christ He is thy peace Appear not before God but in the blood of the Lamb let him carry up thy duties and own not that for a comfort which is not brought thee by his hand Let him be thy way to the Father and thy Fathers way to thee Keep fresh upon thine heart the memory of his death and satisfaction and let that be thy life and thine hope Hast thou cast Anchor on this Rock lose not thy hold hang upon the horns of the Altar Thou canst not live but there if thou must dye say but I will dye here Put forth fresh Acts of faith everyday and hour Believe believe believe and thou shalt be established Fall not into Unbelief then thou art gone thou departest from the living God Heb. 3.12 3. Keep touch with the Spirit Observe and obey his motions when he excites get thee on when he checks get thee back know the holy from the evil spirit by its according or differing with the Scriptures reject that spirit in the heart that is not the same with the Spirit in the word Try the Wind what and whence it is by thy Card and Gompass To the Law and to the Testimony And when thou perceivest it s from above hoise up thy sails and get thee on Quench not the Spirit Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby thou art sealed to the day of Redemption 4. Keep in with Conscience Make not thy witness thine enemy Deal friendly with it thou wilt need its good word which thou canst not have if it receive blowes from thee it will not learn this Lesson to speak good for evil or if thou shouldest beat it into it thou art undone if an abuse conscience speak peace it becomes thy Traytor Give due respect to Conscience Let it abide with thee in Peace and in Power Keep up its Authority as Gods Vicegerent Next under God commit the keeping of thy soul to conscience as the Lord hath so do thou make it superintendent in thy soul the Judge and Over-seer of all thy motions and actions Let conscience counsell thee and tell thee thy way let conscience quicken thee and put thee on in thy way let conscience watch thee that thou turn not out of thy way let conscience check thee and reduce thee into thy way Whither ever thou goest carry conscence along with thee carry
heart 2. The power of the end the end hath a four-fold power it draws directs governs rewards 1. It draws the heart to it God who is a Christians end is also his beginning Our first step heaven-ward wee owe to the influence of heaven upon us Draw mee wee will run after thee Cant. 1. No man can come unto mee unless the Father which hath sent mee draw him Nothing but God will do it as nothing will draw the soul another way the pleasures of sin the wages of unrighteousness are poor and low baits to entice a soul away from God that is so far as 't is renewed so 't is nothing but God that draws the soul on its way and he will do it God draws the soul not by an act of power onely but by moral swasion that 's the proper casuality of the end Not by efficiency onely but by sympathy as by the water the thirsty soul is drawn to the water-brooks It is God that draws hearts after him there are instruments as his Word and Ministers and and there are arguments by which God draws but whatever the instruments or arguments are 't is God that does it What is the work of either Word or Ministers but to set God before them and this draws Instruments can do nothing unless God bee the Preacher by them arguments can do nothing unless hee bee the medium of them as 't was said concerning the peoples following Saul so much more concerning those that follow the Lord. Those onely follow him whose hearts God hath touched 'T is not mans teaching but Gods touching the heart that draws it heaven-ward The tongue of man may touch the ear 't is God onely that touches the heart And when he touches then the heart will follow As you know the needle when it s touched with a Loadstone then it turns after it The Loadstone is not more naturall attractive of the needle than God is of that heart which he hath touched Cant. 5.4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved in mee He did but touch the door and her heart felt him and moved tovvards him O Christians when you have been waiting upon God in prayer hearing or any other spiritual duty or ordinance consider hath mine heart been touched this day my tongue hath been touched mine ear hath been touched mine heart hath been treated with but hath the Lord touched it hath there vertue come forth from him which hath enticed and drawn my soul after him Sometimes by a message or visit from heaven the Lord hath drawn a good word from the lip a tear from the eye but O for touches upon souls for turning of bowels for the flowings out of hearts after the Lord Hee is the only load-stone that prevails on gracious souls Others that have many hearts have many attractives every heart hath its peculiar god twenty gods it may be in one man because so many hearts Their pleasures are their Gods their profits their gods their belly their god their wives or their children their gods and so many gods so many ends And every end is a loadstone to draw them after them Every heart will after its God A Christian that hath but one heart hath but one God and this is he that draws it on its way Thou sayest the Lord is thy God thou acknowledgest thou ownest thou hast chosen him for thine but what doth thy God whom thou hast chosen do upon thine heart what will the sight of God or thy love to God or thy hope in God do upon thee how far will it carry thee which way runs thy heart which way dost bend thy course dost feel thy God drawing thee and is thy heart running after him running notes motion and a swift or violent motion I shall lay before you these six or seven expressions the Scripture uses to note the running of those hearts after God whom he hath drawn 1. The desiring of the soul after God Isa 26.8.9 The desire of our soul is to thy name with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek theee early Desire is the soul in motion God-wards Towards him are their desires and they come deep ab intimis ab imo pectore from their inwards from the bottom of the heart With my soul have I desired thee with my spirit within mee will I seek thee Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee 't is not all my desires but my desire thou seest all and 't is all but one desire Hee desires pardon hee desires peace hee desires help and the heealing of his wounds but all this is but one desire God is all One thing have I desired Psal 27.4 2. The thirsting of the sout Psal 42.2 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God Thirsting is the extremity of desire hunger and thirst are the appetite or desire heightened violent and painful appetites my soul thirsteth and is in pain till it be satisfied 3. The longing of the soul Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is Longing causeth languishing and abortions if it be not satisfied Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing desire it hath to thy judgments My heart panteth my flesh faileth the light of mine eyes is gone from me Psal 38.10 4. Calling after God Psal 4.1 Hear mee when I call O God of my righteousness Calling upon God is the voice of desires The desiring soul will not keep silence the tongue the eye the ears the hands the knees must all be oratours when the flame is once kindled within 5 Crying after the Lord. This is an expression answering the thirsting of the soul Crying is a passionate and importunate praying I cryed unto the Lord with my whole heart Psal 119.145 6. Crying out after God This is the manner of the longing soul Crying out notes more than bare crying loud cryes strong cryes forced out by a paroxisme of love or an agony the soul is in Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living Lord. 7. Following hard after the Lord Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee This expression is more comprehensive it notes both all the workings and breakings and breathings of the soul within and its diligent pursuing in the use of all outward means and pressing on after the Lord. All those labourings and watchings and runnings all that holy violence wherewith a Saint presses into the Kingdome of God Put all this together and you will see the power and influence the Lord hath on holy Souls to the drawing of them after him they are in motion Heaven-vvard desiring thirsting longing calling crying crying out follovving hard after him What aileth these souls vvhat 's the matter vvith them