Blessed are all those that trust in him The last Psalm that ever I heard was the fifteenth the description of a Citizen of Zion And the last Hymn that ever I heard was that entituled Trust in Gods Providence it was very good There it is said The righteous shall not be forsaken or his seed beg their bread A righteous man may have a wicked child as David had an Absalom but the righteous-children of the righteous shall not want their bread The eternal Spirit shall be their comfort Should I live a long time in the world I should not want for I know the Eternal God will supply me The words I speak I know not in what order they are but they are as the Spirit directs and helps me The Lord is good to his servants to all that trust in him I hope I shall be ashamed of nothing but for the works of the flesh The Lord is the same yesterday to day and for ever He is Alpha and Omega the first and the last and my times are in Gods hand My dear Father so long as you trust in the Lord you have your reward with the Father which is in Heaven Father you must be patient with your little Daughter in the flesh I have been in heats and colds but the Lord is able to raise me up as well as to cast me down I desire when my departure is at hand that I may lie down in peace The Grave is a sweet bed I never found such a sweet bed as that bed the Grave is to me in all my life This flesh is laid down in dishonour but it shall be raised in Glory About a year ago I was you know where For certainty sake one asked her saying where do you mean To which another that stood by said I think she means at Morton was it not She replied yea it was There I heard a good man I believe he is so he spake from the spirit I believe he did But when I went unto him once and again hoping to receive some comfort from him in private He was to me strange and filent and his silence at first much troubled me but since I trust my Father which is in Heaven his mind was to teach me himself that was by my close studying of good books and earnest prayer thereby he would teach me himself His mind in that which I went to a man to be resolved in and thereby he comforted me and it was that himself might have all the Glory My dear Brothers and Sisters I love you so well that I could give you my heart I have many good books and I made many * She privately earned some small matter with her needle when able and it was to bestow it in books as she did every envy thereof shifts that is according to the flesh to get them but never wronged any person in the least for them And I have one paper written when in much pain which I shall leave with you Think upon that but mostly think upon the Glorious God and upon the preciousness of your own immortal souls they are more worth than ten thousand worlds I have been much troubled and I have gone to God and have received much comfort but never had so much joy and comfort in all my life as when I was I think you know where Here one asked where To which another near her said I think she meaneth when she was at Mr. Serles at the Lords Supper Then she said yea it was so O the joy and comfort that I then received It was such as I never had in all my life I cannot express it When many others stayed in the outer rooms and outer Courts as hinted before through their cowardliness and childishness with such 't is sad But had I breath for ever I could not do enough for my Saviour I return praises to the Eternal God for himself and for my Saviour and for the Holy Ghost The Lord will cease a little and refresh me before I go hence and shall be here no more Tho I have but a little breath yet the Lord can give in more if I had none he can raise me up again The will of the Lord be done Here she breathed a little and afterward with an austere countenance and her voice altered she thus proceeded A Backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways Backsliding is a filthy thing but a good man shall be satisfied from within himself in his heart and conscience by the Spirit of God God made all things at first very good but the best was the living Soul but we all sinned and were good for nothing but to lie with Devils then God sent his Son to redeem his Elect And I trust I am one of them but I cannot as yet assure my self my hope is in the Lord for ever and ever I trust in him I trust in him I commit my self to him for ever and ever and ever Amen The Lord will give in more Grace I wait for him and for him alone All that I am and all that I enjoy is the Lords Hitherto one wrote in short-hand but not all that she spake lack abundance Here she stopt whereupon the writer ceased A little while after she spake again much more but the pen being laid aside and she spake so fast and all in short sentences that none thereof was written Next a Copy of the written Paper aforementioned of her own composing which she had delivered as her last legacy to her Brothers and Sisters whom she obliged by promise to improve to the Glory of God and the good of their own souls and was the last thing that ever she wrote But before you have an account thereof give me leave to premise this request to the Reader That in reading he would mind by whom written viz that he would mind her sex age and education A maid young and plain And likewise that he would mind for whom designed and intended viz. for her Brothers Sisters of whom there were double the number younger to those that were elder than her self all young Considering this and the intention of her affection towards them so let none naustate at the plainness of the stile or phrase or if now and then he find repeated and used the same matter words or Texts of Scripture or somewhat borrowed from others Such to whom this plain fare is beneath may leave it Such to whom it affords any savoury relish let them feed on it and improve it A Copy of the last things written by Damaris Pearse O that I could but win Souls to Christ Prov. 11.30 ALL men by nature are under the power of their sins Psal 51.5 They are naturally bent to do evil their hearts are bent after sin and iniquity and it is by the convincing awakening and sanctifying power of Gods Spirit that the hearts of any are changed And except a man be converted and born again he cannot enter into the
Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight We must pray with fervency and with reverence and confidence with fervency that is with the earnest defires of our hearts crying Abba Father with reverence that is we must reverence and honour God in our hearts Mal. 1.6 and Psal 89.7 And with considence that is we must trust wholly in God through Christ Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith Mar. 11.24 We must desire the Lord that he would enable and help and assist us to pray aright and acceptably unto him Rom. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we cannot pray as we ought It is against the light of nature against reason for people to neglect to pray unto the God that made them and that giveth them all their good things If you cannot well pray of your selves the Lord will help you to do it if you be earnest and willing if you be sensible of your sins you will not want words in confession if you be sensible of your wants you will not lack expressions to make them known The Scriptures will furnish you with expressions and matter if you read and study and mind them if you can groan and cry for Christ and Grace the Lord will hear and help you We have all great need to pray to God for pardon of our sins for we are often defiled with sin and we have often need to pray to God for the pardon and purging away of our sins and for the sanctifying of our Souls and it is a great priviledge that we have a God and Father to pray unto and that will hear us when we call upon him Now we should lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us Heb. 12.1 Sin will quickly beset us if we have not a special care to resist and strive against it And we must resolve upon sufferings for Christ if called thereunto He that endureth to the end the same shall be saved Mat. 24.13 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and tho affliction be heavy yet it will work a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Rev. 3.21 Joh. 16.33 Rom. 8.17 18. If we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him And we must persevere and hold out in the ways of God unto our lives end we must be stedfast and unmoveable and ever abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. I would have enlarged more but am prevented for want of * It being on a single sheet thick and close written on both sides space My dear Brothers and Sisters I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to convert and build you up and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13.20 21. I desire that what I have here written may tend to the Glory of God and your souls good and comfort Your Affectionate Sister Damaris Pearse 1678. Some of her expressions in her last Sickness Some of the pious expressions of Damaris Pearse occasionally uttered after she was confined to her bed many of them spoken when she was in so very great pain that it was difficult for her to speak intelligibly with some observations on them and concerning her worth minding FOR some few days after she kept her bed she would often breathe out O spare me a little before I go hence and be no more The two first days she had two or three extreme sharp †Paroxisms fits or agonies so sharp that the like were never seen by any then present She had some sence of their approach for immediately before they came she would have all in the room to pray to God for her that that bitter crp might pass and so again and again every time after the first †Paroxisme fit was past she said This is not the last I shall have more but none so bad as that that is past and so it was and these †Paroxisms fits on her continued just so long as there was then * It may be Satan the grand enemie of prayer was permitted then more than at other times to have some agency therein to make disturbance and to shorten that exercise and to disswade and discourage from the like afterwards praying for her And in regard she used one phrase every time she would have others pray for her which was that that bitter cup might pass one that stood by asked her what she meant thereby she replied The Cup of Gods Wrath which in that agony she apprehended and felt in her Soul And a few days after she again declared that it was not to be expressed what therein she suffered that she felt the very wrath of God but even therein the Lord said she upheld me and since hath given me a Prospest and a view of the Glory of Heaven And some time after she kept her bed speaking of the many experiences that she had had sometimes how sad it had been with her when under apprehension of Gods displeasure for sin but within a short while after God did refresh and comfort her even with unspeakeable joy but never so much at any one time as since confined to her bed She would often advise those that visited her and those that watcht by her in their health to mind their latter end and to prapare for it and eternity which they were as she said hastning and nigh unto and sent such messages to some others that had enquired for her whom she had not seen a long time as by a near †M. C. Relation to those at her home go said she tell all the wicked ones in your house that they prepared for a long eternity often repeating it and chargingher so to do The like she charged another * I. P. neighbour then present to tell a near †V. T. P. Relation and his Family And the same charge she gave a †M. W. third to tell another †V. I. W. Relation and his family yea she charged all almost that came into her presence to mind eternity and to keep good consciences and to consider how time was hastning away making improvement of every thing she saw or heard and desired others to do the like and all to stir up to prepare for eternity She would be speaking either some sentence of Scripture or some other good words that were very suitable to such as were present or suitable to what was mentioned occasionally in her hearing urging to do
right hand there are pleasures for evermore Under this are comprehended those great and glorious things that make up and compleat the positive happiness of the Saints 1. As to their Souls 2. As to their Bodies 3. As to their Company 1. As to their Souls Their understanding being inlarged and widened shall have a right knowledg of all things a clear sight and vision of God Now we know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.12 but then shall we know even as also we are known The will shall be perfected with an absolute indefective holiness with an exact conformity to the Will of God and perfect Freedom from all servitude of Sin The affections shall be set right by an unalterable regularity there shall be a constant cleaving to God a constant loving him without satiety or weariness The Soul shall enjoy a full imediate uninterrupted Communion with God and fruition of him While we are here we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 Here our comforts are in and through Ordinances but there God will be all in all immediately 2 Cor. 15.28 2. As to their Bodies There shall be glory upon them they shall be made like the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3.21 What that is was in some glimpse of it seen in Christs transfiguration Matt. 17.2 His face did shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light that was a little glimpse and specimen of the future visible glory of Christ and the Saints shall be like him they shall shine forth as the Sun Matt. 13.43 Their Bodies shall be indued with new and glorious qualities as incorruption immortality strength and power activity nimbleness Their Bodies shall be spiritual not that the Body shall be turned into a Spirit but the Body shall then live as Spirits and Angels do without Meat Drink Sleep and such like bodily Supports and shall be perfectly conformable and obedient and subservient to the Operations of the Spirit the ready Instrument of the Soul 3. As to their Company They shall be blessed oh the blessed Company that is in the new Jerusalem God Christ Angels Saints And that which Crowns all the Saints shall have the perpetual injoyment of all this blessedness secured to them without any fear of losing it or being deprived of it The Saints shall never put of their glorious Robes after they have once put them on their State is a sure eternal State of actual delights Upon these accounts the people of God do long and pant after the immediate fruition and presence of God in Heaven Vse Let us consider our selves by this property Have we desires after God thus Truly it is to be feared that abundance that do live under the preaching of the Word from whence are held forth such glorious things to be conveyed by God in the immediate fruition of him do not believe or at least do not desire the same but they are well contented with their Portion here on Earth like that Cardinal of Burbon who professed that he would not give his part in Paris for his part in paradise There are they that are of this mind they would think themselves well a paid if there were no other Heaven nor no change of their estates that they have here in this world But I beseech you see to it that you be of another temper and disposition that ye are panting after God in Heaven To this purpose practice these counsels 1. Endeavour after a settled and well-grounded assurance that you have an interest in Gods special love and favour and that you are of the number of those that shall one day be admitted into the immediate presence of God that you may be able to say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Labour after this pray much for this It is our Saviours own direction Joh. 16.24 Ask that your joy may be full O sweet consideration that it is the Mind and Will of Christ that we should seek for full joy and peace in believing And take this for an evidence that you shall be admitted to the immediate presence of God if you seek and and enjoy Communion with God in his Ordinances if you do behold him in the beauties of holiness through these glasses I say this is a pledg a beginning and so an evidence of that full Communion you shall have with him in Heaven and of your seeing him there face to face Are your sabbath-Sabbath-days days of Communion with God that is a sweet evidence that you shall keep an everlasting Sabbath with him in glory but if strangers to God and profane-hearted on Sabbaths you cannot be for Heaven 2. Be in an actual preparation of your selves for it Spouses and Brides that wish and look for their beloved prepare for their coming to them and prepare for their going to them so do you prepare your selves for the enjoyment of God in Heaven To this purpose observe these Rules 1. Labour after the mortifying and subduing of sin especially your most beloved sin Your own iniquity as David calls it Psal 18.23 While that prevails that darkens the sincerity and efficacy of grace in the Soul breaks the peace thereof grieves the holy Spirit therefore remember what the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 3.3 He that hath this hope of seeing God purifieth himself as he is pure Hence when the Apostle would raise up people to an heavenly frame he calls on them to mortifie their special corruption Col. 3.1 5. We find these joyned together denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 14. 2. Be loosned from the World for while staked down and fixed here you are unfit and unready to remove to Heaven It is he that is a stranger and pilgrim on the Earth and that dwells in Tents here ready on a short warning to pluck up stakes and be gone that is a faithful seeker of that better country and a traveller toward it Heb. 11.9 10 13 14. You cannot have two homes nor two rests nor two portions if you take up your home and rest in the World you are not prepared nor principled for Heaven nor fit to go thither Be loosning and drawing off your hearts every day from the World expect not either a perpetual nor yet a long abode here Be sensible of the vanity and emptiness of things here be often thinking of and expecting and waiting for your removal from hence into another World 3. Be finishing of your work and to that end continually doing your present work with all your might do what God hath appointed and called you to is there any work that lies upon your hand that conscience tells you should be done without delay as to get your selves setled in the assurance of Gods love
A Present for YOVTH AND Example for the AGED OR THE REMAINS OF DAMARIS PEARSE Containing her Speech after she kept her bed And a Copy of a Written Paper of her own Composing which she left as her last Lagacy to her Brothers and Sisters and was the last thing that ever she wrote And also several pious Expressions occasionally uttered in her last Sickness worth minding Together with her Funeral-Sermon preached by a Reverend Minister of the Gospel Howbeit certain men believed and a Woman named Damaris Acts 17.34 And by it being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 lat London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheap-side near Mercers Chappel 1683. To the Book GO little Book abroad and tell mankind What graces lodged in a Virgins mind Declare the glorious wisdom power and love Which did her infant-years to Vertue move And fit for Heaven when her childish days Rather invited her to harmless plays Urge youth to make her their Exemplar till By Graces steps they mount to Glories hill Shame lazy Christians who are grown in years Yet not like-working in their hearts appears Heaven's bless thy errand and make sharp thy Words To pierce the Sinners heart like Spears or Swords If they reject thee in a scornful heat Tell them thou 'lt meet them at Gods Judgment-Seat D. C. To the Reader IT is said in Holy Writ That of making many Books there is no end which was never more verified than in this our scribling age This following Collection which is now exposed to publick view was not at first so intended but collected and composed for private use which after a while coming to the view and passing thorow so many private hands not only of Relations and Acquaintance but also of some that were strangers who all of them as if by one consent earnestly desired it might be Printed and some were restless therein and one threatned that if I to whom it did most properly pertain to set it forth did refuse and would not do it it should be done without me by a strange hand which indeed was the great prevailing argument that did extort it forth for tho it discover weakness enough as now it is yet if it had been done by a stranger in likelihood it might have contained somewhat that is worse than weakness Now you may be assured you have the very truth and by what is herein contained you have a tast of the frame and temper of Spirit and likewise of the endowments and qualifications of * A young woman of so plain education of whom the following Collection gives you her Character but only in a tast This considered it was the soonet yeilded unto to set it forth for had it been of some learned Minister or yet of some aged and experienced Christian man it had never seen the light tho the like Piety Grace and Zeal for God and to do good to others is not always manifested in such a young Woman who was several years very much afflicted with great distempers in her body and lay in a torturing pain several weeks before she departed some very grievous spiritual conflicts she had and in great Agonies yet after a while a comfortable deliverance and a most eminent conquest and tho she had but little cessation of her bodily pain yet she had most sweet inward refreshings in her Soul and Spirit and at last went triumphantly to Heaven and by strength and the stedfastness of her faith did as it were trample upon the very neck of Satan himself I am sensible what is here written will not suit the palates of this Ages learned Rabbies it being not calculated to please the humours of worldly wise men Neither will it find esteem among the vulgar sort of loose Christians But however some have seriously professed they have received great benefit by it already and who can tell but it may benefit others The Scripture saith that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings the Lord hath ordained strength and God it is said hath chosen foolish and weak things to confound the wise and things that are mighty and hath chosen things that are base and despised to bring to nought things that are highly esteemed Tho the person that gave the occasion hereof was one of the weaker Sex and but young and of very plain and ordinary education only taught fine needle-work wherein she was ingenious and little experienced in the World and the affairs thereof yet she was so very a Christian so earnest in taking hold of time and opportunity helps and means and made so great proficiency in knowledg and grace after she devoted her self to God and was so careful to prepare for Death and Eternity and so restlestly longing to have others do the like that in fine she became so much experienced in the things of God whereof you have so ample testimony hereafter given that I question not but her works will praise her in the gates and may administer occasion unto others to bless and praise God for her and these her Remains She is gone beyond the reach of envy and beyond our praises She hath left a sweet savour behind her and the Scripture saith The memory of the just is blessed That the Lord would bless this unto all those into whose hands it shall come and make it succesful in doing some spiritual good to others is and shall be the prayer of him who greatly rejoyceth to be serviceable to Souls On Mrs. Damaris Pearse An Anagram Passe Rare Maid PAsse on Rare Maid unto thine home above The World is no meet object for thy love Vntoucht pass through its crowd of Tempters be Deaf to their charming importunity Thine Husband 's Christ Espouse besides him none Lose not thy Nuptials nor thy glorious Crown When thou hast won the point and got secure Let 's know what thou enjoy'st and didst endure That with those comforts wherewith thou wert fed Surviving friends may here be comforted D. C. A Present for Youth and Example for the Aged NOT to detain the Reader with a tedious Preamble in brief thus The Whole of what follows was occasioned by the Piety and Zeal of a young Woman who may therein be an encouragement for imitation to others of her Sex and indeed besides the extolling of Gods Free Grace and Goodness towards her that is the only design here aimed at Her Name was Damaris Pearse she was born at Dunsford in the County of Devon the 8th of October in the year 1659. She lived the most of her time in Ermington and there departed this life the 6th of December in the year 1679. So that the whole of her temporal life was but twenty years and a few weeks she was sick near 4 years and so weak for more than twenty weeks before she kept her bed that she was not able to walk about the Chamber alone without the help of another and after all this she kept her bed being in torturing
you to awake out of your sleep unless you mean to sleep the sleep of eternal death These golden sands running will quickly be gone a short race will soon be run O what a nothing is our life as one may say a span a dream a wind a shadow a vapour a post swifter than a post Job 7.6 You are all going to your long and last home to the house of eternity Every man goeth to his long home Eccles 12.5 How doth he go He goeth swiftly always in motion night and day sleeping and waking labouring or loitering this post hastens time and tide stays not Man doth not discern or perceive how his precious time doth fly from him And we know not how soon all our precious time will be gone from us we know not how soon our souls shall be separated from our bodies We know not how soon we shall pass into eternity And Oh that people would consider which of the two eternities they are going towards Oh that they would deeply and seriously consider that there is one place for the sheep and another for the goats one place for the righteous and another for the ungodly one place for believers and another for unbelievers An eternal night or eternal day eternal pains or eternal pleasure eternal happiness or eternal misery eternal life or eternal death eternal Heaven or eternal Hell Oh that my dear Brethren and Sisters would truly and sincerely seek after the welfare of their precious and immortal Souls now while it is time My dear Brethren and Sisters I have many times had great fears and cares about your precious Souls as you are nearest related to me so you are nearest to my heart I could desire that all men would turn from their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and close with him that so they may have life and salvation by him but my greatest desire is for you my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you might be saved My dear Brothers and Sisters great is the misery of an unregenerate estate without regeneration repentance conversion and holiness none can be saved and see God as in John 3.3 5. and Luk. 13.3 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And Heb. 12.14 Without holiness there is none shall see the Lord and a carnale state is an estate of death Rom. 8.6 And if ye live after the flesh ye shall die ver 13. And the Apostle saith love not the world neither the things that are in the world for if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2.15 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God Whoseever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God Jam. 4.4 Now if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 15.17 and as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 Oh that you would consider and meditate upon these and such like Texts of Scripture and try your selves thereby how it is with you Mr. Joseph Alleins book of conversion might prove a great help with the Lords assistance and blessing and there are many other good books that might prove a help to you herein which the Lord direct you unto and that you may read and consider and lay it to heart and that you would search narrowly into your own hearts and the Lord of Heaven grant that his heavenly and spiritual blessing may rest upon you all I have many times desired the Lord for you that he would cause you to see the great evil of sin and to close savingly with Christ and receive him upon his own terms and that you may be regenerated and born again that you may be truly converted unto God that you may receive forgiveness of sins and that your souls may be truly sanctified that you may all be redeemed by the Blood of Christ and may be justified by faith in him and that the Lord would sanctifie his dealings towards you that it may be for his glory and your good and that you may live to the praise and glory of God and be comforted in him to all eternity Oh now that you would give up your selves to God resign up your selves in Covenant to him through Jesus Christ for ever to be his to walk in his wayes to be guided by his laws to be ruled and directed by him at all times that you might never depart from him Oh that you would truly prepare for death and eternity Make a true preparation for death and then you will be in a well set way to live for till people are prepared for death they are not well fit to live Oh now you should give up your selves to God by prayer pray heartily to God that he would come in with converting and sanctifying Grace into your souls Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Jam. 4.8 The Lord is very near to them that call upon him intruth and will never leave nor forsake such as put their trust in him He that neglects prayer is an unsanctified sinner they that neglect prayer cannot expect the blessing of God on either soul or body All they that are the adopted children of God they have the spirit of prayer in them whosoever is born of God can in some measure express himself to God and cry unto him for pardon of sin for grace for peace of conscience with earnestness and confidence in God Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Now this spirit of bondage and fear it is the Spirit of God there is a spirit of bondage once in all they that are the true people of God working fear in them and afterwards it doth become a spirit of adoption unto them First the Spirit of God doth convince people of their sins it shews them the evil of sin and so brings them in fear and bondage about their sins and afterwards the Spirit of God doth comfort their Souls people must be convinced before they be converted they must be sensible of their sins and pricked to the heart before they will ask what they must do to be saved Act. 2.37 And then afterwards the Spirit of God doth come in with comfort to their souls then the Spirit of God causeth them to cry Abba Father that is to make their request to God as to a Father Prayer is a duty that doth lie upon all people and God doth accept weak prayers from his children if they be sincere There are many Hypocrites that can make better prayers that can express themselves in prayer better than many of Gods chosen ones but God doth reject them because they are not sincere Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the
wiser than God who hath appointed such helps as these and so by taking a preposterous course do bring mischief upon their own Souls God blasts and curses those single performances which take from his more publick Ordinances This is like the Manna which the Israelits gathered unseasonably it putrified and stank and worms bred in it so are those duties which are performed singly and solitarily and unseasonably when the Meetings and Assemblies of Gods people are neglected There are others who are soon wearied and cloyed with Ordinances they have soon enough of such things as these instead of saying here with David When shall we come and appear before God they say When shall we be gone and depart from him like those in Mal. 1.13 Ye have said what a weariness is it and Amos 8.5 When will the new moon and the sabbath be gone There are some who are never more uneasie than when they are at Ordinances Oh how many carnal persons and formalists are there who have only an outside of Religion and scarce so much who look upon the Worship of God as a matter of course and fashion and so accordingly come to it Vse 2. Let it be a word of Exhortation long after delight in and bless God for Ordinances It is the greatest happiness that we are capable of here in this life that whiles we cannot see God face to face as we shall one day in Heaven yet we may now see him in the glass of his Ordinances in his Word in his Sacraments and by prayer converse with him That which carnal men and worldly spirits count a burden and tediousness to them let us look upon as a very high priviledg and reckon it as our greatest advantage and rejoyce in it and to quicken and inlarge our desires Muse upon the excellency of Ordinances for excellency apprehended is that which will move desires discern that these things are good and good and necessary for us by partaking of these we shall get our corruptions mortified our graces strengthned our spiritual decays supplied more ability gained to serve God in our whole conversation and more evidence and assurance of Gods love in Jesus Christ obtained And remember when you come to Ordinances resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God in them that you may come off in a better and more spiritual frame of heart than you came on resolve with the Father Nunquam a te absque recidam When I come before the Lord I will never go away without him The reason why there is no more good got by ordinances is because we do not meet God in them and the reason why we do not meet God is because we do not so earnestly desire and look for him whenever therefore you appear before God in ordinances make it your business to see God to taste of Gods to get down something of God upon your hearts some impressions of God upon your spirits 2 Secondly Gods people do long and pant after the immediate fruition and presence of God in Heaven Here they enjoy God by faith not by sight here in a mediate dark and imperfect manner through providences and ordinances as through a glass darkly but there face to face we shall know as we are known as the Apost 1 Cor. 13.12 Now Gods people long after God in this way The spirit and the bride saith come Rev. 22.17 They daily pray that Gods Kingdom may come that the number of the Elect may be accomplished and Christ may come to judgment They wait for the adoption the redemption of the body Rom. 8.23 They love the appearing of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 9.28 They look for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 The Reason why Gods people do long after the immediate fruition and presence of God in heaven is because they believe they shall be perfectly delivered from all those evils that they are liable to while they are here in this world and that they shall be made perfectly blessed 1. They count upon this they shall be freed from all evils they are subject to in this life As 1. From the evil of sin Oh this is the great evil that Gods people complain of with so much sadness here the flesh turneth against the spirit there shall be no such thing hereafter there shall be no blindness in the mind nor perverseness in the will nor disorder in the affections no pride nor slothfulness no carnal-mindedness no fleshliness no coldness and deadness of heart and affection no uneven walking no grieving the spirit of God or the spirits of their Brethren no unholy thought word or action 2. They shall be freed from the evil of temptation this world is a place of snares and valley of temptations what abundance of temptations are we assaulted with here continually from the Devil the world and our corrupt natures but there shall be none of these in heaven In paradise there was a tempter but none in heaven Satans walk and rendezvous is on the earth Job 1.7 but he never came into Heaven since he was cast out 3. From the injuries and molestation of evil men no place on earth is exempted from molestation by the Devil and his instruments but heaven is a place where such shall never enter there the children of wickedness and sons of violence shall not afflict any more there is no Mesech nor tents of Kedar to be complained of nor false brethren unfaithful unsound hypocritical persons that are secret enemies to truth and piety now discouraging no destroying company in heaven 4. They shall be freed from all divisions The divisions and differences and dissentions even among the godly which this state of imperfection on earth is liable to and lamentably cumbred with do create much trouble and many disquietments are multiplied thereby but in heaven there is but one mind one mouth as there is but one truth not so much as a different apprehension among all the thousands and millions of Saints there 5. They shall be freed from all bodily ailes pains weakness infirmities all afflictions whatsoever no sin therefore no sorrow in heaven all tears shall be wiped away no more of these tears that arise from the various Tryals of this weary life such as are Wants Straits Losses Crosses in Name or Estates Relations Injoyments nothing but Love in Heaven God will never knit his Brow nor chide nor strike never hide his face there but they shall live under the smiles of his Face and light of his Countenance without interruption 2. The people of God do believe and hope for a perfect injoyment of all good It is not a meer negative happiness that the Saints in Heaven partake of a not being miserable an absence from evil but also the positive presence and injoyment of all good according to that of the Psal 16.11 In the presence of God is fulness of joy and at his