old for to bless his people therein true blessedness must needs consist now if ye look into the sixth of Numbers ye shall find that therein God commanded Aaron and his Sons for to bless the people verse 23. on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel saying The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and if you look into Psalm 67 1. ye shall find that when the Psalmist prayed for a blessing he prayed thus The Lord be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us Surely therefore the happiness and blessedness of man must needs lye and consist in the light of Gods countenance and the shine of his face Object But if our blessedness doth consist herein then some of Gods own people are not blessed For God doth hide his face from some of them and how many are there even amongst the Saints that complain saying Oh the face of God doth not shine on me Ans True they do so and its possible that God may hide his face from his own Children for a time but what Child of God is there in all the world but the face of God hath shined upon It is possible that a Child of a natural Father may never see the face of his Father his Father may be dead before he is born but no child of God but hath seen his Fathers face for what is the face of God but his favour and what is the shine thereof but the manifestation of his favour and when God pardoned his sin at the first did not he manifest his love and favour to him And doth he not daily do it in supporting him with his Arm In the times of the old Testament the Saints did measure the favour of God too much by outward mercies and blessings because the Land of Canaan was promised them as a favour from God when the Enemy did break in upon them they said That God did then hide his face from them but ye know how is is with the day if it be day the Sun shines and though ye see not the beams thereof yet you see the light thereof so here though you see not the beams of Gods countenance yet if it be day with you you see the light thereof Now it is day with all the Children of God they are Children of the day and therefore whatever they say or think there is none of Gods Children but the face of God doth or hath shined upon Quest But how shall I know that the face of God hath ever shined on my Soul for there are many delusions about this matter How shall I therefore know that God hath ever lift up the light of his Countenance upon my Soul 5. General That is the 5th General therefore I shall now speak to that Ans If God hath ever blessed you in truth then hath his face shined upon you for his blessing and the shine of his face go together as ye have heard Now when God blesses a man then he draws him nearer to himself Blessed is the man saith the Psalmist whom then causest to approch unto thee when God blesses a man then he makes him to encrease and multiply if he bless him in his estate then he doth increase and multiply therein if he bless him in his parts or gifts or graces or comforts then he causeth him to increase therein so at the beginning the Lord blessed Man and said increase and multiply And therefore if thou hast been such an one as hath lived at a distance from God and now at brought nigh to him and increased in thy gifts graces and comforts then hath the Lord blessed thy Soul and so hath shined on thee 2. If God hath ever shined upon thy Soul then he hath wonderfully irradiated and enlightened and taught thy Soul the mysteries of the Gospel which did never enter in thy heart before Psal 67.1 2. The Psalmist saith Be merciful unto us and bless us and cause thy face to shine upon us that thy way may be known c. And says the Apostle 2â— or 4.4 6. God that commanded light to shine out of darkness shine into your hearts to giv you the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 3ly If this light of Gods countenance hath indeed shined upon your heart then your other carnal kitchâ—n lights have been put out thereby Ye see that when the Sun shines upon the kitchin-fire it doth put it â—ut so if ever God hath shined upon your Soul there â—ath such a glory fallen upon your hearts that thereâ—y all your carnal kitchin-comforts and delights have â—een put out thereby 4ly If God have shined upon thy Soul in truth â—hen are you satisfied with the light of Gods Counâ—enance and yet your desire after it is the more inâ—reased This seems to be a Paradox but it is true â—â—e more a man sees the light of Gods Countenance â—he more he longs after it and the more he longs after it the more be is satisfied with it Shew us the Father saith Thomas and it sufficeth I have now that saith the Soul which doth make me happy therefore I am fully sâ—tisfied yet I have tasted such sweetness in it as I cannot but thirst and long after more Oh when shall come and appear before thee that I may be fully satisfied with thy likeness 5ly If the face of God hath ever shined upon your Soul then there hath been a time when you were in the dark and by the light of Gods Countenance your doubts and fears have been all dispelled at once God never shines but upon those that have been in the dark God that commanded light to shine out of darkness shine into your hearts saith the Apostle and when God shines then all your fea s and doubts and objections are answered at once not by degrees and one after another but the face of God answers all at once As when the Husâ—and comes home though his Wife have had many fears that she should never see him again yet when she sees his face then all her fears and doubts are answered at once So here although you have had many fears that you should never see the face of God again yet when his face shines then all your doubts are answered at once 6ly If the face of God have ever shined upon your Soul in truth then have you been thereby enabled to do and act some great thing for God and you have had an heart given you to do it Cant. 1.12 When the King sits at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof By Spikenard here we are to understand the sweet smelling fruits and graces of thâ— Spouse of Christ Now saith she these graces send forth their smell when Christ sits at his Table when I have the gracious presence of Christ then are my graces most
Odoriferous then can I act and do that for Christ which I never could before then my graces do send forth their smell then can I do some great and special thing for Christ And 7ly If the face of God did never shine upon your Soul then you could and would not be so afflicted for the want thereof Ignoti nulla cupido if you had not tasted of this sweetness you could not be so afflicted for the want thereof but when you think that God hides his face from you then you are as one that goes down to the Pit and you say Oh all the World for one smile from Christ Lord let me see thy face though I be a Beggar and though I have no comforts in this World yet let me see thy face for I am not able to live without the light of thy Countenance 8ly And if ever you have seen the face of God in truth then hath your heart been inflamed with love to Christ upon that account for by him you had your address into the presence of God by him and in him Gods face doth shine upon your Soul God that commanded light to shine out of darkness shine into our hearts to give us the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ Though ye cannot behold and look upon the Sun in his full Glory yet if you look upon the Water where the Sun shines you may see the Sun Now God shineth upon Christ and in him you do see Gods face and therefore if ever God did in truth shine upon your Soul then hath your heart been inflamed with love to Christ upon this â—ccount but if your heart were never inflamed with love to Christ upon this score if you were never afflicted for the want of Gods face and presence if you never were enabled to do any great thing for Christ if you never were in the dark in reference to your spiritual condition if your desires after God were never satisfied and encreased at once if your Kitchin-fire was never put out by divine irradiation upon your soul if you have never been so blessed by the Lord as thereby to be drawn out of the world to himself and to be increased in spiritual things then hath not God shined on you to this day and therefore you are yet to seek for your true happiness Quest But suppose the face of God never yet shined on my soul or that it hath shined and is now hidden what shall I doe that the face of God may shine upon me that so I may be made partaker of this true happiness and blessedness Sixth General Answ That is the sixth General which I will only speak unto and conclude Would you have this light of Gods countenance and the face of God shining on you then 1. Be sure that you take heed of all the sins which do or have hid the face of God from you Isaiah 59.1 the Prophet saith unto the people of God Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you is Gods face therefore hidden from you look into your life and way and consider what those sins are and take heed thereof 2. The way to have any mercy from God is to be upright in the desiring of it He will be a Sun and Shield to them that fear him and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Is therefore the face of God shining the good thing that you desire Take heed that you do not desire it meerly for the sweetness of it Mâ—lti sunt gulosi spirituales Avila It is a sweet thing to behold the Sun much more the shine of Gods face but if I desire it only for the sweetness of it then I am not upright therein take heed therefore of that 3. If you would have the face of God shining on you then be sure that you stand where God shines and blesses Psal 50.2 Out of Zion the perfection of beauty hath God shined and there saith the Psalmist He commandeth his blessing and life for evermore What is his blessing but the shine of his face and how doth he command it By giving it there he commandeth his blessing There then do you stand where the Lord blesseth and shineth 4. In case that God seemeth to hide his face from you at any time then walk wisely and humbly towards God in the time of his supposed absence then lament after God and his presence as the greatest loss in the world then take heed of jealousies and do not say God is gone and will return no more then be much in obedience and say well though I cannot see God yet I 'le serve him and though I cannot enjoy him yet I 'le obey him and if you carry it wisely and humbly towards God in the time of his absence then will he return again unto you and will cause his face to shine upon you But 5. Take heed that you do not dig too deep into the earth he that is much under ground cannot see the Sâ—n or the shinings of it So if you be much in the world and under ground you cannot see the face of God and the light of his countenance therefore take heed that you be not much under ground in your callings And 6. Whatever frowns you meet withall from men be quiet â—nder them and improve them for usually God shines when man frowns Do men therefore frown upon you take their frowns quietly and wait for a shining God now And 7. Be sure that you do not frown nor look awry upon any that are Christs for how should God look kindly on you when you look unkindly on his How should his face shine on you when your face doth not shine on his Therefore take heed that you frown not on any that are Gods 8. Then throw your self down at Gods feet in a quiet resignation of your self unto God for Gâ—d will surely take them into his arms that doe throw themselves down at his feet â—f I can leave my self at Christs feet he will take me into his bosom and I shall see his face wherefore then throw your self down at Gods feet And 9. Pray and pray much for the presence of God and the shine of his face upon your soul let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth saith the Spouse ye have a command for this Psal 105.4 Seek the Lord and his strength seek ye his face evermore and the Lord hath promised to give you this mercy for look what God promised to his people of old that he promiseth to you and to all his people now Ezekiel 39. 29. he saith Neither will I hide my face any more from them though I have hid my face from them for a time yet I will not hide my face any more from them Would you therefore have the face of God to shine upon you go and pray and pray earnestly for the face and presence of God and say
EFFIGIES GVILIELMI BRIDG ME Obiit 1670 Phillip Hobnessculp BRIDGE'S REMAINS BEING VIII SERMONS Viz. 1. Of Mans Blessedness 2. Affections rightly placed 3. How to walk with God in our Calling 4. Of good and bad Company 5. The Carnality of Professors 6. What our Work is and how to be done 7. Soul resignation into the hands of God 8. The Dignity and Duty of Gods called ones By that Learned and Judicious Divine Mr. William Bridge sometimes Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and late Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth Designed by himself for the Press as appears by the Marginal Notes except the Eighth Sermon which was the last that he Preached was taken exactly in Short-hand and Published by his Son-in-law after they were perused by Mr. Greenhill London Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock Senior and Junior at the Sign of the Three Bibles in Popes head Alley in Cornhill 1673. A TABLE of the Contents with a brief Collection of the principal Heads in the ensuing Sermons 1 Sermon on Psal 4.6 Many there be that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us Doct. A Gracious man doth count himself fully happy in the enjoyment of God and the Light of his Countenance Page 2. The chief Particulars to be handled proposed P 3 1. There is a disposition in men to seek after happiness 2. Men generally are mistaken in the matter of their happiness placing it in strength health beauty riches honour power pleasure knowledge Moral virtues with the reasons of this mistake 1. Ignorance of the right and true notion of happiness 2. Misapplication of the true notion of happiness 3. Mens measuring their happiness by their own present want 4. Because men consider not what is spoken to them about true happiness 3. There are a generation of men who have found out this happiness P. 12. 4. True happiness doth consist in the light of Gods Countenance P. 14. 5. A man may know that God hath lifted up the light of his Countenance on him P. 16. 1. If God hath blessed him 2. If taught of God 3. If it hath out-shone our own lights 4. If satisfied with it and desirous of its increase 5. If it hath dispelled doubts and fears 6. If enabled to act eminently for God 7. If much afflicted for the want of it 8. If inflamed with love to Christ on that account 6 What shall I do that the face of God may shine upon me P. 20. 1. Be sure you take heed of all sin 2. Be upright in the desiring of it 3. Be sure you stand where God shines 4. Walk wisely and humbly towards God in the time of his absence 5. Beware of Covetousness 6. Improve mens frowns and wait for Gods shining 7. Be sure that you do not look awry upon any that are Christs 8. Live in quiet resignation of your self to God 9. Pray much for the shine of his face upon your Soul 2 Sermon on Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above Doct. It is the duty of all the Saints to set their affections on things above P. 26. Explication 1. What these affections are 1. Motions of the reasonable Soul 2. Motions of the Soul sensibly carried out upon what is good or evil 3. So as to embrace or refuse the same 2. Whether we may not at all affect the things of this life Ans Yes But 1. Not for themselves but in subordination to God 2. In Comparison to Spiritual and Heavenly things your affections to these things is to be no affection 3. Why are we to set our affections on things above 1. If you do not you are no fit match for Christ 2. You will never own him unless you set your affections on him 3. If your affections be not set upon things above they will never be drawn off from things beneath 4. If you do not you will never press much after the knowledge and obtainment of them 5. If your affections be not thus set you will never be zealous for God 6. If they be not thus set you will never do any great thing for God 7. If they be not thus set you can never please God in any thing you do for God Application Use 1. It is an evil thing to set affections on things below and not on things above P. 33. 1. It is hard and difficult to set our affections on things above 2. It is one thing to affect things above and another thing to set affections on them 3. Many are deceived herein For 1. If they did they would not be so indifferent in the things of God 2 They would carry these things about with them in their minds and thoughts 3. They would seek them in the first place 4. They would be speaking of them and love to hear others speak of them 5. They would be more tender of the name of God and Spiritual things 6. They would clear an Evidence of an Interest in them 4. If affections are set on things above P. 38. 1. Your portion is accordingly 2. You may know that you have an Interest in Christ 3. It will most relieve you in the day of distress 4. Then you will neither loose affections nor the thing affected 5. These affections will make the ways of God easie 6. Then the jealousie of God will not be raised against you 5 What shall we do to raise affections to things above P. Ibid. 1. Get a new Heart 2. Get knowledge of things above 3. Put your selves under the most wooing discocovery of Gods love 4. Improve sensible dispensations of afflictions and enjoyments 5. Be much in Meditation 6. In case affections are unsteady 1. Take as much pains to keep them up as to raise them 2. Stir up the grace of God that is in you 3. Make use of the variety of Gods ways he hath given you 4. Study Gods Word and Works 5. Labour more and more to refine affections to things that are good 3 Sermon on 1 Cor 7.24 Brethren Let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God P. 46. Doct. It is the duty of every man to abide or walk with God in his calling P. 47. The chief particulars to be handled proposed 1. A good Calling is a great mercy P. 48. 1. It was the condition of Adam in the state of Innocency 2. Thereby a man is kept from idleness 3 From busie medling with others mâ—tters 4. A lawful calling is Gods ground 2. A man having an honest calling is to abide therein 51 1. There is in us an aptness to change or lay down our Callings 2. It is not absolutely unlawful for a man to change his Calling 1. In case a man is qualified for higher imployments 2. If he see the hand of God leading him out of his Calling 3. If the Porter that stands at the door oâ— a mans Calling let him out 4. A man may be forced to change his Calling
strength and beauty as well as a good man and can any wicked man be happy happiness consists in a stable good but what more unstable and uncertain then our health and strength and beauty Surely therefore our happiness is not to be found therein Or 2. Will yâ— instance in Riches Wealth and this Worlds goods It is the property of happiness to be desireable for it self It is that good thing which all things are desired for and which is desired for nothing else but Riches are desired for something else not for themselves and if it be a mans duty sometimes to part with them and to despise them then our happiness cannot consist in them but we are sometimes to part with all these things for Christ Surely therefore our happiness is not to be found therein 3. Will ye instance in Honour Fame and Credit in this World What more uncertain then that that is not ones own Is it not a better thing to deserve honouâ— then to be honourable But that is truly blessed which is best of all and if it be more safe for a man to be reproched sometimes then to be applauded then our happiness cannot consist in honour but as Seneca says Beatus est qui contemnere potest contemni He is an happy man that can contemn and be contemned If I be reproched then I learn to walk humbly if I be applauded then I grow proud thereby And ye know what was the issue of Hamans honour Surely therefore our happiness cannot consist therein Or 4ly Will ye instance in power and outward greatness in this World What doth more depend on others That which depends on many other mens wills cannot be my happiness so doth all worldly power and greatness do there is nothing better then our happiness Now worldly power may be used to Evil and that is better which cannot be used or abused to Evil but so worldly power may be Surely therefore our happiness cannot consist therein Or 5ly Will ye instance in pleasure which is the great Diana of the World that is common to bruit Beasts and can that make a man truely happy which the Beasts have If pleasure make a man happy then the more pleasure he takes the more happy he is but the more pleasure that a man takes the more wicked he is 'T is the property of true happiness to elevate the mind to innoble the Soul and to justifie the Heart but the more carnal pleasure a man takes the more his mind is depressed his Soul effeminated and the less his heart is satisfied Surely therefore our happiness cannot consist therein Or 6ly Will ye instance in knowledge wit and wisdom Solomon tells you that in much wisdom is much grif and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow Eccles 1. surely therefore our happiness cannot consist therein Or 7. Will ye instance in Moral Virtues and in a civil Life the more happy that any man is the more he doth draw nigh and is made like to God but a man is not made like to God by Moral Virtues or a Civil Life surely therefore our happiness cannot consist therein Obj But though our happiness doth not consist in any of these alone yet it may be that all these together can make one happy Ans Nay for put all these things together Omnes creaturae sine Deo non possant esse sufficiens objectum humanae be atitudinis Sâ—ar de beat disp Sect. 1. Solus Deus sine consortio alicujus creaturae est sufficiens objectum beatitudinis lb. Sâ—ct 2. yea put all the good things and comforts of this world together yet they are not sufficient for to make one happy for take the good things of this world and abstract them from the enjoyment of God and though they be never so many yet they are dependent things which do depend on another and can that make you truly happy which doth depend on another Take all the blessings and comforts of the world together and they cannot make a man godly that is ungodly now can that make you happy which cannot make you good What is there in the world take it singly or in society with others which is free from imperfection and can that make you perfect which is in it self imperfect the more that any superiour thing is mingled with its inferiour the more it is defiled is not Gold defiled by being mixed with Silver Is not Silver defiled by being mixed with Brass Is not Wine defiled by being mixed with water Is not Wheat defiled by being mixed with Chaffe Now take all the Creatures in the World together and they are inferiour to your souls Surely therefore you may be defiled but you cannot be made happy or blessed thereby Yet Lord how many are there that say concerning these outward things who will shew us any good why because they are mistaken in the matter of their happiness Quest But how comes it to pass that men are thus mistaken in the matter of their happiness Ans 1. Sometimes this mistake doth arise from ignorance of the right and true notion of happiness If a Country man that hath heard of a King go up to the Court and see a Knight or Lord or Prince come out in fine and brave apparel he saith lo there is the King because he knows him not by face a general notion he hath of a King but not having the true notion of his person he is mistaken and saith lo there is my King and Sovereign So a man having heard that there is something that will make one happy but not having the right and true notion of it he is thereby mistaken in the choice of his happiness as for example It is truly said that he that is happy hath what he would now men turn this principle and say he that hath what he would have is an happy man and so if a wanton hath the embraces of his beloved then he says now am I happy because I have what I would so if a Drunkard meet with his vain and wicked companion he saith now am I happy because I have what I would Whereas in truth as Austins Mother said he is not happy that hath what he would Si bona velit habet beatus est si autem mala velit quamvis habeat miser est August confess but he that wills aright and then hath what he would but because men are ignorant thereof and have not the true notion of happiness in their hearts therefore they are so mistaken 2. Sometimes this mistake doth arise from the misapplication of the true notion of happiness For what is happiness but the enjoyment of that which doth command all things else â—ut now through misapplication of this notion men say Mony commands all things and therefore the more mony I get the more happy I am and so are mistaken in the matter of their happiness 3. Sometimes men are mistaken herein because they measure their happiness
that her affections are placed upon another And are our affections placed upon things below what doth that do but raise the jealousie of Christ against us Jealousie is the rage of man what is it then in Christ Now therefore as you desire that the jealousie of the Lord Jesus may not be raised against you that the ways of God may be made sweet and easie to you that you may never lose your affections or the things affected that you may have a standing relief in the day of your distress that you may have full evidence of the interest in those things that are above and that your portion may lye there Oh Set your affections on things that are above and not on things on the earth Quest What shall we do that we may raise and draw up our affections unto these things above for our affections are indeed too much on things here below How shall we draw them off from them and draw them up to these better things that are above Ans You must be sure to get a new heart affections are the movings of the heart an old heart cannot move unto things that are above First therefore you must get a new heart Affestiones bonas vel malas causat voluntas bona vel malaâ— August tom 5. fol. 169. 2. Then you must get knowledge of these things that are above for ignoti nullam cupido there is no desire of unknown things nor affections to them some desire knowledge and not affections some desire affections and do not labour after knowledge Give me knowledge hearted with affections and affections headed with knowledge for as knowledge without affections make wicked men secure so affections without knowledge make Godly men scrupulous Study therefore to know more and that knowledge shall be a light and lanthorn to the feet of your affectionr 3. If you would draw up your affections unto things above then put your self under the most wooing discoveries of Gospel love Wooings towle out affections Christ wooes in the Gospel there doth the spirit also breath and these motions of the soul can never be stirred up but by the moveing of the spirit on the heart Ezek. 1.12 The living creatures went every one straight forward whether the spirit was to go Now the spirit moves in the wooing dispensations of the Gospel there then place your selves and give up your hearts unto these wooings 4. And in case that any sensible dispensation fall upon you either by affliction or enjoyment let your eye affect your heart affections are sensible movings of the so I doth the Lord therefore speak unto your soul by afflictions or Sacraments he sure that you improve these sensible dispensations to the working up of your affections unto things above 5. And be much in meditation for as reading and hearing doe beget knowledge so meditation doth beget affections either therefore you are in company or you are alone if you be in company mutual Exhortation will quicken your affections unto what is good if ye be alone then sit and meditate on the things that you have heard or read or seen or done and thus your affections will and shall be raised unto things above Quest But my affections are most unsteady though they be raised to day yet they are down to morrow what shall I do that I may so set my affections on things above that they may be settled on them Answ In case your affections have been raised Then 1. take as much pains to keep your affections up as you did to raise them up And 2. In case you feel your affections begin to ool and decline then stir up your self and the grace of God that is in you The Prophet Isaiah complains that none stirred up themselves to take hold on God The like complaint may we take up now for what is the reason that our affections dye and cool away after raisings of heart but because we doe not stir up our selves and hearts to take hold on God in case therefore that your affeâ—â—ions doe begin to abate and cool blow them up afresh and stir up your selves thereunto 3 Be sure that you make use of the varietie in the ways of God which he hath given you varietas refocillat variety is refreshing and affecting God hath given us divers ordinances to be exercised in that if we be dull and weary in one we may go to another if you be weary in prayer you may go to reading if weary in reading then go to meditating if weary in meditation you may go to conference if you will spend your self only in one duty there will grow a dulness and deadness upon you but if you exercise your self according to that variety which God hath given you your heart will be kept up with an holy freshness unto things above But 4. Because that we are much affected with new things therefore study the words and works of God much and be always digging in them then some new truth or new discovery will arise upon you which will affect your heart and ever heap up your affections unto things above And 5. In case that you have any great affections unto what is good be sure that you labour more and more to refine that affection things refined keep longest Distilled Waters keep longer then the leaves out of which the waters are distilled if ye have Rose leaves they will not keep fresh so long as the water that you distill from them those affections that you now have it may be are sweet unto you but they are as the Rose leaves somewhat of a drossier matter which doth adhere to them if you would now take those very good affections and Refine or Distil the same then would they keep the longer Go then and carry in your Rose leaves unto Gods-Still and labour more and more to refine your best affections Thus your affections shall not only be set on things above but be setled on them And my Beloved is it not a good and blessed thing to have sweet and large affections for good Surely it is a great mercy to have large affections in good and for good some of us have had large affections to the things of the world and shall we not have as large affections unto things that are above Old men generally want affections and young people doe abound therein but what will all our affections doe us good if they be set on things here below Alas we shall but lose them and the things affected too But if you set your affections on things above you shall neither lose your affections nor the things affected Wherefore let us all receive this Exhortation Set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth How to walk with God in our Callings 1 Cor. 7.20 Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God IN this Chapter the Apostle speaks to a Case of Conscience Whether it be lawful for the Believing Wife to depart from the
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind Here are four Alls. There is no abatement then in our Gospel times Now if this be the mind and will of God is not this reason enough for us I have read of one Bishop in the Primitive Times whose name was Quodvulteus that is Quod vult Deus What God will And indeed methinks that this should be the name of every Christian Quodvulteus What-God-will We all profess our selves the Children of Abraham He went blindfold into Gods Commandments and subscribed to a Blanck Now we have Commandment for this both in the Old and New Testament It is Scriptural Secondly As is is Scriptural so it is a rational thing that we should do Gods work with all our might For is it not a reasonable thing that we should give God his due his own 1. Now all our might is Gods due Non est devotionis says Prosper It is not matter of devotion to give all unto God within a little sed fraudis est it 's matter of fraud to keep a little from God 2. And is it not a reasonable thing for us to love God who hath loved us and given himself for us and to us Who is the proper Object of our love and altogether lovely Who only gives the affection of love and the thing loved and who only can recompense your love with love again Now it is the only measure of true Love to know no measure Non amat qui non zelat 3. And is it not a reasonable thing that we should do Gods work as fully as our own Now if you have any business to do in the world you will turn every stone you will do it with all your might Have you not sinn'd with all your might and shall your sins be crying sins and your prayers whispering prayers Will you run when the world calls and wil you creep when God calls You will not bear it that a man speak to you when you speak to another and will you bear it that the world should speak to you while you speak to God But Fourthly Is it not a reasonable thing that we should do that work with all our might which is our only work and the work which we came into the world for Now we did not come inâ—o the world to get riches or credit We hâ—ve nothing here to do but to serve the Lord all other things are subordinate to that And if you look into Scriptuâ—e you shall find that the Lord only stands upon this work Thou shalt worship the â—ord and him onely shalt thou serve onely let your conversation be as becometh c. Here doth the onely stand Yea says Solomon this is the whole of man Eccles 12.13 Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole of man The word duty is not in the Original But fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole of man Now is it not rational that we should give God his due That we should love God That we should do his work as fully as our own That we should do that work with all our might which is our onely work Surely therefore it 's very rational that we should do Gods work with all our might Yet Thirdly As it is rational that we should do thus so it is a dangerous thing not to do it For cursed is every one that doth the work of the Lord negligently Sloth and the Curse grow together upon one stalk The Jewish Rabbins do observe that there is a threefold Amen that is not right which say they is followed with a threefold answerable punishment There is Amen amputatum Amen acceleratum and Amen Pupillare or Orban Amen Amputatum Amen when a man doth cut short his duty and say Amen unto half duty Amen acceleratum Is when he doth huddle over his duty and say Amen to an hastened duty Amen Pupillare As when a man doth perform his duty without understanding heart and doth say Amen to he knows not what Now say they If a man shall cut short his duty God shall cut short his comforts If a man shall hasten and huddle over his duty God will hasten and not prolong his days And if a man shall perform his duty without heart and understanding then his Children shall be Orphans as his duty was without heart and knowledge so his Children shall be without Parents Thus they express the punishment of doing Gods work negligently but ye know what the Prophet Malachy saith Cursed is every one that hath in his Flock a Male and offers a corrupt thing to God as if he should say Cursed is that man or woman who hath Masculine affections for the world and Female affections for the work of God O now if it be the will and mind of God that we should do his work with all our might a rational thing to do so And a dangerous thing not to do it Then surely it is our duty and matter of great concernment to do the work that God hath given us to do with all our might Why But will some say this seems contrary to Scripture Reason and our own Judgment to Scripture for the Scripture saith Vse the world as if you used it not To Reason for the Magistrate is to do Justice and if he do it with all his might there will be summum jus and summum jus is summa injuria and to our own Judgment for according to our own principles we are able to do nothing but according to this Text and Doctrine there is something in the power of our hand to do How can this therefore agree either with Scripture Reason or our own Judgment and Principles Yes very well for doth the Scripture say that we are to use the world as if we used it not and doth it say here whatever is in the power of thine hand to do do it withall thy might Then put these together and what is the result but this That we should use all our skill and might to use the world as if we used it not And as for the reâ—son about the Magistrate though the Magistrate is to do justice yet he is to shew mercy also if he have righteousness in the one hand he is to have mercy in the other I will sing of mercy and judgment saith David Seneca tells us that many punishments are as much disparagement to the Magistrate as many Funerals are to the Physician Ye know that Moses was the first Magistrate that Israel had and did not he doe justice yes yet he was the meekest man upon earth Why so but to shew that the dispensations of justice will grow very well upon the disposition of meekness And as for our own principles and Judgment who doth not say and say true That every man hath power to do more then he doth and what if I should say with some That God will