the mire his Riches will stand him in no stead in the day of Wrath Prov. 11.4 when God shall pass the dreadful Sentence of Death upon him Oh! how should this be as an Alarm before the judgment Day unto us all it may serve for the beating up of the Quarters of the Carnal Men of this World Oh! that it may be a means for to drive us out of our Carnal Security to make sure of a right grounded Evidence for heaven for no Evidence will pass in the day of the Lord but that which is sent by the hand of Christ and sealed by the Spirit What Christ said unto Jerusalem Luke 19.42 I shall say unto the Carnal Men of this World Oh! that you would consider in this your Day the things that tend unto your Peace before they be hid from your Eyes Oh! when will it once be that thou mayest shake hands wiâ—h all thy Carnal Wealth and bid adew unto it all yea with a cheâ—â—ful Heart say unto it farewel and say I have found out a better Friend that will stand me in more stead Oh! a Pearl of great worth that will make me rich for ever and oh that thou wert once forced for to say I would not be without Christ for a thousand Worlds Oh! that this might be the Language of a Carnal Man when he finds his Heart Running out to Carnallity giving of himself an heavenly check What is thy meaning Soul what undo thy Soul for a triffle what for a little Honour and Worldly Estimation when thou hast done all wearied out thy Body and hazzared thy Soul to all Eternity and when thou hast got all thou canst get of the World why thou hast got that which will melt away like Snow yea let me tell thee also upon the best of worldly Injoyments God hath writ Woe thereon Oh! What good will our outward Honour do us Jam. 5.1 when we must look the Judge in the Face and be accountable unto him how we came by it with our Consciences flying in our Faces as a swift witness against us in the Day of Christ I leave it unto the Right Honourable that are so titled in this World to consider This may inform all Carnal men that take pleasure in all Worldly Delights and Pleasure that God hath writ wo upon that also Oh Soul What a miserable man wilt thou be when thou shalt swim in thy Pleasures to Hell It is not thy Wealth Honour nor thy good Friends that thou hast boasted in in the Day of the Lord will stand thee in any stead Oh! if thou dost not make Christ thy Friend here thou art undone man for ever when God shall accuse thee thy Conscience Condemn thee and thou lying under the sentence of a Severe Judge Oh! of what use will any thing that the World can afford be unto thee Oh! let a word of Counsel be acceptable unto thee then and make hast after dear Jesus and cleave and cling about him for a better Heart and better Pleasures or else Soul thou must go into the Pit where there will be no ransom found for thee Psal 9.17 whilst thou remains in the Carnal Mind thou art going thither a pace in a full career to Hell Oh man thou art near the end of that uncomfortable journey and not sensible whither thou art a going The Lord awaken such with the powerful Raps of his Spirit and give them the Portion of an awakened Conscience with the gift of a better Heart and then it is that thou shalt attain unto a better Mind Alas man upon all thy ill-gotten goods and unlawful gain that thou hast got with a defiled Conscience God writes Death yea upon the Posts of thy Doors Isa 33.15 Gen. 3.8 Rev. 6.16 Numb 32.23 And where art thou then man What will become of all thy Gain of Oppression then when God shall enter into judgement with thee when thou shalt go about to hide thy self with thy Father Adam God will find thee out There is no Mountain will hide thee from the presence of the Lord then nor when thou betakes thy self unto the Rocks shalt thou find them a sufficient shelter to thee for go where thou wilt thy sin will find thee out Poor man thou hast got a very bad bargain of it for thy rising up early and going to bed late and eating the bread of carefulness when at last thou must by Gods everlasting decree turn down to Hell for ever Truly that man is but a miserable poor man that is outwardly rich but inwardly poor that hath for many years took care to feed his Body and live deliciously and in the mean time hath starved his Soul Oh! that the Lord would awaken such persons that they might not sleep the sleep of death but consider the Day that will overtake them as a Thief in the night Rev. 16 15. before it be too late Oh! that such would go to Christ and intreat his favour to reconcile them unto the Father and as a token of his love be very earnest with him for to bestow upon them the earnest of the Spirit as a Pledge and Token of his Favour which will prove an excellent help unto them to conquer and overcome the Carnal Mind a Rock upon which thousands have split themselves in the world a Sand that hath sunk many into perdition Oh! it doth much concern all persons that live in the Carnal Mind to make no stay but run with all speed with the blind man of the Gospel to Christ as he brought his blind eyes to Christ so do thou bring thy blind Mind and intreat the Lord Jesus to enlighten thee and help thee to a true sight of himself Jer. 29.13 to the end thou mayest have thy mind stayed upon him without doubt if thou seekest aright thou mayest obtain thy desire yea wo and misery to the Carnal Man for let him injoy what he will it is sent him with a curse as you have already heard Oh! this should teach us for to be careful how we come nigh the dwellings of such who are Carnal and to have no more to do with them then necessity requires Learn to love their Persons but to hate their sins pitty them pray for them and do them any good to help them forward to Christ if thou canst but let thy Soul abhor their wayes come not near their secrets and learn to Honour that God that sent his Son to die for thy good Oh! Learn to be out of love with thy Carnal Mind thy Carnal Heart thy Carnal Wealth thy Carnal Honour thy Carnal Pleasure thy Carnal Gain in a word all thy Carnal Injoyments yea every thing that hath the Stamp of Carnality upon iâ— Rom. 6.23 Oh! let us seriously take the words of Paul into consideration and I shall conclude The wages of sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. A DECLARATION Of the EXCELLENCY
which they shall injoy by Christ is Life Eternal Oh! it is an endless Life and though they die before they live they die in order unto a better life such a life as none can deprive them of Secondly Is Christ a Christians Prince and is this Prince a Prince of Peace This may add unto a Christians comfort also They serve a most Noble Prince 1 Tim. 6 15. Rev. 17 14. one that will not onely make their Life comfortable but Honourable also who will not onely invest them with Peace but also will furnish them with Grace and such as attend on Christ the Prince of Peace shall wear the Livery of the Spotless Robes of the Righteousness of our dear Lord Jesus and their Wages will be Phil. 3.10 Eternal Life and Glory and they shall have choice varieties to feed upon yea fare delicately every day the best Provision in their Fathers House the Prince of Peace they shall be welcome unto and their drink shall be on the Fountain of Living Waters the Living Streams that makes glad the City of God we shall find our dear Lord our Protection as well as our Consolation Oh! such shall drink their fill at the Fountain and be very high in his estimation for he will not suffer any to do them harm such shall find this Prince and his Court attended with Holiness 2 Chron. 16. ver 20 21 22. Holiness is in his Borders yea round about his Dominions Oh! this is our King who is called Salem the Prince of Peace The consideration of all these things may afford us Divine comfort and choice consolation in abundance Thirdly Hath God called thee and blessed thee with Peace who is a God of Peace Rom. 15 33. 1 Cor. 7.15 come let us then follow our calling and Spiritual Vocation and much rejoyce that we are called to Peace Oh! let us endeavour for to promote Peace in all we set our hand unto to do and do nothing that may not tend to Peace Oh! then shall we have much cause for to rejoyce when our Peace with God is maintained Job 22.21 when our dear Lord and we are one when we find it our joy for to be with God then it will be evident God is with us Oh! it is matter of great joy Psal 29 11. for to come under the Fathers Blessing who doth use to bless his children with Peace therefore let us much rejoyce in our Portion namely our Fathers Blessing and that we are acquainted with the God of Peace and know him to be our Peace-maker who was graciously pleased for to make himself one with us Ro. 5.8 who was enemy to him Oh! this is matter of great consolation indeed Fourthly Hath God made with us a Covenant of Peace and therein hath ingaged himself for to lead us in the Path of Peace Oh! bless the Lord who hath in his Râ—â—â— Love provided food for thy Faith for here is much communicated to us by God for to strengthen our Faith in God for God is ingaged in the Covenant of Grace to be our God Jer. 31.33 Ps 144 15. and hath entred into a League of Peace with us Oh! Happy is that People whose God is the Lord yea happy is that People that is in such a case Soul thou hast no cause to mourn let what times will come though never so bad or never so sad Man God is thine and he is much concerned to own thee to protect thee to feed thee Ps 121 15. Joh. 21 15. Rev. 3.18 Psal 34 15. Isa 59.1 Psal 23 2. to cloath thee and for to have an Eye and Heart of love to thee at all Times and Seasons Oh! here is matter of joy and comfort to such indeed he will lead thee into no condition but his Eye of Love shall be upon thee our dear Lord will walk with thee and he will not venture thee alone in the World he will not onely cast an eye of love upon thee but will also stretch forth his hand of love to thee for thy relief yea he it is that will guide thee with his Eye and with his Hand and will bring thee into the green Pastures and lead thee besides the still Waters where thy Soul shall meet with the feedings and fillings of Divine consolation where no beast of prey shall ever have their will upon thee any more but our dear Lord in rich Love will be a wall of defence unto thee Psal 59 9 10 16. and none shall come at thee to do thee harm and then he will make the Paths of Peace very pleasant Paths unto thee wherein thy Soul shall walk with much delight for there it is that Christ thee must walk live together yea there it is where thee and thy Love must imbrace each other Oh! it is in the Pleasant Path of Peace Prov. 3.17 that thee and thy Love shall converse together upon the high and choice and mighty things of his Royal Law Oh! this Path of Peace will prove a Path of Grace All these things cast up and put together it will easily be made appear there is ground sufficient for a true Christian for to be rejoycing in as much as Christ is his Portion his Crown his All and in all Lam. 3.24 for Christ and a true Christian never meets but he meets with a Blessing although a Christians communion with Christ is oftentimes attended with a cloud Exo. 40 36 37. yet our dear Lord will vouchsafe for to speak choicely unto him yea though it be through a cloud as he was pleased for to speak unto his Servant Moses in the Mount and for as much as God is a God in Covenant with us Heb. 13 5. Psal 73.24 he will never leave us nor forsake us but will be a choice good to us in all our straits and difficulties and will guide us by his Counsel and afterwards receive us into his Glory MEDITATIONS By Way of OBSERVATION Observation I. Mat. 15.36 Mat. 26.39 COme immitate the Lord of Life this Day In Holy fear let 's walk and talk alway Mat. 3.13 vers 17. Oh! follow Christ's Example choice and rare In God's appointment walk and do not fear Hosea 2.14 vers 15. Though in the Wilderness our Lord doth go Let us attend him there and we shall know The Canaan Fruit his Manna and choice dew Rev. 2.27 Injoy we shall and feed thereon a new God's poor let 's love and to them now be kind James 2.5 For such he 'l own his presence they shall find Unto the Cross come bend and bow also Mat. 10.38 Then have the Crown at last we shall I know Psal 110.3 Isaiah 1.19 And willingly let us obey his Voice Come serve our Lord our King our onely choice Rom. 12.8 2 Cor. 9.7 And chearfully in his choice works let 's go His streams of Love to us shall overflow Luk. 19.48 Rev.
the work of repentance has been wrought in his Soul I am one that have had very much familiar acquaintance with him with whom I do and for some season have walked in the Faith and Order of the Gospel and I hope in sincerity of heart I speak it I have not I say since the work of repentance was manifested known any thing but his Conversation his Life his Behaviour namely his whole Conversation is as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ And that he hath made it his whole work at all opportunities to propagate the Gospel to be instructing building up and helping forward of poor sinners in the pretious ways of dear Jesus and what he could not do by way of publick Preaching he hath laid hold of an opportunity by way of Writing not desiring to hide his talent in a napkin Further Reader know our lot is fallen in this last age of the world upon whom the ends of the earth is come in which the hour of temptation shall be which shall try all them that dwell upon the earth Rev. 2.10 Therefore 't is not a day for Ephraim to vex Judah nor Judah to vex Ephraim but every one of us in our places to meditate on the Royal Law of Love Jam. 2.8 and very profitable will it be for us to be looking into the Prophecies of the last times and to be learning of obedience that being fore-warned we may be fore-armed against the storm comes for who may abide when he appears Mal. 3.2 Rev. 14.1 but such who have been the faithful followers of the Lamb and they alone shall come to enjoy that glorious Paradise that was lost by our transgression in the first Adam and shall be restored again by the Lord Jesus into the primitive glory at his second and glorious appearance and Kingdom which God the Father will give unto his Son Jesus which is the man from Heaven whose heavenly Paradise will far exceed the Paradise of the Earth and be far more glorious it is that New Jerusalem the Wals thereof are garnished with all manner of pretious stones the Streets thereof are pure gold Rev. 21 18 19. as transparent glass which Paradise shall not be of the Earth nor from the Earth nor of a carnal mind as is shewn by the Author in this Book and yet it shall be placed upon the Earth for Rev. 21.2 Heb. 11 10. It shall come down out of Heaven from God being that City which the faithful Patriarchs look for which has a foundation whose builder and maker is God and it shall be the glorious habitation of Christ in the day of his reign The sight of this City by faith in the Promises of God made the holy men of old to acknowledge themselves to be but strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth and to seek a better Country ver 37 40. Heb. 11 24 25 26. It was that glorious Inheritance that Moses saw when he slighted Pharaoh's royal Court and Daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the Lords People here than for to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and so come short of the Inheritance hereafter From hence Observe That those who will follow God here must look for their Reward hereafter For our blessed Lord saith Behold I come quickly Rev. 22 12. and my reward is with me to give to every man as his work shall be Therefore one word unto the World to poor sinners for my Lord and Master had a tender love to such The time would fail me to tell you what he underwent for you who wept over Jerusalem saying Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things belonging unto thy peace Luk. 19 42. Sinner through grace it is yet thy day England it is yet thy day London it is yet thy day It is yet your day Rulers Oh that you would be perswaded to begin to learn those things that belong to your peace Ma. 3.2 break off your sins by repentance for it belongs to your peace Kiss the Son least he be angry with you for it belongs unto your peace Beg of God to give you faith in the Promises for it belongs to your peace For being justified by faith Ro. 5.1 we have peace with God Come learn obedience to Christ for it belongs to your peace Leave off breaking up the Meetings of the Saints and persecuting of them for it belongs to your peace Break off the banishment imprisoning and hard using of the People of God Isa 1.16 for it belongs to your peace Wash you make you clean and put away the evil of your doings cease from all these evils from blaspheming swearing reproaching and learn to do well for it belongs to your peace for God will reckon with you for it 'T will not be long before it be hid from your eyes and then you will call Prov. 1.24 25 26. but God will not hear you shall cry but God will not answer but will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh as desolation Therefore be invited to come and embrace the Lord Jesus and the Lord give you understanding in what is here presented or enclosed and in all the truths of God for you here will read what it is to be Carnally Minded Ro. 8.7 and how such as live in the Carnal Mind must never expect to live with Christ therefore examine try and learn to know how to be Spiritually Minded which will produce Eternal Life with Christ in that Kingdom here treated on and in the Father's Kingdom to all Eternity Which is the desire of him who is the meanest in God's House the lowest of all Saints yet through grace a lover of Righteousness and a friend to Zion and a well-wisher to all Truth a Brother to all that love Christ in sincerity John Glyde The 16th day of the 11th Month 1662. To all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and who desire to be Faithful followers of the Lamb Grace Mercy and true Peace be multiplyed Dearly beloved in the Lord AMong many of the Providential appearances of the Lord to me I judge this to be none of the least that I should speak by Epistle in Print which was the least of my thoughts Surely Saints the Lord is about to speak when he opens the mouths of Babes and Sucklings Psalm 8.2 And seeing God hath put this opportunity into my Hand I shall endeavour to deal Faithfully between God and you and my own soul And so I shall crave your patience to consider three or four things which the Lord hath put into my Heart to commend to your consideration Me-thinks I hear the Lords people speaking in the Language of them in Isa 21.11 Watchmen What of the Night Give me leave to whisper among you O ye Saints among the loud cry of your Watchmen that the Lord speaks at this Day four-fold that is to say four things God speaks to be our work
his Carnal Mind the deeper he falls into sin and the more he sins the higher he aggravates his misery and if his Carnal Mind is not changed and so leave him before Death seize on him the man is for ever undone without recovery Now all these things considered it should make us dread the thoughts of being Carnally minded So I proceed to the second Particular namely to lay down some Particular Helps which may with the Blessing of God prevent a Carnal frame of Heart The first Means to prevent a Carnal Frame of Heart First Soul wilt thou prevent a Carnal frame of Heart from seizing on thee Labour and likewise endeavour to get thy heart in Heaven whil'st thou art upon earth It is that which is much the concernment of a Christian to settle his Heart upon his Treasure Now where is a Christians Treasure but in Heaven therefore a Christians Heart should be in Heaven Oh! this was the Blessed Doctrine that flowed from the Lips of our dear Lord Jesus Where your Treasure is Luk. 12 34. there will your hearts be also It is usually seen in things Temporal that where mens Treasure is there is their Hearts as for example the Rich mans Treasure is his Riches where is the mans heart upon his Riches The Honourable mans Honour is his Treasure and his heart is upon it Another mans Treasure is his Pleasure and his Heart is setled there so a true Christians Treasure is in Christ and his heart is affected with none but Christ It was the Fathers pleasure to enrich his Son with the Treasure of Wisdom and Knowledge to the end that we might be enriched by him Col. 2.3 For of his fulness shall we all receive Grace for Grace Do we live by him and shall we not be in love with him Joh. 1.16 Shall all our comforts and special enjoyments of Grace and Happiness flow from him and shall not we live to him Shall Dear Jesus protect us and also bless us with Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places and shall we not own him to be our Soveraign Lord the King Oh! shall Christ manifest love to us and shall we manifest unkindness unto him Shall Christ set his Heart upon us and shall we set out Hearts upon any besides him Oh! shall Dear Jesus be willing to give Royal entertainment to us and shall we be unfree for to entertain him Oh! what an unbecoming frame is this that the Lord of Life shall vouchsafe for to stoop unto us and what shall we not bow unto him Shall the Prince of Darkness have entertainment by us and shall not the Prince of Peace have room in out Hearts What Soul is Christ free to die that thou mayest live and wilt not thou live to him that died for thee If this should be true doth it not plainly appear our Hearts are not where they should be on Christ a Christians Treasure Soul learn to live more in the sence of his Love to thee and then it will grieve thee that he is not more loved by thee labour to keep in remembrance the excellency of his love Rom. 8.32 Ho 14 4. Jer. 31.3 the freeness of his Grace the fulness of his Bowels and Affection and the everlastingness of his kindness towards thee and then see whether or no he will not be the object of thy love and delight continually To get our hearts in Heaven will conduce much to the weaning of our hearts off from the Earth The more we exercise our thoughts upon Heaven and Heavenly things the more we shall loath those things that are Carnal Yea the more we exercise our minds upon those things that are Spiritual the less we shall mind the things that are Carnal and the more we set our affections on things that are above the less we shall affect the things beneath In a word Soul wouldst thou enjoy more the Spiritual and less of the Carnal mind Labour for to carry thy self a stranger to that which is a stranger to Christ and be not a companion for those that will not keep company with Christ The second Means to prevent the Carnal Mind If thou wouldst be set free or delivered from a Carnal Frame of Heart exercise thy self then in those things that tend much unto the Honour of God Prov. 3.9 1 Sam. 2.20 1 Thes 4.4 Study more the Honour of God than thy own good let God be Honoured by thee what ever becomes of thee If thou wouldest have thy Heart kept from a Carnal Frame be active for God labour for to promote the Works of Holiness let every opportunity be improved for Christ and let our works be so managed that in what we do let us propound unto our selves such aims and ends that may tend to the advancing of the Name and Glory of Christ Jer. 13.16 Acts 12 23. 1 Cor. 1.31 that it may evidently appear to the view of all that our minds in such proceedings are not Carnal If we would Honour God in what we would do for God let nothing be attributed unto the creature but let us set the Crown upon the Head of Christ If any thing be done that savours of the Spiritual Mind know that it is Gods own Work and Stamp in thy Soul therefore ascribe all Glory to him are we redeemed from the Carnal Mind in any measure the work of the flesh or the old Nature then here is no cause of boasting for us For it is not by Works of Righteousnesse that we have done but according unto his mercy he hath saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit which is richly shed on us Tit. 3.5 6. through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that God hath left nothing to feed the Carnal Mind with but if we have any thing to Glory in it is in the Free and Rich Grace of God in Christ for it is by his Grace that we are justified and not by our works Tit. 3.7 It is by the Grace of God in Christ we become Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life It doth much tend unto the Glory of God and the preventing of the Carnal Mind to give that Honour to Christ that is due unto him and then it will appear that we so do when we can lay our own Righteousoness or what ever it is that we can call ours at the Foot of Christ and be found in him not having our own Righteousness which is by the Law Phil. 3.9 and to be found in the Righteousness of God by Faith Oh! this is that which tends to the Glory of God when we thus advance Christ and make him the top of our Glory and not our own Righteousness yea this is that which is a great means to prevent the Carnal Mind The third Means to prevent a Carnal Frame of Heart Thiâ—â—ly The third Means by which we may prevent a Carnal Frame of Heart is For to fix our eyes upon Spiritual Objects
for ever whose Condition must needs be dreadful The fifth dreadful State of the Carnal minded Man Fifthly In a word God writes Death or a Curse upon all the Carnal mans Injoyments Let the carnal Man be in the City he is cursed there Deut. 28.16 ver 17. ver 18. ver 19. ver 20. if he be in the Field he meets with a curse there if his Basket and Store should Increase it 's attended with a curse yea though he should injoy the fruit of his Body and the fruit of his Land the increase of the Kine with the flocks of Sheep yet a curse â—s writ upon them all yea what ever he shall set his hand unto for to do the man meets with a curse That on the man who is in this Estate may be writ Magor Missabib that is Jer. 2 3 4. fear round about For behold I have made thee a Terror unto thy Self 1 Sam. 4.20 or this man may be called Ichabod which signifies There is no Glory or the Glory of God is departed from thee Woe unto that People or Nation from whom God is departed the Ark of God was the strength and glory of Israel and while the Ark was missing Israel could not conquer his and God's Enemies So the Ark of God's Promiâ—es is our Strength and Glory in which God is ingaged to us and we ingaged to him so long as we can find the Promises with us Isa 41.10 we shall conquer over our potent Enemies but if the Promise stand in right opposition against us then woe to us that man then may be said to be in a state of misery that doth live and die in the Spirit of Carnallity and the man must die to all Eternity Now all things considered argues the carnal minded Mans end to be sad and dreadful when God shall pronounce a Curse instead of an Everlasting Bless upon him The first Use of Exhortation Is it Death to be Carnally Minded be exhorted then oh poor Sinners for to make out after Christ to the end he may spirituallize thy Affections John 6.37 Oh! take not up thy Rest and abode short of Christ he 'l teach thee to settle thy Affections upon better Objects than the beggarly things of this Life upon the Soul-innobling Object namely himself who will be thy help and supply in all Conditions Oh! let us consider what is there here below that our hearts should so much delight therein all the Honour Riches and vain Pleasures of this Life or whatever the world can afford cannot procure one dram of true Peace or Refreshment upon a death-bed or in the great and dreadful day of the Lord Oh! Why is it we should delight in that which will not redound unto our good this may be a means for to help us for to think upon the pretious things of Eternity Mat. 25.34 the Honour and Glory that our Lord Jesus will invest his with in his heavenly Kingdom the Riches of Eternal Life with the unsearchable Pleasures of Heaven for ever The meditation of these things may conduce to the begetting of a better frame of heart Psa 16.11 than yet we have attained unto with the blessing of God Oh! then shall we have our Minds run forth unto the honour of God and the promoting of his Kingly Power and Dignity Oh! let us labour for to get our eyes fixed upon those Objects that are truly spiritual then at last we shall attain to a true delight in spiritual things we then shall be set free from the bondage of a Carnal Mind and have our Thoughts free for God to promote him as our Lord and King Oh! 1 Pet. 2.11 then we shall witness the Carnal Mind our burthen and we shall then imploy our selves on heavenly matters and heavenly concernments then we shall not give our Affections that scope and liberty to run as afore-time but they shall come up unto the bonds and limits of the Spirit Rom. 13.14 Oh! we shall then every day feel the living streams of heavenly Refreshments come in with such power and authority that the filthy Mud and Mire of the Carnal Mind shall be washed quite away and driven out with the Stream or Tide of God's divine Floods which shall come in his sanctifying Spirit which will be our guide to leade us into the lovely path of true Holiness where we shall meet with entertainment from the King of Glory who will bid us welcome into his Dominions and make us Citizens of his Metropoliton City the new Jerusalem Eph. 2.19 Heb. 12 22. being set free from our Carnal Mind we shall then be trading in a new Calling for Heaven where we shall get Riches in abundance in an honest Mind such kind of Wealth that none can rob us off Oh then Who would abide in the Carnal State to be undone for ever when there is such free trading for Heaven for all that are made free by Christ For John 8.36 if the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed Oh come Dear Heâ—rts let us use all lawful endeavours for to get our Hearts in Heaven more and then we shall affect the perishing things of this world less Oh! let us walk more to the honour of God and then we shall wound our poor Souls less let us fix our Eyes upon those things that will redound un o our Spiritual advantage and then we shall feel the Carnal Mind departing and giving up the ghost Come let the sweet and choice Concernments of our dear Lord take up our Hearts more and then we shall be intangled with the Carnal Mind-less Let us strive to walk in the lovely Path of Holinesse more and then we shall count it an undervalument to us to venture the hazard of our pretious Souls in the crooked path of the Carnal Mind where there is nothing but a wound to be had and Death at last Oh then it is that we shall bid farewel unto Carnal Friends and Carnal Things when God comes to take up his aboad in us and shew to us the danger thereof Oh! let this be much upon our Hearts to find out some way by which we may be enabled to shake off this Beast namely the Carnal Mind that makes us to swell up with the Poyson of Sin of all kind and in danger to die for ever Oh! come unto Jesus Christ and he will be thy help in this great Work and will set you free from the bondage you meet with by the Carnal Mind The second Use of Information This may inform us of the dismal State and miserable Condition of such who live and die in the Carnal Mind although God doth lend them outward Wealth yet he writes Death upon it and Woe also That Man is in a sad State that is Rich but not Rich towards God Prov. 23.5 alas Riches makes themselves Wings and in a moment flie away Oh! where is the poor man then left in
pitch of attainment he is inabled to see a vanity in the love of the World a vanity in Worldly Riches Worldly Pleasures in a word the man who is annointed with the Eye-salve of Christ's love Rev. 3.18 sees all things short of Christ to be but vanity that give him what you will you give him nothing to his content except you give him Christ Character 3. To be Spiritually Minded is for to have an inlarged Heart for God and Godliness The very bent and intent of such a soul runs after the Lord and whatever things are True Phil. 4.8 whatsoever things are Honest whatsoever things are Just whatsoever things are Pure whatsoever things are Lovely whatsoever things are of good Report you shall have the spiritual man thinking of them and walking in them and that is the Path in which he doth delight to walk in Luke 1.6 if he can promote the Honour and Glory of God in what he doth it will be his great joy if not his great trouble Let him be in any Company whatsoever he will be giving out something that will tend unto the promoting of a Godly Life and if it cannot be digested the man is gone and if you would demâ—nd a Reason for the mans absenting he will tell you He hath but a little time for to Trade in and he must Trade for God The man truly Spiritual will tell you That the time past is enough and too much Gal. 5.16 that he hath spent in the lusts of the flesh and the pride of Life and if the Commodities of Heaven cannot go off with you and be digested by you he will of a suddain bid you adieu he will acquaint you what those Commodities are and will not leave you in the dark in the matter but you shall have very fair dealing from his hands the Commodities of Heaven are these Love Joy Peace Gal. 5.22 Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance and the like What say you man Will you trade in these things time is pretious I must be gone Mat. 25 15. ver 16. ver 17. for I must be careful how I spend my golden opportunities he will tell us The Lord hath intrusted him with a Talent the which if he doth not improve God will deprive him of it therefore you must give in your result without delay What say you Soul Are you for Heaven if not farewel I must be gone here is no staying for me for all talking is a burthen to me that doth not tend to the promoting of God and Godliness Character 4. To be Spiritually Minded is for to have our Hearts much carried forth in the Meditation of the Law of God In this the Prophet David was an excellent and choice president when he speaks of the Law of God he tells us Psa 1.2 It was his Meditation Day and Night Oh! here is a man of Renown of a singular Spirit so much swallowed up with Heaven or the Heavenly Law that the Night as well as the Day Ps 119 97. must be taken up with the Meditations thereof When this good man had digested this Spiritual Art of Heavenly Meditations on the Holy Law of God Ps 119 72. Ps 119 127. he comes to give us a taste of the Excellency of it to the end that he might get the like affection in our Souls to God's Law as was in his own when he comes to give us an account of God's Law he tells us That it was more choice then Gold nay as if he had come short to set forth the worth of Gods Law he farther sayes of it It is more choice then fine gold Nay David doth acquaint us further of the time when he came to have such a choice tast and experience in God's Law Oh! in the hour of affliction it was for this account he gives us of his affliction Ps 119 67. Ps 119 71. saying It was good for me that I was afflicted or else I had gone a stray but now have I learned for to keep thy Law as if the onely time for to come unto a right understanding of Gods Law was in the hour of affliction This may teach us then not at any time to be afraid of affliction or Gods afflicting Hand for many times affliction doth prove an excellent help unto Christians for the inlarging of their Hearts for Heaven and that Soul who doth much Meditate upon the Law of God making it his daily delight is one that may be truly called a Spiritual Minded man who feeds on and dwells upon the things of the Spirit Fifthly Wherein is discovered the profit and Spiritual advantage that doth redound unto a Spiritual Minded man which is two-fold namely Life and Peace The first Priviledge of a Christian First To be Spiritually Minded is for to have a Knowledge of Christ and such as have a true Knowledge of Christ have life Eternal Joh. 17.3 This is Life Eternal that they may know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent The Knowledge of Christ being ours will prove profitable and comfortable in the Day of Christ Phil. 1.7 Luk. 1.47 Psal 23 1. Psal 28 7. Psal 84 11. Pro. 30.5 yea to know him for to be our Lord and the Son of God that dyed for us for we may know him and confess him to be the Son of God and yet go to Hell for all that for the Devils went so far but to have a true Knowledge of Christ is for to know him as Paul and the rest of the Worthies of Christ knew him that is to know him our Lord our Saviour our Shepherd our Rock our Shield our Buckler our strong Tower Oh! this knowledge doth Administer Comfort and Divine Consolation unto the Soul it makes Trouble sweet Prisons sweet nay Death it self sweet unto the Soul Oh! when it considers I am now going unto Christ my Saviour to reign with him for ever where I shall never grieve the Spirit more where I shall never offend my God more where I shall never have my Communion with Christ eclipsed more where I shall never witness the loss of Grace more where I shall never tast of Death more Psal 16 11. where I shall never witness Christs absence more Oh! this is a blessed knowledge that conducts the Soul into Life Eternal The second Priviledge of a Christian Secondly To be Spiritually Minded is to be free from sin and such are the Servants of God who brings forth the fruit of Holiness whose end tends to Life Such may be termed Christ's Free-men John 8.36 Rom. 8.2 Rom. 6.22 who trade in the rich Commodities of the things above such are in a great measure freed from sin finding of it such a drug that they will have no dealings with it upon any terms it being a Commodity that redounds unto them no profit but will lie upon their hands to their great prejudice and disadvantage it lying dead upon
their hands it much prevents them of their Spiritual gain whereby they should become Servants unto God and bring forth the fruits of Holiness whose end tends unto Everlasting Life Holiness is a Commodity in high estimation with such who are in any measure set free from the first Nature which is a State of sin and Everlasting Life is the Fruit of Holiness and the portion of a Spiritual Minded Christian The third Priviledge of a Christian Thirdly Such as are Spiritual are such as live a hidden Life and descerned by none but such as are truly Spiritual That a Christians life is a hidden life observe the Words of the Apostle For ye are dead Col. 3.3 speaking of such whose affections were in Heaven and your life is hid with Christ in God The Spiritualized Christians life is secured you may as well harm the Lord Jesus as harm his Life Let the enemy do what he can he cannot hurt him yea though you put him to death he shall yet live yea at a better rate then ever Lu. 12.33 and though you take from him all his Treasure without doubt his best Treasure cannot be taken from him that let the enemie do what he will unto the Spiritual Christian he receives no hurt or dammage for his life is secured in the hand of a Friend Heb. 13 5. that will never leave him nor forsake him It is a Christians Mercy that their Treasure comes another way out of the reach of the enemy This truth is confirmed upon Record for so saith the Apostle 1 John 5 11. This is the Record That God hath given unto us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son By this you see a Christian is safe enough and if we can but make Christ our Friend we need not fear who ever is our enemy and this is the comfort of a Spiritual Christian Psal 23 1. he shall have his portion that is appointed unto him by Christ it shall be given who is chief Executor by the Fathers appointment our dear Lord will be very ready to give every Child his dew our Lord will also be very careful to set a guard over sin and Satan that they may not rob the Children of their portion Rom. 6.14 and the Spiritual Christian will often give our Lord a visit at the Throne for his Portion now our true knowledge of what we are or what we have in Christ it is by the help of the Spirit of Christ And we know that the Son of man is come 1 Joh. 5.20 and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true Mark and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the True God and Eternal Life Mark this I pray That true saving and sanctifying knowledge is the Pretious gift of Jesus Christ that whatever we have of this kind comes in the way of a gift from God You may further observe that as Christ is said to be in us Christ in you the Hope of Glory so we are here said to be in him That there is no parting of Christ and a Christian This mistery the Carnal Man sees not neither indeed can he see it the Reason is Because the Natural Man receives or discerns not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 because they are foolishness unto him He sees not the Glory and Excellency that is in the things of Christ neither indeed can he know them because they are spiritually discerned and the truth is they are out of his reach He that is Spiritual 1 Cor. 2.15 discerneth all things yet he himself is discerned of no man He is led by the help of the Spirit to a sight of Christ and a taste of the choice things of God but the Carnal man is a stranger to such concernments Mark this makes a Christians life a hidden life because he cannot be seen by the Carnal Man nor is he discerned by him so God in his Wisdom carries a Spiritual Man out of the reach of a Carnal Man that let him do what he will in his Cain-like Spirit he cannot come near him Gen. 4.8 nor find him out or touch his Life And this is the Priviledge of a Christian The fourth Priviledge of a Christian Fourthly To be Spiritually Minded is to know Christ's Birth and such know Christ to be a Prince of Peace The Evangelical Prophet Isaiah doth prophesie choicely of our Lord Jesus For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given Isa 9.6 the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Mark to know Christ born is good but to know Christ given to us is better to know Christ a Saviour is that which doth Administer that to us which is good Oh! the Knowledge of Christ given by the Father for us should much ingage us to give up our selves to Christ First Because when Christ shall Reign as King Phil. 3.10 thou shalt Reign with him Secondly Because Christ is a rare Counsellor that will counsel thee here and plead thy Cause for thee hereafter who is Wonderful in Counsel there is none can or will state the cause for the good of the poor sinner as Christ will he will not onely state thy cause but plead thy cause when he hath done Pro. 22.23 and bring thee off with Honour at the last Day Oh! give up thy self to him and put thy cause into his Hand for he is a friend that will never fail thee worth the owning and esteeming Oh! set an high esteem upon him therefore Thirdly He is the Mighty God alass all the â—ods of the Earth are but Idols unto him Fourthly He will be thy Everlasting Father as he is the Everlasting Father one that will not cast thee off nor turn thee out of his favour upon every thrifle Heb. 13 5. but will have a special care of thee Fifthly Give up thy self to Christ because he is the Prince of Peace a Prince that will produce Peace to thy soul one who doth excel in virtue Oh! give up thy self to him and be contented for to live under his Power Dominion and Government for he will have no Government but that which is right and good Then Peace shall be in thy Borders and quietness in all thy Dwellings for he is a Prince of Peace The fifth Priviledge of a Christian Fifthly Such as are Spiritually Minded are Peace-makers and such are the Children of God and shall be blessed of God The Carnal Mind breaks a Christians Peace and so becomes a Peace-breaker but the Spirit makes up a Christians Peace again so he is a Peace-maker and lives under the Blessing Our dear Lord in his Sermon on the Mount published this Truth from his own Mouth Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Oh!