Aegypt be our trust the end of that trust will be our confusion Isa 30.2 3. Might we build the Nest of our trust on the Sons of men Reason would bid us pitch on the topmost branches of the tallest Cedars I mean those earthly Gods the Princes of this World But alas these though styled Gods must dye like men Psal 82.6 yea like other men Their breath is in their nostrils they soon return to their dust from whence they sprang and then all their thoughts and with them our hopes on them perish Psal 146.4 4. Not in any thing clad in mortal flesh He that presumes to make flesh his Arm will be sure at a long run to find the Father of Spirits his Foe Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his Arm Jer. 17.5 And thus we have dispatcht the third General IV. What are those sure and stable grounds on which Saints may firmly and securely build their trust on God Sol. There is nothing which the eye of Faith or Reason can discover in God but the arm of Trust may safely lean on But more particularly 1. Gods Almighty Arm and Power The Lord hath an Arm an out-stretched (n) 1 King 8.42 Arm An Hand an Omnipotent Hand An Hand that spans the (o) Isa 40.12 Heavens that stretcheth them out as a Curtain and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in On this Almighty Arm may Believers (p) Isa 51.5 trust The Lord is the strong and mighty God Psal 24.8 That created the World with a (q) Psa 33.9 word and can as easily speak or look it into its first Nothing He is a wonder-working God Exod. 15.11 Elshaddai Gen. 17.1 Able to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 far more exceeding (r) Eph. 3.10 abundantly than we can ask or think His vast power far exceeds our Wants Prayers Thoughts all that we can need beg imagine We want much can ask great things can think greater Our Imaginations exceed our Expressions Yet Gods power far exceeds both (Å¿) Psa 81.10 Open we our mouths never so wide his open hand can more than fill them Gods power then is a most firm Basis whereon to fix our trust Trust ye in the Lord Jehovah for in the Lord Jehovah is (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petra saeculorum Everlasting strength Creature props are not able to bear the weight and stress of an Immortal soul They are sandy foundations apt to sink and crumble under us But an Almighty God is a Rock A Rock of Ages on which he that builds his confidence though the Winds blow the rain descends and the Storms beat upon him yet shall he not u Mat. 7.25 fall On this Power of God Abraham built his transcendent w Rom. 4.21 faith and David his impregnable trust 2 Sam. 22.2 3. 2. Gods infinite and free Goodness Mercy and Bounty The Lord is good to all and his tender x Psa 1 5.9 Mercies are over all his Works With the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption His Bowels are as tender as his Arm is strong He is no less willing than able to relieve Therefore let Israel hope in the Lord. It is the Psalmists y Psa 130 7. Inference Like as a Father pitieâ—h his Children so the Lord z Psa 103.13 pitieth them that fear him Thâ—t Father that sees his child in want and pities not and pitying if able relieves not forfeits the name of Father and may write himself not Man but Monster It is enough for our heavenly Father that he a Mat. 6.32 knows we have need of any thing The Lord is all that to his people yea and infinitely more than that which Isis Mammosa was to the Aegyptians A God full of Dugs and whilst he hath a breast let not Saints fear the want of Milk The Character that the Heathens Idolatrously gave their Jupiter may far more truly indeed only be ascribed to our Jehovah He alone is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Optimus Maximus The best as well as the greatest of Beeings Goodness is Gods darling Atribute It is that which he looks on as his glory I beseech thee saith Moses shew me thy b Exod. 33.18 glory Moses thy Prayer is heard and it shall be answered But what saies God in answer to this Request See Ver. 19. I will make all my goodness pass before thee The thing requested was a view of Gods glory The thing promised was a discovery of Gods goodness Which hints unto us that however all the Attributes of God are in themselves glorious yet the Lord glorieth most in the manifestation of his goodness So then though we have nothing to plead or prevaile with God as in or from our selves yet there is an Orator in his own bosome that will certainly and effectually intercede for our Relief and that is his goodness This was that that boyed up David this was the Cordial that kept him from fainting c Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living 3. Gods many choice exceeding great and precious Promises These are the flagons that Faith keeps by her the Apples she hâ—th hoarded up in store to revive and quicken in a day of swooning Who will not trust the Word the Promise the Protest of the King of Kings God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Never in no wise in no case whatever I do I will not do this whatever shift I make Heb. 13.5 The Greek here hâ—th five Negatives and may thus be rendred I will not not leave thee neither will I not not forsake thee Five times as one observes is this precious Promise renewed that we may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of its Consolations that we may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of its glory Leave us God may to our thinking but really he doth not will not Or if he leaves us for a time a small moment yet he will not forsake us utterly Desert he may but not disinherit forsake us it may be in regard of Vision not of Union Change his dispensation not his disposition e Isa 44 2. Dost thou pass through the waters Thy God hath promised to be with thee He was so with Noah and the Israelites in the red Sea and in Jordan Dost thou walk through the fire Warm'd thou mayst be thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee The three Children were living Monuments of this truth God sent his Angel and delivered his Servants that f Dan. 3.28 trusted in him The Lord hath graciously engaged to create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and g Isa 4.5 6. smoak by day for her protection and the shining of a flaming fire by night
man live according to the principles of that Religion and as it is with the principle of naturall life it is not made more lively active and vigorous by arguing and disputing wherein it doth consist and what are the proper acts of it but by putting it forth in the due acts and exercises of that life even so the principle of spirituall life in the soul gets no strength by zealous and hot disputing what and which is the true Religion and which be true and proper acts of Religion but by humble practice of what we know to be Religion not but that it is both lawfull and commendable to be able to understand and defend the grounds and principles of our Religion and all the holy exercises of it but I only caution against letting that sap run out in unfruitfull suckers which should nourish the fruit-bearing branches 6. Be the more carefull to observe and close with the inward stirrings of Gods Spirit in your hearts moving you to prayer meditation c. When you are in a valley of vision you will have many calls and motions from without to hear the Word and pray and receive the Sacrament but when you are abroad in a land of darknesse God must not only be your best but your only friend by his Spirit to jog and stir you up to holy duties and therefore it doth more than ordinarily concern us at a such time not to send away Gods Spirit grieved with our backwardnesse to that which is our own concernment 7. Observe and keep a register or diary of Gods mercies and your own sins that you may be often minded what God hath been to you and what you have been to him with how many thousand kindnesses he hath obliged you and with how many thousand sins you have disobliged him When we enjoy publick Ordinances we may there be often minded both of Gods goodnesse to us and our sinfulnesse against him and so may have our hearts stirred up to have very good thoughts of God and very low thoughts of our selves but when we want publick Ordinances we should labour to supply that want by a more strict observation and recording both the one and the other that by reviewing our register we may be enabled to affect our souls sutably either to praise the Lord or abase our selves 8. Lay a charge upon your selves to sleep and awake with the thoughts of God and eternity upon your souls and indeed though this is exceeding usefull for all men yet most of all for those who are deprived of Ordinances 'T is sure that the same truths which at first work upon the soul to the begetting grace are of force afterwards to quicken grace and make it lively and vigorous in the soul and certainly the belief of what God is in himself and to us and the thoughts of eternity have a great force to perswade carelesse sinners to sober and serious consideration the necessary instrument by which grace and a spirit of true and reall Religion is begot in the soul and therefore when we want those publick Ordinances which might be often presenting these great truths to our souls it will be of great use to charge our selves more severely with the daily serious thoughts of them 9. Take heed as for your life of indulging any secret sin for that will keep down the life of Religion in the midst of all Ordinances and therefore much more in the want of them a secret disease in the body which spends upon the stock of the radicall moysture will keep a man from being lively and vigorous though he have plenty of very good nourishing food much more will it endanger one in a famine even so a secret sin lodged within and indulged will weaken and enervate the principle of Religion in the soul amidst the fullest provision of Gospel-Ordinances much more when there is a famine or scarcity of the bread of life A Tradesman that hath some secret vent where his estate runs wast may prove a beggar in the midst of daily incomes by a good Trade much more if he spends upon a dead stock and so a man who spends the strength of his soul in some close and secret sin may prove a spirituall beggar in the fullest Trade of Gospel-Ordinances and though he have daily incomes of convictions informations reproofs counsels sollicitations c. from publick Ordinances much more in the want of them and therefore they who value the life of Religion or the life of their souls must take heed of indulging secret sins 10. Be the more carefull often to feel the pulse of thine own soul we use to say every man at a competent age is either a fool or a Physician and though he be a fool indeed who when he needs and may have wiser Physicians will trust to himself yet when we cannot have others a man should the more study himself and the oftener try his own pulse and truly he is but a babe in spirituall things that is not something of a Physician to himself and though we should not trust our own skill or experience where we need and may have the help of others yet when we are deprived of them we should the more diligently converse with our own souls and be the oftener trying how our pulse beats towards God and Heaven and the things of another life 11. Be so much the more in private secret prayer reading and meditation when we want the showrs of publick Ordinances we should the more diligently use the watring pot and water our souls with our foot as the phrase is concerning Egypt Deut. 11.10 If our lot should be cast where there be no publick Markets where Corn might be bought every one would plow and sow reap and thrash in his own grounds Even so if we should live where there be no publick Gospel-Ordinances where the Truths of the Gospel are not publickly to be had where we cannot partake of the labours of the Gospel-Ministry than it would concern us to be the more diligent in plowing and sowing in reaping and thrashing by our own private endeavours and I think it would be fit for us in such a condition to spend that time at least in private duties which others spend in superstitious or Idolatrous services let not us think much to give God and our souls that time which others give to their own superstitious fancies 12. In the use of all private helps act faith in God as being able to supply the want of outward means by the gracious influence of his good and holy Spirit When there was no rain from heaven God could cause a mist to arise and water the earth Gen. 2.6 even so if the Lord should bring us whore there be no showres of publick Ordinances he can stir up in our souls those holy and heavenly meditations which shall again drop down like an heavenly dew upon the face of our souls and keep up an holy verdure and freshness upon the face
out and if I love God I may thereby be sure that God loves me p 1 John 4.19 But Lord so far as I am able by searching to know my own heart I desire nothing more then to come q Jerem. 3.21 to Christ to receive Christ r John 1.11 to be one with Å¿ Gal. 2.20 Christ to be conformable to Christ t Heb 2.11 And Lord I dare say with Peter thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee u John 21.17 if prizing thee above all things in the world w Psal 73.25 if restless longing x Psal 119.20 for further acquaintance and more inward y Psal 106.4 communion if pantings after the secrets of thy z Psalm 25.14 presence fear of nothing more then to offend thee a Psal 119 1â—0 be infallible evidences of sincere love then I dare appeal unto thee that I love thee Therefore Lord perswade my soul thankefully to acknowledge that 't is in a safe condition On the contrary Thus Lord thou hast told me that if I live after the flesh I shall b Rom. 8.13 die But my heart life undeniably evidence that I mind nothing but carnality Therefore Lord convince me that there 's but a step c Job 21.13 but a d Psal 146.4 breath between me and everlasting death Thus Christians do but suffer and help your Conscience to do its office and then shall you have rejoycing in your selves alone and not in e Gal 6.4 another i. e. you will finde cause of rejoycing in the testimony of your own Conscience and not in others thinking you to be better then you are nor in your thinking your selves to be better then others Thus you have the offices of Conscience I come in the last place to speak of 4. The kinds of Conscience I know are coÌ„monly reduced to these 4. f Bâ—rn de consc p 1107. viz. Good quiet Good and troubled Evil and quiet Evil and troubled But intending the resolution of the Case before me in speaking to Conscience under the several kinds of it I shall speak to 8 kinds of Consciences The two first viz. the sleepy and the seared Conscience are peculiar to the worst of men The 4. next viz. the erring doubting scrupulous trembling Consciences are almost indifferent to good bad only the 2 former have a greater bias to bad and the 2 latter have a greater tendency to Good but the 2 last kinds viz. The Good and Honest and the Good and quiet Consciences are peculiar to Gods choisest favourites In treating of these I shall endeavour to acquaint you with the nature of each g But here I must say with Aug. non possum ut volo expl care quod sentio tamen quid moliar dicere peto ut non exâ—ectatis verbis meis sagac ssime si potâ—stis intelligatis Odi definire nam facilius est mihi videre in alterius definitione quod non probem quam quicquaÌ„ bene definiendo explicare Aug. T. 1. l. 2 de Ord. c 1. 2 p. 671. how to cure the evill how to obtain the good and hereby the Application will be entwisted with the Explication throughout my discourse I. The first and one of the worst kinds of Consciences in the world is the sleepy Conscience 1. The sleepy Conscience such is the Conscience of every unconverted person that is not yet under horrour their h Rom. 11.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camerarius in loc spirit i. e. their Conscience is asleep that as bodily sleep bindeth up all the senses and animal spirits so this spiritual or rather unspiritual sleepiness bindeth up the soul from all sense i Privatio omnis sensus judicij Illyr In pâ—aed loc of the evill of sin and want of grace and therefore in conversion Christ doth awaken k Ephe 5 1â— the Conscience The Disciples of Christ have their spirits waking when their bodies l Matth. 26 41 are slumbring i e. they have a gracious habit of watchfulness when they are overtaken with some carnal acts of sleepiness Christ complains of unkindness m Cantic 5.2 that his Spouse sleeps in the morning when he knocks for early entertainment but the unconverted let Christ stand knocking all the day till supper time n Revel 3 20. they will spend their day with their lusts and if Christ will knock and wait till the day of their life be almost spent then they 'l pretend to open but how long must God call How long o Pro. 6.9 10. wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thon arise out of thy sleep and they 'l answer Yet p Concessio ironica ethopaeiam habens pigroruÌ„ elegantissimam Jun in loc q. videmus conscientiaÌ„ veluti veterno aut lethargo aliquam diu sepultaÌ„ c. Episcop Inst theol l 1. c. 3. p. 11. Causes a little sleep a litle slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep The plain truth is thougn wicked men cannot quite stifle their consciences q yet their Consciences do but as it were talke in their sleep and they take no more notice of them then they do of their dreams Causes of a sleepy Conscience are besides the sluggishness of our depraved natures 1. A spiritual intoxicâ—tion all unconverted persons are drunk with the love of sin and therein behave themselves like Solomons r Prov. 23.34 35. Jacet in corona charchâ—sij i. e. Galea ubi maxima seÌ„titur maris agitatio Jun in loc â—ras the vulg Version which may serve for a paraphrase quasi sopitus gubernator amisso clavo i. usu rationis Tit. drunkard that lies down to sleep in the heart of the sea or upon the top of a mast in the very midst of the greatest soul danger He doth that daily which Jonah did once run away from Gâ—d and then composeth himself to sleep Å¿ Jonah â— 5 when God is pursuing him with judgments and dreams of nothing but impunity happines Love of sin is the Devils Opium whereby he casts the Conscience into a dead sleep that no arm but of Omnipotency can waken it He meets with something in the world which he likes better then the holy ways of God and therefore will not seek God t Ps 10.4 5 11 13. Justitiam ut ille apud Platonem Thrasymachus appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elegantem stultitiam they sleep then aiunt deum dormire aut oblituÌ„ esse eorum quae fiant in terris c. Aug. Steuch Eug. Enar. in loc Gods ways are always grievous to him he hath said in his heart I shall not be moved God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it he contemns God saith in his heart thou wilt not require it They wink and then conclude God doth not see them 2. Carnal conceits of grace and heaven At the best humane wisdom is their highest Guide
the grace contrary to the lust that is stirring if it be pride and vain-glory in the applause of men think how ridiculous it were for a criminall to please himself in the esteem and honour his fellow-prisoners render him forgetting how guilty he is before his Judge If thou beginnest to be powred loosely out and as it were dissolved in frolick mirth and jovialty correct that vainnesse and gayety of spirit by the grave and sober thoughts of death and judgement and eâ—ernity Rule 6 If this avail not fall instantly to prayer and indeed all along the whole encounter with thy lusts Pray continually lift up thy heart to God with sighs and groans unutterable Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down Tell him thy lusts are his enemies as well as thine tell him they are too strong for thee beg of him that he would interpose and make bare his arme and get himself a glorious name Awake Isa 51.9 awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Intreat him of all love to pity thee even by his very bowels and not to let the enemy triumph over thee Tell him thou knowest not what to do but thy eyes are towards him Bemoan thy self before him and plead his glory with him and his truth and faithfulness Spread his own gracious promises in his eyes Psal 27.14 Isa 40.28 29 30 31. Psal 55.22 1 Pet. 5.7 Such Ejaculations or Meditations as these are mighty usefull Gods children find them so in the very paroxisme and assault But if the Temptation continue get into thy Closet and humble thy self greatly before thy God throw thy self at his feet tell him thou wilt not rise till he hath given thee a token for good no thou art resolved there to lye hanging on him and not to let him go untill he bless thee O how welcome is every honest heart to the father of Spirits when it comes on such an errand and in such a manner to the throne of grace God cannot chuse but melt in pity and tendernesse over his poor desolate ones when he sees the anguish of their souls How can I give thee up O Ephraim my bowels are troubled for thee Jer. 31.20 Isa 49.14 they will not give me leave to forget thee Is Ephraim my dear son I do earnestly remember him I wil surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Give not over wrestling like Jacob Gen. 32.26 27 28. till thou risest Israel one who hast power with God and prevailest And it is worth observing that the Lord takes pleasure to be called the mighty God of Jacob and the Lord God of Israel as if he reckoned it an honour that once the worme Jacob wrestled with his omnipotence and overcame him he seems to glory in his being conquered and chuseth that for his name and for his memoriall throughout generations which is an everlasting monument that a poor frail man got the day of him So much doth the effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous prevail Perhaps sometime it may be requisite to joyne secret fasting with thy prayer It may be the Devil that tempts thee is of that kind that will not go out but by prayer and fasting Mat. 17.21 Thus Daniel lay prostrate at Gods feet till a hand touched him and set him upon his knees and the voice said to him O Daniel greatly beloved c. Dan. cap. 10. vers 2 3 compared with 10 11. with 18 19. verses When thou hast done this Rise up and buckle on the shield of faith Rule 7 which is able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one Ephes 6 16. Cloath thy soul with an heroick confidence in the power and faithfulnesse of thy God and in the name and majesty of the Lord of hosts bid battle to thy lusts and to all the powers of darknesse Prov. 7.16 Take heed of going out in thy own single strength for lust hath cast down many strong men wounded While thou art kâ—eping thine owne heart with all diligence forget not by faith to bring the great keeper of Israel in If any other man could have kept his own heart sure the man after Gods own heart could have done it Virg. Aeneid Si Pergama dextra Defendi possent etiam hac defensa fuissent But the matter of Vriah and Bathsheba stands on record to all posterity to the contrary For except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain Psalm 127.1 Do not venture to grapple with the roaring Lyon but in the strength of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah who is also the Lamb of God and the great shepheard of Israel Isa 40.11 that carries his lambs in his bosome and whether should the pursued Lamb betake it self but into that shepheaâ—ds arms In time of trouble spirituall as well as other he will hide thee in the secret of his Tabernacle in his pavilion will he hide thee and set thee as upon a rocke Psal 27.5 He never fails the eyes of them that look up to him nor makes his people ashamed of their hope What time thou art afraid trust in him His name is a strong tower Cast thy care upon him and expect the same pity from thy God which the men of Iabesh-Gilead found from Saul when Nabash the barbarous Ammonite would have put out their right eyes To morrow ere the Sun be hot ye shall have help 1 Sam. 11.9 If the King of Israels bowels yerned over those poor men shall not the bowels of the God of Israel over those that fear him Yes upon his honour truth and faithfulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serpens hebr he will not suffer that cruell Nahash to allude to the signification of the word that old Serpent to have his will upon them if he doth not come to day he will to morrow ere the Sun be hot Lift up your heads therefore O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory The LORD strong and mighty the LORD mighty in battle Psal 24.7 8. Thus was Joseph rescued from the Archers that shot at him and sorely grieved him His bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the arms of the mighty God of Jacob Gen. 49.23 24. Vse 1 Information I come at length to the Use We are to learn hence That our souls are not as they came out of the father of Spirits hands they appear as it were wrong risen in the world and begin to tread awry the very first steps they measure on the stage of Earth All the symptomes of degeneracy are upon them The best of men that ever yet blest the earth with their Residence upon it except that Son of man who was only so by the mothers side being by the Fathers
chiefest of ten thousands and therefore shee both can 5.10 and doth claspe fast about him and takes him for her Physitian Husband King riest and Prophet Since hee is willing fit to bee my Saviour oh saith the soul I will bee his Disciple Servant Subject or any thing 2.5.5 4. Thus shee can hold no longer but falls downright sick of love And this is the first Character Take it now and ask thy soul didst thou ever yet finde thy self lost and undone not able to bear up against the Terrours of an accusing and condemning conscience even dying away for fear least Goâ— should spend all his arrows upon thee â—â—t 32.23 Job 6.4 Psa 38.2 and leave thee a Horrour 〈◊〉 thy self and an amazement to all about thee And was it in this daâ—k Valley that thou camest first seriously acquainted with Christ and didst thou see his bowels yearning to thee Jer. 31.20 Act. 9.5 and that hee was fully able to set thee in the light of the Countenance of that God whose Terrour was upon thee And under this conviction was it that thou didst first close with him why this is love not in pretence and complement but in Sincerity Whereas on the other side if thy pretended affection wants this foundation if it hath been alwaies alike neither more nor less if that senseless conceit runs through thy soul that thou hast loved Christ ever since thou wast born See Reynolds on Psal 110. p. 59. 60. c. and never didst feel the least stirrings of Enmity against him If Education Custome outward Communion bee all that thou hast to say to prove thy love in faithfulness to thy soul Iob 19.28 I warn thee to take heed of self-deceit for surely the Root of the matter is not in thee and if thou wilt still presume notwithstanding this confident denyal I have but one word more and that is to commend to thy serious perusal that Judicious tract of Mr. Pinke Tryal of a Christians Sincere love to Christ on this very Case and Text where these counterfeit grounds of love are fully convicted of Insufficiency and therefore I would not do it here again 2. Character Where love to Christ dwells in Sincerity there hath been some sensible Impression Taste and Feeling of the Fathers love to the soul in him Rom. 9.13 Rom. 8.30 I do not mean the Fathers love as it lyes in the womb of Election but as it hath broken forth in a powerful actual Vocation The pedigree of a Christians love to his Saviour is to bee fetcht from the Fathers love to souls in Christ Iohn 14 6. 1 John 4.19 Wee love him because hee loved us first Christ himself as mediator is but a means whereby Souls may come to God their final end and blessedness And therefore as the soul that loves him Iohn 14.9 15 23. loves the blessed God much more so before wee can fix upon him with full satisfaction some beams thereof must light upon us it being too great a difficulty for the soul to prevail with it self to trust all its concernments in the hands of a Crucified Christ and to bee fond of him until iâ— hath gained some sweet assurance of the Fathers love to it self in him And hence it is that our Saviour tells us John 6.44 No man can come to him except the Father that hath sent him draw him By coming to Christ I take it for granted may bee understood either Faith or Love And these cannot bee without the Fathers drawing what 's that morally it lyes in the clear discoveries of his willingness to bee reconciled to us in Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 when in Conformity to his being in Christ reconciling the World to himself hee is pleased to vouchsafe us his own beseechings of us to bee reconciled then hee draws us The promise therefore of reconciliation must first bee made known and by the sweet influence thereof the soul is allured with Cheerfulness to throw it self into the Arms of it's Saviour And this is love Try by this also Didst thou ever finde those Cords of a man those bonds of Divine and Ravishing love thrown upon thee Didst thou ever see God to bee thy happiness and offering himself to thee as such and so alluring thee Then thou art Married to Christ for this speaks thee United to God in love and the end must include the means and the greater the lesser 3. Character Wee then love Christ in Sincerity when that affection in us is qualified according to the various Excellencies that belong to the person of our Lord when it respects him according to the Manifestation made of him in the Gospel viz. not simply as a person who is Historically made known to us by such a Name but according to the true Character of him as God and man in one person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one filled with the spirit of God above measure by an ineffable Unction John 3.35 Phil. 2.6 7 8. as one admirably Condescending and laying aside his divine splendor and Majesty that hee might appear in the form of a Servant and bee obedient to the death of the Cross for the Salvation of Sinners and lastly as one raised from the dead by God made able Act. 5.30 and declaring his high satisfaction in the access of sinners unto God by him And so there are these four graces which are alwaies attendant upon and are as it were Incorporated into the nature of this evangelical affection 1. Humble and Reverent admiration 'T is an admiring Love Objects that are incomparably Excellent do alwaies first affect with admiration and though that affection dissolve into love yet doth it not usually wholly cease especially if the object bee not throughly Comprehended Cant. 5.16 Ephe. 3.17 'T is thus with thy soul Christian that art a sincere lover of thy redeemer and hast not set up some Image of an ordinary person in the place of him thou admirest him whom thou lovest as never being able to comprehend his Glory The Lord whom thou lovest being God as well as Man and Man as well as God John 1.1.14 1 Tim. 3.16 and all this in one person An object in whom Heaven and Earth are so admirably blended together that the acutest reason looseth it self stands amazed at the union Chrysostom whence wee finde one of the Antients thus speaking of it I know that the word was made flesh but how or in what manner this was done I know not Doest thou wonder that I profess my Ignorance why the whole Creation is Ignorant of it as well as I And another of them gives this advice if Reason go about to cavil Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not dispute but apply thy self to the common Refuge against cavils in matters of Faith even Faith it self God hath said it and therefore I must and will
together with his person hee offers Heaven and Earth for a Dowry Rom. 8.17 All things are his by purchase and thou shalt bee a Copartner or Coheir with him when thou art espoused to him 4ly 1 Cor. 3.22 23. He will manifest the highest Indulgence and Tenderness towards thee Not all thy cross walkings if through temptations it shall so fall out shall put him upon any more then a moment any departure from thee Isa 54.7 8. for hee hath resolved that his faithfulness towards thee shall never fail Isa 89.33 and therefore when thou seemest almost lost and ready to despond hee will return to thee again and the more time he hath lost by absence the more full will his heart bee of ravishing love and affections to thee 5ly Hee will Turn all to thy good neither thy sins Cant. 6.3 though many and great nor thy miseries though overwhelming and discouraging no nor lastly shall death it self Rom. 8.28 38. bee ever able to make a divorce between thee and him but serve as a passage to thee when thy work is done into the Bridechamber of thy Lord and now tell mee Phil. 1.21 hast not thou Reason to love him 4. Consider but thy case while this Virgin affection to thy Saviour is wanting 1. Thou multipliest thy whoredomes and thy abominations continually for what are thy Intensive willings of other things but so many acts of spiritual adultery and base prostitutions of thy soul to thy dishonour and disadvantage while other things usurp the room of Christ 2. Thou art a treacherous Hypocrite and deceiver forasmuch as thou pretendest to the eye of the world to bee Christs and yet art nothing less than his 3. You lay a barr in against your selves and the acceptance of all your duties when faith works by love then is obedience illustrious and meet for a gracious acceptaotin that obedience which owes no part of it self to love is worth little and brings in no more Gal. 5.6 then it is worth 4. You make bonds for your selves in death Iob 27.6 and lay up terrible reprâ—oches in the Consciences against the day of Judgement 5. You make your damnation necessary there being no Congruity to any of the Divine Attributes much less to the offices of Christ that that man should ever bee saved who never had any sincere affection to him These are some of the Considerations which may bee of use to them that have no spark of love yet kindled in their hearts There are a few of the other kinde which may provoke to get this love Inflamed where it is such are these Consider 1. The love of Christ to thee was a growing Increasing love I do not mean in respect of the habit but in the outward demonstration thereof The neerer hee was to his death the more exuberant in love and when hee rose again his heart did overflow with tender indulgence as appears by the meltings of his bowels towards Mary and over Peter and much more may wee beleeve him now to be full of them now that hee is at the Right hand of God 2. There is more lovelyness in Christ than ever thou canst finde out or fathome when wee have let out our affections to the utmost there will still bee more than wee can finde affection for our love to eternity will have something of admiration mixed with it 3. It 's all you can return to him it 's all hee looks for at our hands that which lies in love and which flowes from it is the whole that is required to compleat Christianity 4. The more you love him the more lovely you are unto him Then hath Christ the highest complacency in us when our hearts are under the greatest Raptures of love to him Beatus est qui intelligit quid sit amare Jesum contemnere scipsum propter Jesum A Kempis de imitatione Christi l. 2. c. 7. 5. It is the honour of a man to love Christ superlatively It is the sweetest part of our lives and that which Christ values us more by than by any thing else It 's Heaven on Earth 6. According to the measure of your love so will all the rest of your services and graces be i. e. either more or less better or worse Love is like the Master wheel in an Engine making the whole soul to move faster or slower These are the considerations of the last kind will some say oh but what shall wee do to get this blessed affection into our souls which was the third thing proposed And in order thereto I offer these Directions 1. Direction Bee well acquainted with the nature of this great duty The great mistake of the world lies in this That is thought to be love which is not and thence men and women grow bold and confident and value themselves more than they ought I have given in my best assistance so far as the nature of the first case would permit to prevent mistakes in this matter before and therefore I will not do it over again Only remember if you would not miscarry that it is not a Naked Christ but a Christ advanced by incomparable Personal Excellencies and cloathed with his offices of King and Priest and Prophet that is the Christ to bee loved and you cannot well miscarry This is that damning mistake of the world they love Christ but not as dignified by God with any of his offices 2. Direction Bee much in the study of your selves what you were originally and what you are since become through your own miscarriage wilfulness and folly Take your souls to the glass of the Law and go from one precept to another and when you have done there go to the Gospel And be sure you do not deal sleightly but understand throughly how much you have offended And when you have well studied the number and quality of your sins then consider the justice and holiness of the Eternal God which you shall understand by the same Law and Gospel where they speak the Divine Terrour against offending-sinners but more specially shall yee know is by going to the Cross of Christ and wisely and seriously considering the horrour of that punishment which Christ there indured for wee never know as wee ought the evil of sin and our misery thereby until wee know what hee indured to make an Expiation for it Do this and do it faithfully They that never knew themselves they are most certainly without love to Christ And it is enough to prove it because unless this foundation be first laid they can see no sufficient reason for it 3. Direction Get a true Conviction concerning thy own ultimate end and happiness Where it lies viz. not in the objects of sense but in the Beatifical vision of God possesse thy soul by Scripture light Mat. 16.26 of the grand importance of securing thy Interest therein while you think your happiness lyes any where else than in God it will be
they can better give a penny than lend a pound though in many cases the lending our Brother a considerable sum together would be more beneficial to him than it may be to give him half as much there is therefore a noble and very generous act of charity to be exercised this way and it is peculiar to rich men who have it by them wherewithall to do it IV. Rich men may and ought to express their charity by forgiving a debt in case the borrower be not able to repay it There be many who by the help of that which is lent them God blessing their pains in the imployment thereof are able to repay what is lent If there were not hope thereof men would rather give than lend to such But there are others who notwithstanding their care and pains in their Calling thrive not or by some accident suffer such loss and dammage as they are not able to repay what they have borrowed In such cases Creditors are bound to forgive at least to forbear their debtors Luk. 6.35 This is the intendment of that charge Lend hoping for nothing again To take this phrase simply is to alter the nature of lending and to turn it into giving Herein lieth the difference betwixt lending and giving Lending is on condition to have again that which is lent or at least the worth of it some other way Giving is free without any such condition That advice of Christ to lend hoping for nothing again hath respect to the mind of the lender that hee should not have his mind wholly and only upon the repaying of what hee lendeth but on the need of his Brother Hee is not simply to lend because hee is perswaded hee shall lose nothing but have his own again Hee is to lend because hee doth therein great kindness to his Brother who stands in much need thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sperare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desperare The Greek word properly signifieth to despair and so it may here be taken as if hee had said when your Brother hath need to borrow lend though his case be such that you even despair of receiving it again though you run some hazard of losing the Principal If therefore it so fall out that the debtor be not able to repay what hee borrowed forgive it him Hee lends hoping for nothing again who is willing to forgive in case the necessity of the borrower requite it This was it which Nehemiah enjoyned the rich Jews Neh. 5.11 Excellently doth our Lord press this duty in the Parable of the two Creditors where wee have a commendable pattern of a certain King that in such a case forgave a great debt and of the sore revenge hee executed on one of his servants Mat. 18.23 because hee did not in like manner forgive his fellow-servants In the Old Testament it is commended to us under the phrase of restoring the pledge Ezek. 18.7 33.1 5. Gen. 38.17 18. A pledge was a pawn left by a debtor with his creditor for assurance to repay the debt Restoring the pledge when the debt was not paid was an evidence of remitting the debt V. By Hospitality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hospitalitas est species liberalitatis qua peregrinos hospites ac presertim propter verae Doctrinae professionem exulantes vera benevolentia aliquibus officiis hospitalitatis prosequimur Ursin Cat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens Alexand. which consisteth not so much in a loving entertainment of kindred friends and neighbours as of strangers as the word in the Greek importeth This is that hospitality which is both commanded and commended to us in the holy Scriptures It is commanded in those known Precepts of the Apostle Paul Rom. 12.13 Bee given to hospitality and be not forgetful to entertain strangers Heb. 13.2 Which is as much as to say Forget not Hospitality which is an entertaining of strangers And the Apostle Peter commands the faithful to whom hee writes 1 Pet. 4.9 to use hospitality without grudging or repining It is commended to us in the practice of Gods people as of Abraham of whom it is recorded Gen. 18.1 3. that hee sate at his Tent door looking and waiting as it were for strangers to entertain them and so soon as hee saw three men whom hee took for such hee ran to invite them And of Lot that as hee sate in the gate of Sodom hee saw two whom hee conceived to be strangers Gen. 19.3 them hee exceedingly pressed to turn into his house where hee made them a feast And of the Shunamite woman and her Husband who shewed themselves hospitable to the Prophet Elisha 2 King 4.8 as oft as hee passed by their house Wee have Jobs testimony of himself The stranger said hee did not lodge in the streets but I opened my door to the traveller which words set out Jobs great hospitality who kept open house for all passengers In those daies there was no common Inn for the entertainment of strangers and therefore they must have lyen out of doors if some good men had not entertained them Having such and so many presidents of hospitality let us strive to follow them labouring to write after their coppy knowing assuredly that our labour of love and cost therein shall not bee in vain For I may truly say it is a fruitful and gainful course of liberality never did any lose by it Some hereby have entertained Angels as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 13.2 Bee not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawars In setting down this recompence the Apostle hath an especial respect unto two instances Gen. 18.2 one of Abraham the other of Lot Gen. 19.1 Angels came to both these in the appearance of men whom they knew not which sheweth Gods high account of this duty in that once again hee sent Angels to such as were ready to entertain strangers Yea wee may entertain Christ himself and indeed in every entertainment of a poor godly stranger Christ himself is entertained And therefore in the great day of Judgement wee read that Christ puts in this good work by name Matth. 25.35 I was a stranger and yee took mee in Jesus Christ is a stranger in his members In sacred Scriptures wee finde several others rewarded for their Hospitality as Gen. 24.22 49. Rebeckah for her courtesie to Abrahams servant a meer stranger to her was rewarded with precious gifts and a good Husband The Shunamites hospitality to the Prophet 2 Kings 4. was recompenced with giving her a Son and restoring him to life The widdow of Sareptahs hospitality to the Prophet Elijah in receiving him into her house in a great famine was rewarded with preserving and increasing her meal and oyle 1 King 17.16 for it is expresly said that her barrel of meal wasted not neither did her cruse of oyle fail
withdraws his grace we lose our life and seriousness as meteors hang in the air as long as the heat of the Sun is great but when the Sun is gone down they fall as long as the love of God and the work of his Grace is powerful in us we are kept in a lively heavenly frame but as that abateth the Soul swerveth and returneth to vanity and sin We read Acts 16.14 15. that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia so that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul attention there beareth somewhat a larger sense then we now consider it in namely a deep regard to the doctrine of life yet this Sense of fixedness of spirit cannot be excluded go to God then pray him to keep thy heart together he that hath set bounds to the Sea and can bind up the waves in a heap and stop the Sun in its flight certainly he can fasten and establish thy heart and keep it from running out 2. Meditate on the greatness of him before whom we are 't is of great consequence in duties to consider whom we take to be our party with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 in the Word God is the party that speaketh to us thou shalt be as my mouth Jer. 15.16 as if God spake by us 2 Cor. 5.20 't is God speaketh and the Heathen King of Moab shewed such reverence that when Ehud said I have a message to thee from God he arose out of his seat Judg. 3.20 so in prayer you have to do with God you do as really minister before him as the Angels that abide in his presence Oh if you could see him that is invisible you would have more reverence * Omnino nos oportet orationis tempore curiam intrare caelestem illam utique curiam in quâ rex regum sedet in stellato solio circumdante eum innumerabili ineffabili beatorum spirituum exercitu ubi ipse qui viderit quia majorem numerum non invenit millia ait millium ministrabant ei decies centena millium assistebant ei quanta ergo cum reverentiâ quanto timore quanta illuc humilitate accedere debet è palude sua procedeus repens ranuncula vilis quam tremebundus quam supplex quam denique humilis sollicitus toto intentus animo majesti gloria in praesentia Angelorum in consilio justorum congregatione assistere poterit vilis homuncio Bernard de quatuor modis orandi A man that is praying or worshipping should behave himself as if he were in Heaven immediatly before God in the middest of all the blessed Angels those ten thousand times ten thousand that stand before God Oh with what reverence with what fear should a poor worm creep into his presence think then of that glorious all-seeing God with whom thou canst converse in thoughts as freely as with men in words he knoweth all that is in thy heart and seeth thee thorough and thorough if you had spoken al those things you have thought upon you would be odious to men if all your blasphemy uncleanness worldly projects were known to those that joyn with us should we be able to hold up our heads for blushing and doth not the Lord see all this could we believe his inspection of the heart there would be a greater awe upon us 3. Mortifie those lusts that are apt to withdraw our minds he that indulgeth any one vile affection will never be able to pray aright every duty will give you experience what corruption to resist what thoughts are we haunted and pestered with when we come to God God requireth Prayer that we may be weary of our lusts and that the trouble that we find from them in holy Exercises may exasperate our Souls against them we are angry with an Importunate beggar that will not be satisfied with any reasonable terms but is alwaies obtruding upon us every experience in this kind should give us an advantage to free our hearts from this disturbance the whole work of Grace tendeth to Prayer and the great Exercise and Imployment of the Spiritual life is watching unto Prayer Ephes 6.18 and that Prayer be not interrupted 1 Pet. 3.2 4. Before the duty there must be an actual preparation or a solemn discharge of all Impediments that we may not bring the World along with us put off thy shoos off thy feet saith God to Moses for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground surely we should put off our carnal distractions when we go about holy duties Gird up the loines of your minds saith the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1.13 an allusion to long garments worn in that Country 't is dangerous to come to Prayer with a loose heart My heart is fixed saith David O God my heart is fixed Psal 57.7 that is fitted prepared bended to Gods Worship the Soul must be set put into a dexterous ready posture Claudatur contra adversarium pectus soli Deo pateat ne ad se hostem Dei accedere tempore orationis patiatur Cyp. lib. De Oratione Domini There must be a resolved shutting of the heart against Gods enemy lest he insinuate with us and withdraw our minds 5. Be severe to your purpose and see that you regard nothing but what the duty leadeth you unto 't is the Devils policy to cheâ—t us of the present duty by an unseasonable interposition Sathan beginneth with us in good things that he may draw us to worse what is unseasonable is naught watch against the first diversion how plausible soever 't is an intruding thought that breaketh a rank in this case say as the Spouse Cant. 3. I charge you that you awake not my Beloved till he please such a rigid severity should you use against the starting of the heart if Sathan should at first cast in a thought of blasphemy that would make thee quake and shake therefore he beginneth with plausible thoughts but be careful to observe the first straglings * Est praeterea optimum ad attendendum remedium si imagines rerum irruentes non solum non advertas non excutias non examines sed ita te habeas quasi eas non aspicere digneris nam ipsum ad vertere examinare istas cogitationes evagari est jam adversarius aliquid à nobis extorsit c. Jacobus Alvarez yea be not diverted by thy very strivings against diversions and therefore do not dispute with suggestions but despise them nor stand examining temptations but reject them as blind Bartimeus regarded not the rebukes of the People but cryed the more after Christ or as Travellers do not stand beating back the Dogs that bark at them but hold on their course this is to be religiously obstinate and severe to our purpose Sathan contemned hath the less advantage against you when he is writing images upon the fancy do not vouchsafe to look upon them A Cryer in the Court that is often commanding silence
only the World but also Sathan and your own flesh the worst and strongest enemy of all you must carefully lay hold on every lock of opprotunity and expeditiously improve the same 3. Disturbing Sloth is when a person doth intend and endeavour to walk in Gods way but Sloth as rust hinders the wheels of his Soul from coming to and running in the way of God The Torpedo if it touch but any part of the angle that a man holds in his hand Plin. nat hist lib. 32. cap. 1. corpus torpescere facit it benums and stupifies all the members that they cannot stir or strive Such malignant influence hath Sloth upon the Soul the chariots of Saints Souls should drive as Jehu's heartily and furiously 2 Kings 9.20 and not as Pharaoh's chariots heavily and faintly Exod. 14.25 all the agility of the Soul and all the ability of the body are required in Gods way and about Gods work whatsoever comes short of this is Sloth as whatsoever comes short of Virtue is Vice 2. Activity in duty is a victorious conquest over the Great Goliah Sloth and riding triumph in the way work and worship of God activity is a David's dancing before the Ark with all his might there are three things which concur and contribute to complete this activity in duty 1. Tota anìmà intentio Bas in reg 2. Inexplebilis cupiditas agendi Brev. resp 259. 3. Assiduitas in actione 1. A streining and stretching of the soul to the utmost peg and highest pin a putting of it upon the tenter-hooks in service 2. An unsatiable and unsatisfiable desire or longing for the effecting and accomplishing of a duty 3. A constant and continual waiting and working until the duty be perfected these three were exactly in Archimedes the Geometrician he was drawing his Mathematical lines when Marcellus entred the gates of Syracuse yea when the Souldiers entred his Study that he never minded them there was the intention of his mind when the Souldiers pul'd him by the sleeve he cries out let me alone to finish my Scheme there was his inexpleble desire of perfecting it when the Souldiers drew their swords to run him thorow he yet plyed his businesse there was his assiduity in his action here was Hoc age indeed Oh what a shame would it be for us Christians if a Heathen in his way should outgo and outdo us in Gods way I shall commend two Texts of Scripture to you which do most lively obumbrate tepidity and fervidity Rom. 12.11 12. Not slothful in businesse fervent in spirit serving the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In festinatione non lenti here festina lentè is out of doors We must flie as upon the wings of the wind our heart must be like the Primum Mobile to wheel and whirl us about with a most rapid motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assidue operam navaâ—â—s fervent in spirit boyling or burning hot all on fire and flame serving the Lord continuing instant in Prayer strenuously and stedfastly wrastling with God as Jacob did who as a Prince had power with God Hos 12.3 this is that Ultimum virium which is expected and only respected of God God accounts nothing else Prayer but this Isa 64.7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Ea fide fiduâ—ia ut Dei manus teneat A Lap. in Loc. i. e. with that Faith and fortitude to hold Gods hands as Moses Jacob and others did the Cock is a rare Emblem of this activity who raises and rowses himself claps his wings and then crows with all his might Heb. 6.11 12. We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence vers 12. That you be not slothful not of a slow pace to want fire yea and feet too that not run in Gods way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non curro Segnis quasi se ignis sine igne Non amo nimium diligentes was the saying of a Heathen but God will never say so because we can never be too diligent and devout in his service and surely if Jacob did serve Laban toto conatu Gen. 31.6 with all my power have I served your Father then much more should we with all our industry and endeavour serve our Father Thy way by way of Emphasis in opposition to and exaltation of above all other waies There is a fourfold way 1. Via Mundi the way of the World and that is spinosa thorny 2. Via Carnis the way of the Flesh and that is insidiosa treacherous 3. Via Satanae the way of the Devil and that is tenebricosa darksome 4. Via Domini the way of God and that is gratiosa gracious This way is twofold 1. Via velata a concealed way and that is of his Privy Counsels 2. Via revelata a revealed way and that is of his publick Commands 1. Via beneplaciti of his Privy Counsels Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable are his Judgments and his waies past finding out He that shall go about to seek and search for that way must return a Non est inventa and shall prove himself a true Ignoramus ver 34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord And who hath been his Counsellor the best of mortals were never honoured with that title to be one of Gods Privy Councellors 2. Via signi of his publick and common road of Commandments Psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way Who walk in the way of the Lord v. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy Precepts Isa 2.3 He will teach Sions Scholars of his waies and they will walk in his paths Isa 30.21 Thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it We must not be so impudent as to desire to walk in the way of his Privy Councils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. dial 1 nor so imprudent as not to walk in the waies of his publick Commands The secret things belong to the Lord our God But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever that they may do all the works of this Law Deut. 29.29 Having thus planed my way to the Text or rather explained the way in my Text I proceed to the deduction of a Corollary or Conclusion from the words which is the second thing I premised and promised Every Saint is very apt to be a slug in the way and work of God Doct. Quicken me saies one of the chiefest and choicest of Saints in thy way and it is as much as if he should say in plain terms Ah Lord I am a dull Jade and have often need of thy Spur thy Spirit This Prayer of David seems proof enough to this point but if you desire farther confirmation I shall produce an argument instar omnium that none shall dare to deny nor be able to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more venatorum persequentium feram Aret. Ignatius Epist ad Rom. James 5 17. Eye Paul how industriously and indefatigably he pursues even as a Beagle his chase with full cry and all celerity Phil. 3.10 ad 15. Observe Ignatius how he goes to the beasts to be devoured as if he had gone to a Bridal to be married Lastly Slight not the Martyrs in Q. Maries daies who went to the fire as if they had been going to a bonefire En amote hoc parum est amem validius Aug lib. de Med. c. 18. Seest thou this woman saith our Saviour to Simon of Mary Magdalen with what activity and affection she hath washed and wiped my feet her tears being the water her hair the towel let it provoke thee to more diligence and devotion Luk. 7.44 45. Examples are pricking and provoking goads to quicken us fires to light our candles by to heat our bodies with 8. Keep quickning company As bad company is water to quench so good company is oyl to quicken fervour Bonus comes pro vehiculo As Iron sharpens Iron soone gracious heart sets an edge upon another Prov. 27.17 Holy Companions are bellows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to blow up and make burn the graces that lye in embers 2 Tim. 1.16 The gracious affections of Saints are called beds of spices Cant. 6.2 Holy conference of holy company is the rubbing and chafing those spices to make them sent and send forth their perfumes Alexander where ever he came perfumed the Room with his presence so does every believer with his speeches David who desires quicknings picks out quickning company I am a companion of all them rich or poor that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts Psal 119.63 Paul is pressed in spirit by the company and conference of Silas and Timotheus Acts 18.5 the two Disciples hearts burn'd within them in their journy to Emans by that sweet discourse they had with Christ Luke 4.32 9. Consider quickning considerations they that are apt to faint and tire in a journey carry about their bottles of water to quicken their spirits let these ten considerations be such bottles to you when you tire in the journey of a duty 1. Consider how odious and abominable Sloth is to man or God the Romans judged sloth and idlenesse worthy of the greatest contempt Asinus ad lyram Asinus ad tibiam Zon. Annal l. 2. Peir 87. d. l. 3. cap. 16. Enerves animos odisse virtus solet Val. Max. lib. 2. cap. 7. are Proverbs of the greatest derision and disgrace how contemptibly does Jacob speak of Issachar a strong Asse couching down between two burthens Gen. 49.14 15. yea God himself refuses the first-born of an Asse in Sacrifice Exod. 13.13 Bellarmin gives this reason because it was animal tardigradum a slow paced and sluggish creature which God hates God being a pure act loves pure activity Oh what thunder-claps and cracks of threatnings may you hear from the Mount Ebal of his Word able to make the most sluggish Caligula to creep under his bed for shelter Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Jer. 48.10 Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.14 God threatens to remove the candlestick from the Church of Ephesus because she was grown remisse in her first love Rev. 2.5 6. he terrifies the Church of Laodicea with the menace of spuing her out of his mouth for her lukewarmnesse the servant who had not returned Cent per Cent for his talent is called wicked and slothful servant and cast into the darkest dungeon Matth. 25.26.30 how would this consideration well considered on cause all slothful servants ears to tingle and their hearts to tremble II. Consider sloth exposes you to all manner of sin especially these two desperate and dangerous ones 1. Sordid Apostacy 2. Spiritual Adultery I. Sordid Apostacy Sloth in the Soul is like Green Sicknesse in the body of a Virgin which makes her not only fall from her colour strength stomach to wholsom food but also to long and lust after trash and trumpery coales soot ashes the Galathians because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without mind and metal do therefore prove Apostates beginning in the Spirit ending in the flesh Gal. 3.1 3. * Tepiditas si â—allum obduxerit siet Apostasia Greg. Moral lib. 22. cap. 5. falling off from fervor will turn to falling away to folly The slothful man will not bring his hand to his mouth Prov. 19.24 it is expounded of a slothful Minister who will not bring voci suae vitam suam his works to his words though this be an undoubted truth of lazy and slothful Ministers yet the Provetb holds true of all sluggards tendency to falling away in their hand from their mouth i. e. from what they have formerly professed Consider how great and grievous a sin Apostacy is it was the first sin that ever was committed it was the sin of the Devils for which they were cast out of Heaven and cast down into Hell Heb. 10.38 if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him a metaphor taken from a sluggish Jade who finding the load come heavy draws back again the backslider in heart much more in hand from Gods way shall be fil'd with his own waies Prov. 14.14 i. e. he hath run away from his Captain Colours Cause and he shall have Marshal Law for it it will be worth my pains and your patience to give an instance what severe Martial Law God hath executed on all Runnagadoes and Revolters 1. Ministers Judas who revolted from his Master and Ministrie turning from being a guard to his Saviour to be a guide to the Souldiers Acts 1.17 afterward hanged himself his bowels burst out of his belly and so he took his proper and peculiar place in Hell vers 18.25 John Speiser Preacher at Ainsborough in Germany Scâ—lt annal 118. who preached so profitably and powerfully that the common strumpets left the Brothel-houses then tolerated and betook themselves to a better course Anno. 1523. yet afterwards revolting to the Papists he perished miserably Joseph Antiq. l. 1. c. 12. Ut condimentum sit aliis Aug. lib. 16. de Civ Dei c. 30. 2. People Remember Lots wife Luke 17.32 who turning back to Sodom was turned into a pillar of salt to season us that we may be preserved from the stinking sin of Apostacy Lucian a great Professor in the daies of Trajan but revolting was torn in pieces and devoured of Dogs The Emperour Julian the Apostate was wounded with an arrow none knowing from whence in his War against the Persians who throwing his blood up to Heaven died scornfully crying Vicisti Galilaee vicisti II. Spiritual Adultery Bodily sloth exposes to corporal Adultery Quaritur Aegisthus Davids instance clears it sufficiently 2 Sam. 11.2 Spiritual sloth exposes to Spiritual Adultery Rom.
understand it or 2. For an expression of the prolonging of his sojourning for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to draw forth or to prolong and thus the Septuagint renders this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Arabick Syriack and vulgar Latine versions follow with some others and the next verse seems to favour this sense ver 6. My soul hath long dwelt c. but either way gives us the same ground of complaint only the first sense doubles the ground of the Psalmists trouble and the other suggests the circumstance of the long continuance of his sojourning By Kedar is understood part of Arabia the inhabitants whereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bochart ut sup or dwellers in tents because they had no fixed and setled habitation but were robbers and lived upon the prey Now we are not to suppose that David did really sojourn and dwell among these barbarous people but he speaks this of his wandring about from place to place without any setled habitation and to set forth the cruelty and inhumanity of those among whom he dwelt he doth expresse it thus Woe is me that I dwell c. as if one living among professed Christians who deal with him more like savages than Christians should say Woe is me that I sojourn among Turks and Saracens And thus you see Davids present condition which he bewails is his absence from Jerusalem and the Tabernacle or place of Gods solemn worship and his converse with wicked and ungodly men and then these two truths lye plain before us in the words It is oftentimes the lot and portion of good men to be deprived of the Doct. 1 society of the godly and of opportunities of publick serving God and to dwell among and converse with wicked and ungodly persons It is a real ground of trouble and sorrow to a good man to be thus deprived Doct. 2 c. 'T was that which here made David proclaim himself in a state of woe and misery 'T was that which the Apostle tells us did vexe the righteous soul of Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 and which made the holy Prophet Elijah even weary of his life 1 King 19.4 You may easily imagine what a sad heart a poor lamb might well have if it be driven from the green pastures and still waters and forced to lodge among Wolves and Foxes where it must feed upon Carrion or starve and be continually in danger of being lodged in the bellies of its cruel and bloody companions unless lome secret over-ruling hand do restrain their rage and feed it with wholesome food and truly such is the condition of those that follow the Lamb of God in holy Lamb-like qualities when deprived of green pastures and still waters of Gospel Ordinances and forc'd to converse with wicked and ungodly men In handling of this Point I shall first lay before you the grounds of it and then adjoyn such practical application as may be usefull and profitable The grounds of this Truth do partly refer to God partly to wicked men and partly to the godly themselves if in such a condition a beleeving soul either look upwards or outwards or inwards he will see much cause of grief and trouble 1. With reference unto God and that upon a double account 1. It is a real ground of sorrow to a beleeving soul to be deprived of occasions of solemn blessing and praysing God the soul that is full of the sense of the goodness of God that knows how many thousand wayes the Lord is continually obliging it to love and bless him cannot but be afflicted in spirit to be kept from making its publick acknowledgements of divine goodness The Psalmist tell us Psal 65 1. that Praise waiteth for God in Sion that is in the publick Assemblies of the Church and truly 't is a grief to a believing soul not to wait there with his thank-offerings not to pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people Psal 116.17 Psal 66.18 in the Courts of the Lords house c. not to declare to all that fear God what he hath done for their souls 2. It is a real ground of sorrow to live among those that are continually reproaching and blaspeming the Name of God to see sinners despise the goodness of God and trample upon his grace and mercy and scorn his love and kindness and kick at his bowels and spit in his face and stab at his heart who is our God our Father our Friend our good and gracious Lord and King This must needs make the beleeving soul cry out Woe is me that I live among such Let us suppose a person that hath been hugely obliged by a Prince to love him and that indeed loves him as his life if this Prince should be driven from his Throne and an usurper get into his place would it not be great affliction and sadning to the spirit of such a person to live among those who every day revile reproach scorn and abuse his gracious Prince Why Sirs if you and I be true beleevers we know that the Lord is our Soveraign King Prince such a one who hath infinitely more obliged us to love him than 't is possible for any Prince to oblige a subject we do love the Lord as our lives nay better than our lives or else we love him not at all must it not then be matter of grief to hear ungodly sinners who have driven God away from their hearts souls where his Throne should be set up and who have let that grand usurper the Devil set up his throne within them and among them and who daily say unto God as those wicked ones Job 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes to hear such curse and swear and blaspheme God and in their lives by wicked ungodly courses do him all the despight dishonor that they can bring his Name to the Tavern to the Stews upon the stage and there foot and defile the great and glorious Name of God with the worst of polutions Certainly Sirs he cannot account God his Friend his Father his good and gracious Prince whose eye doth not run down with Rivers of tears to see men so far from keeping Gods Law 2. It is a trouble to good men to sojourn c. with reference to those wicked ungodly persons among whom they live it grieves their souls to see sinners run into all excess of riot eagerly pursuing hell and damnation greedily guzling down full draughts of the venome of Asps and the poyson of Dragons it pities them to see sinners stab themselves to the heart and laughing at their own plague sores jeasting away God and heaven and eternal happiness If any of us should see a company of men so far besotted and distracted as that one should rend and burn the Evidences of a great Inheritance which others labour to deprive him of another should cast inestimable pearls
of our souls Aegypt is said to have no rain Terra non indiga Jovis but God makes it fruitfull by the oveflowing of its own River Nilus and truly if God bring any true beleever into a spiritual Aegypt where the rain of publick Ordinances doth not fall he can cause such a flow of holy and heavenly thoughts and meditations as shall make the soul very fruitfull in a good and an holy life and therefore we should oft in such a condition believingly remember that if we do our endeavour by private prayer meditation reading and such like God is able and will in the want of publick Ordinances preserve the life of Religion in our souls by private helps We proceed now to the second Question contained in the general case viz. Qu. What should believing Christians do to preserve their outward concernments among persecuting enemies without hazarding their Religion Now this question will resolve it self into two particular Queries 1. What should such do to secure themselves from suffering 2. What should they do to encourage themselves against and support in sufferings The summe of what may be said to the first Query I suppose to be comprized in that counsel of our Lord Jesus who was Wisdome it self and Innocency it self Matth. 10 16. Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves be ye therefore wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves the Serpents wisdome joyned with the Doves innocency are the true Christians best security to each of which I shall speak something 1. Get spiritual Prudence and Wisdome to secure from suffering where we have not a clear and sufficient call The Heathens hinted wisdome as well as strength to be needfull for a Souldier when they appointed the Warlike Goddess Pallas to be the Patroness of Wisdome a Souldier may and ought to guard himself and by winding and turning his body avoid the enemies blow so long as he doth not turn his back forsake the field or betray his trust in like manner may a good Souldier of Jesus Christ by any lawfull means guard himself from suffering and by any just compliance or stepping aside or giving back avoid a blow or make a fair retreat so long as he keeps the Field and doth not turn his back upon nor give up a good and a just cause for fear of suffering Hence the Apostle adviseth Col. 4.5 Walk in wisdome toward them that are without that is walk as those that have wisely fixt upon a good end and do use the most proper and likely means to attain that end Now this general direction will branch it self forth into these particulars 1. Do not rashly and unnecessarily provoke those that have power to do you a mischief it is not wisdome to stir in a wasps nest nor by bloody colours to provoke a wilde Bull and certainly our life and the comforts and relations in this world are such real and great blessings that they are not to be sacrificed to an humour nor cast away but upon the most serious consideration and real necessity and certainly when our Lord Jesus directed his Disciples if persecuted in one City to flye to another he never intended they should throw themselves into the jaws of roaring Lions nor provoke Bears and Tygers to tear them in pieces nor leave the quiet habitation of Sion to seek persecution and court a Martyrdome among Pagans and Infidels The holy Apostle Paul who was as willing to dye for the Name of Christ as any Act. 21.13 and was therefore by his love and zeal urged to go into the Theater at Ephesus yet he took the prudent counsel and advice of his Friends not to venture himself nor by his presence provoke the enraged multitude Act. 19.31 and afterward he made use of his Kinsmans help to secure his life from those who had bound themselves with an oath to kill him Act. 23.16 and at last appeals to Caesar to avoid the mischief designed against him by the Jews Act. 25.10 This piece of spiritual prudence caused the primitive Christians to abstain from prophaning the Temples of the heathen and reviling their gods and therefore they chose to discover to them the vanity of their Idolatries from the Writings and Records of their own Prophets and with the greatest love and sweetness that could be yea this was so evident in Paul himself that the Town-clark of Ephesus was able to be his and his fellow-Christian Compurgator in this matter Act. 19 37. Ye have brought hither those men which are neither robbers of Churches or as the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrilegious persons nor yet blasphemers of your goddess and therefore that which Josephus accounts one of Moses Laws that none should blaspheme the Religion of another though it be not a general duty as appears by Elijahs mocking and scoffing at the God and religion of Baals Priests 1 King 18.27 yet it holds good here as a rule of prudence to avoid needless provoking of those that are without And in this case I take this to be a sure rule whatever act of ours hath rationally a greater likelihood to provoke harden and enrage the hearts of men rather than to convince and convert is a fruit of indiscretion not of Christian prudence a piece of folly not a part of our duty It was certainly a favour from God when he inclined the heart of Trajane to order his Proconsul Plinius Secundus Plin. Sec. Ep. l. 10. Conquirendi non sunt sideferantur arguantur puniendi sunt desiring to know his pleasure in the case that when any were brought before him and accused to be Christians he should punish them according to Law but should not industriously search them out if now any should have rushed into the Judges presence and taken the Devils work out of his hands who is the accuser of the Brethren it would surely have been a sinfull undervaluing the favour of God in that relaxation of their persecution But now this advice must be bounded with a word of caution for as we should take heed lest our zeal degenerate into ambition and foolish vain-glory in suffering so on the other side lest our prudence and Christian wisdome turn to sinful craft and policy while to avoid the stroak of persecution we take up the Devils buckler of unlawfull practises The Apostle Peter was not bound to go into the high Priests hall and proclaim himself a Disciple of Jesus but he was obliged not to deny and forswear it when challenged with it and so though I am not alway bound to proclaim my faith and Religion yet am I engaged never to disown it and therefore we must take heed of that which Elihu charged Job with Job 36.21 the choosing iniquity rather than affliction and therefore when fear or covetousness would urge us to sin rather than suffer let us remember against our fears that 't is a more fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God than dying men
pains a sloathfull soul loseth all the advantages he gets by following the Ordinances for want of care and industry to retain and improve what he hath gotten 6. Comply with the Spirit of God These influences both as to the rise and continuance of them are from him When you comply not with him you grieve the Spirit and provoke him to withdraw and when he withdraws these influences will be discontinued If you detain the truth in unrighteousness if you confine it to your mindes so as the power thereof descends not upon your hearts and affections comes not forth in your lives and actions you do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imprison the truth and that is a great affront to the Spirit of Truth If when the Spirit of God calls you to take up the Cross to leave all to follow Christ contentedly and cheerfully in a low reproached afflicted condition or if when he calls you up to a higher degree of self-denial mortification and holiness you hang back or turn aside and refuse to follow his conduct this grieves the Spirit of holiness If you decline his institutions for other devices shrink back from the work you are engaged to when it grows hazardous strain your consciences to secure your outward enjoyments will not be influenced by him further than is consistent with your ease credit safety and worldly interest you dishonour the Spirit of wisdome This provokes the blessed Spirit to withdraw and when the fire is gone the heat will not long continue If you refuse to continue under the influences of the Spirit in some things its righteous with him not to continue them upon you in others If you fear the displeasure of man more than the grieving of him if you lean more to the hopes of this life than his supports and consult with flesh and blood instead of being directed by the wisdome which is from above it will be no wonder if he give you over to your own conduct and intermitting his own leave you under the influences of your carnall fears and worldly hopes 7. Be frequent in the use of Ordinances good impressions do most usually wear off in the intervals of holy duties and the longer these are the more danger there is therefore make these interims as short as may be by quick returns to the Ordinances It is observed that places under the line are not so hot as some climates at a further distance from it this reason is given for it those under the equinoctial though they have the Sun more vertical and the beams falling perpendicularly cause a more intense heat yet the nights being of equal length with the dayes the coolness of those long nights doth more allay the heat than where the nights are shorter Long intermissions of holy duties are like long nights you may finde them by experience to be great coolers if you live under more powerfull Ordinances than some others yet if they be more frequent and diligent in the use of what they have they are like to have more spiritual warmth than you and that with less allay and intermission Besides when the advantage you have got by one Ordinance is declining and wearing off the use of the same or of some other may revive and recover it if you take it speedily before it be too far gone Further a slieght impression such as is not like to last long may be re inforced for a longer continuance if you lay your selves quickly under the instrument that first made it When Elijah had once tasted of the provision the Lord made for him in the Wilderness he laid him down saith the Text as having enough but the Angel calls him to it again for saith he The journey is too great for thee 1 King 19.6 7. Hereupon he arose once more and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat forty dayes and forty nights vers 8. Once tasting will not serve your turn a little will not be enough so long a journey as yours is will spend much nothing but a frequent an often repeated use of the Ordinances will furnish you with such strength as will last you many dayes 8. Finally Look up to God for the continuance of this influence pray and pray in faith Seek him and depend on him for it He will be found of those that seek him Matth. 7.7 You have his promise for it and dependance on him obliegeth him too the expectation of the poor shall not perish Psal 9.18 it is not for his honour to fail those whom he hath incouraged to rely on him an ingenuous man will not do it much lesse the faithfull God This course David tâ—kes in the Text he prayes and encourageth his faith while he is praying by that interest which the faithfull have in the Lord by virtue of the Covenant O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever yea the Lord himself leads us to this Deut. 5.24 27 29. the people were much affected in that they had heard the Lords voice vers 24. this brought them up to a noble resolution vers 27. Speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto them and we will hear it and do it Hereupon the Lord thus expresseth himself vers 29. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandements alwayes c. What greater incouragement can we have to desire this of God than that he expresseth himself desirous we should have it Faith is the main strength of prayer and the great supports of faith are these two that he is able and that he is willing These are to faith like the two pillars of the Temple 1 Kings 7.21 and the names of them there expressed are very apposite He set up the right pillar and called the name thereof Jachin i. e. he will establish he is willing and he set up the last pillar and called the name thereof Boaz i. e. in him is strength he is able Now faith hath both these pillars to support it in this businesse that the Lord is able to continue his influences you will not question I hope He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power which worketh in us Ephes 3.20 and that he is willing he puts it out of question when he useth such an expression as amongst men signifies a passionate desire O that there were such a heart in them c. now saith the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that which one is both able and willing to do shall be done Both reason and faith see ground enough to conclude this Pray then and pray believing for as the Lord is able to do it so it is according to his will and whatsoever you ask according to his will believing it shall be done Matth. 21.22 Thus much for what you are to practice there are some things to be avoided if you