or Devils Oh bless God for Faith even ye of little Faith at its first entrance it gives your soul a lift from heaven to earth There it lists your names no longer men of this world but henceforth Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God there it hath laid you up an Inheritance and thence it brings you your maintenance thither it turns your eyes and all your streams it shews you what you have there and by those beams it draws you up thither Those to whom it shews the least of that glory it shews enough to disgrace the glory of the world and as this Sun-light grows so doth all the beauty of the world fade and vanish out of sight By Faith our conversation is in heaven Now by how much the more our conversation is in heaven by so much the more our hearts are there by how much the more our hearts are in heaven by so much the less on earth and when once the world hath lost our love it hath lost its power over us 1. By how much the more our conversation is in heaven by so much the more our hearts and affections are there we ordinarily love to be where we use to be No such damp grows upon affection as by distance and estrangement when we loose our acquaintance we loose our delight in God Acquaint thy self with him and be at peace Joh 22. 21. Acquaint thy self with him and be in love there wants nothing to fix our affections on heaven but being better acquainted there Intimacy begets dearness Do you not love God t is a sign you have had little to do with him Is not your delight in Heaven t is a sign you are seldome there Is prayer and holy meditation and exercising your selves in the Scriptures and attendance on ordinances a weariness and altogether unpleasant to you sure you have little known what the spirit of Prayer and Communion with God in his word and ordinances mean those whose Souls dwell by the wells of salvation and often let down the bucket do taste that the waters thereof are sweet they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thine house and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. Those that walking closely with God do dwell in the secret of his presence under the sweet dewes and influences of his grace the business of whose life is to behold and love and serve the Lord their hearts have found such rest there that they can find no rest elswhere 2. By how much the more our hearts are in Heaven by so much the less are they on earth worldly professours have all their religion in their mouths there 's little within whatever they talk If any man love the world the love of the father is not in aim If any man love the Father the love of the world ceases Heaven and Hell may meet as well as Heaven and Earth in the same heart Set your affections on things above and not on the earth on both you cannot your bodies as easily as your Souls may dwell in Heaven and Earth together You use to say I cannot be here and there too no sure enough you cannot whilest your Souls are the inhabitants of this they are exiles from the other world and when they have their dwelling in Heaven they are but strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth this world hath lost your hearts when God hath gain'd them 3. When once the world hath lost our hearts it hath lost its power over us who will be entic'd by what he hates or slights God and the world rule both by love If God hath our love he hath the command of all that ever we have if we love the world what can it not do with us whither can it not lead us If the world hath lost our love it were even as good lay down its weapons and let us alone let them follow God let them be holy let them to Heaven their hearts are gone and there 's no holding them back It may still hang in their heels and retard their motion Heaven-ward but their hearts being gone thither their main course will bend it self 6. Faith gives assurance of this better inheritance Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen It is an evidence not only that there is another world and a better world then this and that this better state may be obbtaind that there is an entrance into the everlasting Kingdom possible that these mortals may be clothed with immortality that these corruptibles may put on incorruption and these poor worms that creep on the dust may get them wings and fly away hence into everlasting bliss but it is also an evidence that all this shall be that there shall be a performance of all those glorious things which God hath spoken concerning his Saints Blessed is he that hath believed for there shall be a performance of all that hath been told him Luk. 1. 45. Faith hath taken bond for performance The Almighty God hath bound himself to us and lest through unbelief we should stick at taking his single bond he hath given security hath brought in his Son and heir the Lord Jesus Christ to stand bound with him Faith hath taken this bond and having it self sealed to the Articles or conditions on our parts upon the performance whereof the inheritance stands sure to us upon the greatest security that Heaven and Earth can give it keeps it by it and hath it ready to produce upon all occasions to stop the clamours of unbelief The Covenant of God that 's our security The Almighties bond and articles wherein he hath made over all that ever he hath by an immutable and irrevocable deed to his Saints Heb. 6. 17 18. Nay more Faith will shew a believer his own name in this deed If it can but shew it self to us can make it evident that it is what it is the Faith of Gods elect if it does but once appear that we do sincerely believe it therein shews us our names in the promise of God To say to any one that knows he believes to say to him He that believeth shall be saved is fully as much as if it had been said to him by name Thou O man even thou shalt be saved thy name is written in the book of life Unbelief will be staggering at the promise and will call in question all that the Lord God hath said And when this world comes upon us and tempts us opens its pack and shews us its wares and offers us our choice of whatsoever will please us Take it saies unbelief make sure of something let not go such penniworths they may be the best thou art ever like to have Mayst thou be rich mayst thou live in pleasure and in honour here Be not such a fool as to neglect thy self for a conceit of some strange
run upon dangers which it might without sin avoid that doth not unwarily create it self nor needlesly provoke enemies but fears not to meet them in his way nor will either turn aside or stand still to escape them Now put all these together he that is bold with the Lord who being reconciled by the bloud of Christ and walking before him in his integrity can with an holy boldness approach and make known his requests to the Lord for grace and mercy and help in the time of need He that is bold in the Lord whose heart is fixed trusting in God He that is in his name bold for the Lord bold to be faithful to God bold to be holy and righteous that will follow God and keep his way with the neglect of the highest worldly advantages on the one hand and the sharpest sufferings on the other that will choose the greatest of sufferings rather then little sins that will refuse the greatest advantages rather then neglect the least of duties that is meek and yet mighty through God that trembles at the word and yet stands against all the world that is tender as a bruised reed and yet stands against all the world that is tender as a bruised reed and yet not terrified at an army with banners whom a child may lead and yet a giant cannot drive an innocent dove with a serpents wisedom a patient lamb with a Lions heart who will not strive nor cry nor make a noise in the streets and yet in the strength of the Lord brings forth judgment into victory Here is the valiant Christian that triumphs over thrones and Dominions that in the name of Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers and hath led captivity captive Here is a man clothed with the Sun who hath the moon under his feet Christians where is this mighty spirit of the Gospel Behold some who seem sufficiently high flown are yet as weak as water whose hopes and whose comforts lye at the mercy of every temptation whose religion must strike sail at the fight of every enemy or tack about at every turn of the wind who are no body but in the sun-shine and the calm whose course must be steer'd by their commodity and safety who are for duty yet dare not pray to their loss who protest against iniquity yet will sin rather then suffer Is not this thy case wouldst thou not have been better if thou hadst dar'd thy conscience is for more praying and hearing and closs walking with God but thine heart will not serve thee the times will not bear it thy estate will be in hazard thy liberty yea and thy life too in danger thou darest not turn Apostate from Christ thou wouldst be one of the company still though thou be but a midnight Disciple and this must comfort thee under all thy disguised unfaithfulness thou haltest betwixt Christ and the World thou dar'st neither utterly to forsake him nor resolvedly to own him thou canst not tell what to be nor where to find thy self were it not for love of this World what a Christian wouldst thou be were it not for fear who should out-strip thee but as Matters are what to do thou knowest not and whose thou art who can tell to day thou art with the Disciples but who can tell where to find thee to morrow weak Soul hast thou good will for Christ why wilt thou not venture after him hast thou the name where is the Spirit of a Christian arise shake off thy fear and be bold Be bold for God Some are bold enough but 't is for themselves God hath the name but self is the mark that 's aim'd at beware that this be not it thou countest thy godly boldness Some are bold upon God upon the patience and forbearance of God bold to slight and affront the Lord bold to sin against him to stand it out against him against all his commands threatnings and judgments bold to continue unbelievers impenitent blasphemers unclean livers though God hath said that all such shall be damned to be thus bold is to be desperate they dare the Almighty to his face to bring his Counsel to pass and to perform all his words that he hath spoken against them Be bold but see that it be for God not against him Be bold for God but let it be also in the Lord. Be bold in the Lord but that you be not more bold then welcome look to it that you be the friends of God the boldness of strangers is sauciness or presumption The Lord upbraids his rebellious people with their confidence in him Mic. 3. yet they will lean upon the Lord they love me not yet they will lean upon me It s hard to say which is more dangerous the trust of the ungodly or their distrust God will be no Rock to those who will not that he be their Lord He will not accept of a testimony from a devil it disparages a good Cause to be pleaded by an evil mouth and as he will not regard thy confession so neither will he bear thee out in what it costs thee If thou wilt not submit to God confess him at thine own peril depend on me for my help expect countenance or encouragement from me lay hold on my power lay claim to my all-sufficiency or faithfulness how dar'st thou be so bold what art thou to me a stranger and yet so bold an enemy and yet so bold away Confident look to thy self stand on thine own bottom I have nothing for thee Art not thou he that wilt not be rul'd by me that wilt not accept of my love and peace that dissemblest with me that speakest me fair but thine heart is not with me art not thou he that dar'st continue in thy sin and to walk after the flesh and in friendship with this world whose heart goes after thy covetousness and thy companions and thy pride and thy pleasures and wilt thou lean on me and strengthen thy self in me I have offered to be reconciled to thee and thou wilt not I have offered to change thee to change thy mind and change thy way to make thee a new soul and a new life and still thou refusest and art the same man that ever thou wast may be thou hast gotten thee a new face and a new tongue and I have thy company sometimes thou draw'st nigh to me and comest in among my Saints but behold the same heart still that ever thou hadst thou wilt not be a Convert thou wilt not be brought into a Covenant of peace with me but are still in league with thy flesh and this world and how canst thou say I trust in God I will be no sanctuary for sin Brethren beware there be not any among you who make your trusting in God to serve you instead of turning to God your outward forwardness in the cause of God to serve instead of your hearty accepting the grace of God the Lord needs not nor will regard your
of the world lives in you Oh have you been so long professours of Christianity and have not yet gotten the Spirit of Christianity Is this the Spirit of Christ that leads you on in an earthly course did God give you his Spirit to teach you how to be such drudges to the world did God give you his Spirit to teach you how to plow and sow and buy and sell and hoord up treasures on earth what are your thoughts your designs your courses your ordinary talk and discourse what is it but earth earth are these the thoughts the wayes the language of the Spirit can any one that beholds our conversation that in the general bent and tenour of it is all about the world and but now and then a cold wish or a few heartless words about the things of God can any man that beholds us say I these are the persons that are dead to the world that are crucified that are mortified to things below these are they that have received the spirit of Christ indeed these speak like Christians and look like Christians and live like Christians like men of another world can it be said thus of us can we say thus of our selves my life is a spiritual life my course is an heavenly course my steps are all bending to another countrey can we say thus would not our daily course our daily discourse give us the lye if we should Oh we are yet of an earthly sensual Spirit the Spirit of this world is yet bearing rule in us our very Soul is but a lump of earth and flesh Oh for another Spirit a new Soul a more divine and cellestial frame O seek O wait for this better Spirit and then we should quickly see another life once let the world be thrust out of the heart and we shall quickly see more of Heaven breaking forth in the life 2. The strength of the world lyes in the God of this world Sathan gives strength to and marshals its temptations so as that the success of them depends much on him this he he doth 1. By over rating the good things present and underrating the good things to come 2. By sharpning the edge of the evil things present and blunting the edge of the evil things to come 3. By an active stimulating and provoking the Soul on any terms whaatsoever to pursue the present good and to escape the present evil 1. By over rating the good things present and under rating the good things to come He that looks on the world through the Devils glass shall see it double to what it is he gives the same prospect to us as he did to our Lord Matth. 4. 2. shews it in its Glory every Comet Shines as the Sun he makes the silver as gold the brass as silver stones as iron every thing hath a borrowed face and looks better then it is The Apple whereby he tempted our first parents Gen. 3. 5. he makes a deifying Apple In the day that you eat your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Sathans design is to blind and put out mens eyes knowing that they can never see the terrene glory till their eyes be out but his pretence is to open eyes to make such discoveries of the hidden excellencies in these earthly treasures as will transfigure Earth into an Heaven He presents the world as that which hath substance sufficiency contentment hearts ease satisfaction in it he sayes to his friends as the Lord sayes to his Prov. 8. 17. c. I love them that love me and them that seek me early shall find me riches and honours are with me yea durable riches and righteousness I will cause those that love me to find substance and I will fill their treasures thus the Lord speaks to his and the Devil gives the world a tongue to speak at the same rate I love them that love me I have riches and honours durable riches and I will fill them with treasures And as the world speaks so worldlings think it cannot boast greater things of it self then will be believed Hos 12. 8. I am become rich sayes Ephraim I have found me out substance the shadow is a substance in those eyes that see no better things Hence these things are taken up by the men of this world as their portion as their heritage as their happiness and hope thou givest them their portion in this life Psal 17. and they take them as their portion and now Lord what wait I for saith the Psalmist my hope is in thee and now world what wait I for what work I for what live I for truly my hope is in thee the worldling sayes God is my portion and in a sense he says true for the world is his God And on the other side as Sathan over rates this so he under rates the other world 2 Cor. 4. 4. The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of of God should shine unto them The Gospel is a window through which the light and glory of the other world breaks in and shines down upon this here the pretended opener of eyes smites with blindness by a vail of unbelief he keeps the Gospel and all the glory of it out of sight unbelief gives the lye to all that the Gospel speaks calls all into question holds under uncertainties whether there be any such thing or no and what 's doubtful and uncertain whether it be or no will be vallewed there after What a low price do carnal hearts put upon the deep things of God upon the great things of eternity Glory and honour and immortality and eternal life what cheap things are they accounted whilest soul and conscience and peace and hopes and life are so ordinarily sold to purchase an earthly inheritance that 's the bargain that every where is driving in this earth how few are there that will deal for Heaven and Glory though it may be bought without mony and without price though it may be had for the seeking for though it be bought to their hands yet they will not take it Now what advantage is this to wordly temptations when the price of things to come is so beaten down when the price of things present is so hoised and raised as if the one could hardly be over-bought and the other were scarce worth the dealing for 2. By sharpening the edge of present evils and blunting the edge of evils to come The afflictions of this life are made to cut deeper than the vengeance to come The persecutions of men are more feared than the Plague of God Satan makes his Vassals to think there is no Heaven or Hell to those on Earth Poverty looks more dismally than eternal Fire Disgrace than Damnation the Wrath of man than the Cnrse of God Let Death and Damnation be preached to the World and this stirs them
wares to lye on his hands then say they are good he that had rather have no blessing in his hand then no bowels to lay it out for God He that however he hath this world about him has an estate houses lands money in greatest abundance he that however he labours in all fair and innocent wayes to preserve and improve what he has yet chooses rather to be poor then not to be honest to have nothing then not to be a good steward of what he has he that will not be tempted to be false unrighteous or unmerciful for the getting or saving an estate the world hath not much in the heart of that man Oh brethren if this be to overcome the world then how many more captives hath it still then the most are aware of what trade is there driven almost any where in the world wherein the trade of lying hath not a great stock going Are there not even among men pretending to religion too many found who instead of using the Psalmists prayer Keep me from the way of lying will rather content themselves with the Syrians prayer The Lord pardon me in this thing the Lord forgive me I know not how to help it It 's true that men of great dealings have great temptations to it and is it not as true that they are taking temptations But how can you then take your selves to be any of Christs disciples or how can you stand here praying with the same mouth that it may be within a day or two will be found in the market lying Can the same fountain send forth sweet water and bitter Jam. 3. 11. Deceive not your selves you do but lye unto God in your duties that make it your practise to lye unto men in your dealings If any man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue from lying as well as other ill language that mans religion is in vain Jam. 1. 26. And as little truth as there is in mens words is there not as little righteousness in their wayes the lying tongue and the oppressing hand are animated from the same heart How very few are there that weigh their actions on that unerring beam Do unto others as you would they should do unto you Wouldst thou be oppressed thou wouldst not why then doest thou oppress wouldst thou not be defrauded why then dost thou defraud wouldst thou not over-buy nor undersel why dost thou then in the same kinds go about to over-reach thy brother Brethren you do not know your own generation you live in if you do not understand how commonly and how greedily men are every where heaping up to themselves the gains of unrighteousness and for mercy there 's little hope of finding that where righteousness is departed And now Soul where is thy victory over the world thou pretendest to Christ takest thy self to be a beleiver and hopest thou hast chosen God for thy portion and renounced this present world what and yet lye for a little worldly advantage be unrighteous that thou mayst be rich sell thy conscience for a penny and bless thy self in thy good bargain Hath the world such power of thee that for its sake thou wilt be thus false and deceitful and cruel and yet hast thou overcome it Is this thy Faith is this your Christianity to be disciples of Christ so far as it may be for your profit was there any such reserve in your engagement to be the Lords I le be thine so thou wilt abate me lying I will serve thee in any thing so thou wilt allow me the gain of unrighteousness I le profess thy name and I le pray and I le hear and I le be godly in all things wherein my gain is not concerned In these things the Lord pardon thy servant in these things let me have the liberty to be as other men and in any thing else command me what thou wilt Brethren be plain hearted throughout be able to say with the Apostle Heb. 13. 18. We trust that we have a good conscience willing to live honestly in all things convince the world that you are none of theirs but are come out from among them and are of Christ indeed by being in all things as he was in the world who did no sin neither was any guil found in his mouth 3. Victory over the world stands in a power to use our worldly goods to their proper ends What is there on this side Hell sin onely excepted but being well us'd will prove our blessing Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God What is there on this side Heaven grace only excepted but being ill used may degenerate into a curse Psal 69. 22. Let their table be made a snare and that which was given to them for their wealth be an occasion of falling All things in the world as they have their various particular uses and intermediate ends so they have but one common end in which they all concenter God who made man hath made all things else also for himself and man only of all these lower creatures is made capable both of understanding the end to which all things are and of directing them to it and accordingly is oblig'd so to do Then only may we be truly said to enjoy what we have and are secur'd from the mischiefs of it when we have so much power over it as to use it aright he that hath not an heart to use what he hath and to use it well is rather possess'd by it then the possessour of it upon this account are worldly men the worlds servants servants of their estates rather then the masters of them will you call him a master that is under the command of his servant that cannot govern nor order nor dispose of himself and what he has but is alwaies governed by it when the world saies go he must go when this saies come he must come when it saies work he must work and till it saies sit still he must not rest who must neither eat nor drink nor give nor lend but where the world gives him leave who is a slave if this be a freeman He that understanding his dominion of all that is in his hand and his way to use it aright accordingly exercises his dominion this man is Lord and the world his servant Now as I hinted but now the proper end to which all we have should be lastly directed is God God made all things for himself and he hath put us in possession that we may use them for him for whom they are made All we have are our talents intrusted in our hands by our Lord with this charge Occupie till I come Luk. 19. 13. Occupie till I come as those that must give an account to me when I come that I may receive mine own with advantage v. 23. t will be but a lame account we shall give of what we have received if we bring not in every talent employed
is accounted our sure refuge so that we fear not that the world can make us miserable then t will be all one as to our godliness whether the world be with us or against us He that can say God is my portion whether I want or abound I have never so much but I have need of a God I have never so little but a God will suffice He that can say God is my refuge whether I be in safety or in danger I am never in such hazards but in God I am secure I am never so out of hazard but I need his security how little is it that the world with all its glory on the one hand or all its fury on the other can do upon that Soul thou mayst then go on thy way rejoycing thou mayst serve the Lord without fear in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of thy life He that knows and feels what God is can want or suffer what ever is in the world in him he finds a supply of every vacuity and a salve for every sore He that knows what pinching want and piercing sufferings are will understand that nothing but God can hold him up or bear him through You are mistaken if you think that natural hardiness and self confidence will do without divine supports in pressing cases He that hath this power hath gotten it from above he that hath this power may be whatever the Lord will have him Then are we more eminently endued with this power when we have attained to 1. Self-denial under the greatest opportunities of self-seeking or self-satisfaction 2. Contentment under the greatest straits 3. Patience under the greatest pressures of affliction 4. Humility in the height of honour 5. Magnanimity in the depth of danger or difficulty 6. Equanimity in the greatest turns and changes of our outward condition 1. Self-denial under the greatest opportunities of felf-seeking and self-satisfaction Self-denial properly is the neglecting the interest and the crossing the inclinations of our flesh in order to service or the preventing of sin Then onely self-denial is a vertue or a duty when our allowance of our flesh in its liberty would be either a sin or an occasion of sin or an hindrance of duty when it would be a preferring the advantages of the flesh above the service and honour of Christ Now by how much the greater our opportunity to please our flesh by so much the greater vertue it is to deny it He that might be full and yet for Christs sake is content to be empty he that might be rich and yet is content to be poor he that might live at ease or in honour and yet for Christs sake is content to be vile or in trouble He that chooses rather to be serviceable then to be safe to be holy then honourable he that upon the account of Christ flyes from fleshly advantages when these fly after him this is the man T is a vertue to be quiet when Providence denies us to be content to be poor and in affliction when it comes unavoidably upon us t is something to be able to say I cannot help it and therefore will be quiet But when we can let Conscience deny us let love to Christ let zeal for God straiten us when Providence allows us our liberty and our fill this is something to purpose To neglect the world when the world neglects us or flyes from us not to seek great things for our selves when we have no hope of obtaining not to mind the pleasing our pride or our appetite when we have not wherewith to maintain them to spare from our flesh when we have nothing to spend upon it to fast when we have no bread to put on sackcloth when we have no better raiment not to contend for our wills when we see we cannot have our wills there is not so very much in all this though it be more then every one hath attained to But voluntarily to lay down all at the foot of Christ to part with all for the sake of Christ when we might have even what we would in a way of sin to keep our flesh short when it is in our power to make it a larger allowance this is a great testimony how high the interest of Christ is exalted and how low the world is brought in us One great instance of this self-denial you may read in Moses Heb. 11. 24. 25. By faith Moses when he came to years refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter chusing rathor to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Observe it fairer opportunities of flesh pleasing of living in the splendour of worldly glory and the Grandieur of a prime favourite in the court few of the sons of men ever enjoy'd he was adopted the Son of Pharaohs daughter nurs'd up upon her knee and in her heart and upon this account what his hopes and advantages might be t is easy to imagine But at once he forsook all he had a service to do for his God and such an affection to the people of God that away he goes puts himself out of Pharaohs favour and casts in his lot among his suffering brethren I shall consider divers circumstances which all heighten this noble instance 1. The circumstance of time When he came to years t was not a childish folly done when he was so young that he knew not what he did but when he came to age when he came to understand himself whilest he was a child he suffered himself to be dandled on the lap of these carnal pleasures but when he came to age and understood what these things were and had gotten those higher things of the other world in his eye when he came to age he put away these childish things this world is a paradise only to children and fools pictures and babies and rattles will please children men must have manly delights thou that art so taken with the embraces and dalliances of this world thou that makest thy self sport with images and rattles when thou comest to have the understanding of a man thou wilt wonder at thy childish folly 2. When he was upon the matter newly come to age a young man in the prime and vigour of his time when he had but begun to tast the sweet of his youthful pleasures the pleasures of this lâ—fe are most taking at the first tasting the first draught is the sweetest when they grow more common and ordinary they sour and become less savory Oh how rare a thing is it to see young men in their prime to disgust and despise the world Old men whose strength is gone whose spirits are dead who have been glutted and tired out with pleasure have lost their appetite 2 Sam. 19. 35. I am this day fourscore years old and can I discern between good and evil can thy servant tast what I eat or drink can I hear any more the voice of singing men
Gen. 18. 19. Paul commends Timothy or rather his Mother in him that he had of a child known the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 15. David begun with Solomon whilest he was a young man 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Fathers And as the Lord charges parents to give holy education so is it the duty and the happiness of children to receive and submit to it a towardly and tractable childhood promises a gracious and fruitfull age When he is old he will not depart from it that is there 's hopes he will not t is true it does not alwaies prove so sometimes there 's too much truth in that proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Some there are whose youth is the winter that withers all the buds of their childhood or at least their age is the grave that buries all the flowers of their youth who however it was with them whilest they were under the influences of instruction and the restraint of discipline no sooner do they get their neck from under the yoke and feel the reins of government loosened but presently they grow wild and wanton and fall to pulling down what hath been built to rooting up what hath been planted and razing out those holy principles they have suck'd in and so letting themselves loose to all manner of rudeness and debaucherie these are monsters a degenerate brood and of all persons in the world most likely after this first step from Saints to brutes to take their next from brutes to Divels O let all such tremble whose youthful lusts have gotten the head of their religious education the Divel hath broken into Gods nursery and snap'd off those twigs to engraff them in his own Orchard among those trees that are only for the fire I say thus it may happen and look to it that this be the case of none of you that those who have been trained up whilest children in the good way of the Lord depart from it when they are come to age yet there is such a flexibleness in young ones and such an aptness to receive and retain the impressions of their holy education that there 's great hope it may abide by them all their daies If it should wear out it s usually worse with such then with those that have been born and bred up in the dark but there 's hope it will abide 2. Youth is more vigorous and sprightly of warm affection and full of action quicquid agit valde agit there 's life in its action it is not clog'd with the infirmities nor depress'd with the weakness and unweldiness that creeps on with age In this morning the Soul is free and fresh the spirits are quick and lively the edge is sharp and keen which in time grows more blunt and dull We may now both act more for God and taste more of God there would be more service and we should find more sweetness in it did we begin betime before our native warmth is cooled and our edge turned What work do rude young men make in the world how much service do they to the Devil in a little time laughing and mocking drinking and gaming rioting and revelling giving themselves to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness what haste do they make to undoe themselves how hot are they in their lusts how heady in their wayes how swiftly and violently does the torrent run down towards the burning lake in how little time are the plants and flowers rooted out which had been setting and nursing up all their time and how suddenly are their weeds sprung up and how rank are they grown what might not this heat and activity have brought forth to God had it been but set right how greatly might God have been honoured how much might Souls have been advanced what a treasure might have been layd up in Heaven had the stream in this spring-tide been running towards God as it hath been towards Hell You that have thus foolishly lost your season and run out the flower of your dayes oh be ashamed and bewail your loss you that have yet your day before you be warned let others folly make you wise know in your season what a price you have in your hand O 't is pity such a treasure should be lost and wasted what is God that he must have only the last and worst Sin and the world must have the first and best and only the lees and dregs left for him to whom all is due the Devil must have our marrow and if God will accept our dry and weary bones that 's all we ordinarily design for him Brethren how many of our morning hours are already run out and what hath the Lord had of them how few early Christians are there of us who of us are there that came along into the vineyard at the first hour of the day we think the last hour the best and enough for our work soon enough to come into the vineyard when we are going out of the world we will not bear the burthen and heat of the day but choose rather to come in the cool of the evening Unworthy Spirits wee le first make our selves good for nothing and then wee le be the servants of God 3. Young men have day before them he that hath a long journey to go had need set out early he that hath much work to do had need be at it betimes he that goes an Apprentice to a trade when he is old is not like to do any great matter at it either to get any great skill or to make any great gain they are never like to come to much who are so long ere they come to any thing the journey of a Christian is long vita brevis iter longum the work of a Christian is great Young men if you would come to Christ this day the youngest of you would find work enough to hold him the longest day he has to live these strong holds which have been so long a fortifying against Christ will not be batter'd down in a day your evil customs and evil habits which have been so long growing and rooting in you will require time to be well changed and rooted out grace and peace and assurance are ordinarily the fruits of many years labour and travail when you have wrought your selves out of work then wish you had staid longer out of the vineyard 3. The first time is the acceptable time 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation The present season is the blessed season the accepted time that is the time wherein you may be accepted and which God will take well at your hands if you will accept Now you may be accepted for behold he calleth you t is a question whether hereafter you may or no if you will not accept to day it may be God will not accept to morrow It s very acceptable to the
hath said Mat. 10. 37. He that loves Father or Mother more then me he that loves Son or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me He that forsakes not Father and Mother cannot be my Disciple therefore I have no more to say my Friends are dear my Husband is dear my Wife is dear to me I rejoyce in their love and I would not their displeasure I would not worthily be counted unworthy or unkind or disrespectful or undutiful to any of them but God is more then all My friends if you will go along with me if you will to Christ with me if you will be for holiness with me and oh that you would come along let 's along to Christ together let me have your company to heaven oh that I could pray you thither oh that I could perswade you thither I love you so well that I am loath we should part companies if you will go along with me if I may be the Lords and yet be yours I am much more yours then ever but if this be the condition of your love you will love me so I love not Christ you will be my friends so the Lord be not my friend you will respect me and esteem me so I will despise and disrespect holiness you will be for my company so I be not for heaven or so I will not go so far or so fast that way if this be the condition of your love stay with us do as we do live as we live be merry be vain take thy pleasure take thy liberty as we do and we will love thee if you will not love me on other terms then farewell to you all and to all your love I have learn'd what this meaneth he that loveth Father or Mother more then Christ is not worthy of him he that loveth favour or respect more then Christ is not worthy of him and till you can make it out that you have oblig'd me more then Christ hath oblig'd me that your love will be better to me then the love of Christ that respect from men will be better to me then acceptance with God you must give me leave to run the hazard of losing such friends whom I cannot keep without losing God and my soul 4. Circumstance But when he went from Pharaohs Court whither went he when he left the bosome of Pharaohs Daughter to whom did he joyn himself why to a company of poor bondmen that were labouring at the brick Kilns and not to be a Taskmaster or Ruler among them but to take his lot of suffering with them chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God c. Now lay all these circumstances together Moses that had been bred up and liv'd in the Equipage of a Prince and might have so continued when he came to age and understood what the advantages of worldly greatness were when he had his senses quick about him and could make the highest experiment what the sweetness of worldly pleasures was in the highest Spring-tide of worldly lusts and temptations when 't was high water without and his youthful blood was most aflote within when he had time before him to make the most of the worlds favours who had never known what an harder and lower condition meant who had been so strangly obliged by signal favours and could not but be strongly prompted from principles of ingenuity not to slight such favoures in the midst of all these temptations for the service of his God and from his affection to his brethren he voluntarily not upon force but of choice disrob'd himself of all his glory and espoused the sufferings of his brethren esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Egypt v. 27. O brethren how may we be filled with wonder and which of the two wonders are the greatest Moses his self-denial or our denial of Christ Moses his comming off in so great a floud of temptations or our being so ordinarily overcome in those little temptations which daily occurre how little is it that we do or can deny our selves in for Christ what have we forsaken or what are we willing to forsake for Christ upon what inconsiderable termes have Christ and our Souls so often parted what cheap duties will we not do what cheap sins will we not abate what small temptations are hearkned to when Christ cannot be heard How often have we neglected to reprove a sin for fear of loosing a friend how often have we neglected to speak of God for fear of displeasing our company how often have we denyed conscience that we might not deny our lusts what sinful pleasures that our hearts have been lusting after what sinful gains that our eyes have been set upon what pleasant morsels that our appetites have been craving have we been able to deny them how do we let conscience lye at the mercy of every lust if lust will but crave it must be granted whatever become of conscience If the name of Christ should prevail no more in Heaven then it ordinarily doth on earth if God should so ordinarily deny those prayers we offer up in Christs name as we deny those precepts which in the same name are sent down to us we should have as little hopes towards Heaven as the Lord hath honour on earth We grudge we murmur we quarrel with God if he deny us in any thing cross us in any thing and yet how many denyals must he bear from us and be patient 2 King 5. 13. If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it how much more when he saith wash and be clean If it had been some great thing the Lord had required of us that it is not all we have is but a little if it had been some great thing t were a shame to deny it to God but when such little things can't be granted not a word spoken sometimes in a whole day together not an alms given not a vain pleasure abated not a wanton fashion laid aside not a proud look or a froward tongue or a wanton eye or a greedy appetite restrained at his word when we fail in such little things what should we have done had we stood in Moses his stead Brethren when we are led aside from a self-denying to a flesh pleasing life we are ready to say to those that reprove us for it Oh you do not know my temptations if you were in my circumstances you might have done the like But you do know Moses his temptations and if you had had more of Moses heart you would not have complained so much of great temptations Beloved you that dwell in your sieled houses lodg in your warm and easy beds are clothed in your soft and costly raiment fed at your full tables cheared by the countenance and courtesies of your friends compassed about with your accommodations of all sorts when you can choose rather a poor cottage an hard lodging rough or ragged
lives arise from the clashing of Gods Will and our wills when ours is swallowed up in his Will then there 's rest Nothing comes amiss to us there 's nothing to grieve or offend when we like what ever God wills Brethren this we pray for Thy will be done this we profess Not my will but thine and when our hearts consent that our prayers should be heard and will come in and subscribe our Petitions how sweetly will all run on When we can heartily say Not my will but his be done we shall be also able to say Because his will mine is done 2. There is satisfaction in it satisfaction with God Prov. 14. 14. A good man is satisfied satisfied from himself from within him God is within him and thence his satisfaction there 's no true contentment but what 's bottom'd on God Thou hast many wants and many wishes and many hopes if these were once answered then thou thinkest all would be well No no it would not do if thou hadst thy wish and thy hopes there would still be something wanting till thou comest to take up with thy God When thy soul can dwell at ease in the midst of straits and wants that 's a sign thou hast taken God as thy sufficient portion 3. Independence from the world I mean wholly as to matters of Religion and Conscience thou canst now be happy with or without the World and he that can be happy with or without it can be holy which way soever the world goes as long as thou canst be content thou wilt dare to be conscientious For 4. It s an Antidote against temptations 't is the hungry Hound that follows his game when he 's full he will not hunt When thou findest this self-sufficiency thy soul will not bite at the Worlds baits 5. It s its own reward It s both our duty and our comfort Let us be content this is one of those Commandments In keeping whereof there is great reward this is the sweet of thy life contentment this is the sauce of thy meat the sugar of thy cup the crop the cream of all thy enjoyments Oh Christians Would you be happy be content and you are happy Would you not be in want be content and you have enough Would you not be poor be content and you are rich Would you have your houses and your businesses and all your concernments according to your mind be content and it is done Would you be free from trouble and passions and perplexities of mind be content and they all vanish Would you live at hearts ease and carry all things sweetly and smoothly on be content and then soul take thine ease Would you be content I there 's the difficulty this would heal all my sores But how shall I be content seek not for it here in any thing below thee or without thee seek for it within seek it from above take up with God and in him thou shalt find rest Only that you may find contentment in God 1. Make God your own Look not for content in the World and look not for content in God without a propriety in him Look not for content and dare not to be content without God It is a shame not to be content with God but it is a madness to be content without God and an interest in him May be some of you will say I thank God I am none of these male-contents I am of a sedate and quiet spirit I am well pleas'd with my state what and yet a stranger from God Is God none of thine and yet content It s well with thee to day but where mayst thou be to morrow Is it no matter where Will these bubbles and shadows will Death and Hell content thee art thou content to go down into the Pit and perish everlastingly God would not have thee to be patient of his wrath much less to be contented Oh Brethren let your spirits boil up while you will into the highest extremities of impatience under sin and wrath how can you be quiet whilest God is angry beware of having one good thought of your state suffer not your hearts to have one hours rest till God be yours make God sure and then be content with any thing but dread that contentment that is where God is not Psal 16. The Lord is my portion the Lord is at my right hand therefore mine heart is glad saith the Psalmist But wilt thou say The World is my portion the Lord is not my portion yet my heart is glad 2. Advance in godliness What is God to the contenting of a soul without godliness you can neither understand nor tast of God without godliness Contentation arises from communion and by how much the higher our communion with God by so much the more full our contentment Godliness is the proof of God of his riches and satisfying excellencies Rom. 12. 2. Be ye not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God You that are but young beginners in Christianity you yet but little know what a treasure the Lord is no man knows but he that hath it and no man hath much of this treasure but he that 's rooted and grounded in the love of God and raised and inlarged in the experimental exercises of godliness 1 Tim. 6. 6. Godliness with contentment is great gain When godliness rises so high as to bring in contentment a little will not do it then you shall find it great gain Never look to find the gain of godliness but according to the proportion you find of contentment and never look for great contentment nor count that content you have any great vertue where there is but little godliness 3. Patience in the greatest distresses Patience as I have elsewhere noted is the flesh mortified and the flesh mortified is the world vanquished the flesh while it is alive will quickly feel and when it smarts t will kick and fling and put the whole Soul into a combustion when the world with all its fury either cannot make the flesh to smart or not so but that the Soul can bear it and still keep quiet there 's patience When the world hath not only made some lighter onsets by its vollies of reproaches and mockings but persecuted us to Bonds and Imprisonments prepared for us its instruments of death and forced us to resist unto bloud when scourging and stocking and stoning and starving and sawing a sunder as t was the case of those believers Heb. 11. are all put to it and not pleas'd and cannot force a murmuring or repining thought against God nor an unworthy reflection on those holy wayes which have cost us so dear but the Soul still keeps silence and with our Lord Isa 53. we lye as lambs dumb before the shearer yea before the butcher when we are in such great patience in so great sufferings when the
can be thus bold with the Lord will be bold with all the world Brethren you that think you shall be bold for the Lord when ever you are put to the tryal that have now a forward mind to own the worship and wayes of God and have hope that in nothing you shall be ashamed but that at all times and in all things Christ shall be magnified in you whether by life or by death let me ask you Have you boldness with God Is he your friend Is it peace betwixt him and your souls How came this peace in time was when there was no peace you were Runawayes and Rebels against God your natural state was a state of enmity are you reconciled by the Bloud of Christ are you returned and become Converts to God hath the Lord been at work with your souls hath he convinced you humbled you broken you slain the enmity and brought you into a Covenant of peace with himself It s dangerous to talk of being bold with God till you are brought home unto God 't is for the stubble to be bold with the flames 't is to dash on the Rock to sleep on the Waves to take Sanctuary in wrath and fury and to trust to indignation as little succour and relief will the unconverted find with the Lord Are you reconciled are you the friends of God Are you of the acquaintance of God friends may grow strangers and strangers cannot be bold Do you use to converse and walk with God how often do you visit him is there constant entercourse and correspondence maintained betwixt the Lord and your souls Are you tender how you break your peace and lose your acquaintance is it your care to walk before him in uprightness do you not ordinarily grieve or offend or carelesly neglect the Lord Is there no allowed treachery or falshood in your hearts to him do you not suffer new quarrels to arise betwixt the Lord and you or if there be have you therein a quarrel against your selves When you offend him do you offend your own hearts Is every sin against God a wound to your own souls are you ever angry with your selves but when God is at peace Is it your constant care to keep all clear and fair betwixt the Lord and you and hereupon can you come boldly before the Throne of Grace and make known your wants and your grievances and ease your hearts by opening them and emptying them into the bosom of your friend fear not this your boldness with the Lord will give you boldness on the behalf of God how frightful soever the case may be Oh take heed that your confidence that you shall stand your ground in the day of tryal be not presumption And certainly whatever your thoughts are at present if you be not the real and inward friends of God now if you have but the name and the face of his Disciples if you follow him for fashion or for company or for novelty if notwithstanding all the regards and respects you profess to have for God and his wayes there be still a Conscience of guile and deceit within if notwithstanding all your heat and forwardness in his publick worship you are strangers to the love and life of God and are still in league with his Enemies serving your flesh and this world And hereupon whatever you do in publick yet you have no freedome in secret with God no secret familiarity no secret entercourses of love and friendship you cannot be bold and open-hearted when you have him alone if you cannot be thus bold with the Lord your promising your selves that you shall be bold for him is your presumption and will deceive you Only let me tell you for fear of discouraging such who should not be discouraged he that hath the ground of this holy boldness that through the bloud of Jesus hath peace with God whose constant care is to please the Lord and to walk before him in his uprightness though by reason of the darkness and misgivings of his troubled trembling heart he scarce dares to call God Father and can hardly at any time look him in the face without fear and shame and hereupon shakes at the fore-thoughts of the day of tryal this poor trembling soul may expect when he is put to it to be enabled to stand as Mount Zion that shall never be removed 2. Boldness in God We were bold in our God 1 Thes 2. 2. This boldness stands in a firm dependence upon God Job 13. 15. Though he kill me yet will I trust in him A resolved Christian will depend upon God for his counsel and conduct Psal 73. 24. Thou wilt guide me with thy counsell he will not lean to his own understanding he is fearful enough to walk in his own counsels he knows that 't is not in man that walketh to order his own steps but withall he knows he hath a better guide he depends on God for his aid and assistance His faith saies the same which Christ saies Isa 50. 7. The Lord God will help me therefore I shall not be confounded therefore have I set my face as a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed He will keep his way and adventure events and issues upon God God will provide is his encouragement in his most difficult cases and hence he bears up under the most frightful aspect of his present case what ever it be 1 Sam. 30. 6. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God He was in a great distress and in great danger but yet he bears up All is gone and worse is coming mine enemies have carried away all and my friends are become mine enemies my friends are against me and I have none to stand with me I am in great distress what shall I do But where is the Lord who is the Lord but my God O there 's enough Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou discouraged within me Hope in God be strong and of good courage 3. Boldness for God There is a boldness to which God is nominally entitled which is not boldness for God but for our selves The bold asserting our own conceits and opinions for divine truths the bold imposing our own inventions as the will of God the zealous pursuing matters of religion for our own advantage and crying out over it zeal for God the intemperate insisting on the controverted and questionable matters of religion this our boldness we may call our weakness and wilfulness our pride and selfishness God will never thank you for such boldness father not your follies or phrensies upon the most high God will reward such boldness either with frowns or with fury Boldness for God stands in a constant maintaining our fidelity and allegiance to God in a resolved promoting the real interest and honour of his name and worship a boldness to pray as in the case of Daniel Chap. 6. 10. When the King forbad him a boldness to preach as
good words whilest your hearts are not with him go and be reconciled to your adversary for such the Lord is yet to you go and be reconciled to God accept of his grace resign to his Dominion set him up as Lord and Ruler within you let his Law and his love be in your hearts and then you may be bold both upon his acceptance of whatever service you do for his Name and upon your security in it Be the Lords in truth and then fear not to make the Lord your trust 5. Aequanimity in all the changes of his outward condition An equal steady fixed frame in all turns and changes If prosperity alone if afflictions alone will not corrupt or discompose us they are often made to take their turns sometimes one sometimes another if that may do it Though all wet or all dry will not yet sometimes wet and sometimes dry will rot the sturdy Oak He is a strong man indeed upon whom great and sudden changes of weather air diet and his whole course and way of life doth make no change Those souls are often toss'd with turns of fair weather and foul which can ride at anchor in constant tempests we can hardly be long the same whilest matters go not with us after the same way As the Psalmist Psa 55. 19. Because they have no changes so sometimes may it not be said Because they have many changes therefore they fear not God we may be so long emptied from vessel to vessel till we have lost our savour He is a Christian indeed whose soul is not tost out of its peace whose feet are not turn'd out of course by all the tossings and turnings of his outward state whose heart is not moved within when every day proves that all he has without are moveables Inward changes there are and ought to be according to the vicissitudes and varieties of providential occurrences every providence should make impression upon our spirits proportionable to it a due and different sense there ought to be of our outward mercies and crosses a sad sense of paternal displeasure is as necessary under corrections as a chearful sense of bounty and kindness when all things prosper with us We may not be as stocks or stones upon whom the Summer or Winter makes no difference God looks that worldly changes be seen and felt in hearts we may and must have our light and dark our joys and sorrows our hopes and fears there 's need and use of all But now in all these outward and their corresponding inward changes a Christian as to the main changes not his heart is fixed trusting in God he is not out of frame though he be in another frame to day then yesterday he was both in his prosperity and in his patience he possesseth his soul he is the same to Godward and towards sin still in motion heavenward and in defiance with iniquity As 't is on the other side with the wicked though they are as a troubled Sea yet they are still at rest in their iniquity whatever changes pass over them their hearts as to the main are not changed ever besides themselves and yet ever themselves wicked still emptied from vessel to vessel and yet their sent goes not forth out of them Ungodly still hardned still for sin and the devil still let their condition be what it will let them be in health let them be sick let them be full let them be empty let their steps be wash'd with Butter or sprung with Vinegar let their way be straw'd with Rosebuds or hedg'd with Thorns let them be merry let them be sad all 's one they are the same men and holding the same course wicked under mercies wicked under judgements wicked in their joys wicked in their sorrows O how do we see the providences of God thrown away lost upon the ungodly world Let the Lord do what he will with them shine upon them or thunder upon them deal gently or deal roughly with them cloath them or strip them feed them or famish them it comes all to one their hearts will not be broken nor turned to the Lord. Oh what strange changes hath the Lord of late made upon this wicked age what turns and returns have we seen smitings and healings scatterings and gatherings wars and peace sickness and health and yet behold the world still where they were lying in wickedness So for the Saints let the world do what they can upon them let them shine or thunder upon them deal gently or deal roughly feed or famish them they are still where they were their heart is fixed trusting in God And he that by all this feels the least disturbance upon his spirit he that sails most steadily in all winds and weathers whose heart is not unhinged by all his turnings who is not inordinately exalted nor depress'd by his fair weather and foul nor hurried out of himself by passionate and troublesome transports on the one hand or the other but holds his soul in such an even equal poise that his moderation appears unto all men there 's another that rides in triumph over earth and hell Oh Brethren how is it with us upon this account If we have made over our selves to the Lord and have ceased to be numbred among the men of this World if we no longer seek our treasure on earth and have laid hold on that better treasure above yet are we gotten so clear of things below that they have not still too great a power upon us Hath not this Moon a mighty influence upon our waterish spirits do not these ebb and flow according as it waxes and wanes are we the same men when things are not with us after the same manner are we the same in summer and winter can we keep our hearts and hold our course in all weathers Is it come to be all one with us as to our inward state which way matters go with us without can we want and yet be quiet can we be full and not be wanton can we be full and not forget God and be hungry and not fret our selves against him can we love God when he smites and fear him when he smiles Is it peace longer then there is plenty have we sunshine in cloudy dayes do we keep warm in the winter and not sleep in the summer how small a sunshine will steal off our garments and how little a wind will blow us off our legs Consider brethren it may be whilest the Lord hath prospered you and matters outward have gone according to your hearts then you could love and serve and praise and rejoyce in the Lord then you could be active and lively and fruitful and chearfully go on your way but the next cross providence hath been as water upon all your fire a little storm that hath risen hath put out all your light turned you besides all your duties and comforts turn'd you besides praying and rejoycing in God to vexing and fretting and
murmuring against him and to questioning his love and goodness to you all the flowers that your sunshine hath nurs'd up how doth one frosty night wither away Or else if your Souls have been prospering in the winter how hath the next summers day chok'd them up with weeds Sometimes God hath brought thee into the house of mourning girded thee with sackcloth layd thee in ashes proved thee in the furnace of affliction and then how humble and serious and mortified then what praying and repenting and covenanting with God and strengthning thine heart in him then dead to sin crucified to the world living by faith walking in fear nothing but God and holiness and glory in thy heart and in thy tongue but no sooner hath he turn'd thy captivity put off the garments of thy widowhood brought thee out of darkness into light and redeem'd thy Soul out of trouble but all is presently forgotten and fleshliness vanity and security returns upon thee Oh how little is there yet done to what must be done ere we shall come to any steadiness whilest every wordly change does so rout and disorder us Christians let us be like our God holy and unchangeable get you chang'd into his image and then be unchangable Oh that my Soul were in such a case but how may I obtain Why 1. Seek earnestly after a more abundant diffusion of the establishing Spirit of grace Let the Psalmists prayer be yours Psal 51. 12. Uphold or establish me with thy free Spirit The Spirit of this World is as Reuben Gen. 49. 4. Unstable as water the Spirit of grace is an establishing Spirit Hast thou received this Spirit hast thou a little grace open thy mouth yet wider enlarge thy desire as Heaven A double portion a double portion of thy Spirit O Lord. Consider these two things 1. The greater measures of grace are the portion of those that are the most importunate seekers of grace 2. Those are the most established Souls to whom grace hath abounded 1. The greater measures of grace are the portion of those that are the most importunate seekers of grace To his Saints the Lord giveth his Spirit by measure to some a lesser to some a fuller measure they have all drank in the same Spirit but not all a like draught our Heavenly Father will give his Spirit to those that ask it of him and every man hath according to his asking 't is not with this as with the Manna in the wilderness He that gathered much had nothing over he that gathered little had no lack He that asketh much hath never the more he that asketh little hath never the less 't is not thus but God gives to every man according to his asking The reason why we go on from day to day from year to year with our vessels so empty with so little grace is because our little suffices us we are content and sit down by our little If the Widow had brought more or larger vessels she had had more oyle 2 King 4. 6. The largest hearts go away with the richest loading Do ye see Souls that ply at the bucket that are often letting down into the well of salvation that dwell at the throne of grace whose very breath is prayer that are every day and every night wrestling with the Angel for a blessing whom one blessing will not suffice but are still for more and for more these are the thriving Souls full of prayer and full of the Spirit 2. Those are the most established Souls to whom grace hath abounded 't is not every little measure of true grace that will bring the heart to a comfortable consistency poor weakling Christians sadly prove how even Disciples may be so toss'd in the waves that they know not where to find themselves We are reeds shaken with the wind Oh how are our hearts thrown up and down hither and thither by a perplexing succession of hopes and fears joys and sorrows comforts and crosses and scarce ever at rest sometimes lifted up sometimes depressed sometimes all upon the wing by and by in the dust sometimes in a fever anon in a cold ague yea sometimes breathing out prayers and praises and at the very next minute flameing out in passion and impatiencies thus it is and there is no hope it should be otherwise whilest so low in grace what wonder if whilest we are such children we be carried to and fro with every wind those that are grown up to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might these will have strength to sit still O be aspiring Christians be making up to the highest form and be not content here to take a lower room Be filled with the Spirit follow on follow hard after the Lord and look not to be long your selves till you be fuller of him Brethren do not go about to excuse your sinful perturbations when there is a way before you to cure them You are ready to say do not blame me for it I cannot help it I know 't is very sad to be in a perpetual storm but how can I mend it you know not my tryals none knows where the shooe wrings but he that wears it Do not blame you for it why do not you blame your self for it are you willing of such a troublesome life and to be let alone in it Is the ease of an excuse all the cure you desire Is there not a remedy for your disease I cannot help it what would not more grace help it would not more faith and more patience and more mortification help it You mistake your self you are yet carnal your proud flesh your fretful angry flesh is too hard for that little grace you have get more grace and the cure is done 2. Let your hearts be more strongly intent upon God By how much the more intensely God is minded by so much the less impression will any thing that occurs make upon our spirits when the Scales are but just turned every little dust falling in will make them hover A Bowl that runs strongly towards the mark 't is not every little rub that will turn it out of its course When the soul is making a main heavenward and intends all its powers in the more vigorous pursuit of the Invisible Crown when the heart is possessed and much taken up with its more weighty and glorious concernments when the thoughts affections resolutions are all deeply ingaged and busily working towards God the greatest occurrences of this life are past over as little things 't is because we are so weakly moving heavenward that we are so moved with every trifle Thou complainest of the frequent distractions and fluctâ—ations of thy mind wave upon wave billow upon billow come rolling in upon thee and invincibly roll thy soul out of it self wouldst thou be cur'd of this palpitation of thine heart mind thy God more mind thy business more set thine heart on thy home and upon hasting on thy journey thitherward and see
grace be grace high in knowledge and low in love strong in confidence and loose in conscience hot in affection and cold in practise in the solaces of the spirit and yet walking in the flesh Behold a Christian like Nebuchadnezzars Image the head of gold the feet of iron and clay desinit in piscem mulier formofa supernè 'T is strange to observe what contradictions some Professors of Christianity are they are what they are not they are not what they are whilest they would be the great reconcilers of flesh and spirit of earth and heaven and make the serving of God and their own bellies the same service behold how they are divided from themselves they love God and love him not they serve God and serve him not this they may do as well as love God and this present world Oh how different are many of us from our selves our practices from our principles our doings from our sayings and yet how little differing from others you pray as others do not you hear as others do not you swear not as others you curse not as others but do you not covet as others are you not carnal as others Consider your wayes who more intent upon their present commodity who more hot upon the chase of an earthly inheritance then some of those who profess to have laid up their treasure in heaven Are there none to be sound who pretend to the greatest confidence of Divine Love to the highest pitch of Spirituality and Divine Communion who seem to pant after the Lord and breath out their souls in their warm and passionate duties and yet are eaten out and swallowed up of the cares of this life It is an amazing thing to consider what a strange degree of earthliness is to be found among such what infatiable hunger what indefatigable labour after an encrease of their estates how little respect to soul or conscience where their gain is concerned how ordinarily dispensing with lying promise breaking and almost any unrighteousness when 't is for their advantage how many grains must there be allowed them e're charity it self can judge them honest And where is all bestowed that is thus gotten in how little goes out for God or any of his how many hypocritical bemoanings of the hard case of the poor to one liberal alms Some gather only that they may lay up others that they may have to spend upon their lusts to build them houses and furnish their tables to trim their carkasses to please their eye or their palats and all this either justified and allowed or at least made up with some such hypocritical complaints Woe is me this world is too hard for me O it eats up my time O it steals away mine heart how am I overcharged how is my soul even choaked within me what shall I do to help it And when the complaint is thus made the matter is mended now a good Christian now ease and joy and confidence returns and then on again the same course Brethren be serious consider your selves feel your own pulses view your own faces and ways observe your hearts see where their daily walks are may you not find them ten times walking to and fro through the earth to once or twice casting a look towards heaven What are their daily tasks what is the work you every day put them upon Instead of those higher and nobler Offices of Vessels of Honor waiting before the Throne of God standing in his Courts bearing his Name beholding his Face setting forth his Praises have not our hearts been made hewers of wood and drawers of water carriers of burthens servers of tables purveyors for the flesh caterers for the appetite servants to the back and the belly the great traders and merchants of the earth to buy in provision for lust Worthy employment for immortal Souls as if the utensils of the Temple the golden altar the golden table the candlesticks the bowls and the basons all of beaten gold should have been fetchd out and set up in a blind Inne or a dirty alehouse for the service and the pleasure of every drunken companion Have not your Souls none of you been thus dealt withall are not these your heart-works when any thing is to be done for God the body must do that the body must to the closet the tongue must pray the ear must hear the eye must read but the Soul must stay abroad when any thing is to be done for the other world that must be but bodily exercise but when this flesh must be served that 's the heart-work that 's work for the Soul If these Souls could be seen with bodily eyes a man that goes into the field or into a fair or to a feast might see an hundred Souls more there then bodies and he that went into the congregation of the Lord if there were never so great a throng may be he might see but a few hearts in the company Christians consider is this your faith is this your victory over the world is this to be mortified is this to be crucified with Christ or to have your conversation in Heaven or can you think your selves believers especially of so high a form when so earthly and carnal What think you of those Jews of whom the Lord speaks Ezek. 33. 31. They come unto thee as the people cometh they sit before thee as my people they hear thy words but they will not do them with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goes after their covetousness Are these the people of God all whose religion is to come to hear and to pray to have a mouth full of God a mouth full of love and an heart full of covetousness Give me leave to interpose a word or two to the carrying on the former conviction as to many professâ—rs of religion in order whereto let us a little consider that Scripture Philip. 3. 18. 19. Where the Apostle speaks of a sort of professours much of this earthly make and he speaks with tears in his eyes Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind erthly things In the former part of the chapter you may observe how 1. He gives an account of himself and his own Christianity and this in these particulars 1. He set such an high rate on Christ and an interest in his righteousness that in comparison hereof he counted all things else but loss and dung let this gain be loss this earth be dung troden under foot as dung cast out as dung so I may win Christ and be found in him 2. He unites interest in Christ with conformity to Christ they lye both together in the same heart and his Soul is making out after both in the same breath That I may win Christ and be found in him and that I may know him
up a general complaint one against another 't is in every ones mouth Oh how earthly are we become our gold is mixed with dross our wine with water behold a second but sad Incarnation our spirit is become flesh every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards how hard are we driving after bags of earth we assemble our selves for corn and wine and when riches encrease who is there almost that sets not his heart upon them who is there that labours to be holy as to be rich to thrive in grace as in purse though the Lord hath taken off our Chariot Wheels yet still we drive on though he hath been whipping us upward yet behold still we are all below though he hath burnt up our houses and fir'd us out of our Nests yet behold our hearts are still among among the rubbish though he hath mingled wormwood with our milk and gall with our honey yet we say 't is sweet and will not be weaned though he hath testified against our pride and testified against our covetousness and made such stains upon our beauty and such holes in the bottoms of our bags though we see plainly and say God is angry with us and angry for the iniquity of our covetousness yet who are they that have given off and are gone back from their so eager pursuit of the world Oh what 's like to become of us we are so set upon this Idol that it 's much to be feared desolation is determined upon us Do we not ordinarily hear and make such complaints but if we should with our complaints let fall a teare upon the guilty may they not return upon us weep not for us but for your selves for your own covetousness for your own carnality and what should we say for our selves if they do so Oh the Lord help me I am one of the company I even I also am guilty this Idol hath a tabernacle in this heart also though I considered it not But must our complaints suffice us is it enough to make all well to confess 't is so bad must this be all our heavenliness to bewail our earthliness will God take our acknowledgments for amendments is this your redemption to bewail your captivity But when shall it be better when shall it be said to these prisoners Go forth when for the other world when for God alone for nothing but the everlasting kingdom Arise O captive put off thy prison garments get thee up out of this house of bondage unclog unfetter thy Soul get thy foot out of the snare and away for the holy land leave this earth to its heirs let the men of this world take to their portion and be the only servants to it but go thou and serve the Lord let God and the world take their own whilest worldlings will not be the servants of Christ let it no longer be said that Christians are the servants of the world Brethren conclude upon it that you have no more of christianity then you have of spirituality that this spot of earthliness will unavoidably be a blot upon your evidences for Heaven Have you assurance that you are the Lords how can that be when you are so much the worlds What ever arguments you have that seem to conclude well for you yet how many objections are there also Oh how many Buts are there against us Such a one is a judicious understanding Christian But hee 's greedy upon the world such a one is of a savoury gracious behaviour But hee 's unmerciful to the poor such a one is much in prayer and will pray singularly well But there 's no trust to his word such a one is of a free and liberal Spirit But he is proud Shoot down these Butts if ever you would stand established in your confidence Have you not assurance Is this yet to be gotten Oh how can you so eagerly mind any other getting can you have such leisure for Earth when Heaven still hangs in doubt or do ye think that the same way does lead to both that the same labour will serve for both will the same wind and the same course carry you towards both the Poles can you at once be sayling Northward and Southward can you ascend and descend by the same motion when you are progging for your flesh building your houses enlarging your border laying you up treasure on earth and making it as sure as you can Is this your laying up treasure in Heaven your giving diligence to make God sure your calling and election sure once be bound in good earnest for glory and take the strait course thitherward and then farewel World thy kingdom is finished thy dominion is at an end Brethren receive this word of conviction and submit to it the summe whereof is that where there is so much of the Spirit of this World there is but little faith and where there is but little faith 't is more then you can tell whether there be any at all God is a convincing of us if his word does not his providences shall convince us and lay us yet lower in our own eyes what means his undoing and ruining providences but to try us what spirit we are of and to teach us with his briars and thorns to understand our selves better and to recover why is his face so against us why is his hand so heavy upon us what do the ashes of our wasted treasures speak to us If it do not speak out this to us Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead yet does it speak less then this Thou hast but a little strength thou hast but a few names that have not defiled their garments strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye Is not this its word seekest thou yet great things for thy self when I am breaking down what I have built when I am plucking up what I have planted is this a time to seek great things for thy self yea or to think great things of thy self seek them not no nor think any more such great thoughts lay thee down in the dust be ashamed and confounded for what thou art and hast done and climb no more up those trees that are hewing down under thee Brethren when do ye think the Lord will cause his fury towards us to cease when will the flames be quenched when will his repentings be kindled what hope is there that our conflagrations should be at an end till our Idols be burnt up 't is vain to think that our prayers and fastings and weeping before the Lord will put out the fire of his jealousie Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned they have taken of the accursed thing I will not be with you any more except ye destroy the accursed from among you Josh 7. 10 11 12. The Lord hath broken us with a great breach the Lord hath smitten us with a very grievous blow and now we fall to fasting and praying and
heart ever bear the watchings the fastings the labours together with the distresses and afflictions of this warfare I shall surely perish one day or other by the hand of this Enemy Discourage not thy self thus what cannot God do what will not God do who hath said who hath seal'd to it I will never fail thee nor forsake thee Behold his Seal Is it not in thine hand and in thy mouth Trust in God set to thy Seal that God is true and then say Though my flesh and my heart fail God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever I will go in the strength of the Lord through him I shall do valiantly he shall tread down mine enemies and my difficulties 2. Our Seal engages us on Hast thou sealed to the Lord and not bound thy self to him Hast thou set thy seal to a blank hast thou engaged thy self to be the Lords and not therein to be no longer the worlds Canst thou serve these two Masters Is not thy renouncing the world necessarily included in thy Covenant Obligation Brethren that the tye may the more sensibly lie upon you I advise that as often as you come before the Lord in this Ordinance you put this expresly into your engagement Father I am sensible of the plague of this earthly heart and of the tyranny of these worldly lusts how impetuously they set upon me and how imperiously they lead me on after them how false and unfaithful have they made me to my God how ordinarily am I led away by them against my Covenant and my conscience But I here bewail it I detest it it is my grief and my shame that ever I have been so false and unworthy Behold now again in thy fear I open my mouth to the Lord I take hold of thy word I hang upon thy help let the Lord my righteousness be my strength and in his Name I again lift up mine hand to the most High solemnly protesting before the Lord that I so avouch thee to be my God and so entirely and unreservedly make over my self unto thee that through the grace of God with me I will henceforth and while I live be the avowed enemy of a worldly heart and life I will use all thy means for the overcoming of it I will study I will watch I will pray against I will rate and check and restrain and resist all the motions lustings and temptations by which I have been so often led aside and overcome I give my self my estate my strength my parts my time all that I have unto the Lord Lord take me at my word and all that I have for thy servants I am thine save me Thou that knowest all things knowest that I would not lye unto God but that I sincerely intend in thy strength to stand to this word in testimony whereof I here take this holy Sacrament from thine hands I have opened my mouth to the Lord help me and I will not go back And now O my soul look to thy self Shall I again break my Covenant shall I wickedly repent and alter the word that is gone out of my lips shall I any longer walk after the course and in the lusts of this world fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of my mind shall mine heart still go after my covetousness shall I study and project and plot and prog for this flesh at that rate as if the world were still my God shall it climb up from the footstool to the Throne shall it again give Laws to my heart and set limits to my Religion shall interest Lord it over Conscience and carnal inclination bear down devotion shall I suffer this Robber to break in again into the Sanctuary of the Lord shall it eat up my Sacrifices steal away my Sabbaths curtail my duties and enervate Ordinances shall the Lord have no more of me then the world will spare him shall business be ever again pleaded against duty or gain against godliness shall my soul take up its dwelling in my shop or in my fields and only give some short visits to heaven at its leisure But oh shall lying and promise breaking shall fraud and oppression shall unrighteousness or unmercifulness be nothing with me or but excusable failings Are these things according to the vows of God that are upon me Look to thy self O my soul be not found a lyar against God O Brethren were there this solemn and express transaction betwixt our souls and the Lord at every Sacrament and did we thus live in the conscience of this Obligation and the dread of being found false to God from Sacrament to Sacrament what might it not bring forth what a wound would be given to the head of this deadly Enemy 3. The Sacrament is the New Testament blessings exhibited The new wine broached this Conduit runs with Gospel Wine Our partaking in the Sacrament is our coming into the Garden of our Lord to eat his pleasant fruits We read Cant. 2. 3. I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste I shall stay a while here and shall gather a bundle of these fruits and present them to your eye I shall in short shew 1. What the special fruits of Christ are 2. That these fruits are sweet and pleasant and then I shall add 3. That these fruits are exhibited in the Sacrament 4. The advantages we hence have against the world 1. What the special fruits of Christ are which I shall reduce to these two heads The fruits of His Bloud His Spirit 1. The fruits of his Bloud These are especially two in which all others are comprized Viz. Righseousness Peace 1. Righteousness He is therefore called the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. Joh. 16. 8. He shall convince the world of righteousness that is of the righteousness of Christ he shall evidence and make manifest unto the world who all lye in wickedness that in him there is righteousness not only that he is righteous as an individual person but as a publick person that he hath in the name and on the behalf of all those that believe on him fulfilled all righteousness and hath hereby a stock and treasure of righteousness to bestow and wherewith to cloath all those that come unto God by him to whom he is made wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Beloved are there any guilty souls among you any unrighteous ones do you know what 't is to be guilty do you know the dread and terrour of the Lord do you consider what the face of a righteous incensed God will be to an unrighteous soul do you understand how naked you lye and open before everlasting vengeance how can you endure or how can you escape the wrath to come righteousness of your own you have none and that which you seem to have is not your righteousness But behold here 's righteousness for you come to Christ put in here dip you
receiveth it Chap. 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne There 's the Conquerours reward the hidden Manna the white stone the new name the Throne Now all these are here set before us we taste of the Manna we have a sight of the stone and of the Throne what encouragement is it to the heart to have the reward in the eye It was said concerning our Lord Heb. 12. 2. that for the joy that was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the shame And we are exhorted in the foregoing words Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking to Jesus Let us run looking to Jesus let us bear looking to Jesus let us watch let us wrestle let us fight looking to Jesus looking to Jesus who endured the Cross and is set down on the Throne This Cross is here presented to us and in the Cross the Throne if we suffer with him if we overcome with him we shall also be glorified with him Lift up the hands that hang down confirm the feeble knees behold the Captain of your Salvation whose reward is with him and his work before him Dost say 't is hard to follow Christ 't is hard to forsake all for Christ canst thou now say so when he shews thee the treasure he hath for his followers open thine eyes look again upon that treasure and then see if all the labours straits losses sufferings of this life be worthy to be compared to that glory which he hath revealed 4. Improve worldly prosperity this way turn the world upon it self beat it with its own weapons As the Lord Judg. 7. 22. set Midian against Midian every mans Sword against his fellow so let Christians set the world against the world let its own hand be against it self The prosperities of the world are the keenest and most deadly weapons in all its quivers if these might be turn'd against its own breast what a slaughter would be made But how may this be done hearken to me and I will tell you how Receive all the good things of the world As Talents Temptations 1. Receive all the good things of the world as Talents for which you must give an account Consider your selves as Stewards of all that you have you have nothing under your hand but what is your Masters and for which you must be responsible This is a truth written in nature as well as in Scripture you may as well reckon your selves your own Makers as your own Lords and you may as well reckon your selves your own Lords as unaccountable for what you have If you have an estate if you have friends if you have great offices honors and dignities if you have a larger proportion of bodily health better parts and endowments of mind you have so much the more to reckon for as your riches encrease as you are advanc'd higher in the world so your work and your care and your Obligation thereto encreases the more you have committed to your trust the harder will your task be to mannage it well and the more dreadful will be your doom if you miscarry If the doom for one talent hid in a Napkin be so dreadful Mat. 25. 30. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth what will thy judgment be for ten talents all spent upon Harlots or in riotous living The sense of this will both still your flesh from craving what you have to be bestowed upon it and kill your desires after more Give what you will to it upon such terms to use it all for God and to be lyable to a severe account for whatever is otherwise imployed and your very flesh will be ready to turn it back upon your hands Say to thy covetous heart here 's an opportunity for thee to be rich work as hard as ever thou wilt get as much as ever thou canst but when thou hast done know that whatever thou hast gotten is none of thine thou dost but get that thou mayst have so much the more to use for God or to loose for God not an house not a field not one peny of all that thou hast laboured for must be spent upon thy flesh thy pride or thy appetite or thy covetousness shall have never the more for all thy store but all must go another way tell thy heart thus that thy flesh must not have the spending of it and then see how little pleasure 't will have in gathering Tell thy slothful heart here 's an estate for thee here are honors here is the love and good will and good opinion of men for thee if thou likest it take it but know that this is all to set thee the harder on work they are all thy Masters goods which he gives thee with this charge Occupy till I come Hast thou an estate look to it for he will look for it that thou honor the Lord with thy substance and the more thou hast the more care will it cost thee and the more labour to use it well Hast thou dignities and art thou set in authority take heed and see to it that thou be good in thine office woe to thee if thou neglect the charge of the Lord and what wilt thou do to fulfill it Hast thou the love and good will of men this gives thee the fairer opportunity and thereby imposes on thee the greater necessity to deal roundly with them in counselling admonishing and reproving them as occasion shall require they will take that from thee which they will not from another and upon that account there 's none in the world that owes them so much of that service nor shall pay so dearly for his neglect as thou and so whatever else thou hast wisdome learning natural parts bodily health the more thou hast of them the more work they will find thee Tell thy slothful heart thus and what thank will it give thee for such advancements whatever they be Tell thy voluptuous heart here are pleasures for thee here 's meat and drink and fine cloaths and sports and pastimes here are Gardens and Orchards Apes and Peacocks but what wilt thou do with them now thou hast them so much as will help thee to be more useful and serviceable to the ends of thy being to glorifie thy God to promote the salvation of thy soul so much thou mayst take but take more at thy utmost peril tell thy sensual heart the more thou hast of these things the more wilt thou be put to that hard duty of self-denial thou must vex and torment and crucifie thy flesh the more by how much the more thou hast to satisfie it whatever thou hast before thee and how much soever thou lustest after it thou must not touch more then thy allowance though thou hast it in thine hand yet thou must rather put a knife to thy throat then thine hand to thy mouth What sayes the
glorious hopes in again By the Ear they came in By this the promise entred by this Faith entred Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing Nihil est intellectu quod non fuit prius in sensu saith the Philosopher there 's nothing in our understandings and as little in our affections whether good or evil but what made its way by our senses If God hath our eye and our ear he hath our heart if the Devil have gotten these once 't is not like to be long ere he be possessour of all of such mighty consequence is the keeping our senses as Heaven and Hell amount to Our senses are now vitiated and corrupted pre-occupated by sin and the Devil shut against God and open to iniquity Sin hath gotten the start of grace and having gotten possession of the house makes good the doors for it self and friends whatever knocks for entrance the word presently is who comes there and if it be a friend a friend of sin there 's free admission So that now in pleasing our senses or leaving them at liberty to please themselves we betray our Souls to the hands of Hell to be a Sensualist is next to being a Devil to leave our senses unguarded is to leave open the floudgates of Hell the Devil could not wish our Souls in other hands then to be given up to our senses neither Devil or World need doubt of entrance while they have a friend at the door these earthen gates like that iron gate will open of their own accord to them when ever they come Our depraved senses are the great adversaries to Christianity whatever is said of the enmity of the world of it's gains and fashions its pomps and pleasures all lyes upon this score as they are the objects that tickle and please the senses and by these deprave the mind and turn away the heart What is it that lyes in the way of the Gospel that obstructs it's passage and hinders it's work upon Souls why is it that Christ is not more gladly and generally receiv'd O this is it that hinders 't would deprive us of many a sweet morsell of many a pleasant draught 't would pull off our vain habits and wanton fashions 't would pare off our fleshly pleasures no more indulging to appetite no more pleasing our eyes and ears and palates if Christ be once entertained now we can take our liberty to make provision for the flesh and let the flesh take it's fill we can feed our selves with the finest cloath our selves with the best we can soke our selves in all sorts of sensualities we can fetch in load upon load and make the best of what 's before us we can milk every dug we can suck every bottel we can dig in every mine we can plough and reap in every field that the world hath there 's nothing but Christ can hinder us once give ear to him and that will spoil all our mirth and marre all our markets then we must keep within bounds and neither get nor spend more then he allows us we must keep to our allowance and but a short allowance neither such as will be too strait for flesh and bloud to submit to And hereupon our eyes and ears which are so open upon the World and it's vanities do as it were invite and call in all the help the world can make to resist Christ and his work do call in all the baits and temptations that the whole world is furnished with to divert and turn aside the heart from hearkning to Christ Help World help O my carnal friends help O my fleshly pleasures help O my house and money Christ is come for mine heart I am loath it should go there can you do nothing to stay it with you help or it 's gone Friends would you not that the world keep Christ out or draw you aside from him shut the doors against it make a covenant with your eyes and ears set a watch upon them put a bridle upon your appetite and keep the door of your lips shut the world out be deaf to it's flattery be blind to it's glory wink it into darkness shut the doors and keep the world out and then Christ will be the better accepted Live above the pleasures of sense What have you no higher pleasures no Nobler delights have you not a God to delight you in have you no soul delights or are these they wherein the Bruits have as great a share as you Is meat and drink and cloaths and sports the food of souls your heart delights must your immortal part live at the Trough and feed on swill and husks where is peace with God where is the fellowship of the spirit where is the joy of the Holy Ghost and the hope of glory where is the sweetness of sincerity and the peace of conscience are there no such things or is there no pleasure in them Are you content to take up with this mud whilest those pure streams run by or must you have both Is it not enough that your souls may rejoyce that your hearts may feast and sing unless your flesh also may frisk and frolick it out in it's brutish mirth and pleasure Go taste and see how good the Lord is drink of his rivers acquaint your selves with his pleasures and then see if an Heaven satiated soul can envy the brutes the pleasures of sense Lastly Make a solemn surrender of your selves and ull that you have to the government and disposal of God lay down all at his feet and resolve to take up nothing but with his leave and for his use Let the Lord have the whole ordering of you for your Getting Keeping Using 1. Seek no other things nor any greater abundance of them then God allows you to seek Buy not an house nor a field or a living but make God the purchaser go not into the fair or the market into the shop or over the seas but when God sends you drive not that trade or that bargain concerning which you cannot say I am herein trading for God let the Lord appoint you your work and your rest your labour and your profit be content with what comes in Seek not great things for your selves and quarrel not with providence if by all your seeking you get nothing Seek no more nor no other things then God would have you and seek them no otherwise then in Gods way and order God hath other works then these for you to do God hath other things then these for you to seek God saies seek my face seek my Kingdom first seek my kingdom and the righteousness thereof what is this done Is God sure Is the kingdom sure have you grace have you peace have you enough of these have you wrought your selves out of work here is there no more to be done no more to be gotten is there never a gulf yet fixed betwixt you and glory that needs your care how to get over are you past all danger of
well to be a self-seeker you would answer him as Jonah did Jonah 4. 9. when God ask'd him Dost thou well to be angry it may be you would answer as he yes I do well to be angry I do well to be covetous or proud or sensual but do ye think you shall say thus at death shall you then think you say I have done well I have done wisely for my self I have coveted a good covetousness 't is well for me that I did not hearken to these preachers that I have lived in pleasure that I have heaped up treasure for these last daies if I were to begin the world again and were to live over my life the second time I would take the same course I have taken and I could wish every friend I have in the world every companion I have every child I have to take example by me and to live as I have lived would you say thus would you wish thus in that day Sometimes we hear a dying Worldling to wish all his friends Take warning by me O take heed as you love your souls that you spend not your daies as I have done but do you ever hear them say Take example from me follow my steps now I find the comfort of my earthly-mindedness now I find the comfort of my lusts and pleasures O that you might all have the comfort at your dying day wherewith I am now comforted when did you hear of such an instance Speak worldling let thy Conscience speak when death comes to arrest thy soul and to carry it hence immediately before thy Judg there to receive thy sentence according to what thou hast done in the body is this the state thou wouldst be found in reeking in thy worldly lusts soaked in sensuality eaten out of worldly cares loaden with worldly goods and as empty of the knowledg and grace of God as thou art at this day wouldst thou be content to say in respect of divine grace as thou must in respect of worldly goods Naked I came into this world and naked I must go out of the world would you that death should carry you thus before your Judg would you have that written on your forehead when you come to stand before that dreadful Tribunal which was written on the Tomb of that Edomite Psa 52. 7. Lo this is the man that took not God for his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness Do not your hearts tremble when ever you give them leave to think of that day do not the fore-views of death and those anticipations of Judgment you sometimes feel in the Court of Conscience use to shake you But how will it be when it comes when the pale horse comes to your door and you are just mounting for the other world when your Judge whose eyes are as flames of fire his feet as burning brass with his sharp two edged sword in his mouth when your Judge shall be set on the bench and your guilty Souls be brought to the Bar when he shall make inquisition for bloud for the bloud of Christ which hath been trampled under foot for the bloud of the poor which hath been suck'd out of their hearts for the bloud of your Souls which hath been sold and sacrificed to lust when all your oaths and lyes your frauds and oppressions your unrighteousness and unmercifulness when your profaned sabbaths your neglected duties your wasted consciences when either the rust and the canker of your riches which you have wickedly gotten or the wast and the ashes of them which you have as wickedly spent when the roul wherein all these things are written shall be spred and read before the Lord and your Souls struck dumb and speechless in his presence Judg Oh Judg what your thoughts will then be of your present wayes Lastly will you now become enemies to the world Be enemies and you are conquerours will you deal with the world as an enemy will you fear it as an enemy will you fly from it will you fight against it as an enemy shall the Lord be your God shall the Lord be your friend shall the Lord be your treasure will you cast away all your Idols and will you come and be reconciled to God what say you will you be crucified to this and make an adventure for the other world Now becavse this is so great a question and such as on the answering thereof the whole issue and success of all that hath been said depends I shall give you the opportunity to pause a while here and deliberate upon it ere you give in your answer Before you answer this question consider yet farther 1. Doth not God call you off from the world 2. What is there in your denyal 1. Doth not God call you off from the world who is it that said 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things of the world Consider and compare these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God and Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the world it enmity against God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God What is the errand upon which the Ministers of the Gospel are sent from the Lord unto you I it not to perswade you to be reconciled to God the word which they preach is therefore called the word of reconciliation Can you be reconciled to God whilest you hold in with the world Can any thing be spoken plainer then this He that will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God when we therefore warn you be ye reconciled to God do we not therein call you to make war with the world and doth not God himself call you by us warn you by us But besides the call of the word do not both the goodness and severity of God call upon you 1 Doth not the goodness the mercy and kindness of God call upon you Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and long suffering and forbearance not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Rom. 12. 1 2. I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service and be ye not cenformed to this world Worldly men mind worldly things having their conversation in the flâ—sh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind But will you be conform to them I beseech you be not I beseech you by the mercies of God be ye not conformed to this world If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercies be ye otherwise minded You profess that Christ is your consolation that the love of God is your comfort that the fellowship of the Spirit is your