thou takest this thou must be content to submit to the Cross and Yoke the service and the sufferings of Christ which are linked to it What sayest thou Hadst thou rather take the gains and the pleasures of sin and venture on the Curse or wilt thou yield thy self a servant unto Christ and so make sure the Crown If your hearts flie off and would fain wave the business and leave it undeermined leave them not so If you be onely unresolved you are resolved If you remain undetermined for Christ you are determined for the Devil Therefore give not off but follow your hearts from day to day let them not rest till the matter be brought to an issue and see that you make a good choice This is your choosing the good part God and your blessedness of the world to come for your portion and happiness and in this is included Your renouncing the world and a worldly happiness III. Imbarque with Christ Adventure your selves with him cast your selves upon his righteousness as that which shall bring you to God As a poor Captive Exile that is cast upon a strange Land a Land of Robbers and Murtherers where he is ready to perish and having no hope either of abiding there or escaping home with life and meeting at length with a Pilot that offers to Transport him safely home he imbarkes with him and ventures himself and all he hath in his Vessel Do you likewise you are Exiles from the presence of God and fallen into a Land of Robbers and Murtherers Your sins are Robbers your pleasures are Robbers your Companions in sin are Robbers and Thieves if you stay where you are you perish and escape home of your selves you cannot Christ offers if you will venture with him he will bring you home and he will bring you to God Will you say now to him Lord Jesus wilt thou undertake me wilt thou bring me to God bring me into the Land of Promise With thee will I venture my self I cast my self upon thee upon thy blood upon thy righteousness upon thy faithfulness I say up all my hopes and venture my whole interest Soul and Body with thee This is your closing with Christ as your Priest and in this is included your renouncing your own righteousness you can never you will never cast your selves on him alone till all your self hopes have given up the ghost There be two things which must necessarily be supposed to a sinner coming to Christ 1. A deep sense of his sin and misery 2. An utter despair of himself and all things else besides Christ 1. A deep sense of his sin and misery No man will regard a Saviour that doth not see himself a Sinner The whole regard not the Physitian Therefore it is said That the Spirit of God when he should come to Chrstianize the World should in the first place convince the World of sin John 16. 8. He shall convince the World of sin he shall demonstrate them Sinners bring up their sins before their Eyes bring home their sins upon their Consciences and make them see themselves and feel themselves the most vile and abominable of creatures Sin hides it self from the sinners eyes and all its vileness and deformity or if it come in sight it presents it self to the sinner as the Witch of Endor brought up the Devil before Saul in Samuels Mantle It shews it self as the sinners god Look how many sins evil men have so many gods they have rising up to them Their â—ins are their gods the gods that feed them they make a living of their sins the gods that comfort and refresh them they take pleasure in iniquity the gods that shelter them and hide them they strengthen themselves in their wickedness But now the Spirit of God plucks off the mantle and makes sin appear to be sin makes all the sinners Gods appear to be so many Devils brings forth the blackness and filthiness of sin into sight makes the sinner to see himself an unclean and abominable thing And withal he brings forth the guilt of sin sets all these Devils a tormenting the sinner filling him with fear and terrour and amazement In this respect he is called Rom. 8. the Spirit of Bondage that works fear and trouble in the heart The Spirit awakening a sleepy sinner is a kind of awakening in Hell Lord where am I What mean these Legions round about me These Chains and Fetters that are upon me What means the black Roll before mine eyes of curses and wrath and woes Lord where am I Have I been playing and sporting and making merry and my soul in such a case as this But is there no hope of escaping out of this wretched state I see there is no abiding thus I am but a dead man if I continue as I am What may I do to be saved And when he is brought to this there is some way made for his entertainment of Christ Yea this is not all that is needful but he must further be brought to 2 An utter despair of himself and all things else besides Christ Being made sensible of his sin and his danger a sinner will look out for help and deliverance but he will look every where else before he will look unto Christ Nothing will bring in a sinner to Christ but an absolute necessity He will try to forsake his sins will think of leaving his drunkenness and becoming sober of leaving his adulteries and becoming chaste and so see if by this means be may not escape He will go to Prayers and Sermons and Sacrament and search out if there be not salvation in them but all these though they be useful in their places yet looking no further the sinner sees there is no help in them His righteousness cannot help him this is but rags his duties cannot help him these may be reckoned among his sins Ordinances cannot help these are but empty Cisternâ— and all tell him you knock at a wrong door salvation is not in us Well the Lord be merciful to me faith the Sinner What shall I do Abide as I am I dare not and how to help my self I know not my praying will not help me my hearing will not help me if I give all my goods to the Poor if I should give my body to be burned all this would not save my soul Wo is me what shall I do and whether shall I go And now being brought to this distress to this utter loss his despair drives him to the onely door of hope that is left open Then Christ will be accepted when he sees none but Christ can stead him The Apostle tells us Gal. 3. 23. We were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith that should afterwards be revealed All other doors were shut up against there was no hope of escaping but by that one door that was left open The Faith that was afterwards to be revealed As the besieged in a City that have every Gate blocked
born of the Spirit is a spiritual man and those that are led by the Spirit walk on in a spiritual course that is they live a more noble and raised life then the rest of the world Carnal men who are governed and ruled by that evil spirit that is in the world live an evil and carnal life worldly spiritual men a worldly life sensual men a sensual life Ephes 2. 2 3. Wherein in time past ye walked after the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of Disobedience among whom we also had our conversations in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Whilest we were in the common state we took the common road whilest we were in the flesh fleshly men we lived a fleshly life To serve ouâ— bellies to serve our appetites to serve our pride and covetousness and other lusts this was our life And this life was sutable to that Spirit which was within them and that evil Spirit the Prince of this world without them that govern'd and steer'd their course Accordingly the Saints having a new heart within and a new leader without do lead a new life as the flesh and the Devil carry evil men on in a course sutable to their leaders so the Spirit and Grace of God carry on the Saints in a course sutable to theirs an holy spiritual and heavenly lifâ— So that this is to walk in the Spirit to live holily and spiritually this is that life which is called The life of God Ephes 4. 19. The Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven And a Spiritual and Heavenly Life this may be called upon a three-fold account 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things 2 Their delights are Spiritual and Heavenly 3 By these Spiritual dealings and delights themselves become daily more Spiritual 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things God and Heaven and everlasting Glory and those spiritual Exercises whereby God is served and Glory obtained these are the matters about which this life is spent They live with God they hold daily intelligence with Heaven they are much in the contemplating and admiring and adoring the infinite beauty and incomprehensible perfections of God and his unspeakable love and gracâ— and goodness towards them They are searching into the Mysteries of Christ studying out the riches of the glory of the Mystery of the Gospel They live amongst Angels their hearts and their eyes are dayly in that general Assembly and Church of the first-born When they sleep they lay them down under the wings of their Lord no sooner are they awake but they get them up to the top of Pisgah to take a view of the Promised Land When I awake I am ever with thee says the Psalmist When the covetous man awakes he is with his God when the Epicure awakes he is with his God when the Adulterer awakes he is with his Goddess Christians are presently above the clouds above the stars falling down before the Throne of the Almighty Their work is to seek and serve and praise and please the Lord to carry themselves so that they may be accepted to God to be washing their robes and making them white in the bloud of the Lamb to be minding their souls consciences affections thoughts that these may all in their several capacities exalt and enjoy the Lord Their Trading is for the Pearl whilest the Merchants of the Earth are trading for Gold and Silver and Spices whilest the Muck-worms of the world are dealing in Corn and Sheep and Oxen and Asses whilst the vâ—luptuous wantons of the earth are dealing about fashions and feasts and sports trading in Toyes Feathers Apes and Peacocks Christians are trading in Promises and Prayer in Faith and Repentance in Patience and Humility in Mercy and Charity that by these they may make their Calling and Election sure and so an entrance may be administred unto them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ These are the businesses of Christians lives their dealings are about spiritual things 2 Their delights are in spiritual things The Lord is the delight of their hearts Delight thy self in God sayes the Psalmist Psal 37. 4. And what he bids others do he does himself Psal 16. 8 9. I have set the Lord always before me therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth The thoughts of God are dear and precious to them The Word and Law of God is their delight Psal 1. His delight is in the Law of his God The Courts of the Lord his Ordinances Worship Sabbaths are their delight Psal 84. 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts Their work is their delight Psal 40. I delight to do thy will Their hardest works Fasting and Watching and Wrestling and Fighting against Sin and Temptations crucifying and mortifying their own flesh denying themselves mourning for sin there is much sweetness they find in their very travels and tears and sorrowings as sorrowing sayes the Apostle yet alwayes rejoycing As Solomon speaks of Carnal Mirth Prov. 14. In the midst of laughter the heart is sad so it may be said of spiritual Mourning in the midst of sorrow the heart is joyful the heart of a Saint is never in so sweet a frame as when it is melted into godly sorrow but especially Christ is their deleght he is the deliciae Christiani orbis Canticleâ— 2. 3. I sate down under â—is shadow with great delight Carnal men are ready to say to them as the Daughters of Jerusalem to the Spouse Cant. 5. 9. What is thy beloved more â—en another beloved What beauty is there in him that thou shouldest thus desire him or take such pleasure in him They see no beauty in him he hath no Form nor comeliness in their eye and therefore they think there is none Oh Sinners you do not know Christ you have had no acquaintance with him you have not tâ—sted of the fruits of this Tree of the clusters of this Vine I sate me down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweeâ— to my taste Saints have tasted of the sweetness of Christ tasted that the Lord is gracious and therefore can take great delight in him The delight they take in Christ is that which puts such a delight into every Ordinance into every Duty therefore Praying and Reading is so pleasant to them because there they meet with their Beloved Christ appears to them in his Word Christ meets his Saints in their Prayings and Fastings and this makes all sweet to their souls Carnal men think the life of Saints to be an heavy a sad and most troublesome life they count that themselves have the onely merry and pleasant lives that their Hawks and Hounds their Carding and Dicing and Drinking and Dancing their Seews and Plays that these are the onely Heaven This
First Set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of you 2. In considering distinctly all the Termes or Conditions of the Covenant as they have been laid before you in the Directions already given you and are also expressed in the form hereafâ—er proposed 3. In searching your bearts whether you either have already or can now freely make such a closure with God in Christ as you have been exhorted to In special Consider what your sins aâ—e and examine whither you can resolve to forgo them all Consider what the Lawes of Christ are how holy strict and spiritual and whether you can upon deliberation make choice of them all even those that do most crosse your worldly interests beloved sins and corrupt inclinations as the rule of your whole life Be sure you be clear in these matters see that you do not lye unto God Consider whether however corruption will play its part and be pulling you back yet the prevailing part of you will be for God and Christ and all his holywayes Secondly Compose your spirits into the most serious frame possible sutable to a transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby you may be enabled to performe your promise Trust not to your own strength to the strength of your own resolutions but take hold on â—â—nstehigâ—s Fourthly resolve to be faithful Having engaged your hearts opened your mouths and subscribed with your hands to the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visible present before your Eyes fall down on your knees and spreading forth your hands towards Heaven open your hearts to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Childe of Hell by my wicked practice but of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy mercy And because thou requirest as the condition of my peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defi-ance with all thine enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmelie covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin but conscientiously to use all the meanes that I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the world I do here resigne my heart to thee that madest it humblie protesting before thy glorious Majestie that it is the firm Resolution of my heart and that I doe unfeignedly desire Grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my resolution through thy assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather then to turn from thee to the wayes of sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of prosperity or adversiâ—y least they should withdraw my heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked suggestions I resolve by the Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercie offered most Graciouslie to me wretched sinner to be again my God throug Christ if I woul accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my Soul under the feet of thy most sacred Majestie I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holie Ghost for my portion and chief good and do give up my self bodie and soul for thy servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the daies of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the onely means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the onely new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a marriage covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blinde and naked a most loathsome polluâ—ed wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glorie But 〈◊〉 such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my head and husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love and honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I reâ—ounce mine own wisdome and do here take thee for mine onely Guide I renounce â—ine own will and take thy will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must â—uffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace asisting to runne all hazzards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy Laws as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdome I do here willingly put my neck under thy yoak and let my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flâ—sh contradict and rebell yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Onely because through the frailty of my flesh 〈◊〉 am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast
to sinners Bring me no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination to me Sinners not onely your wickedness but your very prayers will undo you If you make them a shelter for sin your very prayers will be turned into sin 2. Returning Prayers When a Sinner being struck with a sense of his sin and of his necessity of changing his way and of his utter inability to turne of himself under the fears and troubles of his heart goes to God and cryes out Lord what shall I do I see I am in an evil case my soul is running on in sin and they curse and wrath I behold running on upon me Lord save me Lord help me Lord pardon Lord convert me break me off from my sins break me off from my sinful companions I cannot get loose my heart is too hard my lusts are too strong my Temptations are too many for me to overcome of my self Lord help me turn me and I shall be turned pluck my foot out of the snare that I be not utterly destroyed forgive mine iniquity make me a clean heart make me thy childe make me thy servant that I may never again yield up my self a servant to sin Such a prayer as this if it be hearty and and in earnest if there be no promise of audience yet at least there is an half promise Who can tell Or it may be the Lord may hear Though it cannot be properly said the Lord doth accept neither can any man say he will reject it as an abominable thing This being premised 2. I answer to the question That sinners if they have but anâ— heart to it have also a price in their hand God hath put arguments into their mouths also to plead with him for mercy As 1. The grace of God or his gracious Nature his readiness to shew mercy this even strangers may lay hold upon Benhadad's encouragement to beg his life of the King of Israel may be the sinners plea in the begging of his We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings Go Sinner to the Lord and speak thus in his ears Lord I have heard that the King of Glory is a merciful King Thy name is the Lord merciful and gracious and thy Nature is according to thy Name It is thy Nature to pity and in thy heart there is plenteous compassion Oh I am a miserable creature a poor undone helpless wretch do for me according to thy Nature do for me according to thy Name will the God of mercy send away such a wretch that comes for mercy will the God of Grace send me away without Grace The God of Mercy hear me the God of Grace grant me to find grace in his eyes 2 Gods Call or gracious Invitation Isa 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat buy Wine and Milk without Money and without â—rice Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Rise sinner he calleth thee Go to the Lord and when thou goest tell him Lord thou hast bid me come and behold here I am I come Lord at thy Word I come for a little Water I come for thy Wine and thy Milk I have brought no price in my hand but thou hast bid me come and buy without Money and without Price Though I have no grace yet behold at thy word I come for Grace though I have no Christ yet I come for Christ though I cannot call thee Father yet being called I come to thee as Fatherless With thee the Fatherless shall finde mercy And is it only those that want the Fathers of their Flesh is it not also those that want the Father of Spirits Shall earthly Orphans find pity and onely Spiritual Orphans be left Orphans If I am not thy child may I not be made thy Child Hast thou not a childs Blessing left yet to bestow upon me Thou hast bid me come come for a Blessing bless me even me also O Lord. Wherefore hast thou sent for me Shall I be sent away as I came I come at thy word do not say again be gone be gone out of my fight I cannot go at thy Word I will not go for Whither shall I go from thee Thou hast the Words of Eternal life Since thou wilt have me speak Lord answer Though I dare not say Be just to me a Saint yet I do say I will say I must say Lord be merciful to me a sinner 3. Christ And there are two things in Christ upon which sinners may plead with God 1. His Sufficiency There is enough in Christ in his obedience and death to save the worst of sinners to save the whole World of Sinners There is a fulnesse in Christ Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell There is a fulnesse of Merit to obtain pardon to make reconciliation for whoever comes a fulnesse of the Spirit to Sanctifie and cleanse them from their sins He 's able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto God by him From this Sinners may reason thus with the Lord. O Lord I do not come to beg that of thee that cannot be had Thou hast enough by thee Look upon Jesus that sits at thy right hand 〈◊〉 there not Righteousnesse enough in him to answer for all my uâ—righteousnesse Are there not riches enough in him to supply my povertie Oh shall I die for want of a pardon when there is such blood continually before thee pleading for pardon Oh shall I lie down in my own vomit and wallow in the mire of my filthie lusts when there is such a Fountain by thee that 's still open for sin and for uncleannesse Oh sprinkle me with this blood O wash me in this Fountain Hear Lord send me not away without an Almes when hast it by thee 2. His Office which is to bring sinners to God to make reconciliation for sinners to make intercession for Transgressors Isa 53. Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea even for the rebellious also What a strange and mighty Plea is here for poor sinners Oh it is true Lord I am a Transgressor and have been from the Womb I have played the Traytor and been a Rebel against thee all my dayes But is there none in Heaven that will iâ—tercede for a Transgressor Hath the Lord Jesus received no gift for this poor Rebel that falls down before thee Though I am a Rebel Lord yet I am a returning Rebel Though I am a Rebel yet let me recieve a Rebels gift not a Rebels reward Lord that would be dreadful but some of those gifts which Christ received for the Rebellious Doth Christ make intercession for Transgressors and shall not he be heard If thou wilt not hear me who am a sinner yet wilt thou not hear him that speaks for sinners
to be feared believed in and chosen for my portion and trust Some chuse riches for their portion some pleasures some put their trust in worldly friends but will it not be well with me if I can bring my heart to chuse and can obtain the Lord to be my friend my refuge and my portion Quest 2. Is it not good for me to draw nigh unto God To get acquaintance and intimacie with God to dwell in his Presence and to live in the light of his Countenance is there any life so full of true pleasure and satisfying delight as to enjoy and behold the Face of God in Righteousness Quest 3. Is the Lord mine Is he reconciled to me is his love and mercie made sure to me Some are confident the Lord is theirs but they are mistaken Am not I mistaken Is the Lord mine indeed My God and my Portion and my Friend indeed If he be not then Quest 4. How may I obtain the Lord to be mine What pains should I refuse What course should I count too hard what price too great to lay out for such an inheritance Oh how happily were I provided for what a sufficiency had I laid up for me for my body for my soul for this life for everlasting were the Lord once sure to me What shall I do to obtain him if he be mine then Quest 5. What shall I render to the Lord Oh the height and depth and length and breadth of the Love and Goodness of God to my Soul that he should bestow himself on such a worm 'T is much that he should give me a being in his sight that he should give me bread or cloaths that he should feed me with the crumbs that fall from his Table 'T is a wonder he should not feed me with Ashes with Gall and Wormwood with Fire and Brimstone that he hath not cloathed me with flames with fury and vengeance 'T is a wonder he should give any of his good Creatures to comfort me his Earth to be mine inheritance and my portion but that he should give himself to me that ever a poor Creature should be so provided for as to feed upon his God to live upon his God to possess his God for a portion Oh come unto me all ye that fear the Lord come unto me and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul He that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his Name Oh that I could love thee more Oh that I could please thee and praise thee and honour thee and rejoyce and triumph and make my boast of my God and speak good of thy Name while I have any being The Lord is my portion the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place and I have a goodly heritage II. Head concerning Sin Direct 1. EXercise your thoughts on the evil nature of sin and consider what the Scriptures speak concerning 1. The Malignity that is in Sin 2. The Guilt of Sin 1. Concerning the malignity which is in sin calling it by the name of plague leprosie gangrene poison death hell enmity treachery rebellion filthiness rottenness vomit c. All which are Scripture expressions which also tell us that it hath made us in Gods account fouls beasts dogs swine serpents vipers devils c. What a Monster is sin that must have so many and such names to express the malignitie that is in it 2. Concerning the guilt of sin Rom. 3. 19. All the World is become guilty before God Mat. 5. 22. Guilt hath two things in it First A merit of everlasting wrath Every sinner is worthy to die worthy to be damned Secondly An Obligation or binding over to wrath Act. 8. 23. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquity Sinners are bound under a curse bound over to eternal vengeance Direct 2 Consider your own particular sinnes both the special prevailing sins of your Hearts as ignorance unbelief stubbornness obstinacy pride passion covetousness malice c. And the evils of your practice lying swearing drunkennesse oppression Reckon up as near as you can and write down in a Roll or Catalogue all the several wickednesses you have been guilty of and can remember together with your sins of Omission neglects of Prayer Hearing c. your neglect of Christ and the Gospel c. Direct 3. Ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. Am I not a sinner Quest 2. Is all this which the Scriptures speak of sin and sinners in general true of me Am I by my very nature such a serpent such a viper such a dog such a beast in the sight of God Is there all this enmity and treachery and rebellion rooted in my nature Am I this guilty creature worthy to die Am I in this gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity If this be my case oh how can I lift up my face in the presence of God without shame and blushing and self-loathing and self abhorrence Quest 3. Is my filth and guilt done away This was once my condition is it not still Is the Enmity slain is my corruption subdued is my conscience purged my soul washed are my sins pardoned is my guilt removed If not then Quest 4. What if this corruption should never be purged this guilt never be removed What if I should die in this case If all this sin and this guilt should stand and stare me in the face when I come to look death in the face What if I should appear in this woful plight before the Judgment Seat May I not fear it may be so My sin hath been so long growing and rooting in my heart I have stood it out so long against the Gospel I have had so many warnings so many convictions and yet mine iniquitie remains unpurged that I have reason to fear that it may never be purged And Oh what if it should not Quest 5. What must I do to be saved from my sins I see I am in an evil and woful case buâ— is there no Balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there that can heal such a desperate disease Is there no ransome to be fonnd that may redeem such a captive Is there no blood shed that may cleanse me even me from all my unrighteousnesse Is not Christ exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to this very purpose that he might give Repentance and Forgivenesse of Sinnes Wherefore is the Gospel preached to me Doth not Christ therein call to me and bid me come to him and be saved Is such an opportunitie to be slighted Is Redemption from such a state worth the making after May I obtain Redemption by Christ whether I seek it or not whether I repent or not Must I not believe or be damned repent or perish Is it a time for me to delay or linger in a matter of such importance Awaken O my Soul put away thy sloth lay aside thy excuses and be think thy self what thou wilt do
thy fountain of sin to that fountain that is opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. Wherein thou may'st wash and be clean thy faith will tell thee Thy old man is already crucified with Christ Rom. 6. 6. By whom the body of sin is destroyed that is hath received its deaths wound that thou mayest not serve sin and that the same mouth that commands thee Let not sin reign in thy mortal body the same mouth hath promised thee Sin shall not have dominion over thee But yet thou addest The Lord commands me to keep my heart to keep my tongue mine eyes to make strait steps to my feet that I turn aside to no iniquity that I turn aside from all temptations to sin â—â—stain from all appearance of evil and many 〈◊〉 the like words hath he given me in charge requiring me to walk in all his Commandments and to keep all his Statutes and Judgements to do them these are hard sayings who can hear them I but he that said this saith Faith said one word more that will make all this easie Ezek. 36. 37. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Once more thou repliest but Christ commands me to take up my Cross to suffer with him to part with all I have to lay down my life for his Name Can I do so little for his Name and am I ever like to be able to suffer for his Name Am I put so hard to it in every light affliction that befalls me and is it possible I should be able to resist unto blood The Lord pardon me I have found that a little shame or reproach is more than I can well bear a scoff or a scorn for Christ to what impatience hath it often put me Have I run with the foot-men and have these wearied me how then shall I contend with horses But God is faithful 1 Cor. 10. 13. who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able The Lord will lay on thee saith Faith no more than thy load either he will encrease thy strength or not encrease thy burthens He that hath given thee a little strength to go through small trials hath said he will and thou mayest trust him if he lay more load on thee give thee more strength to bear it The Lord will either enable thee to die for his Name or he will not call thee to it Christians believe God to him that believes all things are possible and if you believe they shall be so to you He hath said he will be and therefore you may boldly say The Lord is my helper Trust in the Lord and keep his way trust in the Lord and be doing good and verily you shall be fed verily you shall be assisted verily you shall be supported commit your way to him and whatever difficulty there be in your work he shall bring it to pass commit the keeping of your selves to him and you shall be kept by his power through faith unto salvation Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it Distrust your selves as much as you will but distrust not your Rock you are weak creatures but you have a strong God you have empty hearts but a full Saviour you have but a poor stock in your selves but a rich stock in the Promise whence you shall have such a continual supply that your barrel of meal shall not waste nor your cruse of oyl spend till you have finished your work and your course Hang on your crucified Lord take hold on his Covenant take hold on his Strength go forth in his Strength and Name and then fear not your difficulties shall vanish your way shall prosper your Souls shall flourish you shall have your fruit unto Holiness and your end everlasting Life III. Deny your selves Matth. 16. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself Remember your Covenant you have given your selves to the Lord and are now no longer your own you are not debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh you owe your flesh no observance you have already paid it more than its due let him that liveth live to the Lord let them for whom Christ died live no longer to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again Christ and Self are contrary you cannot serve these two Masters If you will not deny your selves you cannot but deny your Lord and if you can deny your selves in any thing you will deny Christ in nothing If you can heartily say Not my will you will easily add but thine be done But what is this Self we must deny I answer as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria He whom thou hast for thy Husband is not thy Husband That which thou holdest for thy self is not thy self thou callest it and countest it thy self and lovest and cherishest it as thy self but it is not thy self That which is here called thy self is elswhere in Scripture called thy flesh thy corrupt or carnal part that corruption that is gotten into thy understanding and sits there giving thee evil counsel That corruption which is gotten into thy will and sits there swaying thee in all things to choose thy hurt that is gotten into thy appetite and makes thee to fall a lusting after all things that are pernicious to thee and a resisting all that would do thee good This is thy self to he denied the corruption of thy nature that hath insinuated it self into all thy parts and powers and governs thee in all thy actions This is it which carries thee from God keeps thee from Christ resists the Word of Life leads thee out of the way of Life leads thee about after thy pleasures and sports and companions holds thee down to this earth and is dragging thee to Hell This is it which makes sinners say concerning the Word of Life The Word that is spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not do but will do whatsoever proceeds out of our own mouths That makes them say concerning Christ We will not have this man to Reign over us Let the World reign if it will let the Devil reign if he will let Pride and Envie and Malice reign if they will but whosoever reigns this man shall not reign over me 'T is this that layes so many blocks creates so many difficulties in the way of Holiness makes this way seem too strait and narrow the duties of it impossible the troubles of it intolerable Were it not for this the way of Christ would be easie and his burthen light This is that Self which must be denied if you will follow Christ If you ask what it is to deny self In short it is to shake off its government to resist its reasonings to disobey its commands to refuse to follow its inclinations or satisfie its lustings Brethren whatever Christ counsels you to or commands as I
leave these evil fruits to grow only on evil trees where we can expect nothing else Whilst we cannot look to gather Grapes of Thorns or Olive-berries of Thistles let not the fruit of the Bramble or the â—rickles of the Thistle be found sprouting out of â—he root of the Olive Let the Saints still be found what they were of old Doves Lambs Lillies â—mong Thorns Let there be nothing that hurts or â—ffends in all the Mountain of the Lord. Let the â—ricking briar and grieving thorn be rather in our sides than in our mouths Let blessing and praising and praying and intreating take up all the room that there be no place left for wrath and contention And whilst we take this care about our words let us take as great a care about our works Let there be no virulence in our â—ongues nor violence in our hands Let there be no deceit in our Lips nor falshood in our dealings Let us speak the words of truth and sobernesse and let us keep the way oâ— righteousnesse and peace Let us walk humbly with God and let us do justly and love mercy and live peaceably with men Let good words and good works meet together let Religion and Righteousnesse kiss each other let peace spring up out of the Earth as Grace hath looked down from them Let us add to our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godlinesse to Godliness brotherly Kindnesse to brotberly Kindnesse Charity Finally whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely what so ever things are of good report if there be any Vertue if there be any Praise think on these things Brethren so speak ye and so walk these things do live in peace and love and the God-peace shall be with you 2. In special Carry your selues well in anâ— towards your Families You that are Governour of Families you have more souls than your own to look to You have curam animarum the chargâ— of souls lying upon you You are not only to look to your Families in matters civil but in matters of Religion In the Law the Master of the Family was by the appointment of God to circumcise all the males in his house In the fourth Commandment the Master of the Family is charged not only to keep the Sabbath himself but to see that his whole Family kept it Thou shalt do no work therein and no only so but neither thy Son nor thy Daughter c. Parents are required Ephes 6. 4. To bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to nurse them up for God to nourish them up in the words of Faith and good Doctrine to suckle their souls with the milk of the Word as well as their bodies with the Milk of the breasts Now where there is a charge of Souls there must be an account given of Souls When there is a Child brought forth or a Servant brought into thy Family God sayes to thee as the man in the Prophets parable 1 King 20. 39. Keep this man look to this man if he be lost Thy Life shall go for his Life If any in the house perish through thy neglect thy Life shall go for his life thy Soul shall go for his Soul This is thy charge and if thou be not faithful so shall thy Judgment be But what must we do for the right ordering and governing our Families Why 1. Instruct your Families teach them the way of the Lord dwell in your Houses as men of knowledge and make God known to all yours by reading and acquainting them with the Scriptures which are able to make them wise unto Salvation by Catechizing them c. 2. Endeavour their Conversation to God by speaking often to them of the faithfulnesse and misery of their natural state of the nature and necessity of conversion by enquiring often into the state of their Souls 3. Bring them into Covenant with God as you have already done it vertually in bringing thâ—m to be baptized so when they are grown up and well instructed in the principles of Christianity and made sensible of their baptismal Engagement endeavour to bring them to an express dedicating and engaging themselves to the Lord according to those directions that have been formerly given to Christians in general 4. Teach them to pray and call upon them often and see to it that they neglect it not 5. Pray for them and pray with them 6. Dispense your favours and frowns your corrections and encouragements not only as they are more or less towardly to you-ward but as they are more or less tractable and careful in the matters of God 5. In your disposal of them either to callings or in marriage have a special regard to the advantage of their Souls I can now but name these particulars which I have formerly more largely insisted on and pressed upon you 8. Be examples of holinesse to them walk in the midst of your house with a perfect heart do not unteach them by your practice what they have learned from your instructions do not teach them to slight your words by the unsuitableness of your wayes to them For a conclusion of the whole observe farther these four general directions 1. Be Sincere 2. Be Steady 3. Be fruitful 4. Be Stedfast I. In your whole course and all the particular actions of it be sincere Sincerity is not a distinct grace but notes the truth of every grace and gracious aicton There is a sincerity of Our State Our Actions 1. There is a sincerity of our state That notes the uprightness of our hearts in the main and hath been already desoribed in the directions I have given in the duty of self-examination 2. There is a sincerity of our actions This is two-fold either such as respects particular and single actions or the series of our actions our whole course 2 Cor. 11. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world in all simplicity and godly sincerity There is a natural sincerity and a godly sincerity natural sincerity imports no more but simplicity or plain-heartedness when there is no guile or deceit in any action no purpose to deceive no pretence of what is not intended no Conscience of any evil in what we do nor any evil intent in it In this sense God bears witnesse of Abimelecks integrity Gen. 20. 6. Testifying concerning his taking Abrahams Wife that he did it in the integrity of his heart that is he knew no evil in it He knew not that she was another Mans Wife nor intended any wrong to her Husband in it Then there is also a godly sincerity this supposes the sincerity of our state He cannot have his conversation in godly sincerity that is not first a godly man It concludes in
not for the worse 1. For who knows when-ever the Ministry is removed but it may be in order to a greater Glory at it's Return Perhaps God's sending away Pastors from a People may be as Paul's absence from the Romanes that they may return in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel Or as Onesimus his departing from Philemon Perhaps they therefore depart for a season that they may be received for ever Or if this should not be the case of any particular Church if they should return no more yet 2. Their want of means shall supply their want of means their want of means shall be their means When they have no Preacher their empty Pulpits shall preach to them this most smarting of Rods will have its voyce If they have no longer the Light with them their darkness shall instruct them if they want their burning Lights the very Cold shall preserve and increase their inward vigour the wickedness of others shall make them more holy the violence of evil men upon sin shall enkindle their zeal for God the darkness that 's here below shall make them to live more above and all this shall make to their fuller reward 'T is a greater vertue to keep up the heart to keep on our way where there is a want than where there are abundance of means and helps and an higher vertue shall have a greater reward 3. The failing of the Word will bring back to their Memories and upon their own hearts that which they have received and as the emptiness of the Stomack will cause a second and better Concâ—ction and turn it into better nourishment when there are no more Loaves they 'l gather up the Fragments that nothing be lost the less there is more to be had the more reckoning the better use they will make of what they have their present want will be a rebuke of their former wantonness their want of remembrancers will help their Memories whet their Appetites Every old truth that hath been too much laid by will then be precious 4. Whenever ordinary means fail God will either find extraordinary or else will feed them more immediately on himself Psal 34. 9. God hath promised that those that fear the Lord shall want no good thing If that be meant of temporal good things yet sure it will yield us an argument that will reach the present case If God will provide for their Carkases much more for their Souls If God will supply them with less necessaries then doubtless he will not be wanting in what is absolutely necessary Psal 23. 1 2 3. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want and so on through the Psalm Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Here we have the Psalmists conclusion and it's foundation or his confidence and its ground his foundation or ground is the Lord is my Shepheard his conclusion and confidence is I shall not want that is neither the Body nor Soul as appears by the following part of the Psalm If Davids Logick and his Faith too does not fail him the conclusion is firm let the Lord be his Shepherd and he shall not know famine or want Gods Relation to his people is their security for a sufficient provision in all times If the Lord be their Shepherd he must see them fed he must either find them those that shall or do it himself He must either find them Pastors or be their Pastor he must either provide them or be their Pasture If ordinary means fail he must find extraordinary if both fail he must be instead of means to them Here two things 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepherd of his people where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself 2. That extraordinary means or no means when God brings his people to it will be better than their ordinary means 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepherd of his people where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself Feed them he must or he cannot be faithful and if means fail he must supply that want one way or other Now God is faithful and will not see his Sheep to starve Isa 41. 17 18. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Vallyes I will make the Wilderness a Pool of water and the dry Land Springs of water Oh what a good Word is here for the poor Saints to live upon in hard times It is interpreted to have an immediate reference to the outward and yet a special respect also to the spiritual wants and distresses And it will appear if we compare it with the like expressions Chap. 44. 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit on thy Seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring From the former Scriptures note 1. That the poor people of God may somtimes be as to the visible Soul-provisions but in a poor case Needy and hungry and thirsty their hearts fainting their tongues failing for thirst and their waters dryed up If they seek water and there be none 2. All the wants and straits of the Saints are before the Lord. I the Lord will hear Christians though those that should will not yet he that can will hear the cryes of your Souls all your faintings and pâ—ntings and longings for the water of life are before your eyes and come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath 3. God hath more wayes than one to relieve the wants and refresh the bowels of his hungry ones He hath extraordinary means for extraordinary cases If they can find no common Rivers he will open or make new Rivers The high places the dry places the very Rock will yield a River when God commands it 4. Gods extraordinary Provisions shall not be scanty and penurious but rich and plentiful 'T is not some drops or now and then a draught a little to stay the longing or barely enough to keep them alive he prepares them Rivers Fountains Pools Springs of water I will open Rivers in the high places Fountains in the Vallies c. Where-ever they be cast in the high Places in the Vallies in the Wildernesse in the dry Lands where-ever they be cast I will cause provision enough to meet them though they have neither bag nor bottle nor any thing to carry with them they shall not want the Rivers shall meet them Springs shall arise and break forth to them 5. They are not the wanting but the thirsting the seeking Souls whom God will supply When the poor and needy seek water and there is none
hearts desire for you all is that you may be saved and if there be any persons that bear evil will to me my particular wish for them is The Good-will of him that dwelt in the Bush be those Men's Portions for ever These are some of my Wishes for you will you joyn your Wishes with mine will you turn your Wishes into Prayers and let this be your prayer The Lord grant thee thine hearts desire and fulfill all thy Mind Brethren do I wish you any harm in all this If not if it be to be wished that the word of Christ were rooted in your hearts and your Souls thereby rooted in the Grace of God if it be to be wished that your Lusts were rooted out your sins dead and dried up your foot gotten out of the Snare your Souls brought into the Fold your fruits of righteousness and holiness abounding and growing up unto eternal life If all this be to be wished then give in your votes with mine wish and pray pray and press on press on and wait for the accomplishment of this grace in you all I tell you again I wish you well and not only I but the Lord God that hath sent me to you The Lord Jesus wishes you well he wishes and wooes woes and weeps weeps and dyes that your Souls might live and be blessed for ever He hath once more sent me to you even to the worst amongst you to tell you from him that he 's unwilling you should perish that he hath a kindness for you in his heart if you will accept it He hath Blood and Bowels for your Blood to expiate you guilt to wash away your filth and Bowels to offer you the benefit of his Bloud with this wish Oh that it were theirs Oh that they would hearken and accept Only I must add That the Lord hath two sorts of Wishes concerning sinners The first is Oh that they would hearken Oh that they would come in be healed and be saved Deut. 5. 29. This wish is an Olive Branch that brings good â—idings and gives great hopes of Peace and Mercy His last Wish is Oh that they had hearkened that they had accepted Ps 81. 13. O that my People had hearkened to me Luk. 19. 42. Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that concern thy peace This Wish hath nothing but Dread and death in it it is the Black Flag hung out that proclaims External Wars The sence is Israel had once a fair time of it a time of Love a time of Grace a time of Peace Oh that they had hearkned then that they had known the things that concern their peace But wo wo to them 't is too late the door is shut the Season is over the Day is past But now they are hid from thine Eyes There are three deadly darts in this Wish oh that thou hadst it includes in it these three cutting words Thou hast not Thou mightest Thou shalt not for ever 1. There is this in it Thou hast not What have I not why thou hast not known the things that belong to thy peace Thou hast had the door of Glory the Gate of Heaven open to thee and hast been call'd for and invited in but thou hast lost the opportunity Thou knewest not when thou werâ— well offered nor would'st take notice what a day was before thee what a price was in thine hand thy peace the Gospel of peace the Prince of peace a Kingdome of peace was set open offered and brought home to thy doors but thou hadst so many other matters to look after that thou tookest no notice of it but hast let it slip There 's one Dart. Thou hast not known There 's a Gospel gone there 's a Christ gone there 's a Soul a Kingdom lost 2. There is this in it Thou mightest Oh that thou hadst why Might I Ye thou mightest if thou wouldst thou mightst Thy God did not mock thee when he preach'd peace to thee he was willing and wish'd it thine if thou wouldst thou mightst have made it thine own but whilst he would thou wouldest not There 's another Dart. I might have known I have none to thank but my self for the loss mine undoing was mine own doing There are no such torments as when the Soul flies upon it self and takes revenge on it self oh the gashes that such self reflections make Soul how camest thou in hither into all this misery oh 't is of my self my self that my destruction is The door was open and I was told of it and was bid come in but I would not That I am lost and undone was not my Fate which I could not avoid but my Fault and my folly It seems to give some ease of our torment when we can shift off the fault It was not I but the Woman said Adam It was not I but the Serpent said the Woman if it had been true it would have given ease as well as serve for an excuse This thought 'T was mine own doing tears the very caul of the heart Oh I have none to blame but my self mine own foolish and froward heart This is my ignorance this is my unbelief this is my willfulness my lusts and my pleasures and my Idols that I was running after that have brought me under this dreadful loss 'T was my own doing 3. There is this in it Thou shalt not for ever Oh that thou hadst why may I not yet Is there no hope of recovering the opportunity not one word more not one hour more may not the Sun go one degree backward No no 't is too late too late thou hast had thy day from henceforth no more for ever There 's the last Dart Time 's past there 's the death the Hell the anguish the Worm that shall gnaw to eternity This one word Time 's past sets all Hell a roaring and when it s once spoken to a sinner on Earth there 's Hell begun Go thy way wretch fill up thy measure and fall into thy place The Gospel hath no more to say to thee but this one word Because I have called and thou refusedst I have stretched out my hand and thou regardedst not but hast set at nought all my Counsels and wouldst none of my reproofs I also will laugh at thy calamities and mock when thy fear cometh when thy fear cometh as desolation and thy destruction cometh as a whirle-wind when distress and anguish cometh upon thee then shalt thou call but I will not answer thou shalt seek me early but shalt not find me Beloved my hopes are and I am not able to say but that you are yet under the first wish Oh that they would Christ is yet preaching you to faith and sends his Wish along with his Word Oh that they would believe Christ is yet preaching Repentance and Conversion to you and wishes O that they would repent that they would be converted and to this wish of my Lord my Soul and all that is
within me says Amen Brethren will you yet again say your Lord nay shall Christ have his wish shall your Servant for Jesus sake shall I have my wish will you now at last conâ—ent to be â—anctified and to be saved let me have this wish and I dare promise from the Lord you shall have yours even whatever your Soul can desire Brethren this once hear this once be prevailed upon be content that your lusts be rooted out and your Lord planted into your Souls Be content to be pardoned content to be converted content to be saved This once hear lest if ye now refuse ye no more be perswaded with oh that they would but be for ever confounded with oh that they had Lest all our wishes and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you this once hear Oh that you would I heartily thank you for your good wishes and good will towards me for your willing and chearful entertainment of my person and attendance on my Ministry and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you Which desire if God had not my Soul could not have denied you Though the Almighty to whose pleasure it 's meet that we all submit hath said nay to that wish of yours yet let your Souls say Amen to this last of mine that the Lord God would dwell among you and in you both now and for ever And having thus finished my Labours among you I shall now close up with this double account 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry in this place 2. Of my deprival And shall so commit you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to huild you up and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry What my Doctrine and manner of life hath been is known to you and what my aim and intent hath been is known to God The searcher of hearts knows that 't is the salvation of Souls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled My way hath been to use all plainness that I might be made manifest in your Consciences Weaknesses and infirmities both natural and sinful the Lord pardon it I have had many I am sensible that much more might have been done both in publick and in private had it not been for a weakly body and a sloathful heart I repent that I have had no more zeal for God no more compassion to Souls I repent that I have been no more constant and importunate with you about the matters of Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity that thou wert no more in the heart and Lips of the Preacher in the hearts and ears of the hearers But while I thus judge my self for my failings Blessed be God for any sincerity to his name and good will to your Souls that he hath seen in me Blessed be God I have a witness in my Conscience and I hope in yours also that I have not shunned to declare to you the whole Counsel of God Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death good and evil and have not ceased from day to day to warn you to choose life and that good way that leads to it and to escape for your lives from the way of sin and death Oh remember the many instructions I have given you the many Arguments whereby I have striven with you the many Prayers that have been offered up for the guiding and gaining your Souls into the path of life and the turning your feet out of the way of destruction Oh might I be able to give this Testimony concerning you all at my departure they have trodden in the right path they have chosen the good part that shall not be taken from them Beloved Brethren with whom I have travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in you I must shortly give up my account in a more solemn Assembly will you help me to give it up with joy by shewing your Souls before the Lord as the Seal of my Ministry Every sincere Convert among you will be a Crown of rejoycing to me in that day So let me rejoyce and let my joy be the joy of you all What shall I say more If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any bowels and mercies if the Glory of the Eternal God the Honour of the everlasting Gospel the safety of your immortal Souls the incorruptible Crown the exceeding eternal weight of glory weigh any thing with you then once more let me beseech you by all this to hearken to that word of the Gospel which God hath spoken to you by me 2. Of my deprival The most glorious morning hath its evening the hour is come wherein the Sun is setting upon not a few of the Prophets the shadows of the evening are stretched forth upon us our day draws our work seems to be at an end Our Pulpits and our places must know us no more This is the Lords doing let all the earth keep silence before him It is not a light thing for me Brethren to be laid aside from the work and cast out of the Vineyard of the Lord and it must be something of weight that must support under such a severe doom I know there are not a few that will add to the affliction of the afflicted by telling the world t is their own fault they might prevent it if they would whether this be so or no God knoweth and let the Lord be Judge Blessed be God whatever be this is not laid to our charge as the reason of our seclusion either insufficiency or scandal You are not ignorant what things there are imposed on us as the condition of our continuing our Ministration which how lawful and expedient soever they seem in the Judgment of many yet have the most specious Arguments that plead for them left me utterly dissatisfied in my Conscience about them I must profess before God Angels and Men that my non-submission is not from any disloyaltie to Authoritie nor from pride humour or any factious disposition or design but because I dare not contradict my light nor do any thing concerning which my heart tels me the Lord says do it not After all my most impartial Enquiries after all my seeking counsel from the Lord after all my considering and consulting with men of all perswasions about these Matters I find my self so far short of satisfaction that I am plainly put to this choice to part with my Ministry or my Conscience I dare not lie before God and the World nor come and tell you I approve I allow I heartily consent to what I neither do nor can but must choose rather that my Ministry be sealed up by my Sufferings than lengthned out by a Lie Through the Grace of God though men do yet my heart shall not reproach me while I live If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things But however though I must now no longer act as a Minister I shall through the Grace of God endeavour peaceably and patiently to suffer as a Christian I should to testifie my Obedience to Authority have become all Things to all Men to the uttermost that I could with any clearness of heart But since Matters stand so that I must lose my place or my peace I chearfully suffer my self to be thrust off the Stage And now welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Reproach welcome Poverty Scorn and contempt or whatever else may befall me on this account This Morning I had a Flock and you had a Pastor but now behold a Pastor without a Flock a Flock without a Shepherd This Morning I had an House but now I have none This Morning I had a living but now I have none The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beloved I am sensible of my Weaknesses and Disadvantages I am under which may render a suffering state the harder to be born help me by your Prayers and not me only but all my Brethren also with whom my Lot must fall Pray for us for we trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray 1. That God would make our Silence speak and preach the same holy Doctrine that we have preached with our Lips 2. That he would give Supports answerable to our Sufferings that he who comforteth those that are cast down will also comfort his Servants that are cast out 3. That according to our earnest expectation and our hope as always so now also Christ may be magnified in us whether it be by Life or Death And thus Brethren I bid you farewel in the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Peace and Love shall be with you And that God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The Terms of our Communion are either from which or to which The Terms from which we must turn are sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted The mediate terms are ei-Principal or less principal The principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced The less principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed
Vindiciae Pietatis OR A VINDICATION OF Godliness In the greatest Strictness and Spiritualitâ— of it From the Imputations of FOLLY FANCY Together with Several Directions for the Attaining and Maintaining of a Godly Life By R. A. London Printed in the Year 1665. To my dearly Beloved in Christ the inhabitants of the Parish of B. in the County of S. My dearly beloved Brethren THe ensuing Sermons as they had their Birth for your sakes so are they now offered into your hands and they come unto you upon the same important errand upon which their Authour hath been sent among you viz. to shew you the Path of life and to bring you into and establish you in that holy state and way that leads to everlasting Blessedness The chief hindrances of Sinners eternal Happiness next to that innate enmity against God and Godleness which is rooted in their hearts are their prejudices against and their ignorance of the good wayes of the Lord. Sathan and his Instruments have made it their businesse by those vollies of reproaches and unreasonable calumnies which they are continually discharging against holinesse to render it in the judgement of the World an empty and contemptible thing Two things there are amongst many others which they lay to the reproach of it The one that it is folly whatever there may be in this Godlinesse yet it is attended with so many difficulties dangers and hazards and will be such an unsufferable prejudice to all that will have much to do with it that it is a foolish thing upon such hazards and disadvantages to adventure upon it If this will not do but the consciences of Men whilst they apprehend the real worth and excellency of it stand convinced that it is not Folly but wisdom to adventure on any difficulties to run any hazards for so glorious a prize then comes in the second reproach That it is but a device a specious contrivance to take up eager heads to amuse and divert the busie and keep in awe weak souls when if it be enquired into notwithstanding its glorious pretences it will be found nothing else but imagination meer fancy and no reality at all in the heart of it These impressions I have endeavoured according to my might to wipe away from your hearts and the hearts of such as read what you have heard in the ensuing discourses where I hope you will see both sufficient reason whence to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men to establish your hearts in the firm belief and resolved embracing of it and abundant encouragement to hold on your holy course to the end The other hindrance of a Godly Life is mens ignorance They walk not in the way of the Lord because they know not the way of the Lord some rude and dark notions of Religion possibly they may have but wherein the Spirit and life of Godliness stands and how to set upon an holy and heavenly course they cannot tell This hindrance I have in part prevented in that Description I have given of a godly man and more fully removed in those Directions which I have subjoyned for the obtaining and carrying on a godly Life Brethren my hearts desire and Prayer for you is that what I have done may be successful to your souls that you may be saved as the Apostle speaks that you may be brought into and established in the way of truth and may be found walking in the way of Righteousness And if the Lord shall be pleased so to follow these my endeavours with his Blessing that they may contribute any thing to this end if the Lord shall so animate these otherwise dead words by his quickening Spirit that any souls of them that are without may be added to the Church that any cubits may be added to the stature of those that are within it shall be a Crown to me and exceeding Cause of rejoycing Let the Lord Almighty have the praise for ever as from all such who shall reap any benefit hereby So from the soul of Your Servant in the Gospel R. A. The Contents of the Sermons on Ephes 5. 15. THe Text opened Page 2 The Doctrine propounded Precisians are no fools ibid. The Doctrine explained 1. Precisians are described 1. Negatively to be 1. No Pharisee 3 2. No Phanatick ib. 3. No Phrenetick ib. 2. Positively 1. By their make or constitution They are formed after the image of God 5 2. By their way or conversation Where is considered 1. The end of their conversation Where they are described to be men that are travelling to another world 8 2. Their course I. They take the right way Which is 1. Described to be The Old and Good The New and Living The Strait and Narrow Way ib. 2. Proved to be the most excellent Way It is 1. The way of Truth 14 2. The way of Holiness 15 3. The way of God 16 4. The way of the Kingdom 17 II. They are upright in the way 19 Their uprightnesse is considereed as it hath respect To the Commandement To Conscience 21 Their uprightness as it respects the Commandment stands 1. In their having respect to every Command 23 2. In having respect to the most spiritual and in ward part of every Command 24 3. In the endeavour to observe every Command to the utmost 25 1. They endeavour to get up to the highest pitch of affection care and activity ib. 2. They study and seek out after opportunities for service 26 3. They shun occasions and temptations to sin 27 4. They obstain from all appearance of evil 28 Two things added 1. When they have done all that they can they acknowledge themselves unprofitable servants 30 2. Whatever they have done they dare not trust upon it or be found in their own righteousness 32 Their uprightness as it respects Conscience exprest in two particulars 1. They take great care of Conscience 34 1. About the instructing and informing conscience ib. 2. About keeping Conscience tender 35 2. They give good heed to Conscience hearkning to and following in without turning aside 1. To the right hand either 1. By putting Religion in those things wherein God hath put none 43 2. By putting more Religion in any thing than God hath put in it ibid. 2. To the left hand 45 1. By making sins no sin duties no dutie ib. 2. By making bold with known sins and duties ib. III. From this way they will not be drawn aside by any fears or dangers on the one hand or by any flatteries or advantages on the other 46 1. A Summary description of these Precisians 51 2. Precisians are proved to be no fools from four Reasons Reas 1. God accounts them no fools 54 Reas 2. They will not be accounted fools at last neither by God nor men 55 Reas 3. The properties of wise men are found in them 58 1. They understand themselves aright They understand 1. Their Interest ib. 2. Their way 60 2. They build sure 64 Reas 4.
Righteousness Enoch walked with God Noah walked with God Good company will make any way pleasant how craggy or dirty soever our way may be under foot it 's pleasant to see the Sun shine over us Psal 50. 23. To him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God The Lord meets his people in his Wayes and causes all his goodness to pass on before them proclaiming his Name The Lord gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness This Vision of God makes all the labours and difficulties of this way sweet pleasant to them certainly this is a blessed way for God is in it Where is blessedness to be had but in God how is blessedness to be had in God but in beholding and enjoying of him wherein stands the blessedness of Heaven but in the Vision and Fruition of God Christians let all the ungodly world say all they can to disgrace and disparage the way of Righteousness as a wretched disconsolate and contemptible way yet till they can confute your senses and make you not to believe what you taste and see be not discouraged neither let them delude you into any better opinion of their ways of sin from any pleasure credit ease or gain that is in them God is in the way of Righteousness and there alone to be found and enjoyed and therefore this is the most blessed and excellent way 4. It is the way of the Kingdome the proper excellency of the means stands in this That it will certainly bring about its end that 's our best way that will bring us safely home This way is called the way of life Psal 16. 11. Thou wilt shew me the path of life 2 Pet. 1. 5 11. Add to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance patience godliness c. For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom If there were no other excellency of this way yet this is enough to commend it and exalt it above all other ways that it 's the way to Heaven If the way of Holiness and Righteousness were in all other respects as despicable and uncomfortable a way as the world imagine it If Godliness were in it self as great a burden and bondage as carnal men account it If all the reproaches and slanders and calumnies and lying reports that ungodly men cast upon the way of the Lord were true yet this that it 's the way to everlasting blessedness would answer all that is spoken against it If you were to go to London upon a business wherein your life and all that ever you had were concerned you would not stand reasoning thus Is not the way to York a better and more pleasant way Whatever the way to London be how long or how dirty or how dangerous or how hard to finde soever it be yet your life estate depending on your going thither leaving all other wayes disputes about them you would take the way that leads thither The way of the Lord whatever you have to say against it to discourage or make you unwilling to travel it yet 't is the only way you have to save your souls the only way to eternal blessedness when you have made all your objections and all your excuses you must take up this holy course of life or you can never come into the Kingdom of God The way of carnal Jollity and Merriment is as you think a more pleasant and delightful way But is this your way to Heaven The way of covetousness and worldliness you count a more gainful and profitable way but is this the way of life The way of sloth fulness and idleness is you think an easie way but is this the way of the Kingdom The strict and severe way of Holiness hath little carnal delight ease and worldly profit in it but is not this the way to everlasting life Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God Now if all this be so search sinners search and consider if it be not so consult the Scriptures consult your Reasons and Consciences and see if you find them not all bearing witness to this Truth and if these things be so as hath been said then come all ye foolish and vain-hearted persons and judge of the unreasonableness of these scoffing demands of the looser sort to the people of God who in scorn and derision will be often asking of them why must you be so nice Why so precise Why so strict and making so much ado about every small matterâ— Why cannot you be content to do as others and take the same liberty as others Why 't is all one as if they should demand of them Why will you keep your way the way of Life Why will you be saved Why can't you be content to be damned as well as others Is there not a great deal of wisdom and reason in such questionings and scoffing demands If you stood by a dangerous mighty Bogue through which there was one narrow tract of firm ground and should see a company of poor Creatures even sunk and almost swallowed up and choak'd in the mud and mire on the one hand and the other and yet should you see them laughing and mocking and jeering at those who keep the narrow tract of firm ground that would bring them safely over Would you not say they were all mad or bewitched This is the case of foolish Worldlings they are sunk in the Mud they are even swallowed up and choaked with their lusts and ready to perish and yet they fall a laughing and deriding of them who will keep the sure way Sinners what do you mean you are sinking you are sinking a few steps further and you will be swallowed up Why will you not come back and get into this safe way Leave your scoffing at the Saints and learn of them leave your judging and censuring and follow them in the same holy steps that they are going in before you II. They are upright and exact in the way they walk on in the straight way with a staight foot Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way or the perfect or entire in the way Psal 32. 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not It 's said of Caleb Numb 14. 24. That he followed the Lord fully Luk. 1. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world 1 Thes 2. 20. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and blamelesly we behaved our selves among you Observe it they lived a holy harmelesse blamelesse life and that holinesse which appeared upon them was not a cheat or juggle to ' deceive the world but was really what it appeared to be and for this they appealed to a threefold witness 1. A witness in their breasts the
lodge within them 2. As there are outward duties to be performed as praying hearing works of mercy c. so there are spiritual duties purely spiritual as the internal acting of faith and love and hope and the fear of God the souls choosing of God cleaving to God rejoycing delighting in God meditating of him c. Exact Christians have a special respect to those spiritual duties in the exercise whereof stands chiefly their living in a holy fellowship communion and acquaintance with God and for outward duties their care is to perform them spiritually they pray with the mouth and pray with the spirit they praise the Lord with their lips and offer up their hearts as a spiritual sacrifice they hear with their ears and with their understanding also they labour to bring their souls under the Word to pour forth their souls in prayer to draw forth their souls in their very alms Isa 58. If thou draw forth thy soul to the hungry Psal 69. 10. I chastened my soul with fasting Oh Brethren if this be to walk exactly then how much loosenesse doth this â—iscover in us loosenesse in our very Duties men do not only 〈…〉 like Libertines and swear like Libertines aud neglect duties like Libertines but perform duties like Libertines thou that usest to pray in thy Closet or in thy Family or in the Congregation in an outward formal way and dost not pour out thy Soul in prayer thou prayest like a Libertine thou that fastest and doth not chasten thy Soul with fasting thou fastest like a Libertine thou that hearest and dost not bring thy soul under the word thou hearest like a Libertine this is loose praying and loose hearing loose from the Rule which requires the exercising of the inner man as well as the outward 3. In observing the command to the utmost and here I shall give a fourfold further description of them 1. They endeavour to get up their hearts to the highest pitch of affection care and activity They would be the best Christians the most humble the most mortified the most patient the most exemplary and active Christians not slothful in businesse but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 2 Cor. 7. Yea what care yea without clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what vehement desire yea what zeal c. A sincere Christian would be a zealous Christian in his sincerity stands the height of it Zeal is not a distinct grace but the height of every grace Love in the height of it Desire in the height of it Care and Resolution to follow God in the height of it A zealous Christian exercises every grace performs every Duty and doth it with all his might he is not willing to spare or to favour himself but will spend and be spent in the work of the Lord the flesh will be pleading for a little ease for moderation it will be solliciting the Sobl as Peter did Christ Pitty thy self favour thy self thou wilt never hold out at this rate thou wilt pull all the Country about thine ears if thou beest thus hot and forward but the Soul returns the same answer as Christ did to him Get thee behind me Satan hold thy peace slothful heart let me alone for I will speak for God while I have a tongue to speak while I have an heart while I have an hand while I have an eye while I have a soul while I have a being I will follow on after the Lord I will serve him I will praise him I will sacrifice all I am and have to him and then come on me what will 2. They are studying and seeking out opportunities for service Such Christians are of strict lives but of large hearts of strict consciences but of large desires and aims Grace sets limits to their consciences but none to their holy affections they never do so much for God but they are studying how they may do more Isa 32. 8. A liberal Man deviseth liberal things a merciful man deviseth merciful things a righteous man deviseth righteous things he doth not only exercise Liberality and Mercy and work Righteousness when he hath an opportunity put into his hands but he sits down and considers what great things the Lord hath done for him what marvellous loving kindnesse the Lord hath shewed to him and thereupon studies and casts about what greater things then yet he hath done he may do for the Name of God as it is said of the wicked Proverbs 6. 14. He deviseth mischief continually And Psalm 64. 6. They search out iniquity they accomplish a diligent search search out for every opportunity to work wickednesse to satisfie their lust So Righteous men search out and make a diligent seach after opportunities to work Righteousnesse 2 Sam. 9. 3. Is there not yet a man left of the house of Saul saith David to whom I might shew the kindness of God Is there not yet a poer Sool in distresse to whom I might shew kindness for the Name of God Is there not yet a poor Family in misery to whom I might shew mercy Is there not yet a poor sinner to whom I might give counsel Is there not yet a poor Saint to whom I might administer comfort for the sake of my God As it is said of the Devil He goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour So may it be said of such they go up and down seeking whom they might save and recover out of the snares of the Devil other men what good soever they do it is as little as may be their consciences will not let them be quiet but something must be done when they have done so much as will but keep conscience quiet thy have done A sincere Christian hath his love to satisfie his desires to satisfie as well as his conscience he loves much and it is not a little duty that will satisfie strong love 3. They shun occasions and temptations to sin they would keep at as great a distance from sin as possible they are careful to keep far enough within their line they dare not venture to their utmost border lest they go beyond it ere they are aware A wary Christian having observed what things have proved snares and temptations to him and have drawn him aside to iniquity formerly will take heed how he comes nigh them again If carnal society hath cool'd and damp'd his heart and left a fleshly savour upon his Spirit he will take heed how he comes into such company again If going to his utmost liberty in the use of the Creatures either Meat Drink or Apparel hath inticed him beyond his bounds he will be wary how he allows himself the like liberty and will deny himself the freedom he might use rather than again run himself upon danger he is sensible of his weaknesse to stand against a temptation and thereupon is the more watchful that he run not into temptation men that are bold to venture into temptation to venture into
preaching to others I my self should become a cast-away For Scripture-promises consider these Blessed are the poor in spirit bessed are the meek the merciful they that hunger and thirst after righteousness the pure in heart they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for they shall see God theirs is the Kingdom of heaven they shall be comforted filled and great is their reward in heaven For Scripture-prayers consider these The God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight Multitudes of such like Scriptures might be added but these may suffice Now wherefore are all these things written Wherefore are these strict commands given these holy lives of Saints left upon Record these promises made and these prayers kept upon the file Are they not all written for our learning to let every man and woman understand what manner of persons they must be what manner of Lives they must live if they will be saved If less or a lower Religion would serve to what purpose is this waste If it be so People may forbear to charge Precisians with keeping more ado than needs and lay in their charge against the Scriptures for requiring more than needs But do you think indeed that the Scriptures have spoken these things in vain If it be not in vain if all this be comprehended under the one thing needful if all this do but shew us the one and only way of Life if we must be thus renewed and changed in our minds and must thus holily and unblameably order our Lives or else we cannot be saved as the Scriptures mentioned many of them expresly affirm then what will become of that poor confident multitude we are now dealing with Does all this amount to no more than keeping your Church saying your prayers learning and saying over the Creed and the Ten Commandments living peaceably with your Neighbours paying every man his own crying to God for mercy when you have committed a fin and the like Can you call this cold lifeless way your striving to enter in at the strait gate Is this your working out your salvation with fear and trembling Is this all that is meant by fighting the good fight of Faith by wresting against Flesh and Blood against Principalities and Powers by being instant in Prayer fervent in Spirit watching and running and pressing towards the mark Brethren if there be one way of Life if all this which hath been represented to you out of the Scriptures be to shew you from the Lord what â— strait way this one way of life is and if you will compare your way you depend upon with it methinks you shall need no more to convince you of your dangerous mistake hitherto and to leave you more ready to embrace the exhortation I am pressing upon you namely To come in among the number of and take upon the holy course of these circumspect Christians But if this be not sufficient I shall yet make it more evident by Reasons drawn from the Scripture which I shall give you in these Six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to salvation inward holiness or the renewing of the heart or inner-man Needs this any proof to them that understand the Scriptures There must be another Spirit Numb 14. 24. A new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A clâ—an heart Psal 73. 1. A true heart or an upright heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience Hebr. 10. 22. Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye dye Jer. 4. 14. Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved What do these Scriptures especially the addition in the two last For why will ye dye And that thou mayest be saved What do these import less than this That there is no salvation possible there is nothing but certain death and destruction to those whose hearts are not washed and made new John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God What is the product of this new birth or this conversion but a new creature Some there are it is true that interpret this Conversion which is made so necessary to Salvation to be nothing else but the coming of persons from Judaism or Paganism to Christianity to the owning and embracing the Christian Faith But if this be true then all that believe Christ to be the Messiah and are baptized and live in the profession of the Christian Faith shall be saved Come ye Drunkards come ye Adulterers Lyars Covetous with all the profane Root of Nominal â—â—ristians and keep an Holy-day to the memory of these two Doctors who bring you such a large and easie Gospel as will carry you all to Heaven with all your lusts and lewdness upon your backs But is this true Is this Gospel Is this all the conversion that is necessary to Salvation It cannot be For First There are many that embrace the Christian Faith that are Hypocrites and shall Hypocrites be saved Secondly There are many such Converts that walk disorderly whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 18. Of whom the Apostle here tell us that their end is destruction 2. This inward Holinesse which the Gospel requires stands not in some sudden and unconstant good thoughts or some transient good affections but is an holy frame or habit thus much is intimated in the fore-mentioned expression Another Spirit a new Heart a new Creature An holy thought a good desire is another thing from a new heart they cannot so much as evidence that the heart is renewed as in a renewed heart there may be some evil thoughts and evil lusts arising and working so some good thoughts and affections may spring up in an evil heart true holiness is not a fit but a frame there may be fits of passion or of pride or of envy too often in a Saint and yet in the main he may be a Saint still There may be fits of devotion fits of zeal sometimes in a â—inner and yet he is a sinner still Holiness is the temper and constitution of a Christian his new nature that abideth in him 3. This inward â—â—bitual Holiness stands in an universal compliance of the heart with the whole Will of God the heart that is formed after the Image of God is conformed to the Will of God Psal 40. Thy Law is within my heart not a piece but the whole every word and tittle of it The Law is within me The Law is said to be within the heart of a Saint in a double senâ—e First It is published and revealed and made known in the heart it is understood
man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually God saw Gods eye cannot be deceived men may think they see what they see not and may not see what is before their eyes But can Gods eyes fail him 2. That sin is the greatest of evils The Apostle to set forth the formidable appearance that sin had by the Law expresses it thus Rom. 7. 13. That sin might appear to be sin He could find out nothing more evil and odious to express it by than it self If he had said that sin might appear to be a snare a Serpent a Viper a Devil an Hell that had been much but yet not enough to set forth this evil of evils Sin never is seen in its perfect odiousness but when it shews its own naked face and looks like it self We can never know how great an evil sin is till we know how good the Lord is how precious Christ is how precious the Soul of man is to all which sin is so contrary and destructive Rom. 8. 7. It is said to be enmity against God God hath no â—nemy in the world but sin and those whom sin hath made him Sin hath set all the earth against the God of glory From this enmity which sin hath filled the hearts of men with arise all their rebellions against his word and government all their unwillingness and averseness from his ways their weariness of his service their frowardness murmurings impatiences frettings and insurrections of heart against his dispensations providence The unruliness and stubbornness of the wills of men the distemper and disorders of their passions and affections the vanity vileness and confusion of their thoughts the defilement and deadness of their consciences the ebulition of so many hellish lusts setting mens hearts upon all mischief Whence is all this but from sin that dwells in them Sin hath made men very Devils set upon all manner of mischief Devils against God hating reproaching blaspheming cursing fighting against God There should quickly be no God nor Heaven nor Being left if the wickedness of mans heart had power answerable to its malice Devils against themselves set upon the destruction and damnation of their own souls there needed not another Devil to attempt and devour them if God should but let them alone they would quickly make their distruction sure of themselves Devils one against another There is not one sinner but if God should pull up the fluces and let his wickedness have its full course would do his utmost to damn all the World enemies friends husbands wives children all should be destroyed And can there now be a greater evil then this imagined I you will say if all this be true it is a great evil indeed But may be for all these great words there may be no such great matter in it Why do but consider what sin hath done and cannot be envied and then you will see reason to believe all that hath been said Go to Mount Calvary and see what it hath done there What was it that slew the Lord of glory that put Châ—â—st to death Was it not those sins that were laid upon him These were his betrayers and murtherers These were the thorns the nails the spear that wounded him the gall and vinegar that was given him to drink Let the sweat the cries the groans the blood the soul that were pressed and poured out by sin let these speak if too much hath been saâ—d Turn aside from Mount Calvary and go down to the Valley of Hinnon lay your ear to the mouth of Tophet and hearken what work sin hath done there What is it that hath filled Hell so full already that hath sent down Cain and Judas Ananias and Saphira with those millions of damned Souls that are already tormented in those flames Did God damn so many Souls for nothing or for a trifle inflict so great a torment for a small offâ—â—nce What is it that hath cast them in thither Was it their righteousness was it not their iniquities If you could step down into those Chambers of Death and ask those wretched creatures Friends How came you in hither What would they answer Oh it is our sins that brought us into this place of torment Oh! it was my covetousness brought me hither would one say Oh! it was my lying brought me hither saies another Oh! it was my pride or my passion or my wantonness or my sloathfuness that brought me hither saies a third Oh sin sin this is it for which we burn we roar we rave we dye we dye eternally Can there be too much said of the evil of sin that hath done all this mischief 3. Spiritual sins are the greatest of sins Soul pollutions are the most foul pollutions By how much the more excellent the soul is above the body in its nature by so much the more vile and mischievous being depraved with sin The soul of man is the prime subject of the image of God in man there was much of God to be seen in the body or externals of man but the face of God the glory of God was stamped upon his soul the soul being corrupted it became the express image of the Devil Satan is rudely limb'd and some darker shadows of him drawn on the outward man but he is drawn out to the life in the soul the very face the heart of Satan his pride malice envy falshood is engraven on the heart A proud heart hath more of the Divel than a proud look a wanton heart is more vile â—â—an a wanton eye a murtherous or adulterous heart is worse than a murtherous or adulterous act It is true when Sin is committed without it is worse than when it sleeps in its causes within and sin in its birth is worse than in its bare conception and the reason is because when sin is committed there are both parts the outward and the spiritual together there is the sin of the hand and the sin of the heart too to make up the murther But then if you should distinctly consider that which the heart hath done towards the murther and that which the hand hath done the hearts part would appear to be incomparably the worst The sins of the heart are the root sins the spring that sets all the wheels a going the fountain that sets all the streams a running the fire that sets the furnace a smoaking Carnal men make little of outward sins nothing of spiritual If they would not be Extortioners or Oppressors oâ— Swearers or Cursers some of them yet evil thoughts may lodge in them Lust may bear the rule in them Pride Envy Ignorance Atheism Heart-blasphemy these are scarcely accounted evils What are Thoughts a little inward discontent anger and the like that we should trouble our selves with these Oh! You do not know what there may be in a Thought or a secret lust there may be a Thousand evil Words and actions in the
worship to be the Soul and the Soul to be nothing Be not conceited that the outward part is the worship and the inwaâ—â— but a conceit Brethren the living God will have living services the God of our spirits will have the service of our spirits the worshipping God in spirit this is the true worship God will not be and take heed you be not cheated with shews When all the men of the world with their wits parts and interists have commended garnished and magnified the carcass of Religion and decryed and disgraced its soul and life yet this shall still stand as an irrefragable Truth They are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh 2. Worshipping God through the spirit through the help and assistance of the Spirit of God as to instance in prayer Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities The Spirit of God affords a three-fold help in prayer 1. He indites our requests suggests matter of Prayers to us who as the Apostle there tells us Know not what we â—â—â—uld pray for as we ought Carnal mens lusts do often make their Prayers and then no wonder they ask amiss when they should be seeking the death of their lust they ask meat for their lusts we often not knowing what we ought to ask do ask we know not what we ask a stone a Serpent a Scorpion somtimes when we think we ask bread If God should alwaies give his people their prayers their prayers would undo them When we are poor we ask riches and it may be if God should give us them our riches might undo us Somtimes we ask ease or credit or liberty and if we had what we ask it might be our ruine the Spirit of God knows what 's fit for us and accordingly guides our prayers He helps us to understâ—â—â— our sins and so teaches us what confession to make carnal men will confess sins but any sins rather then their own He helps us to understand our wants and so teaches us what to ask He helps us to understand our mercies and so teaches us what to give thanks for carnal men often come before the Lord with mock praises give thanks for their election justification sanctification hope of glory when it may be the power of sin and the wrath of God abides upon them and they remain without Christ and without hope and without God in the world the Spirit of God if they had him would make their devotions more reasonable and regular 2. He excites and quickens and enlarges their hearts in prayer The Spirit of God comes in and influences upon the heart and draws forth the soul and this is the import of the following words The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered that is he sets up a groaning and sighing after the Lord. Groaning notes the strentgh and ardency of desire which through the servency of it puts the Soul to paine and an holy impatience till it be heard in which sence it s used verse 21. For we our selves who have received the first fruits of the spirit groan within our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our body It works such groanings as cannot be uttered it sometimes makes the hearts of Christians too big for their mouths their desires more larger then their expressions as much warmth and life and strength of affection as there does appear without there 's more withinâ—t Oh how flat and dead are our hearts oftentimes how much are we straitned in our prayers we stand as men struck dumb when we come before the Lord or if there be words in our mouths there is scare any word in our hearts sometimes we cannot speak and if we can speak we cannot groan the Spirit doth either put words in our mouths or else supply the want of words by kindling and enlarging inward desires helping us to groan out a prayer when we cannot speak it out and silent groans will sound in the ears of the Lord when the loudest cryes may not be heard 3. He encourages and emboldens the heart in prayer enables us to call God Father to pray to him to cry to him to be confident of audience and acceptance with him upon this ground Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And hereby he furnisheth us with a mighty Argument to plead with God Father hear me Father forgive me Father pity me Father help me Am not I thy childe thy Son or thy Daughter To whom may a childe be bold to go With whom may a child have hope to speed if not with his Father Father hear me The Fathers of our Flesh are full of bowels and full of pity to their Children and know how to give good things to them when we ask them when they ask Bread will they deny them when they ask cloaths or any thing they want will they deny them And is not the Father of Spirits more full of bowels more full of bounty than the Fathers of our Flesh Father hear me This is praying in the Spirit and if this be a fancy with you I must tell you sinners that it is such a fancy as experienced Christians that have most proved it would not lose for all your substance But will you stand to it Is this Fanatical praying indeed then bring your Index expurgatorius and expunge these Textâ— out of the Scriptures or else if you let them stand and look over them again you will next say Their Bible is as Fanatical as themselves But let me add one word to convince you from your own judgement if you understand what you doe that praying in the Spirit is no fancy and this by putting this one Question to you Dare any of you all when you goe to God in Prayer deliberately refuse to begge the assistance of his Spirit Whether you use a Form or Pray without a Form that is not so material The assistance of the Spirit is needed as well of those that use a Form as of those that pray without it Nor dare you I say when you goe to pray deliberately refuse to beg the assistance of the Spirit Dare you say Lord I need not nor desire any such assistance I will not ask it of thee that thy Spirit may be given into me to help mine infirmities If you beg the assistance of the Spirit you hope to have it and if you have it there is that praying in the Spirit which you cry down for a fancy Judge now whether you do not condemn the things which your selves allow and in your Judgement and Practice justifie the reallity of that Duty which with your mouths you decree for Fanatical Will you also be his Disciples Will you also be Fanaticks 2 Walking in 〈◊〉 Spirit this is no fancy Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the Spirit let
will you hearken to me in this Then I should be bold to bring you forth as Witnesses for God and his Truth However though upon your account it would be the more comfortable though ex abundanti I would bring in as many evidences as possible yet if you should fail me or any other particular congregation of professors yet let the World know I have sufficient proof ready at hand For If this walking in the Spirit be a fancy then these Damnable Absurdities will unavoidably follow 1. That the Spirit of the Lord is unfaithful in his Office 2. That God himself is false in his Promise 3. That the Devil doth more to the Damning of Souls than the Spirit of God to the saving them 4. That God hath no People no peculiar People in the world 1. If walking in the Spirit be a fancy the Spirit is unfaithful in his Office That the Spirit of God is given to the People of God to every one of them is so plainly asserted that he must deny the Scriptures that doth not grant it Rom. 8. 9. Ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his That there are certain operations of the Spirit which he is by Office to perform is as certain as 1. To Enlighten therefore he is called the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Ephes 1. 17 18. 2. To sanctifie therefore Sanctification is called The sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2. 13. 3. To Lead John 16. 13. He shall lead you into all Truth 4. To Assist and help Rom. 8. 26. Exek 36. 27. 5. To Comfort therefore is he called The Comforter If the Spirit of the Lord doth his Office then there are persons that are Enlightned Sanctified Led Assisted Comforted by him If there be none such if the comfort of the Saints be but pretended if their light their help their quicknings their encouragements be all fancies if they be but led in conceit quickned in conceit comforted in conceit then where is the Spirits faithfulness See what Blasphemies men run themselves upon before they are aware Sinners take heed what you do you are bold to reproach the Saints with the Spirit the Spirit but take heed mean while of reproaching the Spirit with unfaithfulness Blasphemy against the Spirit is no small sin though every blaspheming of the Spirit be not that unpardonable sin yet it is a fair step towards it look to your selves 2. If walking in the Spirit be a fancy then God himself is false in his promise Ezek. 36. 27. before-mentioned I will put my Spirit within them and cause them to walk in my Statutes If there be no such thing done then where is the promise of God He that makes walking in the Spirit to be nothing but talks makes the promise of God to be nothing but words 3. If walking in the Spirit be but fancy Then the Devil doth more to the destroying of Souls than the Spirit of the Lord doth to the salvation of Souls Let us consider again that Scripture Ephes 2. 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience There are two things there observable to our purpose 1. Sinners are led by the Devil 2. They are assisted and excited by the Devil 1. They are led by the Devil that 's noted in that expression They walk on according to the Prince of the Power of the Air according to his guidance according to his minde and will he hath them at his beck When he sayes Go they go and when he sayes Come they come and when he sayes do this they do it But how comes this to pass that the Devil can hold such an hand over them can lead them thus at pleasure VVhy 2. They are assisted and excited by the Devil that evil Spirit works in them suggests evil thoughts into them and thereby excites and provokes and sets them a work The Devil is said Acts 5. to fill the hearts of Ananias and Saphira to lye against the Holy Ghost And when he had once put a lye into their Hearts their Hearts presently put a lye into their Mouths VVhen the Devil hath wrought wickedness into the hearts of sinners then they presently fall to working it out When wicked men lye it is the Devil lies in them when they curse and rage and swell with madness the Devil rages in them VVhen the lusts of men bring forth Adulteries Drunkenness Riot Revellings c. the Devil lies within blowing up the coals Is this but a conceit that wicked men walk in the Spirit That unclean Spirit That the Devil drawes them on and drives them on and helps them on and hardens them on in their wickedness Could men be so wicked as they are could there be such quarrelling and contentions such debaucheries and villanies such cursings and blasphemings such rottenness and ribaldries coming out of mens mouths and abounding in their lives Could there be so much constancy fruitfulness boldness hardness in sinning against all fears warnings reproofs counsels against Conscience and the Dictates of their Reason and common sense were it not for that evil Spirit that works in these Children of disobedience Now if it be no fancy that wicked men walk in the spirit this you must grant or else you must conclude that they are all Devils themselves and if you grant it can you conceive it to be but a fancy that the Saints walk in the spirit If the Devil works lies and oaths and curses into the Hearts of sinners sure you may well allow that the Spirit of God works duties works a prayer or praises c. into the hearts of the Srints Could a poor Christian that hath so many corruptions within so many Temptations without so many weaknesses hindrances discouragements ever follow the Lord in his holy wayes against them all if he had no other Spirit than his own to carry him on The Saints sure have as much need of that help which is from above to carry them on in holiness unto life as Sinners have of that which is from beneath to carry them on in iniquity to destruction and me thinks you should not question but the Spirit of God will be as active to stay as the Devil is busie to destroy 4. If walking in the Spirit be but a fancy then God hath no People in the World Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God As many that is just so many and no more God hath no more Children in the VVorld than there are persons that are led by the Spirit to be led by the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit signifie one and the same thing If then there be no such thing nor no such persons in the
World to be found where then are Gods Children God hath no Child if this be so You must write the God of all the Earth childless a Father without a Childe a King without a People if these wise men be true men and true men you can very hardly call them who having robbed the King of Saints of all his Subjects and the Father of Lights of all his Children You see now to what a plain issue this matter is also brought If you be in the right in this thing then the Spirit of God must be unfaithful in his Office God must be false in his promise the Devil doth more to the damning than the spirit of God doth to the saving of souls and one of these two things will follow hence either that the Devil is of more might than the Almighty Spirit or that the God of love hath not so much love as the Devil hath malice and lastly that God hath no People in the world But it may be sinners you will yet reply Well We will grant that this is true that there are those that are led by the spirit and walk in the spirit but when you talk of so much Spirituality in Mortal men of such high notions as living in the fellowship of the spirit living in Heaven when you tell us of such Glorious light such Raptures of Joy such Extasies of Spiritual delights here are the Fancies These are the things which we cannot but account the foolish Dreames of deluded hearts And now you think you have hit at last But is not this it which you say The Spirit enlightens but gives no light The enlightned see no more than the blinde The Spirit renews men and yet they are not changed The Spirit leades the Saints and yet they follow him just as fast as those that have no legs The Spirit dwells in them and yet they have no more fellowship or acquaintance with him than those that never saw him The Spirit assists and yet gives no help The Spirit comforts and yet gives no joy but after all he hath done leaves them just as other men and whatsoever they pretend to have more is a meer cheat and delusion The sum of all comes to this The Spirit doth and yet doth not doth something some great thing and yet that something is just nothing But is there no such life of God wherein the Lord having gotten the chief interest in the heart hath also the Dominion of the life Is there no such life the main dealings and business whereof is the pleasing and honouring of God and the seeking that glory and honour which is from him Must God be an underling to the World and be put off with our spare hours which the World will allow him We were even as good down-right to profess we own no God at all or if we must have one a Baal or an Ashtaroth a Nisroch or a Molech an Oxe or a Calf may serve us well enough for a God a God to be so trampled on or to be said unto stand aside when ever the World hath any thing for us to do Is there no such Spiritual life the comforts whereof are Spiritual comforts the pleasures and delights Spiritual pleasures and delights Are there no delights in God who is a Well of Life and the Fountain of all Blessedness Have the Creatures their several sweetnesses issuing from them the Sun its light the Fire its warmth the Fig-tree its sweetness the Olive-tree its fatness the Fruits of the Earth their pleasant tastes and smell the Instruments of Musick their melodious Ayres and sounds to gratifie and please our senses and is the Fountain onely a dry and unsavory thing when the Cisterns are so fresh and full Have fleshly exercises their several pleasures are the labours of the Husband-man the Travels of the Merchant so strangely sweetned by the gain and in-come of them Are May-Games and Morrice-Dances Sports and Playes so delightsome to men that they will sell their Souls for such Pleasures and are they the Exercises of Religion onely that have no juyce nor sweetness in them Is it Godliness onely that hath no bud the stalk whereof yields no meat Or are the delights and comforts hereof such flashy and airy things that we cannot tell when we taste them whether we be awake or in a dream Once more consider the Scriptures How excellent is thy loving kindeness O God therefore the Children of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of Life and in thy light we shall see light Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time when their Corn and Wine increased with Joy shall they draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts Let him that readeth understand do all these speak the life of Saints to be such a dry and dark and impleasant life Let me farther ask you these two Questions 1. Are there any delights in Heaven Is there any joy before the Throne and in the face of God Are there any pleasures at his right hand Doth the Tree of Life that stands in the midst of the Paradise of God yield any pleasant fruit Doth the Chrystal River that runs through the City of God yield any pleasant streams Are the exercises of glory blessing praises and singing Hallelujah Hallelujah are there any pleasure in these Speak Sinners what do you think are there any delights in Heaven 2. Is there not something of that heavenly joy and delight let down to the Saints here Whilest they bear a part in the same exercises have they not a little share in the same pleasure What means then the earnest of their inheritance which is given here The Apostle tells us Eph. 1. 13 14. that the Saints after they had believed were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance An earnest is a part of that whereof it is an earnest given in hand The earnest of our inheritance is a part of the inheritance Believe it Sinners Gods Earnest is no Jest God will not mock his Saints though you do As sinners to their cost so Saints to their comforts feel that Gods Earnest is in earnest As the Lord sometimes though more seldome causes some flashings of his wrath to flie out in the faces to kindle in the souls and burn in the bowels of some incorrigible sinners as an earnest of those everlasting flames prepared for them beginning their hell upon earth so doth he let fall some handfuls of that Harvest some drops of
up and but one difficult passage left open by which there is any possibility of escaping thither they throng for the saving of their lives they are shut up unto that door to which if there had been any other way open they would never have come And as Christ will never be accepted so can the sinner never be received of him till be let go alâ— other props and trust on him alone Christ will have no sharer with him in the work of saving souls If ye seek me let these go their way As he said in another case Let not onely your sins go but let your righteousness go all the refuges of lies wherein you have trusted let all go if you will have me to be a Refuge to you I came not to call the Righteous if I should they would not come or if they come let them go as they come let them go to their righteousness in which they trust and let naked destitute sinners distressâ—d sinners come to me who am come to this end to seek and to save them that are lost Sinners Will you come now Will you venture here For this your adventuring on Christ you have this three-â—old warrant 1 Gods Ordination This is he whom God the Father hath appointeâ— and sent into the World to help and bring back his Exiles to himself to save sinners This is he whom God the Father hath sealed Job 6. 27. hath marked him out for that chosen person in whom is Salvation hath sealed him his Commission for the Redeeming and Reconciling the world to himself As God said unto the three friends of Job when he was angry with them Job 42. 8. Go to my Servant Job and he shall offer â—acrifice for you he shall pray for you for him will I accept So to sinners Go saith the Lord to my servant Jesus he shall offer â—acrifice for you he shall make reconciliation for you Isa 42. 1. Behold my ervant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul deighâ—eth I have put my spirit upon him be shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles 2 Gods command 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ 3 The Promise of God 1 Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner-stone Elect precious He that believeth on him shall not be confounded Now having this three-fold warrant the warrant of Gods Ordination Command and Promise you may be bold to adventure on Christ and to apply your selves to him thus Lord Jesus here I am a poor Captive Exile a lost Creature an enemy to God under his wrath and curse Wilt thou Lord undertake for me reconcile me to God and save my soul do not Lord refuse me for if thou refuse me to whom then shall I go Art not thou he and he alone whom God the Father hath sealed the Saviour of sinners The Lord God hath sent me to thee hath bid me come he hath commanded me to believe and cast my self upon thee Lord Jesus wilt thou refuse to help a distressed creature whom the Father hath sent to thee for thy help If I had come on my own bead or in mine own name thou mightest well have put me back but since I come at the command of the Father reject me not Lord help me Lord save me Art thou not he concerning whom the Father hath promised He that believeth on him shall not be confounded I come Lord I believe Lord I throw my self upon thy grace and mercy I cast my self upon thy blood and bowels do not refuse me I have no whether else to go here I'ls stay I will not stir from thy door on thee I 'le trust and rest and venture my self God hath laid my help on thee and on thee I 'le lay my hope for pardon for life for salvation if I perish I 'le perish on thy shoulders if I sink I 'le sink in thy Vessel if I die I l'e die as thy door bid me not go away for I will not go IV. Resign and deliver up your selves to God in Christ. 2 Chron. 30. 8. Yield your selves to the Lord that is as his servants give up the dominion and government of your selves to Christ Rom. 6. 13. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield your selves to God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God Ver. 16. To whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey Yield your selves so to the Lord that you may henceforth be the Lords I am thine saith the Psalmist Psal 119. Those that yield themselves to sin and the World their hearts say Sin I am thine World I am thine Riches I am yours Pleasures I am yours I am thine saith the Psalmist devoted to thy fear dedicated to thy service I am thine save me Give your selves to Christ sinners be devoted to his fear And this giving your selves to him must be such as supposes that you be heartily contented 1 That he appoint you your work 2 That he appoint you your station 1 That he appoint you your work that he put you to whatsoever he pleaseth servants as they must do their Masters work so they must do that work which their Master appoints them they must be for any work their Master hath for them to do they must not pick and chuse this I will do and that I will not dot they must not say this is too hard or this is too mean or this may be well enough let alone Good servants when they have chosen their Master will let their Master chuse their work and will not dispute his Will but do it Christ hath many services to be done some are more easie and honourable others more difficult and disgraceful some are sutable to our inclinations and interests others are contrary to both In some we may please Christ and please our selves as when he requires us to feed and cloath our selves to provide things honest for our own maintenance yea and ther are some spiritual duties that are more pleasing then others as to rejoyce in the Lord to be blessing and praising of God to be feeding our selves with the delights and comforts of Religion these are the sweet works of a Christian But then there are other works wherein we cannot please Christ but by denying our selves as giving and lending bearing and forbearing reproving men for their sins withdrawing from their societies witnessing against their wickedness owning and confessing Christ and his Name when 't will cost us shame and reproach sailing against the wind swimming against the tide steering contrary to the temper and disposition of the times pinching upon the flesh parting with our ease our liberties relations and accommodations for the Name of our Lord Jesus with much work of this kind It is necessary Beloved to sit down and consider what it will cost you to be the
servants of Christ and take through â—urvey of the whole business of Christianity and not engage hand over head to you know nor what First See what it is that Christ doth expect and then yield your selves to his whole will Do not think of indenting and compounding or making your own terms with Christ that will never be allowed you Go to Christ and tell him Lord Jesus if thou wilt receive me into thine house if thou wilt but â—wn me as thy servant I will not stand upon terms impose on me what condition thou pleasest write down thine own Articles command me what thou wilt put me to any thing thou seest good Let me come under thy roof let me be thy servant and spare not to command me I will be no longer mine own but give my self up to thy will in all things 2 That he shall appoint you your station and condition whether it be higher or lower a plentiful or a wanting a prosperous or an afflicted estate Be concontent that Christ should both choose your work and choose your condition that he should have the command of you and the disposal of you make me what thou wilt Lord and set me where thou wiâ—â— let me be a Vessel of Silver or Gold or a Vessel of Wood or Stone so I be a Vessel of Honor of whatsoever form or mettal whether higher or lower siner or courser I am content If I be not the head or the eye or the ear one of the nobler and more honorable instruments thou wilt imploy let me be the hand or the foot one of the most laborious and lowest and most contemptible of all 〈◊〉 servâ—nâ—s of my Lord let my dwelling be on the dunghill my portion in the wildernesse my name and my lot be amongst the heâ—ers of wood or drawers of water among the door-keepers of thy house and where where I may be serviceable and useâ—ulâ— I pâ—t myself wholly into thy hands Put me to what thou wilt rank me with whom thou wilt put me to doing put me to suffering let me be imployed for thee or laid aside for thee exalted for thee or trodden under foot for thee let me be full let me be empty let me have all things let me have nothing I freely and heartily resign all to thy displeasnre and disposal This now is your closing with Christ as your King and Sovereign Lord and in this is included your renouncing the Devil and his works the flesh and its lusts together with your consenting to all the Laws and Ordinances of Christ and his Providential Government Beloved such a close with Christ as you have been here exhorted to is that wherin the Essence of Christianity lies when you have chosen the incorruptible crown that is whan you have chosâ—n God to be your portion and happinesse when you have adventured and laid up your whole interest and all your hopes with Christ casting your selves wholly upon the merit of his Righteousnesse when you have understandingly and heartily resign'd and given up your â—â—vs to him resolving for ever to be at his command and at his disposal when you are Christians indeed and never till then Christ will be the Saviour of none but of his servants He is the Author of Eternal Salvation to those that obey him Heb. 5. Christ will have no Servant but by consent His people are a willing people Psal 1â—0 And Christ will accept of no consent but in full to all that he requires he will be all in all or he will be nothing V. Confirm and compleat all this by Solemn Covenant Give your selves to the Lord as his Servants and bind your selves to him as his Covenant-Servants Jer. 30. 21. Who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me Isa 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord. Upon your entring into Covenant with God the Covenant of God stands firm to you God gives you leave every man to put his own name into the Covenant grant if it be not found there at last it will be your own fault if it be not there there will be nothing found in the whole Covenant belonging unto you If it be there all is yours if you have come into the bond of the Covenant you shall have your share in the blessings of the Covenant Jer. 30. 21 22 Who is this that engaged his heart to approach to me And ye shall be my people and I will be your God Engage to me and I stand engaged to you Deut. 26. 17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God to walk in his Ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judâ—ments to hearken to his Voice And the Lord â—ath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee Observe it The same day that they avouched the Lord to be their God the same day the Lord avouched them to be his peculiar people The same day that they engagâ— to keep the Commandments of God the same day the Lord engageth to keep his Promise with them There is a twofold Covenâ—nting with God In Pâ—ofession and in Reality and entring our Names and an engaging our Hearâ—s The former is done in Baptism by all that are Baptized who by receiving the Seal of the Covenant are visibly or in profession entred into it The latter is also twofold 1. Virtual Which is done by all those that have sincerely made that closure with God in Christ forementioned Those that have chosen the Lord embarquâ—d with Christ resigned up and given themselves to the Lord are all engaged persons have virtually Covenanted with him 2. Formal Which iâ— our binding our selves to the Lord by solemn Vow or Promise to stand to our choice c. And this may be either only inward in the Soul O outward and expressed either by words lifting up of the hand subsccibiug the hand or the like And by how much the more express our solemn Covenanting with God is by so much the more sensibly and strongly it is like to hold our hearts to him Now that which I would perswade you to is this Solemn and express covenanting with God Providence hath lately brought to my hand the Advice of a dear Friend and faithful Labourer in the work of the Lord about this matter together with an excellent Form of words composed for the help of weaker Christians and aptly accommodateed to all the substantials of our Baptismal Covenant which having found great acceptance with many precious Christians I do with much zeal and great hope of good success for the establishing of Souls in Holinesse and Comfort commend it to the use not only of young Converts but of the more grown Christians that have not experimented this or the like course And in order to the putting this matter into practice I shall first give you these few directions
said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sinnes in thine own blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the Finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Authors advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not onely in heart but in word not onely in word but in writing and that you would with possible reverence spread the writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it as a memorial of the solemn transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in doubts and temptations And now Beloved having shewed you the way the Father give me leave to be instant with you in pressing you to hearken to me herein to come and joyn your selves thus to the Lord. And if you will not be perswaded to this solemn and express way of Covenanting with him which I believe you will find a great advantage and do therefore make it my great request unto you yet if you will not do that take heed you refuse not to engage your hearts to the Lord and make a full closure with Christ upon all the particular terms laid before you till that be done I must be bold to tell you again as I have told you already that you are short of Christianity strangers from the Covenant of Promise and Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Brethren the Lord God hath sent me amongst you upon the same Eâ—â—and as Abraham sent his servant Gen. 24. To take a wife for his Son to espouse you to Christ I am not without â—ear as that servant was not that some of you will not follow me but if the Lord see it good to send his Angel before me to make my way prosperous if the Lord give me success in this great thing that I may thus bring you into Covenant with him I shall therein have performed the main part of my Ministerial work among you I shall have espoused you to Christ maâ—ried you to that one Husband I shall have brought you within the strait gate and set your foot safe into that narrow way that leads to life and have laid the foundation of your following the Lord in holiness and comfort here and of living with him in blessedness for ever For 1 When once you are sincerely in Covenant from thenceforth you have a God that you may call your own to whom you may have free access with whom you may be sure to find grace to help in all times of need How blessed is his condition who is able to say I have no friâ—â—â— in the world but I have a God in Heaven I have many enemies but I have a God I have no house nor money nor lands but I have a God I have troubles I have sins that are a daily torment and vexation to me but I have a God a God to feed me a God to succour me God to shelter me a God to pardon me a God to sanctâ—fie me to â—ave me 2 From the time of this your Covenant Union with Christ you have the blessing of communion with him 〈◊〉 Whatsoever is Christs is now become yours the husband gives the wife leave to set heâ— name on all his goods and all that Christ hath you may now write your name upon it say boldly All this is mine his prayers his tears his obedience his blood his spirit all are mine because he is mine 2. Whatsoever is yours is his your sufferings your sins your debts your wants are all upon your husband Christ says to you as the old man Judg. 19. 20. to the Levite Let all thy wants be on me and so all thy debts and straits and fears and troubles let them all be on me 3 Christ and you shall have your lot together God deals with Christ and a Believer as one and the same party who must be absolved and condemned stand or fall live or die together In Christs being justified your justification is secured in Christs Resurrection your Resurrection in Christs Glorification your Glorification is secured for ever Because I live ye shall live also This is the portion this is the Inheritance of all Gods Covenanting-Servants You that are yet in your sins in your old Covenant with Death and agreement with Hell Will you yet be perswaded by what hath been said to say one to another Come let us break these bonds asunder and cast these cords from us come let us go over to Christ let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that never shall be forgotten You that are sincerely come within the bonds of this Covenant of the Lord the Lord is henceforth become your God Christ is henceforth become your Saviour you have shot the Gulf that good work is begun which the Lord will perform to the day of Christ you are gotten within the gate you are entred into the Path of Life 2 In the next place therefore I shall give some advice to the godly or those that are already in Christ whom I shall direct 1 To a right performance of holy duties these four duties especially Prayer holy Meditation Self-examination and renewing their Covenant 2 To a right improvement of holy Duties 3 To the carrying on an holy course In all which though I shall apply my self especially to those that are in Christ yet I shall also give some farther helps to those that are yet out of Christ Before I shall enter upon the Directions for the right performance of holy Duties it will not I hope be lost labour if I prefix a word of encouragement to duty by laying before you the influences which holy duties will have upon the carrying on a holy life which I shall dispatch in these four particulars 1 Duties are the exercise of Grace Grace out of exercise grows quickly out of case Idleness breedâ— ill humours and diseases in the body and no less in the soul stirring keeps us warm and healthful Now Duties are the stirrings and exercises
of the soul Reading of the word is not the exercise of the eye onely but of the understanding Prayer is not an exercise of the tongue onely but of the heart it sets all the faculties of the soul on work it sets the several graces on work iâ— sets faith on work it sets hope and holy desires on work and grace kept in action will be by so much the more active and powerful in the whole course 2 In Duties we have an intimate converse with God Therefore they are sometimes called Our drawing â—igh to God Lev. 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them them that come nigh me Sometimes Our meeting with God Amos 4. 12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israel to meet with a Present as Jacob met his angry Brother to meet him with a Prayer and supplication Exod. 25. 32. There will I meet thee when the Saints go up to meet the Lord the Lord comes down to give them a meeting Sometimes Our visiting of God Isay 26. 16. In their trouble they have visited thee When God visiteth his people with a Rod they visit him with a Prayer when we come to Duty as we ought we put our selves under Gods eye we set the Lord before our face it 's necessary to the right performance of Duties that we have right and clear apprehensions of God deep impressions of the Majesty of God of his Omnipotence Omnipresence Holiness Goodness and Faithfulness upon our hearts This is required in that forementioned expression I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me Now what an influence will this have upon the upholding and carrying on the life of God in us to have daily such a sight of God before our eyes and such a sense of God upon our hearts 3 In Duties we obtain new supplies and fresh influences from God The flourishing state of a Christian is set forth Isay 58. 11. by a well-watered Garden and Jer. 31. 12. it is promised They shall come and flow together to the goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Corn and for Wine and for Oyl And their soul shall be as a well-watered Garden Where observe these three things 1 That the watering of the soul is from the goodness of the Lord all the dews and showers of Grace are from above our Springs do not rise in our own Gardrns All my Springs are in thee 2 All the influences of the grace and goodness of the Lord are gotten down by your applying your selves to him in duty That is the meaning of that expression They shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord they shall assemble and come together to seek the Lord. 3 The People of God in their addresses to him in Duty though it be but for a supply of things temporal do get something for their souls They shall come for Wheat and for Wine c. And their souls shall be as a well-watered Garden We never come to pray for any temporal mercy and pray as we should but our souls are gainers thereby A Christian cannot come near the Throne of Grace for any thing bot his heart hath a share in the Blessing And there are three Reasons for it 1 A Christian never prays for temporal mercies but he hath some words or other to speak for his soul 2 Prayer whatever it be for is the souls drawing nigh to God and exercising it self on God And the soul never goes to God but it brings back something of God upon it even then when it may be denied the temporal mercy it seeks As when a Saint is praying for a Sinner and God will not hear him for that Sinner yet he loses not that Prayer but hath it returned into his own bosome So when the soul is praying for the concernments of the outward man though it be denied in its particular request yet its prayer shall not be lost to it self 3 Temporal merâ—ies obtained as a return of prayer are soul-blessings But now when the matter of our requests is particularly for our souls When Grace is that we come for when love and life and zeal and spiritual strength is that we come for when the watering of a dry and barren and the refreshing of a weary heart is that we seek for shall our souls then be sent bâ—rren and weary and empty away Our hearts are as Cisterns which however sometimes they may be full of water yet if there be not a supply from the Well the waters and the Cistern will waste and mud and at length dry away Duties are our labouring at the Pump which will keep the Cisterns full Isa 12. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wâ—lls of Salvation Christian thou complainest thy heart is barrâ—n and dead and dry and fit for nothing Why is there not a Well by thee where there is water enough to refresh and fill thee Why doâ—st thou no oftner let down thy Pitcher or labour at the Pump why art thou no oftner with thy God Thy heart wants watering get thee oftner to the Well more praying more fasting more conversing with Christ studying the Gospel searching and sucking the Promises would quickly get thee into a better plight He that is much with God is rich in grace Thou art not so much straâ—â—ned thou canst not be brought so poor and Iean and out of case but thou knowest where there is enough to fetch thee up again thou knowest where there is a Well that hath not onely water enough healing water but Wine and Milk and Honey enough but thou must go oftner for it if thou wilt have the benefit of it Go therefore and let down thy Pitcher and thou needest not fear its coming up empty Onely in exercising thy self in duty take heed thou mistake not the Pitcher for the Well take heed thou fix not thine eye on duty as if this were thy Christ thy Fountain out of which thou mayest be supplyed Duties are but the pipes it is the Lord that is the Fountain from whence all the water comes 4 Duties are our conflicting with corruption or striving against sin When ever we are striving with God we are thereby striving against sin Duty and sin contend for the Victory whilest Duty holds up sin goes down when Duty flags sin gets up Holy Prayer will make us weary of iâ—â—quity or our iniquity will quickly make such praying a weariness unto us it is not for the interest of the flesh to suffer the heart to be much in prayer or other duâ—ies and therefore we find for the whole Generation of carnal men a little of it must serve their turn There is no such way for Christians to be revenged on sin and to see their desires on this Enemy as to bring it before the Lord. They never fight against it with greater zeal or with more success then upon their knees When the sinner kneels in earnest before his God his lusts must quickly kneel to him our confession of sin
and laying it open before the Lord our complaining to the Lord of it our â—â—ying to the Lord against it pressing him upon his Promise upon his Covenant to help against it these are the mightiest â—atteries our souls can make to the beating down its strong holds When the Lord hears the groanings of his Israel under their oppressing Egyptians he will arise and relieve them Christians tell one another how sad it is with them what woful work they have with a proud heart or a covetous heart or an hard heart or an hypocritical heart and you mry tell one another such stad stories long enough and find little help Goe tell thy God of thy sins carry them before the Throne of Grace make thy complaints against them there and there thou wilt find compassion and deliverance Now gather up these four particulars together consider them well and then you will see you that intend holiness in earnest whâ—t great reason you have to set close in with Duties and to accept of those Directions which shall now be tendered unto you The first sort of Directions are such as concern the right performance of the Duty of Prayer the advice I shall give you touching this take in these four particulars 1. Bring your selves and hold your selves to a frequent and constant performance of this duty There must be performance or there cannot â—e a right performance Those that pray not or but seldome is a shrewd signe that the root of the matter is not in them they that can live without prayer are dead while they are alive Prayer is the first fruits of Christianity It was said of Saul aâ— a token that he was a Convert Behold he prayeth The living Childe comes crying into the World and as it is a token of life so it is a meanes by which this New Life is nourished Prayer is a Christians Key to unlock the Store-houses and the Treasuries of Souls he that can pray God hath given him a Key to all his Treasuries Prayer will not only unlock the Clouds as Elijahs prayer did and bring down Rain to refresh the dry and parched Earth but it will unlock Heaven too It will unlock the Ark and the Mercy-seat and get downe Spiritual blessinge on the Soul Praying is a Christians knocking at the Gate of Heaven that knocking to which the promise is made Matthew 7. 7. Knock and it shall be opened The word which the Lord speakes to us is Gods knocking at our doores Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock And praying is our knocking at the Lords door at the Gate of Heaven that this may be opened By the way learn that if you will not hear God knock it is just to hear not yours If Gods voice may not be heard on Earth your voice will not be heard in Heaven fear not you shall be heard if you will hear hear him that speaks to you from Heaven and your cry shall enter into Heaven Our Soules will never thrive or flourish unless the Rain and the Showers of Heavenly Grace descend and fall upon them and we cannot look that those Showers should come down unless we look up Persons that pray not may be written among the Heathens Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen and the Families that call not on thy Name Among the Prophane ones of the Earth who are described by this Character Psalm 42. 4. They call not upon God they are altogether become filthy and abominable there is none that doth good they call not uâ—on God Where Prayer is not there is usually cursing and swearing and every abomination look upon the non-praying persons look upon the non-praying families among you and see how little good there is to be found see if they be not as so many dead and dry Trees on which no Spiritual fruit appears as so many dark holes into which no Spiritual light doth ever shine as so many filthy sinks in which every vile thing lodges Beloved I have often pressed this Duty on you both personal secret Prayer that there be not one person found among you that prayes not and Family joynt Prayer that there be not one Family found among you among whom God is not thus worshipped I have often pressed this upon you and given you particular helps and Directions about it and have not been negligent to put you in remembrance of it so that if there be prayerless persons or families found among you the guilt of it must lie at your own doors But will you yet hearken to me in this thing Will you give your selves to prayer No word that is spoken to you for the good of your Soules will ever prosper with you if this Word prosper not it is in vain for me to perswade you to live a Godly life if you will not be perswaded to live a praying life Would you ever come to any thing see then that this Exhortation doe not come to nothing be ye therefore serious Be yee therefore sober and watch unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. Be ye instant be constant in Prayer Set up your resolutions and set your time set your times and keep your time do not put off this Duty by pretending you pray alwayes every day and every hour as the pretence of an every dayes Sabbath comes just to no Sabbath so it is usually in the case of prayer some Carnal wretches praying alwayes is â—ot prayiug at all Get thee into thy Closet saith Christ get thee a place set thee a time wherein thou sayest vacare Deâ— wherein thou mayest make it thy business to seek the Lord. Brethren I say again if you will not suffer me to prevail with you in this thing I may even spare my labour of speaking any other things to you wherein I shall have no hope of success if I speed not here Some among you in some private Conferences I have had with you have given me some good hopes of the work of grace begun upon your hearts I have found that there hath been stil a neglect of daily prayer this hath struck such a damp upon my spirit as hath brought down those hopes to be even almost as low as nothing and by experience I have found that such persons as upon advice and warning would not afterwards be brought to the constant exercise 〈◊〉 this duty if they have retained any favour of Religion at all have yet from year to year been at a stand and not the least sign of any improvement hath been to be seen If ever therefore you will hearken to me in any thing that I tender for your souls good deny me not in this set upon the daily exercise of secret prayer and if you be resolved on the performance I shall then be encouraged in the next place to help you on in the right performance Therefore 2. Come to pray with an actual and great expect 〈◊〉 of obtaining grace and help from God Do not barely impose
whose blood speaks whose bowels speak whose spirit speaks Doth he speak for sinners and yet not for me 4. Their own necessity Sinners are necessitous Creatures they have nothing of value left them In the fulnesse of their sufficiency they are in straits As a sinner of an hundred years is but a child so a sinner of thousands by the year is but a beggar poor miserable blind and naked He can want nothing and yet doth want every thing that is good Sinne hath stript him to the skin stabâ—d him to the heart the iron hath entred into his Soul it hath left him nothing but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Is this thy case sinner and hast thou nothing to say Spread thy wants and necessities before the Lord and let these speak for thee Learn of Beggars that come to thy door who if they have ever a sore or malady about them a blinde eye a lame leg a burnt hand a broken arm that they will be sure to open to move pity and procure an Alms. Their pinching hunger their parching thirst their naked backs their cold lodging thy door shall be sure to ring of Never a peâ—ny in my purse never a morsel of bread have I had for this long time their necessity will both make them to speak and help them to speak Sinner spread thy necessities before the Lord spread thy wants open thy wounds and thy sores tell him how desperately sad thy case is tell him of the guilt that is upon thy head the curse that is on thy back the plague that is in thy heart God of Bowels look hither behold what a poor blind dead hardned unclean guilty creature what a naked empty helplesse creature I am Look upon my sin and my misery and let thine eye affect thine heart One deep calls to another a deep of Misery cries out to a deep of Mercy Oh my very sins which cry so loud against me speak also for me My misery speaks my curses the woe and the wrath that lies upon me my bones speak my perishing Soul speaks and all cry in thine ears Help Lord God of pity help help and heal me help and save me Come unto me for I am a sinful man O Lord I dare not say as once it was said Depart from me for I am a sinful man Come Lord for I am a sinful man Thou couldst never come where is more need Who have need of the Physitian but the sick Come Lord I have too often said Depart from me but if thou wilt not say Depart to me I hope I shall never again say Depart to thee My misery saith come my wants say come my guilt and my sins say come and my soul saith come Come and pardon come and convert come and teach come and sanctifie come and save me Even so come Lord Jesus Thus you have the sinners plea. Poor Sinner Art thou willing to return from thy sins fear not to go to thy God Take thee some such words as these and go and tell the Lord that one of his poor Ambassadors told thee from him that he expects thee before the Throne of Grace and is ready if it be not thine own fault to grant thee mercy Go and the Lord help thee give thee thy hearts desire and fulfil all thy mind and for thy encouragement take along with thee this Scripture Isa 55. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for be will abandantly pardon 4. Pray in Faith James 1. 6. But let him ask in Faith You will here enquire What Faith is it that is necessary to our prevailing in prayer I answer Not onely the Faith mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 11. 6. He that cemeth to God must believe that God is Nor onely a perswasion that he is able to performe our petitions or that he is ready to answer those that seek him aright nor onely a perswasion concerning prayer that this is Gods Ordinance appointed by him as a means whereby we may obtain mercy from him Though all this be included in it yet this is not all The same faith is necessary to the acceptance of our prayers which is required to the acceptance of our persons That faith which gives a person interest in Christ will alone procure the acceptance of his prayers Now this faith puts forth in prayer a three-fold Act. 1. It presents and offers up the prayer in the Name of Christ Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered his Sacrifice Faith carries our Prayers to our Mediator the great Master of Requests for his hand to be put to them without which they will not be regarded yea it puts them into his hand it saies unto Christ Lord Jesus take thou this prayer what infirmities there are in it do thou cover what sinnes thou findest in them do thou hide Mingle thy blood with my Sacrifice let thine incense ascend with my offering and thus let it be carried before the Throne of Grace where that it may speak for me let thy blood speak for it 2. It depends and relies upon God through Christ for acceptance and performance It eyes and leans upon the Promise of God which in Christ is Yea and Amen and setting to its seal that God is true upon this it stayes it self 3. It works the heart to a confidence or a confident perswasion that God for Christs sake will hear and answer 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us But here consider that this confident perswasion that God doth hear and accept us however it ar gues an higher degree of Faith and brings in much Peace and Comfort to the heart and if it be well grounded is a good Argument that the Lord intends to fulfil our desires yet is it not so necessary to the acceptance of our Prayers but that they may be heard where this is wanting If the former Acts have been put forth if there hath been a presenting them in the hands of our Mediatour joyned with some little staying of our hearts upon the Promise though there be a great fear upon the spirit that God doth not regard them yet for all this they may not be rejected I fear saith a doubting Saint I fear the Lord will not hear me nor regard my prayers there is so much sin in them so many weaknesses wandrings distrâ—sts distractions that I much doubt whether the Holy God will ever have respect to them but such as they are there I leave them in the hands of my Advocate I leave mine Offering on the Altar as poor as it is it is the best I have and though I much question whether it will be accepted yet there I leave it waiting what answer the
for you I must not damn my soul to please my flesh Touching the practice of this Duty take these two further Directions 1. Every day morning and evening set apart sometime for secret prayer and when you go to pray do not rush inconsiderately upon it but first sit down and take one of those Heads meditate on what the Scriptures speak upon them and then propose the several questions to your hearts and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by these Meditations then fall to prayer 2. Let each mornings Meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts to work on and for discourse that day unless providence cast in and calls you to some other profitable subjects The matter of Meditation is purposely divided into seven Heads to the end you may take one of the Heads for each dayes Meditation and so in every week you may go over the whole being the chief things of Religion And thus continuing from day to day from week to week you will be both more thorowly acquainted and more deeply affected with the things of God and will find through his blessing more liveliness and enlargement in Prayer and more comfortable successe Only take heed of formalitie of resting in the work done of going on in a round of Duty without a due regard to the end of Duty Let this be your aim in all to get your hearts more fixed upon and affected with the things of the world to come more enlarged and quickned and more effectually carried on in that course of holy and heavenly walking the end whereof is everlasting life But now least any should complain that this course is too tedious and that which they cannot have time daily for or that by reason of ignorance or want of helps they cannot perform it I shall adde this that such persons who are weaker in their understandings and thence unable to go through with this course and all others at such seasons as they are unavoidably straitned for time nay instead of the larger take this shorter course When ever thou settest upon the Duty of prayer sit down and ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. What am I am I a Believer or an unbeliever converted or unconverted do I think in my Conscience I belong to God or do I not fear I am yet the child of the Devil Quest 2. What do I what are my wayes are they such as please the Lord and tend to the Salvation of my Soul or are they the wayes of death and damnation Quest 3. Before whose presence do I now stand Is it not before the Lord the Almighty God who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and the avenger of those that slight or rebel against him Quest 4. What am I come before the Lord about Is it not to plead with him for my soul to beg my life at his hands to beg my pardon and redemption from everlasting death and to obtain grace for the salvation of my Soul This short and 〈◊〉 course would be some advantage thou 〈…〉 that are able and can redeem so much 〈…〉 would commend the constant use of 〈…〉 â—rections THe third special Duty I shall direct you in is Self-examination It is of great use to the carrying us on in an holy course to know our state For By the knowledge of our state we shall the better know our work when we know what we are we shall the better know what we have to do If the question be What must I do to be saved The answer of that will depend upon another question How far forth am I come already Am I converted or unconverted in a state of sin or in a state of grace Let that question be first answered and the answer of the other will be easie 2 By the knowledge of this that we are in a good estate we shaâ—l have much encouragement to hasten on Assurance will quicken and encourage us on in the way of holyness Those that aâ—firm that the Doctrine of assurance is a licentious Doctrine and serves for nothing but to maintain men in a loose lazy and idle life understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm 'T is all one as if they affirmed That the more assurance any person hath of the love of God the less he will love God or that the more he loves God the less care he will take to serve or please him Those that know no other motive to Duty but fear may preach such Doctrine but those that have found the quickning and constraining power of love must lay down both their reason and sense too before they can believe it The way to know our selves is to search and examine our selves 1 Cor. 13. 4. Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves Now to help you in this duty of Self-examination I shall give you these two Directions 1. When you set to examine your selves by any marks or signs In the first place examine your Marks that you would try your selves by If you would prove your selves whether you have true grace or no by any mark that 's given examine that Mark by the Scriptures whether it be a certain and infallible sign of grace so that you may be bold to conclude that if you can find this Mark in you you are undoubtedly in the state of grace That 's a proper mark of true grace which whosoever hath it hath grace and whosoever hath it not hath not grace If you take that for a mark of true grace which is common to Saints and Sinners you may take your selves to have grace when you have none And if you take a mark to try your selves by which is proper to Saints but is not common to all Saints you may take your selves to have no grace when you have The former mistake may lose you your peace this may lose you your souls therefore Christians be wary here try your marks before you try your selves by them 2. For the matter of your enquiry let it be 1. Whether you are gotten into the way of life or not or whether you are translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of grace and salvation And if so then 2. Whether you be in a thriving or flourishing state or in a languishing or decayed state To help you in the former tryal I might only send you back to those directions formerly given concerning your closure with Christ whence it will not be difficult to gather some certain marks to try your selves by but I shall add two or three more wherein let it not be offensive to any that I follow that light which I have received from the worthy labours of that faithful Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter whence I confess my self to have through mercy grown into the fuller acquaintance with mine own heart and which I shall therefore the rather make use of for the help and benefit of others 1. Mark 1. Wheresoever there is true
Grace there is an hearty willingness to part with every sin The first work of the sanctifying Spirit upon the soul is the discovering of sin making it appear to be an enemy and the first saving work is the dividing betwixt sin and the soul making an utter breach betwixt them The Spirit of God makes us first to look on sin as an enemy and then to deal with it as an enemy to hate it to fear it to be impatient at the presence of it Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death When the good Spirit enters into the heart from that day forward the Soul looks on sin as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit fell upon him It 's said he eyed David from that time forward he looked on him with an evil eye with an envious eye Oh! that I were once well rid of this David Oh! saith a Convert that I were once well rid of this Lust It 's now become to the Soul as the Daughters of Heth were to Rebeccah Gen. 26. 35. A grief of mind to it a weariness to it I am weary of my life because of these daughters of Heth. When there is this breach made betwixt sin and the Soul it 's grace that hath made it when sin hath lost the will it hath lost the man when Christ hath gotten the will he hath gained the man The will is the heart give me thy heart is the same as be willing to be mine the will is the strong hold of the soul this is it that holds out last against God when this is won all is won Sin may have lost the understanding and lost the conscience these may plead for God and for holiness and may cry out against sin Away with it away with it Crucifie it crucifie it there is Death and Hell in the bowels of it away with it But as long as sin hath the will for it it still hath the man Reason saith I ought to tura Conscience saith I must turn but yet nothing follows but when the heart sayes I will turn then the work is done Reason saith these Idols ought not to stand Conseience saith these Iusts must be subdued these my sinful pleasures these my sinful wayes these my sinful companions must be left but when the will sayes to them Get you hence there 's a work of Grace begun But now this willingness to part with or turn from sin that it may infallibly prove grace to be in us must be 1. Universal A willingness to be rid of all sin The enmity against sin that 's wrought by grace is against the whole kind against all sin Root and Branch Body and Members A true Israelite would not have one Canaanite left in the Land would have the whole generation rooted out Psal 119. I hate every false way Psal 139. Search me O Lord and see if there be any wickedness in me 2. Habitual It must not be onely for the time that the heart is set against sin when it is under some terrour or trouble but there must be an abiding willingness Pharaoh when the Thunder and the Hail and the Fire and the Frogs and the Flies were upon him for the time was willing to let Israel go but presenrly after he meant no such thing 'T is not what thou art in a fit in a fright or sudden passion in sickness or under the apprehensions of death that will give thee any certain light by which thou mayest judge of thy state but what thou art in the standing and abiding disposition and bent of thy soul A Godly man is never unwilling when he is himself to be rid of every sin 3. Prevalent The willingness must be greater than the unwillingness A gracious heart is more willing to be rid of sin than to continue in sin He had much rather if it were put to his choice live without all sin than to be allowed to live in any sin Whatever the pleadings and reasonings of his flesh are for an indulgence to any particular sins whatever the advantages of yielding to the flesh herein mîght be whatever dammages or prejudices might follow upon his parting with them yet he had much rather whatever comes of it be freed from them all If the Lord should come to such a soul and give him as large â—grant as he did to Solomon Ask what I shall give thee ask what I shall do for thee write down what thou wilt and thou shalt have it this is that which he would have Lord take away mine iniquittes 'T is not the lives of mine enemies or a revenge upon them that I desire 't is not freedom from trouble or affliction that I desire make me a clean heart O Lord purge me from my sins let my lusts die my corruptions die and then though mine enemies live and their malice lives and my troubles live yet if my sins be once dead I have my desire And this willingness will discover it self to be prevailing by bringing forth 1. Resolution 2. Resistance against sin 1. Where a man is truly willing to be rid of sin there will be resolution against it he will not only be patient and content to give God leave to crucifie all his beloved lusts and darling corruptions and give the world leave to hew and strike home at the root of them without hiding them or warding off the blow or wishing they might be spared to him but stands stedfastly on Gods side and taking part with him against sin resolves to use all his means for the conquering and overcoming of them 2. This resolution will bring forth resistance An heart that 's weary of sin will fall to striving against sin Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary the one to the other Contraries are naturally expulsive each of other Such a pair as a Jacob and an Esau such Twins as an Isaac and an Ishmael cannot lie quietly togethâ—â— in the same womb no nor live quietly together in the same house but there will be a mutual prosecuting and persecuting each of other fire and water may as well agree in the same vessel as grace and sin in the same heart A gracious heart will be restraining curbing and withstanding it in all its workings It 's a mere vanity for men to talk of being willing to be rid of sin when they let it live and work and rule and run in its course without ever laying the hand to the bridle to restrain it Let me add one word more if you strive against sin and your striving be attended with success if you have gotten any degree of victory the evidence will be much more full and clear This now is the first Mark by which you may try your selves whether there be the truth of grace in you or not He that is willing to be freed from all sin habitually willing prevailingly willing
he that 's more willing to be freed from sin than to be allowed to live in sin and hereupon is resolved to use all God's means for the conquering of it and accordingly strives prayes watches and wrestles against it especially if he finds his lusts begin to fall before him undoubtedly there is grace in that mans heart As Haman's Wife said to her Husband If this Mordecai be of the seed of the Jâ—ws before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevail against him I shall be bold to say to such a person without any ifs or ands this Mordecai is of the seed of the Jews this grace before which thy lusts have begun to fall is the Seed of God and therefore thy sins shall never totally preval against it but shall finally fall and be destroyed by it 2. Mark 2. Wheresoever there is true grace there is a preferring in the esteem and choice of a strict and sincere godly life above any other life in the world A godly man loves all godliness and he loves it above all Psal 19. 9 10. The fear of the Lord is clean and endureth for ever the Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb that is than all the world more to be desired are they that is the fear of the Lord and the Judgements of God deserve more respect from men are of more value more worth the desiring and looking after than gold or honey Here are all the advantages of a worldly life put together in two words The profits of it and the pleasures of it and the fear of the Lord preferr'd before them all Than Gold Gold is all things Gold much gold hath greatness following it Gold hath glory all the glory of the world attending it Lands and livings and honours and friends and all things that a carnal heart can desire are hidden in the golden Mines Honey notes all the sweetness pleasures and delights of a worldly life Now saith the Psalmist put all this together all the revenues and incomes of a worldly life together with all it's pleasures and delights and the fear of the Lord will weigh them down all Though this foolish world run a madding after money and pleasure spend their dayes waste their lives prostitute their consciences throw away their souls upon these things yet one dram of godliness one day spent in the fear of the Lord is better than all this this the Psalmist gives as his Judgment Let us next consider what his Choice is Psal 4. 6. There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put gladness in mine heart more than in the time when their corn and wine encreased Psal 17. 14 15. The men of the world have their portion in this life their bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure they are full of Children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes but as for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness The men of this world as they seek so they have their portion in this life they have a glorious and a gallant time of it here great portions great possessions great prosperity their bellies full of pleasure enough to spend upon themselves and to leave to their Children after them this they have and much good may it do them Let me but behold the face of God in Righteousness walk before the Lord in my integrity keep a good conscience live in the obedience of his Will and in the light of his Countenance and then let them take the corn and wine and what else they can get let the Lord be mine and I shall never envy them their portion Psal 84. 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of the Lord than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness The meanest condition of those that live in the presence and favour of God I more desire and would rather have than the highest condition of others Let me be a door-keeper among the Saints rather than a dweller with the wicked So Moses Heb. 11. 25. Chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the Reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt Psal 119. 30. 111. I have chosen the way of Truth c. Thy testimonies have I taken as mine heritage for ever Where observe 1. How he came into the way of Truth that is not by chance but by choice I have chosen the way of truth There are some that stumble in upon Religion who being cast into such places or societies where Godliness is in fashion and credit joyn in to do as others do and yet their hearts have never chosen Religion but I have chosen the way of truth saith the Psalmist 2. What it is he chose of Religion The way of Truth the Testimonies or Precepts of the Lord. Some there are that have chosen the wages of Righteousness but not the way of Righteousness the Promises but not the Precepts of the Lord as much as you will of the sweet but none of the sweat of Religion But I saith he have chosen the way of Truth 3. What account he hath of what he hath chosen He accounts it as his heritage There be some that choose Religion but it is only for a covering or a cloak to hid their wickedness making the same use of it which a Whore doth of her paint to hide the deformity that is under Others take up Religion for their last Refuge something they must have to which they may have recourse at last but they will not have much to do with it nor take much pleasure in it at present But he chooses it not only as his Refuge bur as his Riches not only to be the ground of his future hopes but to be the matter of his present joy From all these Scriptures observe 1. That a godly mans settled Judgment is That a godly life is the best and happiest life 2. That a godly mans choice is according to his Judgment He esteems the fear of the Lord above Gold and he chooses it before gold He is better pleased and doth rather take up with the meanest and most afflicted condition in a way of holiness than with the most plentiful and prosperous estate in a way of sin he prefers the poverty of Christ before the riches of the World 3. Godly men and worldly men are distinguished and may be known the one from the other by their choice they make for themselves He that makes a worldly choice is a worldly man and he is a godly man that makes a godly choice Take Godliness with all its inconveniencies with all its difficulties and distresses when it is most under a cloud of reproach and contempt and take a worldly life with
countenance Israel might plainly see that Moses had met with God they might see the beams of divine Glory in his face Oh! how sad is it that Christians should return from duty with no more of God in their faces or upon their spirit than for the most part they do We come many times with no other spirits from our Bibles or our Closets than we come out of our Shops or out of our Barns no body would ever think we had been praying or conversing with God there is so little savour of God upon our hearts that we bring back with us Brethren whenever you let down your Pitchers into the Wells of Salvation be not content to bring them up empty be so conversant with God in your Duties that you come off laden as the Bee from the Flower with the honey and sweetness of your duties And this I advise you to endeavour after not only in your secret duties not only in your solemn publick duties on Sabbaths Humiliation-dayes or Thanksgivings but in your daily family-duties your Reading Singing Praying yea even in those shorter Prayers and Praises which you use before and after Meals Whenever you draw nigh to God look to see God to taste of God and to get down something of God upon your hearts And then 2. Whatever you have gotten from God in Duty what life what warmth what refreshing what enlargement of heart be careful to maintain and keep it alive afterwards See that your Spirits do not presently sink and cool again after they have been thus raised and warmed Do not satisfie your selves with this that you have some comfortable entertainment with God and feel some warm and lively works of your heart towards God and some refreshings from him in Duty but look to it that you keep that holy fire that is there kindled from being presently quenched again You do not eat and drink for an hour only that you may have the comfort of your food while your meal lasts but you eat for afterwards that the spirits and strength which you get by one meal may hold you out to the next meal Duties are the set-meals of the soul wherein it so feeds it self upon God that in the strength of what it receives it may afterwards walk with God more comfortably and chearfully The Lord promiseth to his people Lev. 26. 5. The Threshing shall reach to the Vintage and the Vintage to the Seed-time And Amos 9. 13. The Plough-man shall overtake the Reaper and the treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed The meaning is Your old store shall be so much and last you so long as till new com again you shall not only reap enough for the time of Harvest you shall not only gather enough to serve you during the time of the Vintage but your corn shall last from Harvest to Harvest your Wine shall serve you from Vintage to Vintage your Old store shall not be spent till New come to supply you Duties are the Harvests and Vintages of our souls Oh! what blessed lives should we live did we so improve and husband what we get in one Duty that it might last us out to another that the Vintage might reach to the Vintage the Harvest to the Harvest that the life and warmth and refreshing we get in one Duty might hold by us till the next and so we might be carried on in an holy lively heavenly Frame from Duty to Duty as Israel walked on from strength â—o strength till they came and appeared before God in Sion That which holds us so low and barren in Religion is that whatever we have obtained from the Lord in Duties and Ordinances we presently lose it when we have been weeping sometimes before the Lord and wrestling with him and pleading hard for some quickning or comforting influences of his Spirit upon our hearts and the Lord hath heard us and given us our desires yet then as soon as duty is over we go away and forget all and bury all that we have thus obtained in a confused heap of worldly thoughts and businesses we unbend and let down our spirits and lay aside all thoughts of God till we come to duty again we conrent our selves to live in such an estrangement from God all the rest of our time that sin and the world have a whole dayes time to pull down what an hours duty hath been building a whole weeks time to destroy and steal away what a Sabbath hath gotten in and so at the returns of duty we find our hearts at the same loss in the same deadness and hardness that they were before In the Old Testament though the Sacrifices were offered but morning and evening yet the fire that kindled them was not to go out night nor day there must be fire kept alive from the Morning-Sacrifice to kindle the Evening-Sacrifice and fire left from the Evening to kindle the Morning-Sacrifice Oh! Behold how often is it that though at our Morning-Sacrifice a fire is kindled yet we let this fire lie all day under the ashes and take so little care to keep blowing at it that it goes quite out before the Evening and when we come to offer our Evening-Sacrifice we have no fire to kindle it Brethren hath the Lord visited you and quickned and comforted you in duty Oh! think with your selves what a sweet life should I live might it be thus with me alwayes What pity is it that such light should ever go out that such grace should be so short liv'd Why if I do not look to my self the better this Sun-shine will last but a little while and how will the Lord take it if I suffer such sparks that he hath kindled so suddenly to be quenched How is my Soul ever like to prosper if such precious food pass away from it as soon as it is received Is this a fast that I have chosen for a man to afflict his Soul for a day Is this a prayer that God regards for a man to afflict his heart for an hour to be in the Mount with God to be raised up to Heaven for the time and within a few minutes after to be sunk into the dirt of the earth What a sad change is this How can you bear such a loss as this When will your souls come to any thing if you have only some few such lucida intervalla and all the rest of your time are covered over with clouds and darkness Beloved as ever you expect to prosper in grace or be settled in peace be chary of maintaining your duty in-comes do not think to make use of your prayer-comforts to save you the labour of an after care but to help you to be more careful and fruitful But how may we do to keep this Holy and lively frame 1. Be watchful Nehem. 4. 9. Nevertheless we prayed and set a watch against them night and day Beloved it is with you as it was with those Jews whatever you have gained you have Adversaries
lying in wait to steal it away whatever you have built you have adversaries lying in wait to pull down again I have heard of some inchanted places where what men built in the day the Devil pull'd down at night and this danger you are continually in what 's built at one prayer the Devil labours to pull down before the next Let your eye be much upon your hearts observe diligently how they hold up or sink that if there be the least damp or decay growing upon you you may espie it before it be gone too far 'T is no wonder we lose all upon such a sudden when ordinarily as soon as ever our duties are done away we goe and think no more where we have been or what we have been about as if we were well content to take our leave of our duties and our God together When you depart out of your Closets leave your hearts behind you Worldlings seldom bring theit hearts thither when they come to pray they leave their hearts behind them Let Christians never carry them thence when you have done praying and must abroad to your earthly affairs let your hearts stay behind with your God Let your thoughts be much upon the entertainment you have had see to it that the temptations you meet with do not so easily divert you from minding what you have been begging or wrestling for 2. Make present use of what you have obtained God gives Grace and Strength and Life for use and use will preserve it Hath the Lord warm'd thy heart goe warm thy Brothers heart and that will keep thine from cooling Hath God spoken comfortably to thy soul goe and speak of thy God and what he hath done for thee to others Hath God inclined and thereby fitted thee for action take the season thou may'st do more for God and for thy soul in such an hour than in many dayes beside be doing with what thou hast received and thou need'st not fear losing it when we are idle then we fall asleep and grow cold Instruments do not rust while they are in use We never more spend our strength than when we spare our labour 3. Life up your hearts to the Lord often every hour in some short Ejaculations No business no company can hinder this duty and this will be of special advantage to you therefore neglect it not every sigh or breathing of your souls Heaven-wards will fetch down fresh influences from Heaven upon you 4. Charge this whole course actually upon your selves every morning and examine every evening how you have kept to it 5. If you cannot otherwise bring or hold your selves 〈◊〉 this course bind your selves to it for some time by special vow till being a while inured to it it may become at length more easie Being thus entred upon and prepared for a godly life I shall give you some directions 3. How to carry it on and for your help herein take these following counsels I. In your whole course pursue and as much as possible eye your end God and your own salvation Consider often wherefore you live and what it is you would have and if this be it that God may be honoured and your souls saved let this be pursued and prosecuted in all the parts of your life Take not that course do not that action that hath not some tendency that way and that which hath a tendency let it be directed to that glorious end Let every arrow be levell'd at your mark The reason why the end is no more attained is because it is more intended 't is no wonder we shoot short or beside our mark when our eye is not upon it The eying our end will both direct our course and quicken and encourage us on Set the Lord much before your eyes dwell upon the contemplation of his Glory and glorious Excellencies consider how worthy the Lord is to be exalted and what an honour it is to poor creatures to be any way serviceable to his Honour what pity it is that any of your time any of your strength should be spent upon vanity which might be so improved to so worthy aud high an end Begrutch every minute of your time that is not bestowed on God Consider the blessedness of living for ever in the presence and enjoyment of God Look towards the holy City enter by faith into the Holy of Holies set your selves before the Throne of God view as much as at this distance you are capable that everlasting light those blessed and glorious joyes those rivers of pleasure that exceeding eternal weight of glory which is there possessed by the Saints And then say to your hearts Come on soul come on here 's that thou art praying for here 's that thou art labouring for here 's the Country the Kingdom the Crown that thou art fighting for and wrestling for and running and suffering for The setting this glory before your eyes will both quicken and sweeten your holy course and take off your hearâ—â— from any other courses The end puts a beauty upon the means and a blackness upon all the hinderances of its attainment A sight of Heaven will make a holy life a beautiful life There are two things that make an holy life beautiful 1. That it 's the Image of an Heavenly life 2. That it 's the way to it All the labours difficulties sufferings of a godly life are therefore pleasant and beautiful because they are the way of the Kingdom And on the other side a sight of Heaven will make the wayes of sin to be unpleasant to be dark and black wayes There are two grounds upon which sin is odious to the Saints 1. It 's Opposition and unlikeness to God it bears the Image of Hell upon it not of Heaven 2. It 's Interposition betwixt them and their end Nothing else can ever keep them from God There 's no danger of their falling short of Everlasting blessedness but by sin This is the only Gulf that 's fixed between them and Glory And hence 't is that the way of sin with all its pleasures ease and delights is to the Saints a dark and dismal way The pleasures of sin are black pleasures the gains of sin are black gains the jollity and liberty and prosperities of sin are all dark and black in their eye These clouds whatever brightness there seems in them do keep the Sun from shining on them Oh! what progress might you make in the way of Life where Holiness with all its difficulties become beautiful and Sin with all its delights become odious What would there then be wanting that might encourage you on what would there be then left to hinder you Why let God and Glory be more in your eye and then Sin will be more odious Holiness will be more precious in your eye you would then neither want encouragements to lead you on nor be incumbred with such temptations as now keep you back Tit. 2. 11 12 13. The Grace of God
which bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously c. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 16 18. For the which cause we faint not while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Before he had declared how hard 't was with them troubled perplexed persecuted cast down always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus c. Notwithstanding saith he we faint not while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen Brethren look on the things not seen and take from them both direction in your way and encouragement to go in it 1. Take Direction from Heaven when you are travelling and see the place before you whither you are going your eye will tell you your way When you are entring upon any Course then look up and consider Is this my way to God When you are eagerly and greedily pursuing the world ask your hearts Is this my way to Heaven Am I now working out my salvation When you are walking in the way of carnal pleasure or liberty then look up to the Lord and look in upon your heart and say if you can Now Lord I am hastening to thee now Soul I am taking care for thee my sports and my pleasures and my lusts are the way to mak God sure and Heaven sure to me Can you say so Will not your own heart tell you that is not the way If Heaven be it that I intend if Salvation be it I mind sure then I am not out of my way 2. Look Heaven-ward and take encouragement thence to go on View the glory that is above and consider what happy men you would be if you were once safely there and let such thoughts press you to hasten on and encourage you against all the labours and difficulties you must first pass through Think with your selves when you are setting upon any duty If I can get well through this duty I shall be one step nearer Heaven When you come to the beginning of every day well I shall this evening be gotten one dayes journey nearer home when you are falling into any trouble or affliction if I can cut my way well through this wave I shall be so much nearer Harbour Every new degree added to your grace is another stone laid up upon the building of glory every holy Duty you have rightly performed you are gotten one round higher in Jacob's Laddeâ— look how many dayes you have walked with God so many dayes journey you are nearer your rest Look how many troubles and temptations you have gotten Christianly through so many gulfs have you shot so many rocks have you passed by towards your harbour Oh! if such thoughts and considerations were continually upon your hearts and before your eyes how strangely would they quicken you and encourage you on your way Consider Christians and thence take courage after a few dayes more a few duties more a few wayes more you will be safely landed in your Countrey Lift up your eyes and see and then lift up your heads and rejoyce to see how by every duty and difficulty your redemption draweth nigh A traveller in his journey that 's almost spent and tired if he once comes within sight of home and be almost there this adds new strength and life and on he goes again amain Let your eye be more on your home and there will be less loytering or weariness in your way II. Walk on your way in the name of Christ Or live by faith Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God The strength of a Christian is his Faith the strength of Faith is Christ the strength of Christ is put into the Promises If you would live to God live by Faith if you would live by Faith go often to the Promises 1. Study the Promises the freeness of them there 's Grace in the Promise The fulness of them there 's Christ in the Promise and with him all things there 's wisdom righteousness strength there 's bread and cloaths and lands and friends and safety study the sureness of the Promises there 's an Yea and Amen set to them All the Promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Set thy Seal to them Believe that God is true 3. Clear up thine interest in them and thereby make it out that they are sure to thee 4. Treasure up in thy memory a stock and store of particular promises which may answer every case of thy life that so thou may'st have a word alwaies at hand to rely upon And then 5. Upon the credit of that word venture on after thy Lord in any duty through any sufferings he calls thee to whatsoever difficulty thou seest in thy work whatsoever danger thou seest in thy way whatsoever want or weakness thou seest growing upon thee go on resting upon Christ for success in thy duties and support under thy trouble and supply of thy wants according to his Word It may be when thou lookest before thee upon an holy life thou wilt say This is indeed a beautiful and blessed life if I could attain to it but oh I see there is so much to be done and so much to be born that I am in great doubt how I shall ever be able to go through it The Lord requires me if I will come after him to deny my self This first step puts me to a stand I doubt I shall stumble and fall at the very Threshold of Christianity Deny my self Alas I cannot deny my friend or companion I cannot deny mine Enemy that entices me to sin If Satan do but speak a word to me to draw me aside to iniquity he presently prevails and must I yet deny my self when I see how unable I am to deny mine enemies I cannot I câ—â—not do it Why here thy faith if thou wilt conâ—lit with it will furnish thee with this encouragement Though thou art able to do nothing of thy self yet though may'st be able to do all things through Christ which strengtheneth thee Phil. 4. 13. Again thou sayest The Lord requires me to make me a clean heart to purge my conscience to crucifie my lusts But who am I that ever I should think of doing such great works I could as easily make a new world as a new heart I can as well stop the Sun in its course as stop my lusts in theirs I can as easily dry up the fountains of the great Deep as cleanse the fountain of my corrupt heart and purge my self from an evil conscience I but now thy faith will tell thee He that bids thee cleanse thy heart hath said to thee Ezek. 36. 25. That he will sprinkle clean water upon thee and thou shalt be clean from all thy filthiness Thy faith will carry
told you this Self will be reasoning against it and counter-manding it When Christ sayes Be humble be watchful be circumspect be perfect labour run strive suffer Your flesh will contradict this is an hard Master these are hard sayings all this is both needless and intolerable Shake off thy heavy yoke and take thy liberty turn out of this straight way and take thy course pity thy self spare thy self and put not thy self to such hard service when thou mayest be free at least thou mayest abate something of this strictness If thou wilt be holy what need so much care and labour about it Allow thy self some liberty some ease some pleasure And if you yield in a little then it will counsel you to take a little more and a little more and never give over till it hath reasoned you out of all Christianity and commanded you into very Brutes or Devils But what shall we do or how shall we deal with this Self when it is thus set upon us Why return the same Answer to it as Christ did to Peter when he gave him the like counsel Master pity thy self Get thee behind me Satan saies he Hold thy peace Devil Speak no more thus to me Say to this Flesh as the men of Sodom said to Lot Gen. 19. Stand back This fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Judge or a Ruler Thou art stollen in I know not how stollen into my head stollen into my heart and now thou thinkest to be a Counseller to be a Ruler Stand back Flesh hold thy peace for I may not hearken to thee Say to it as the King of Israel said concerning the Prophet I hate him for he never speaks good to me but evil Say to this wicked Flesh as those wicked ones said against the Lord The word which thou hast spoken to me I will not do The liberty thou demandest thou shalt not have the pleasure and the ease which thou cravest I will not allow thee my Lord whom thou counsellest me against shall be my Lord him will I love him will I obey him will I follow in all that he shall say to me I will not pamper this Flesh but pinch it the more I will not humour this fleshly mind but cross it the more I will not feed this fleshly appetite but hold it the shorter for its cravings and lustings I will not Pray the less or Fast the less or Hear the less because this Flesh is against it but will Pray the more and Fast the more and beat down this bodie and bring it into subjection with the more care and diligence I will starve this proud beggar and weary it out of its imperious demands it shall get nothing if I can help it by all this ado it makes but shall rather be held the shorter I will the rather deny my self what I may allow my self because I will not feed or foster such an enemy Oh Christians What an exact life might we live and with what ease might we go on our holy course if this enemy were once well laid What an uncontrouled dominion might our Lord have over us if this Self were pulled down from sitting with him in the Throne And how much might be done to the destroying of it by our constant denying it Keep the Flesh low and by degrees you kill it But woe to us what Friends are we of this Enemy how gently do we deal with this old man What provision do we make for this Flesh What we have a mind to we must have what we have a mind to do we will do whither we have a mind to go we will go and seldome give our Reasons or our Consciences liberty to say to us What dost thou or once to judge whether it be good for us or fit for us or safe to us or no We are just like some fond Parents if their Child cry though it be but for a knife or a handfull of dirt it must have it to still it A wise Parent will rather give his Child a Rod than that which will hurt it and knows that this will be hurt enough that a Child should alwayes have its will Oh check and whip this Brat and let not thy Soul spare for its crying Better the Child cry than the Parent better the Flesh cry than the Soul and Conscience But oh what a sad wonder is it to observe how strangely indulgent too many Christians are this way who suffer their flesh to leave them almost to any thing who in a self-seeking flesh-pleasing life have equalled and even out-gone many of the carnal world What a liberty have many that seem to be Christians even of the highest form often taken in the dayes of their prosperity Some seeking great things for themselves driving so hard after estates honour high places c. as if they meant to return and take their portion with the men of this world Others living in pleasure with Solomon Eccles 2. 10. Whatever their eyes desire they keep not from them they withhold not themselves from any joy VVho as if they hoped to charm their flesh out of its enmity or to kill it bd kindness or if this were the Enemy which when it hungers they must feed when it thirsts they must give it drink and thereby heap devouring coals upon its head will not say it nay whenever it craves Oh what liberty have we seen taken by many such for excessive feastings costly attire vain fashions frothy light and carnal merriments yea and despisings and condemnings of the stricter and more self-denying way of more severe and mortified Christians as if this proceeded out of an affectation of a voluntary humility or an ignorance of their Christian liberty But is this indeed the way to crucifie the flesh Or have you gotten it so much under command already that now you can securely trust it with any thing it would have without fear of its getting head and making war against Christ or your Souls again Look to your selves Christians look back and consider whether your Souls have not suffered whilst your flesh have been thus surfeited whether there have not been some abatements made to Christ for every such allowance granted to the flesh and whether God hath not been provoked whilst self hath been thus pleased Think sadly whether this abuse of our liberty be not something that the Lord is now pleading with us about and scourging us for We have even put the Lord to it to cast us into the house of mourning thereby to repair the breaches that have been made upon our Souls in our Houses of Feasting And our Lord Jesus puts us the harder to the second Lesson Take up your Cross because we did no better learn our first Deny your selves IV. Order your selves aright Beloved if you will observe the former Rules well all that remains will be the more easie and I shall be the shorter in it Order your selves aright iu those things
reasoning and praying your heart to it take heed there be not an Act of Indulgence passed for this neglect take heed you do not say the Lord pardon me in this thing and so give off and let it alone 2. Neglect not any opportunity of dutie Whenever the Lord calls to duty let your heart answer whenever the Lord opens a door for any service take the season 1. Be watchful and observe every opportunity Sometimes the Lord puts thine enemy into thine hand gives thee some special advantage against such a lust or corruption Sometimes the Lord puts a price into thy hand an opportunity of getting in or laying up for thy Soul an opportunity of laying out for God or thy Soul observe diligently all such seasons Thou maiest do more or get more in such an hour than in many daies after 2. Keep thy heart in a disposednesse and constant towardlinesse to Dutie be alwaies prepared to everie good work see that however sometimes thou maiest want power to perform yet to will may be alwaies present When a price is put into thine hand seee thou want not a heart to it When thine Enemy is in thine hand let not thy heart spare it let not thine heart be out of the way whenever the season serves let not thy heart recur thus upon thee afterward O what a day have I lost how much seed might I have sown this day for Eternity what a treasure might I have laid up for Everlasting 3. Above all take heed you live not under a neglect of duty The most diligent and vigilant Christians have too many neglects but see that you are not guilty of any neglect in ordinarie that there be not any thing that you know to be your dutie which you commonly and of course passe over so that this day is even as yesterday and to morrow and next day and next week and so on is like to be as this day Whatever it be that you perform such a neglect as this will unavoidably hinder the thriving of your Souls in the Grace of God For 1. The guilt of such a neglect will wither and mar the beauty of what is done and the Lord will have such a standing controversie with you for what is not done that he will not accept or prosper what is done 2. There will be the want of the influence of those duties that are neglected We cannot want a duty but we may afterwards find the want of it in the state of our Souls Grace out of exercise grows to decay and if one of thy spiritual members suffer or wast the whole body suffers with it 3. The Devil will fill up the vacuities of our lives There is not a void Plat in thy Garden but the Devil will be sowing his seed If you do the Devil will not leave an empty day nor an empty hour of your lives If grace do not fill up each day with the duties of it he will fill it up with sin 'T is an hundred to one but a weed grows up in the room where a Flower is wanting Brethren if you would be thriving Christians be Universal Christians for any work your Master hath to do be ingenuous Christians willing to know your whole duty be watchful Christians that you may know your duty seasons and then be faithful allow not your selves in be not patient with your selves under any neglect 3 Take heed of the world If you be Christians Christ hath gotten the better of the world hath gotten the preheminence in you and brought the world under If it be so take heed it get not head again and that you may be both secured from the snares of the world and make your best advantages as Christians of it Take these following Directions 1. Never make an exchange of Christ or any thing of Christ for the world or any thing that is of the world never buy or purchase any thing of the world at so dear a rate as the losse of any thing of Christ Lose not any degree of grace for the gaining this worlds goods lose not a spiritual duty for the attending on a worldly business Enrich not your bodies upon the impoverishment of your Souls What possession or use of this world you may have without your spiritual prejudices enjoy it and be thankful but beware you do not so take up with the businesses and take in the advantages of this earth that your souls suffer losse that you should ever have occasion to say of any thing you have done or gotten This is the price of my peace this is the price of my comfort this is the price of a Sabbath or a Sacrament or a Prayer I have lost a Sabbath I have lost my communion with God in prayer I have abated the life and the vigour and exercise of my grace and this is all I have for it some addition to my outward state I have more of earth but so much the less of Heaven more Gold but the less Grace more of this Manimon but so much the less Manna more of the Cistern but so much the less of the Fountain Beloved it was never the intent of the Gospel to strip you of this worlds goods but to secure you only from the mischief of it be but so watchful and so fearful and so wise and wary in the managing your worldly businesses in the improving or securing your worldly estates that you be not hereby losers upon a spiritual account that you may have what you have as an addition but not so in commutation for Christ and he will never begrutch it you or blame you for it 2. Let not Christ and the world again change places or interests If Christ hath your hearts let him not again be thrown under your feet If the world begotten under foot let it not again get up into the throne let it be your servant if you will but let it never again be your God Let Christ be the chief in you let him have the highest esteem the dearest the strength of your affections the great command of you Let the Word of Christ be of more power with you and carry you farther than all the gains and glory of the World Let not this be your rule To follow Christ and Holiness so far as you may without any prejudice to your worldly interest but let this be it Follow the world so fur only as you may without being false or unfaithful to Christ Venture on in Holiness to the greatest hazard of your estate but venture not after this with the least hazard of your Religion Resolve to be Christians whether you be rich or poor but endeavour not to be rich but upon such terms that you may be never the lesse Christians Especially take heed that the Prosperity of the World steal not away your hearts Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them 'T is hard to prosper in the world and not to prostitute our hearts to it Temptation
it not only Truth but Faith and Love and ingenuity to God not only a good meaning but a good will to the work and to the Lord for whose sake we do it To walk sincerely is to walk both as in the sight of God as the witness of our uprightnesse to whom we dare to appeal and in the power of the Grace of God which carries us on to pursue his honour and interest The oppositâ— to this sincerity is fleshly wisdom or carnal policy which models our Religion and the exercises thereof in a consistency with and subservency to our fleshly interests And hypocrisie or dissimulation to which it is most properly opposed And there is a two-fold hypocrisie in our actions Either total that which denominates them hypocritical actions Or tial when though as to the main the heart be upright and the action acceptable to God yet there is some little mixture of deceit in it which though it be matter of humiliation to the doer yet doth not wholy hinder the acceptation of what 's done As there is no person so there is no action so perfectly sincere and upright with God but there is some obliquities to be found in it Brethren be upright in your way be true to the Lord not putting him off with eye-service but serving him in singlenesse of heart be ingenuous towards God with good will doing service whatever good words you speak whatever good duties you perform whatever good fruits you bring forth let good will be at the bottom Let not fleshly wisdom have any thing to do in the managing and ordering your Spiritual waies You must be fools if you will be honest He that will be wise saith the Apostle let him be a foâ—l So he that will be upright let him lay down his fleshly wisdom Let him not consult with Flesh and Blood nor studie to cast himself into such a mode or limit himself to such a measure of godlinesse as will best secure and advance his earthlie concernments but laying aside such considerations let him follow the Lord in all things whether it be right or wrong as to matters outward and carnal Beware of Hipocriâ—ie and dissimulation be not mockers of God Gal. 6. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked saith the Apostle That is either God cannot be mocked there 's no juggling with God there 's no deceiving of Gods Eie when you have done all you can to varnish an empty or deceitful work God cannot be deceived his eie sees what it is There 's no dissembling with God whatever there may be with men Or else God will not be mocked he will never be put off with nor bear mocking services but as men sow so shall they reap Look what their work is such shall their reward and their wages be There is a twofold-mock 1. A Deriding Mock 2. A Deluding Mock There is a deriding mock or a putting of scorn upon persons The Enemies of Jerusalem mocked at her Sabbaths the Persecutors and Cruciâ—iers of Christ mocked him and said Hail King of the Jews And there is a Deluding Mâ—ck or a putting a Cheat upon them to deceive them He that promises any thing that he doth not intend he that doth any thing or gives any thing which is another thing than it appears to be is a Mocker Thou hast mocked me these three times said Delila to Sampsoâ— when he pretended to have told her all that was in his heart and yet hat but lyed to her Judg. 16. 15. He that refreshes the needie with good words onlie be filled be warmed or Promises I will give I will relieve you this is but Mock-Charity He that paies his debts or buyes his Commodities with brasse money instead of silver this is but mock Justice and he that worships God with tongue-worship instead of heart-worship this is but mock Religion Oh how much such mocking of God are many Professors of Religion guilty of There 's nothing but words in their Professions nothing but words in their Prayers nothing but words in their Confessions and Acknowledgments Their Faith is a mock Faith and their Repentance is mock Repentance their Humility is mock Humility nay their very Alms and Benevolences wherewith those that received them are refreshed and relieved are in respect to God a mock Charity mock Alms. Whatever there is done there is nothing of the heart in it there 's no good will in all their good work and where that 's wanting the Lord looks on all as nothing Oh remember and bewail all your Hypocrisies and Dissimulation you are apt to think at least would make others think when you have been Praying or Fasting or keeping Sabbaths or visiting the Sick or relieving the oppressed that you have been doing some great good services when yet it may be you have been dissembling with the Lord in all and had need to go pray again not only Lord forgive us our sins our pride or our covetousnesse but Lord forgive us our Prayers Lord forgive us our Repentance our Fasting our Sabbaths our Sabbath-mockeries our Prayer-Mockeries Consider brethren what an high provocation this is 'T is no small sin to be mockers of men but will a man mock God Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God saith the Lord. Though you dare to steal and purloin one from the other yet dare you be so highly impious and sacrilegious as to rob God Ye have robbed me saith the Lord. You have not only robbed my Prophets and my Servants but ye have robbed me Will a man rob God So Will a man mock God Seemeth it to you a small thing that you weary men that you will weary my God also saith he Prophet Seemeth it a small thing to you to deal falsly with men but will you deal falsly with God also Brethren in all your waies observe the rule Do as you would be done by If you would not that the Lord should mock you be you no longer Mockers of God Do not put off the Lord with mock-duties unlesse you will be content to be put off with mockmercies mock-comforâ—s with a mock-pardon and a mock salvation Beloved Let us bewail our Hypocrisie Let us not only bewail and humbled under any thing we have offered up to God wherein we have been hypocritical in toto have done nothing else but plaid the hypocrites but let us bewail all those lower degrees of hypocrisie that have been mingled with the best of all our duties blessed be God that though we have been too hypocritical yet we are no Hypocrites blessed be God for any sincerity that he hath seen in us but wo to us and shame to us that there hath been so much hypocrisie mingled with it Oh let us fear an hypocritical heart Oh let us watch against an Hypocritical heart let us purge out all the remainders of this Pharisaical leaven Let there be truth in all we do and as much as in us lies nothing but truth Let us draw nigh to God with a
of all sorts As it is said of the Tree of Life that stands in the City of God above Rev. 22. 2. so let it be said of every living Tree that stands in the Vineyard of God here below That they bring forth twelve manner that is all manner of fruits be fruitful in every good work and bring forth fruit for every season There are summer fruits and there are winter fruits that God expects from you By summer fruits I mean those that are most proper for the daies of your prosperity as thankfulness watchfulness fear humility self-denyal mercy compassion c. Your winter fruits rae such as God looks for in the dayes of your affliction fasting repentance mortification humiliation submission patience c. Brethren be not only good summer servants but winter servants also and when ever it is winter with you â—all close to your Winter-work be much in the â—xercise of repentance godly sorrow patience c. â—et the persecuting World see that godliness will â—ot only live but flourish too in the hardest Winâ—er The truth is there is no such flourishing time â—or the Saints as the time of trouble Gods trees do usually bear best in Winter The Winter frosts do ordinarily bring forth and ripen their fruit better than the Summers warmthâ— At least the hard Winter prepares for a fruitful Summer Beloved â—s it Winter with any of you lose not this fructiâ—ying season to your work to your work Let your work serve you in stead of fire to keep you warm â—et not the cold windes and storms chill and freeze your spirits and so kill your fruits let a fire be kindled and kept alive within you the fire of love â—nd holy zeal I mean let those winds not blow â—ut but blow up these fires let them blow out the fire of lust of passion and contention but let them blow up the fire of love and zeal and let your winward warmth supply the want of outward comforts and encouragements for the cherishing and â—â—ripening of your fruit Be either bringing forth fruit or preparing for fruit let nor the Plough stand still let the clods be broken let the seed be cast in If it be the day of your tears sow in tears it is good sowing in such a rainy day and such a seed-time will bring forth a comfortable Harvest IV. Be stedfast and unmovable 1 Cor. 15. 58. Be not moved either from the hope of the Gospel or from the Obedience of the Gospel Be not Apostates from Christ let not the fear of the Crosse make you weary of the yoke of Christ Turn not back from the holy Commandment for any Tribulation that may come upon you Suffer not your selves to be persecuted out of your Religion or conscience Tribulations are temptations and will try what there is of God in you what reality there is lying under all your professions whether the Word of Christ hath taken any root in you And such troubles will make the greatest Tryal of you which fall upon you for righteousness sake There are some troubles that fall promiscuously on all good and bad and put no difference betwixt the one and the other but as an overflowing flood bear down all before them As in general families pestilences and wars in which it happen alike to the just and unjust to him that serveâ—â— God and him that serveth him not There are other troubles that fall only on the heritage of the Lord on the best among a people When the vile of the earth prosper and flourish and those only in whom some good thing is found are the suffering people When the Sun shines on the barren Mountaines and miry Marishes and 〈◊〉 Storms the Thunder and the Hail fall only on 〈◊〉 fruitful Fields when the Corn is smitten and 〈◊〉 the Thorns and Bryars escape Such troubles as fall on the Righteous of the earth and for their righteousness sake when the bread and water of affliction are given to Disciples and in the name of Disciples these are the most trying troubles Such troubles as leave men to their choice either to sin or suffer When godliness becomes the common rode to tribulation and ungodliness is the only door that is left open by which we may escape and shift our selves out of danger Such afflictions as these will make the most narrow search and through tryal whether we are godly indeed or not Brethren see that your hearts be so established with grace that you stand your ground and keep your way in such dayes of temptation And that you may hold out and hold on and abide in the day of greatest tryals take this course I. Try your selves throughly aforehand 1 Cor. 11. 3. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged Though I cannot say if we would try our selves we should not be tryed yet this I can say if we would try our selves we should be the more likely â—o abide the trial of the Lord. Try your selves afore-hand And that 1. What you are in the state of your souls according to the instructions I have already given you in this matter 2. What you are in your duties in your active obedience He that is not faithful in doing the Will of God is not like to be found faithful in suffering the Will of God He that carries himself Christianly in his present state needs not trouble himself with fears and doubts how he shall stand in any future state he may be brought into The tryal that trouble will make upon us is whether we will be faithful in doing the Will of God when we must suffer for it Now he that neglects his duty and cannot hold his heart to an holy conscientious course when he is in no danger and his Religion is like to cost him nothing what is like to become of this mans godliness when it may cost him the loss of all We readâ— Dan. 6. 10. When a decree was signed That whosoever should ask any Petition of God or man save of the King should be cast into the Lyons Dâ—n That Daniel prayed and gave thanks to his God three times a day as he haâ—â— done aforetime If Daniel had not used to pray aforetime when praying would bring him into nâ—â— danger he would not doubtless have adventured oâ—â— it in such a time when he saw evidently that it waâ— like to cost him his life Brethren Consider what your present course and care is Do you pray now and fast now and withdrawing your selves from the lusts and liberties of the world Do you now apply your selves to a soâ— ber serâ—ous self-denying life Are you now active for God and your sâ—uls and have you been conscientious and watchful and fruitful aforetime when there was nothing to molest or discourage you If you have been carnal and vain and remiss in the exercises of Religion when you might have been as holy as you would as strict and as zealous as you would without any fear of suffering for
unpeaceableness and suffer not unpeaceably be patient and you will be peaceable Brethren see that you be thus well advised meek humble peaceable and clear in the grounds of your sufferings And then V. Be resolute Be sure you stand on good ground and then resolve to stand your ground against all the world Follow God and fear not men Art thou godly repent not whatsoever thy Religion cost thee let sinners repent but let not Saints repent let Saints repent of their faults but not of their faith of their iniquities but not of their Righteousness The Psalmist as holy a man as he was was almost brought to it his feet were almost gone he began to say when he considered the prosperity of the wicked and his own afflictions Psal 73. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed mine hands in innocency Look to your selves you that stand and take heed lest you fall You that stand in integrity take heed lest you fall away by your Repentance Repent not of your righteousness lest you afterward repent of your repentance Repent not of your righteousness no nor of your zeal or your forwardness or activity in the holy wayes of the Lord. Your zeal it may be hath put you in the front of the Battel where you receive the first and hottest charge of your enemies reproaches and persecutions when others that have kept them more close and been more remiss or hid in the crowd and more out of gun-shot yet wish not your selves a step farther back or a cubit lower in your stature in the Grace of God Wish not any thing undone concerning which God will say well done Repent not and remit not of your zeal think not of a retreat Do not as the King of Israel hide your selves under a disguise feign not your selves to be worse in hope to escape the better the arrow may find you though you be hid from the eye Let not any of you that have been confessors of Christ return to be only his midnight disciples Forsake not the Lord till you can find a better Captain that is till God cease to be God till the Lord say shift for thy self there is no help for thee in thy God Retreat not from holiness till you are sure you can retreat without loss Be not false to Religion till you find it false to you If ever Godliness leave you in the lurch renounce it and spare not If ever Religion cost you more than it is worth throw it off as you will Christians know when you are well and hold your own be not betrayed out of your refuge If you must suffer suffer for that which will pay you your charges suffer not for your sins but for your Religion suffer not for the shadow or name but for the substance of Religion If any thing in the world will save you harmless in your sufferings and quit the cost of all your expences it is substantial goodness If there be any Stigmata Lâ—udis they are the marks which we bear in our bodies of the Lord Jesus If there be any shame that hath a glory in it it is the reproach of Christ and the shame that you suffer for his Name If there be any Cross that is a Crown it is the Cross of Christ If there be any Cross that can be undoubtedly called the Cross of Christ it is the holy Cross or sufferings for holnesse Those Martyrs that suffered under the Popish tyranny for witnessing against the abomination of the Mass with the rest of their Idolatries and Superstitions had not a more clear and glorious Cause and Crown than thou hast who sufferest for the power of Holinesse If there be any thing in the World which God owns and wherein his honour is nearly concern'd it is holiâ—ess If ever the Divel shewed himself a Devil it is in his opposing holinesse if ever he shewed himself a Devil in print it is in those books of reproaches and scoffs that are written against purity if ever he shewed himself a Devil in grain it is when his hands have been dyed with the blood of Saints Brethren if you will resist the Devil if you will be on the Lords side be on the side of Holiness If you will stand to any thing if you will not be whifling inconsistent shaken reeds tossed up and down with every Wind if you will fix any where fix here upon substantial godlinesse This is the great controversie betwixt Heaven and Hell betwixt the seed of the Woman and the Serpent betwixt the professing and prophane world about the substance and power of godliness some quarrels and contests there are about the shadows and appendants of Religion matter meerly circumstantial but whatever noise there be made about such things as these the bottom of the controversie lyes deeper it is about the body of Religion and not the skirts of its garments it is he that will live godly in Christ Jesus that doth and must suffer persecution Art thou godly Fix here and let this be thy resolution I live in a World of quarrels and contentions contentions about shadows and circumstances but for such things as these though I will not defile my self by complying in my practise with what Conscience complies not yet I list not to be contentious nor to perplex my self or others about them But by the grace of God whilst God is a God of holinesse whilst holinesse is the image and Interest of God whilst these words of the Lord Be ye holy follow holiness live righteously soberly and godly in this present World whilst these and the like words of the Lord stand un-repeal'd by the Grace of God I will be a Friend an Advocate a Confessor a practitioner of Holinesse to the end of my days This is my resolution and in this resolution I commit my self to God and so come on me what will FINIS PHIL. 4. 9. Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do the God of Peace shall be with you WHat the particular Reason of my choice of this Scripture this day is if you compare my present station with the intent of the Apostle in these words you will easily understand These words of the Apostle being part of the close of his Epistle to the Philipiant are his Valediction or Farewel to them It is not unknown to you that I must now be parted from you and I have pitched on this Scripture to be the Close of my Twenty Years Ministry among you God hath sent me among you to be a Builder and I have chosen this Text to be an Hammer to fasten and drive home those Nailes of Instruction and Consolation which I have been so long endeavouring to enter into you God hath sent me among you as a Fisherman and I have chosen these words to be as the closing of the Net Behold once more the Net is spread and I am now making my last Draught and oh
hath cost them so dear but shall prize it the more and be the more wary and tender how they pollute and turn aside from it God hath adventured deep on you make not him a Liar the devil his instruments will be ready to say concerning you as once he did to the Lord concerning his Servant Job Put them into our power let us have the handling of them a while and thou shalt quickly see what truth there is in them or what trust there is to them they 'l curse thee to thy face they 'l deny thee to thy face they 'l eat their own words they 'l be ashamed of their God their Godliness and Confidence Let God be true Christians and the Devil a Lyar be living Commentaries on this blessed Text Let the World and their black Prince see that they cannot make you miserable because they cannot make you sinners like themselves That you are still the more upright for falling into the hands of a crooked Generation Let them see that though your God will not suffer you yet you are contented to serve him for nothing That though his Hedge be removed from you yet your Heart is not removed from him Be able to say Though all this be come upon us Our heart is not turned back neither have we declined thy way Let our standing and encreasing in the Grace of God and abounding in the works of Righteousness be a standing VVitness for God in the VVorld and a Seal to his Scriptures and in special to the glorious Truth of this Text. 4. The evil things of the Saints prepare better things for them their Sufferings go into their Reward As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Every suffering comes with a comfort in its Belly and the sweet is so great as swallows up the bitter 't is a hundred fold that the Saints gain by all their Losses in this Life but how great shall their Reward be in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding Eternal Weight of Glory They shall not only have weight for weight measure for measure their Load of Glory for their Load of Sufferings but they shall have over-weight over-measure good measure pressed down heaped together and running over shall then be given unto them According to their deep poverty shall be the height of their riches according as their blackness hath been in their Houses of Bondage shall be their brightness in the Land of Promise for all thy shame thou shalt have double The double of thy Reproach in Renown the double of thy Tears in Triumphs all thy bottled Tears shall be returned in Flagons of Joy yea in Rivers of Eternal Pleasure By this time Christians you see what glory there is in this good word All things shall work together for good to them that love God And that none may have the face to say all this is but conceit I shall in the next place bring in clear and undeniable Evidence that it is certainly and unquestionably so as hath been said And therefore know 5. That all things do and shall certainly work for good to them that love God This besides the Testimony of this Scripture I shall make evident from these three Propositions 1. There is a Divine Providence that governs the VVorld 2. The Design of Providence is the accomplishment of the good purpose and promise of God 3. The Providence of God shall never fail of accomplishing its end 1. There is a Divine Providence which governs the VVorld the Epicureans who deny Providence and leave all on Chance and Fortune may as well deny that there is a God which yet they are asham'd to stand to Of Epicurus himself it was said Quem nihil pudendum pudet pudet tamen Deum negare It can be no way reconcilable to the infinite Wisdom of God who made this Glorious Fabrick with the various Creatures therein either not to determine them to their Ends or else to take no care for their accomplishing those Ends they are determined to The whole Current of Scripture is so plain in these matters that he that runs may read Let the following Scriptures amongst others be considered Psal 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the isles be glad Psal 67. 15 16. The Eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their Meat in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desires of every living thing Psal 36. 6. Thou preservest man and beast Psal 75. 6 7. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Amos 3. 6. Shall there be Evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Psal 17. 13 14. Deliver my Soul from the wicked which is thy Sword from Men which are thy Hand The confessions of those Infidels Nebuchadnezzar and Darius speak the same Dan. 4. 35. All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his Hand or say unto him What dost thou Dan. 6. 26. I make a Decree that in every Dominion of my Kingdom Men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the Living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion shall be even unto the End He delivereth and rescueth and he worketh Signes and Wonders in Heaven and Earth who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the Lions But more distinctly the Lord governs all inanimate and sensitive Creatures in their actions he orders the Stars in their courses The Stars in their courses he made to fight against Sisera He governs the Winds and the Floods he bringeth forth the Winds out of his Treasures he rides upon the wings of the Wind. He maketh the Clouds his Chariots he sitteth on the Floods the Thunder and the Hail and the Rain and the Frosts are all at his Command He giveth Snow like Wool and scattereth the hoar frost like ashes He casteth forth the Ice like morsels he sets bounds to the Sea which it shall not pass the Birds of the Air the Beasts of the Field the Fishes of the Sea yea the stones and dust of the Earth are all at his beck More especially he rules and governs the men of this World He sits in all the Counsels of men though they see him not he orders all their Decrees there 's no Decree can pass unless God gives his Vote He rules in all the actions of men even those things that are acted through our improvidence come not to pass without the providence of God He rules in all the changes that are in the world he changes the times and the seasons he changes Kingdomes and Governments he removeth Kings and
the Palms of thine Hands and in the very prints of thy Feet whose Malice against God and his Holiness may be read in every look in every word in every Line of thy life needest thou any further proof that thou art not of God Thou mayst as well put me to prove that Hell is not Heaven that the Devil is no Saint as that thou art no Christian Dost thou love God art thou under the hope of the Promise Ask thy ways man and let these tell thee 2. Doest thou mean to keep at this distance from God to the Death Doest thou in earnest Is there nothing in those rich Promises that have been laid before thee which thou canst with 't were thine Is there no such word in thine hearâ— Oh that my Lot were here Art thoâ— content thy name should be left out for ever Is there so little in the peace of God that thou canst fell it for the pleasures of sin Art thou content that nothing should prosper with thee but that every thing should be a Gin and a Snare and a Curse to thee Art thou content that the Piâ— should be thy place Eternal Wrath thy Portion and that every Creature every Comfort every Cross that comes should give thee a pluck down from Heaven and a kick towards Hell canst thou think they mean thee any thing else when all does but harden thee in thy sin and make thee kick against thy God Art thou so unwilling to leave thy sins for the hope of the Promise of God that thou art content to give up thy hopes for the love of thy sins Darest thou say Let me have my part in the pleasures and contentments of this life and I am contented to relinquish my part in Christ Let God let me alone in my sins and let him damn my Soul Let me live at my ease and my liberty and let my name be blotted out of the Book of Lifo I am content to take my place and my lot among the damned in another world so I have my pleasure with them in this World And dost thou say less or other than this whilest thou refusest or resolvest against following thy God He that refuses to accept of the Redemption of Christ upon the holy Terms upon which 't is offer'd says in effect I am lost I am sold for a Captive to the Devil my first Father sold me for an Apple Christ would now buy me back again to my self but for my part I am contâ—nt that the first Bargain stand As to my interest I confirm the Bargain As for my Soul being sold to the Devil to the Devil let it go This is the voice of every wilful Refuser of the Terms of the Gospel Oh Wretch does not thy heart tremble does not thy hair stand on end do not thy knees shake and are not the Joints of thy Loins loosed to consideâ— what thou hast done and art still a doing Sinners I have but a little more to speak to you but shall that little be nothing Hither to you have stood it out and will rot be perswaded by ought that God hath spoken by me But oh must I leave you thus Why may not a word at parting do more than all that hath been spoken Oh that it might Shall neither my first nor last words prevail with you What if my last should be your last If the last that I must preach be the last that you must hear There is a day set that will be your last day There is a Sabbath that will be your last Sabbath There is Sermon that will be your last Sermon There is a VVarning that will be your last warning Oh what if this should be it If the Lord should take your this dayes denial for your final Answer and never ask your consent again for ever But whether it be your last or no I must be henceforth silent to you And oh will you send me away with so sad an Heart with the sorrow and shame of the disappointed Will you break my Heart by persisting to hearden yours Is this all I shall have to return to the Lord that sent me unto you I have declared thy Name unto them but they did not regard it I have invited them to come to thee but they would not follow me I have warned them to return from their sins but they would not hearken Are you willing that I shall give in this Answer and bear this Wiâ—ness against you at the Great Day sinners hearken is there not one blind person among you that is yet willing to have his Eyes open'd Is there not one Captive to Lust Vanity that 's willing to be set free from his Bondage Is there not one more that will be perswaded to be wise and to prefer an immortal Soul God Glory Eternity before his bruitish perishing pleasures Is there not one Drunkaad more that will yet be perswaded to be sober Not one vain person that will be perswaded to be serious Am I making my last Draught among you and shall I take nothing Not one Soul more If you will not yet be prevailed with then hear the Word of the Lord Ezek. 3. 19. If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness he shall dye in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul But if there be any few relenting hearts among you who are brought but thus far to cry out Why what must I do I would leave with such these few words of counsel and oh that my counsel might be accepted by them 1. Get a deep sense of thy dreadful state What art thou sinner What is thy state at ease in peace out of fear in pleasure What and yet a sinner In the bond of iniquity Captive to the Devil without Christ without the Promise under the curse Study these Scriptures Joh. 8. 34. He that committeth sin is the servant of sin vers 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil 2 Tim. 2. 26. Held captive by him at his will Act. 8. 23. In the gall of bitterness and in the Bond of iniquity 1 Joh. 5. 19. The world lyeth in wickedness Ps 11. 6. Vpon the wicked he shall reign Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Psal 49. 15. Like Sheep they are laid in the Grave Death shall feed upon them Rise Sampson the Philistims are upon thee awake sleeper the Devil is upon thee Death is at thy back the Gin is at thy heel the Curse is over thy head the very next step may be Hell Thou lyest in wickedness to day mayst be in fire and brimstone before to morrow Sure thou art in a dead â—leep that canst take thine ease in such a Lodging Is this the state thou art so loath to change Is this the state thou so boastest of and blessest thy self in When thine heart is merry with thy Wine swel'd with thy pride jollity amongst thy Companions put in such a
serious Question But what am I all this while Let this thought sawce thy sweet Morsel spice thy pleasant Cups be the Burthen of thy merry Songs After this Hell Snares Fire and Brimstone the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Oh an Heaven a Paradise oh my dear pleasures oh my sweet Laughter oh merry dayes what Mortal can part with you I but what comes after What is there at the bottom Look a little before thee and if that sight turn not thy stomack sure thou art sufficiently hardy Study thy case and tremble and when thou tremblest there 's hope thou wilt turn Think not of Repentance or escaping from thy sinful staâ—e till thou see and fear it We read Isa 42. 7. that Christ was sent to open the blind eyes and to bring out the Prisoners out of Prison If the Prisoners eyes be shut 't is to little purpose that the Prison doors be open Their Eyes must be first open'd not only that they may see their way out but that they may see themselves in Prison Open thine Eyes Sinner if ever thou wilt escape open thine Eyes and see where thou art Thy Fools Paradise wherein thou blessest thy self is thy Souls Prison where thou art like to be held under Eternal Bondage 2. Give a present Bill of Divorce to every sin hug not Death one minute longer in thy Bosom If thou lovest thy Life say not of any one sin Nothing but Death shall part thee and me No not so much as this Yet a little while and I will let thee go Today to day if your will hear his voice hearden not your hearts 4. Dread it as Hell that thy hope in Christ should lessen thy fear of sin Let not thy hope of a Saviour be thy damnation Make not Christ the Pandor of sin continue not in sin because Grace hath abounded 4. Break off from thy Companions in sin wilt thou love them to the death Christ and thy Soul can never be married till thy Soul and Sinners be parted Escape for thy life get thee up from the Tents of these men linger not Thou art held under the power of the Devil by cords and by knots by the cords of thy sinnes and by the knots of thy Companions There 's no hope that the cords of sin will be broken till the knots of evil Companions be loosed Sinner these binding Cords will if thou look not to it become whip cords to torment thee Oh take heed thou never come to be lashed with such knotted cords Thy Companions in sin as they now heighten thy pleasures so will they hereafter sharpen thy plagues Sinners comfort their hearts with this thought That if they be damned they shall have store of company but let them know That the fire of Hell will burn just so much the cooler for the multitudes that are there as the fire of their Chimney does for the store of fewel When thou art charmed with the roaring of thy Companionâ— in the Ale-house think what musick their roaring with thee will make when you shall all meet in your eternal Prison Away from evil company you will remember hereafter when â—is too late how much and with how little success I have laboured with you in this thing 5. Baffle not Conscience once more Awakened Sinner Charm not thy Conscience into silence nor dash it out of countenance Thy Conscience is the only Friend that God or the Soul hath left within thee Thy will and thy affections and thine appetite are all gone the Devil hath stoln them away and hired them all against thee thou hast nothing but poor Conscience left Thy Conscience hath been often upon the pleading with thee for God and for pity to thy Soul It hath warned thee reproved thee and often whisper'd thee in thine Ear What dost thou mean whither art thou going when wilt thou return Away with thy sins have done with thy Companions no more of this drunkenness this riot this covetousness Thou art a lost man thy Soul is lost if thou go on Thus Conscience hath warned thee and thou hast sometimes hearkned to it and spoken it fair The throbs and the pangs and the wounds thou hast felt and received from it have wrung from thee now and then a promise Well through the Grace of God I 'le hearken to Conscience I 'le be a new man Away from me ye sinners I will keep the Commandments of my God And yet shortly after when thy Temptations return thy Companions come all 's forgotten and along thou goest as a fool to the Stocks or an Ox to the slaughter and this hath been thy way and thy mannâ—r from time to time Now and then Conscience draws a sigh or a â—ear from thee and by and by receives a kick or a stab Beware Sinner Conscience will not alwayes be thus us'd If ever it speak again say it not Nay It 's next word may be it's last if ever thou weariest it into perpetual silence then farewel all for ever Conscience is the only Friend thou hast left Convinced Soul How wilt thou bear the revenges of an awakened abused Conscience all thy bâ—fflings of it here will be repeated over in eternity How will all this look when it shall meet thee before thy Judge Save thy self from that hour Baffle nor Conscience once more 6. Let not the gâ—eatness of thy sins nor the difficulty of Christs terms hinder or discourage thee from making a present close with Christ Say not his Yoke is too heavy his Cross is too grievous for me to bear or my sins are too great for him to bear Set the Throne against the Yoke the Crown against the Câ—oss infinite Merit and Mercy against mighty sins and go unto Jesus cast thy self on his bloud and bowels and put thy self under his Yoke and Scepter If he will give Life to thee be content that he give Laws to thee and as ever thou expectest to live by him be resolved to live to him and no longer to thy self Go to Jesus and when thou goest take with thee these two Scriptures Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and you shall find rest unto your Souls Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 7. Fall close to Duties and keep close to Ordinances 1. Let secret and Family Prayer be thy daily exercise Count not thy self a Christian till thou give thy self to prayer 2. Let not reading the Word Catechising c. be strangers in thy house 3. Prize improve and sanctifie the Sabbaths The Lord on those dayes comes down upon his Mount to meet thy Soul to commune with thee to bless thee to feed thee and fill thee with whatsoever thy Soul desireth or wanteth Get thee up to meet thy God But remember when thou goest leave thy staff behind thee 4. View often and take an account of thy self of the
at last have a TEKEL written for your doom and hear that cutting word pronounced upon you Thou art weighâ—d in the ballance and art found wanting With you also would I leave a few words 1. Lose not both Worlds this World thou hast lost already by leaving them so much behind thee lose not that which is before for want of coming on a little farther think not of hanging always betwixt Heaven and Hell In the other World there 's no middle either go back or come on turn thee to the right hand or to the left 2. Mistake not almost for altogether such a mistake may be mortal Do not too â—â—ily conclude thou hast already attained if thou takest something of Christianity to be all thy all is nothing 'T is a wonderful thing to see how easily men satisfie themselves in a matter of such weight and intricacy Thine heart is deceitful try it thoroughly before thou trust it One grain too light and thou art undone God Glory Soul Eternity all lie at stake one tittle short of sincerity and all lost Be jealous of thy self never give over suspecting thy State till thou hast put it past suspition Conclude not till thou hast thoroughly disputed the case give not over the dispute till the matter be no longer disputable Canst thou be too sure the least mistake is as wide as Heaven and Hell the bottomless Gulf reaches home to the Threshold of glory thy tantum non will be as much as the Devil looks for only not in though never so near will be thy eternal perdition 3. Beware that this thought one time or other I shall have more power slacken not thy present care and labour Let not thy hopes undo thee Lose not a present opportunity in hopes of future ability Labour each day to bring the matter to a present Issue and that with no less earnestness than if this day were to give a final determination and thou wert sure that thou wert just come to thy now or never 4. Let not a small matter part Christ and thee Heaven may not cost thee half so much more as it hath cost thee already Art thou come within one peny of thy Lords price and shall that break the bargain 5. Let not thy Oyl thou hast gotten serve only for fewel for thy fire Let not thy common grace thou hast obtained here be of no other use but to add to thy confusion hereafter every beam of light that hath shined to thee here will add to the horrour of thine everlasting darkness Every drop of Honey thou hast tasted in Religion will be thy Gall and Worm-wood in the day of thy condemnation Be not more miserable hereafter for that thou hast been less wicked here the remembrance how fair thou wert once for Glory will be one of the sharpest Teeth of thine everlasting Worm 6. Lastly Be all or nothing come up hither or get thee down to thy lot particularly 1. Be all unto Christ 2. Let Christ be all to thee 3. Let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee 1. Be all unto Christ have none to please but Christ and for Christ have nothing to seek but Christ and for Christ resolve against Reserves and limits give up all and keep back nothing say not thus much I can spare and no more hitherâ—o I wiâ— go and no farther Divide not thy self thy love thy care thy aims betwixt Christ and any thing else Let thy whole Soul run in one Channel Rest not short of a full resignation and when thou hast resigned repent not 2. Let Christ be all to thee say not I must have an Estate too my Friends too my pleasures and my ease too let Christ be enough and all to thee Father Mother House â—â—nds Portion say conâ—â—ing all thou hast else Be thou mine Lord and let these go their way 3. Let all of Christ be accepted and improved by thee Divide not thy self and divide not Christ leave not any thing of thy self for any but Christ refuse not any thing of Christ for thy self Think not thy all too much for thee to give nor Christ's all too much for thee to embrace Thy half will not satisfie Christ nor will half of Christ suffice thee Thou must give and have and therefore resolve to give and take all or none Let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee 1. The merit of his blood 2. The light and Authority of his Law 3. The Power of his Spirit 1. Accept the merit of his blood renounce thinâ— own and rely on his righteousness as God hath so do thou lay on him all thine iniquities Think not of Sanctification without satisfaction Think not to satisfie in the least by ought that thou canst do let that lye upon him Judg thy self but seek to be justified alone through Faith in his blood Say unto the Lord what I owe to thee put it upon his account my Christ must answer for me 2. Accept and submit to the light and authority of his Law Think not he is thy Priest unless he â—e thy Prophet and thy King If he must answer for thee let him instruct thee and be thou willing to learn of him since he hath bought thee let him govern thee say not of any thing he requires this is too much to do since he said not to thee 't is too much to dye Count not thy self Christian whilst thou art unwilling to receive the utmost light or to submit to the utmost of thy duty say not of any one thing of all that Christ requires This I must have abated and then I will be his 3. Accept and exert the power of his Spirit the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of Power The same Argument which the Apostle uses to prove himself a Minister of Christ is necessary to prove thee a Christian 2 Cor. 13. 3 4. Since ye seck a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you ward is not weak but is mighty in you Though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God for we also are weak in him but we shall live with him by the power of God Ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me ye put me to prove that I am a Minister of Christ why here 's the proof of it My preaching hath not been weak but mighty in you It hath been followed and attested by the power of Christ which hath wrought mighâ—â—ly in you as weak as we are yet the power of Christ hath been manifested and magnified in us Doest thou seek a proof of thy Christianity why here must be the proof that though thou art weak of thy self yet thou livest in the power of God which is mighty in thee Though thou canst do nothing of thy self yet thou art able to do all things through Christ which strengthens thee Thou sayst thou art willing but thou art weak thou desirest to be and to do what God would have thee but thou canst not perform
This may comfort and support thee much under thy failings and miscarriages in some particular duties but if this be thy case in ordinary in the main of thy life that to will is all thou hast thou art not a Christian He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And he that hath the Spirit of Christ it is in him as the living power of God actually carrying him on in an holy life Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I will not only command perswade incline you but cause you It shall be done my Spirit shall bring you on and help you through Yâ— shall keep my Staâ—utes and do them Where-ever the Spirit of God hath breathed in the life of grace there are more than breathings out after a gracious life Sincere grace hath more in it than wishings and wouldings than attempts and overtures Life is a power to act Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation for it is God that workeâ—h in you to will and â—o do Where-ever God worketh the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle he works also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari Where-ever God works in he gives us a power to work out the works of Christiâ—nity Oh rest not till thou find thy self endued with this power from on high inabled to go through with thy work They are not thy Attempts but thy Atchievements they are not thy Offers at an holy life but thy acting it that must prove thee a Christian He that doth rightâ—ousness is righteous Be it thus with thee be all to Christ let Christ be all to thee let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee heartily accept the merit of Chrisâ— Righteousness submit to the light and authority of his Law get thy self possest with and live in the power of his Spirit be it thus with thee come up hither and then thou art safe Thy almost is now come to altogether and if I must now leave thee thou wilt be the better able to spare me These things do and the God of peace shall be with thee Thou art gotten into Sanctuary and now what-ever Tossings and Tumblings whatsoever unpleasing or afflicting changes may be thy lot in this World thou may'st sing that Requiem to thy self Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Gothy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with amerry heart for God now accepteth thee Though thou walkest through the shadow of Death thou may'st now sit thee down under the shadow of thy Lord with great delight and with great security whose fruit shall be ever sweet to thy taste Though thou dwellest in Mesech and hast thy Habitation among the Tents of Kedar yet thou may'st lay thee down in peace and take thy rest for the Lord doth the Lord will make thee to dwell in safety 2. To the Godly Happy Souls The God of Peace is with you all things shall work for good to you only that he may continue with you continue you with him in the obedience of that Gospel to which you have delivered up your selves My Exhortation to you shall be 1. General Respecting the whole course of your Lives 2. Particular Respecting your daily Walk My general Exhortation shall be bottomed on that of the Apostle Phil. 1. 27 28. Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your Affaires that you stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel In nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel Walk worthy of the Gospel let your lives be suitable and answerable to the Holy Gospel which yoâ— profess 1. Let your lives answer the ends of the Gospel the exaltation of the Name and glorious Grace of God in Christ live an humble self-denying self-abasing this is a Christ exalting life 2. Let your life answer â—he Dignities and Honours the Gospel invests you with You are the children of God the Heirs of Glory the Spouse of Christ the Bride the Lambs Wife You are a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people know your priviledges and do not live below your selves defile not your glory by stooping to a Carnal and Earthly Life a Jewel is not more unbecoming a Swines snout than fleshly Husks a Saints Palate 'T is below you who are peculiar people to your God to live in common with the Men of â—his World humble your selves into the least of Saints but do not humble your selves into Bruits a Live in the Spirit converse with God be dealing for Glory Honour and Immortality 3. Let your Lives answer the Names which the Gospel puts upon you Doves Lambs Lillies be harmless peaceable gentle beautiful fragant sending forth a precious savour in the World 4. Let your Lives answer the Riches the Reward the Crown the Kingdom which the Gospel sets before you Live a contented life be satisfied be well pleased with what you have here be it little or much disgrace not your portioâ— the Gospel allots you as if it â—re a poor insufficient portion Let your souls â—â—y How small an handful soever you have of this Earth it is enough Christ is mine A discontented Christian says Christ is not enough Heaven is not enough Let the Contentation of thy Spirit declare before the World that the Lines are fallen to thee in 〈◊〉 pleasant place and that thou hast a goodly heritage Do not put this Scorn upon God and Glory that thou must be beholding to the Devil to mend thy portion Christian either thou art within the Promise or a stranger from it Either thou hast the God of Peace with thee or not If not me-thinks thou shouldst find other matter to take up thy thoughts and not have leasure to perplex thy self with every trivial want that thy meat or thy drink or thine house or the carriage of thy friends towards thee are not according to thy mind thy Soul thy Soul man thy life is in danger Oh what an Eternity art thou like to have of it Canst thou want a God a Christ an Heaven and thine heart never stir at it And is the dissatisfaction of thy vain mind or appetite such a Burthen Is the Devil in thy heart and it never moves thee and shall an ill neighbour be a vexation to thee Canst thou feel a Feather when thou hast a Talent upon thee The Curse the Curse of God is upon thee I cannot wonder thou shouldst be discontent but me-thinks these small matters by a man in thy case should not be minded If Christ and the Promise be thine is not that enough Are not all things enough God is all
me so I can be in pain in disgrace If thou wilt have me But I cannot be unholy I cannot bear it to be such a starveling in the state of my Soul Lord for more holiness Lord for more life and care and zeal and fruit let me have it upon what terms thou pleasest only let me have it Can you say thus to the Lord I hope you can what and yet be displeased it he take you at your word can you pray thus and yet repine and murmur that the Lord hears your prayers Christian when the Lord comes to deal roughly with thee entertain his chastisements whatever they be with this thought Now the Lord is about to give me my hearts desire now is my day of hope This distress this sorrow and anguish the Lord hath brought upon me may be come to perform that work which I have long'd to see What the Word hath been so long a doing and yet is not done What Sacraments Prayers Mercies have been so long a doing and yet is not done Now is the time this may be the means to bring it about This bitter Cup hath health in the bottom this Plough and these deep furrowes it makes look towards an Harvest The work is doing that I have been so long a begging This froward this senseless this sloathful this earthly barren heart which I feel to day I hope now in a little time I shall be rid of for ever If this be the meaning of my troubles as I hope it is I will wait I will wait for the fruit and if this be the fruit oh welcom welcom this blessed Providence 6. Your patient suffering shall be the advance of your glory Remember what I have told you already Your suffering shall go into your reward according to your deep poverty so shall your riches be As 't was said concerning Babylon Rev. 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much sorrow and torment give her So shall it be said concerning you How much they have been abased and afflicted for me so much Joy and Glory give them As sure as the persecuâ—ings of the ungodly shall meet them in hell so certainly shall the Persecutions of the Righteous meet them before the Throne of God This shall be written on their everlasting Crowns Here is the Patience of the Saints By this time you see Christians that a suffering state is not so formidable nor patience under it so impossible nor your impatience so excusable as your hearts are so apt to tell you Sufferings you cannot avoid but you may abide them your carnal hearts will cry out I can't endure and therefore whatever shift I make I must avoid them The Gospel tells you You may endure but if you will be Christians you can't avoid them All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Well since it 's thus Gird up the loins of your Minds and follow your Lord. Consider him that endured such contradictions of Sinners and be not weary noâ— faint in your minds The Captain of your salvation was made perfect through sufferings and if you will be patient so shall you his followers Turn to your strong hold ye Prisoners of hope prove to the world that your Faith is no fancy nor your Rock a refuge of lies that your profession of holiness is not a meer talk or vapour Fear not to bear yours and thankfully accept your Lords Testimony when the Lord hath fulfilled his sad Predictions let your faith and patience seal to the fulfilling his promises When-ever the hand of the Lord touches to the quick and you feel in earnest that 't is hot service to be a Christian when your flesh begins to fly in your face and cries out against your Soul either as Zippâ—rah against Moses a bloody Husband hast thou been to me or as Job's Wife to him Curse God and dye chide it into silence Thou speakest like one of the foolish Women If it will still kick and â—ling and groan out to thee dost thou still retain thy integrity hearken not to it leave it to groan alone as the flesh hath left thy Soul to groan alone under sin so let thy Soul leave thy flesh to groan alone under affliction While thy Soul is quiet there 's the glory of patience though extremity of torment make thy flesh to roar nay the more the flesh roars and the Soul yet keeps silence the more patience If your fears affright you and prophecy to you before hand Oh I shall never be patient if the fore-sight be so dreadful what will the encounter be Yet be not discouraged You say you could be content to suffer if you were sure you could be patient that is you would venture into the water if you had first learn'd to swim why when you are in then you will learn and not before Tribulation worketh patience where it findeth none when you are in the fight you 'l find your weapons your very sufferings will learn you to bear 'T is the flesh that flings and frets but by that it hath been tamed in the house of affliction it will be quieter Be jealous of your selves while you will let not fore-hand presumption hinder fore-hand preparation But whilst you suspect your selves distrust not your God follow the Cloud of Witnesses and lean on the Rock of Ages and when you are put hardest to it let your soul take Sanctuary here When my flesh and my heart faileth me God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Lastly As that wherein I shall take in most of these former particulars Let your lives answer that Spirit of holiness which the Gospel hath powred forth upon you Let your lives be gracious and holy lives Particularly 1. Let the Grace of the Gospel be visible and perspicuous in your lives shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Let your lives be the image of thot holy Doctrine or the holding forth of that word of Life which you have received Admire that grace of God which hath appeared to you and let his Grace appear and be admired in you let Grace appear in you in its Purity Power 1. In its Purity represent your God and your Christ and your Religion in its holiness to the world Teach the World to love or at least to reverence holiness by letting them see it before their eyes Holiness hath such a Glory in it that it will command respect and reverence when it is clearly seen Let your paths be pure as God hath separated you to separate your selves from the lusts of men to the Law of your God Keep your selves upright in the sight of God keep your selves unspotted of the world If they will be spotting you let it be only with your beauty spots your Wisdom Truth Holiness Mercy Meekness Patience the Excellencies and Vertues of your God appearing upon you Let this that you are too pure
It holds up Christ for a shield it holds up the Promises for a Shield the very Commands and Institutions of God for a Shield and Safe-guard to the Soul Sometimes the sense of guilt assailes and weakens the heart It is not so much any thing without us as something within us that raises our fears How small a matter will fright a guilty Soul Guilt will make every stroke a stab It 's the barb of the arrow the venome on the dart or the sore of the heart that makes every stroke formidable and terrible 'T is the guiltless Soul that hath courage and boldness Hic murus ahoeneus esto Now against this dreadful dart Faith holds up a Buckler with a Crucified Jesus upon it and so that 's quenched Sometimes darkness and uncertainties about the way that we are in raises our fear A Christian that knows himself in his duty in his way is out of fear Clearness gives boldness Whilst we question the warrantableness of the way we are in every shadow of danger will shake us Against such feares Faith holds up a Buckler with this inscription Have not I commanded thee It shews the Command and in that our warrant and in our warrant our security When we question whether our Worship for which we are like to suffer be right or no Faith holds up an Institution for our Shield If this Fear oh I shall not hold our I shall deny my Lord and his faith if put to it assailes the Soul here faith holds up the Promise for a Buckler He hath said I will not fail thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper 2. Formally Faith not only lifts up a shield but is our shield The very believing in a crucified Jesus the very believing the Command the Justification the promise stays and supports the heart against whatsoever may befall it I had fainted but that I believed Christians whatever your duties difficulties despondencies straits temptations afflictions weaknesses are believe and you shall be carried through believe and you shall be established Believe in Christ and you shall dare to follow Christ believe in Christ and you shall go through with Christ and hold out to the end Believe and you shall neither fear faint nor fall Your Faith will both keep you faultless and save you harmless and thereby secure you from sinking and fainting in your minds If this be not enough let me add that Faith will yet farther scatter all your fears by this double Act 1. It will put your reward into your hands 2. It will put all your troubles to a present end 1. It will put your reward into your hand it will set the Crown on your head even whilest the Cross is on your back Faith makes things to come present Heb. 11. 1. It is the subsistence or being of things hoped for it gives being to the good things promised before they are Hope carries the eye to the object looks on things to come as to come Faith bâ—ings the object to the eye looks on things to come as comâ— it looks on distance of time as God looks on it on a thousand years but as one day It looks on Gods saying and doing on Gods promising and performing as all one It antidates Glory and gives a kind of present possession of it in hand Rom. 8. In all these things we are more than Conquerors In Tribulation in Perâ—ecution in Famine in Nakedness In all these things we are more than Conquerors Not only afterwards we shall be but in all these things even whilest we are under them we are more than Conquerors The conquest is obtained in the very entrance of the Combat This is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Believe Christian and thy Faith will be thy Victory thy Shield will be thy Palm 2. It will put all our troubles to a present end Faith looks on things to come as present and thereby on things present as past It looks on all things according as they will be in their issue and end It looks on things to come according to what they will be when they are come It looks on things present according to what they will be when they are past It sees all passing and considers it as past already It sees all passing the World upon its wing the Fashion of it passeth away It sees the Riches of the world upon their wings the Pride and the Pomp and the Gallantry and the Glory of the World upon their wings And it sees the Poverty of the world the Troubles of the World all upon the wing It looks on the blackest Clouds as flying Clouds and it considers all as gone already It looks on the clear that is beyond the Clouds it says as God says Babylon is fallen is fallen Not only it shall fall but it is fallen and shall not be able to rise Aed what place can there be then left for fear or fainting Was the Red Sea a Terrour to Israel when they saw themselves gotten to the other side Did Sampson's dead Lion fright him Will the Remembrance of what you have suffered be a Terrour to you when you are gotten through and are come out of Tribulation Why open the Eâ—e of your Faith and see the Coast already clear You will see the Red Sea behind you the Wilderness behind you Jordan behind you and your selves gotten safe on the banks of Canaan Come on Soul what should hinder thee May be thou supposest thou hast a great fight of affliction to endure grant thou hast yet fear none of those things thou shalt suffer till thou canst fear those things thou hast suffered Though thou be now putting on thy Armour believe and thou maiest boast as if thou hadst put it off Death where is thy sting Grave where is thy victory Where is the Fury of the Oppressor Thine enemies are already under thy feet man Death it self is swallowed up in Victory Christians Cherish improve increase your Faith and this will clear your way of all youâ— fears Wherefore didst thou doubt oh thou of little faith Oh 't is a sign our faith is but low when our fears are so high The day the Lord hears you in this Prayer Lord encrease our Faith he delivers you from your fears Wax strong in faith and you will wax bold in your God 3. Be humble 't will be your advantage that you stand on the lower ground he whose heart hath already laid him in the Dust will not fear how low his enemies can lay him 4. Be peaceable your Preces Lachrymae will be your best weapons the guilt of your unquiet and unwarrantable resistance will weapon your hearts more than all your partakers will strengthen your hands Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recâ—mpence evil wait on the Lord and he will save thee Patient and peaceable suffering will be the best way to abash your Persecutors and embolden your Souls Now gather up â—ll these
this duty upon you as your task but excite and encourage your selves to it by looking for a return think what it is that you would have and look to receive it The reason why we obtain no more in prayer is because we expect no more God usually answers us according to our own hearts Narrow hearts and low expectations have usually as little as they look for or desire large expectations are ordinarily answered with large returns Expectation will put life into action you will then pray with most enlarged hearts when you are most full of hopes the reward that is looked for in the Evening will much encourage and quicken the labour of the day fear not to expect too much from Heaven Be not straitned in in your own Bowels and you shall not be straitned in the God of bowels open thy Mouth wide and he will fill it God will never upbraid his Beggars for looking for too great an Almes he hath enough to supply them and he hath a heart to bestow it God will never say to you you are too bold you ask too much too much Grace too much holiness why cannot less content you God hath given you commission to ask what you will not to the one half but the whole of his Kingdome the Kingdome you shall have if no less will serve your turn Christians be thankfull for every little you receive but look for much be thankful for every little every little received from God is much A drop from that Fountain is worth the World yet content not your selves with some drops when if you will the Fountain may be yours The King of Glory loves to give like a King and will never say This is too much either for a King to give or a Beggar to receive Since he hath given you leave spare not to speak in large your desires and let your Eye be as big as your Belly God hath promised you and therefore you may promise your selves whatever you ask that is good for you you shall not ask in vain Oh if we had so much in our Eye when we come before the Throne of Grace we should be oftner there and yet still return with our load Well Christians remember this when ever you come to begg look to receive come not to prayer as to dry breast that is like to yield no milk or to an empty Cistern that will yield no water 3. Learn the skill to plead with God in Prayer Though the Breasts be full yet they must be drawn hard ere the milk will come Though the Lord be willing to give those that task yet he will have them first to prove they are in earnest Store of Arguments he hath furnished us with to press him withal but he will have us use them We must strive with God if we will prevail and the best striving is with his own weapons The counsel I give you in this is Plead hard with God but plead with him upon his own Arguments there are amongst many others these four grounds on which to bottom your plea 1. On God himself 2. On Christ 3. On the Promises 4. On Experiences 1. On God himself And there are two special things from which you may plead here 1. His gracious Nature Fetch your Arguments by which you plead with God for Mercy thence whence he originally fetched his Arguments to perswade himself to shew mercy from his own bowels from his gracious nature from his natural goodness and gracious inclination to mercy John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he grve his onely Son c. Eph. 1. 5. to vers 10. Having predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdome and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of his Will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed of himself Here we have heaped up in a few words the Riches of Mercy which God hath bestowed on his People Christ his beloved Redemption through Christ and the forgiveness of our sins the adoption of Children acceptance in his fight the Revelation of the Mystery of his Will or the discovering or making known these glorious mercies to us But whence is all this who is it or what was it that perswaded the Lord to this aboundant kindness Why all this arose from himself He purposed it in himself He consulted no other Argument but what he found in his own heart it was from his love the-good pleasure of his Will his Grace the Riches of his Grace wherein he hath abounded towards us Hosea 11. 8 9. How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee up Israel I cannot do it I will not do it I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not destroy Ephraim But why wilt thou be angry Lord why wilt thou not destroy Ephraim Oh sayes the Lord Mine heart is turned within me my heart sayes Spare him my Bowels say Destroy him not I am God and not Man I love him and my love is the love of a God I have compassion on him and my compassion is the pity of a God I will bear with him I am a God of Patience Love is my nature Pity and Mercy and Compassion are my nature I cannot destroy Ephraim but I must deny mine own Nature Love and Pity and Mercy and Goodness are essential to God He can as soon cease to be God as to be Gracious and this is the Fountain of all our Mercy Hence Christ sprung hence the Gospel came and all the Unsearchable Riches of Mercy prepared for poor lost and undone creatures When you come to pray fetch your Arguments hence Plead with the Lord upon his own nature his Natural Love Grace and Goodness Thus we finde the Apostle Peter praying for the Christians to whom he wrote 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all Grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you Plead with the Lord in your Prayers as the Psalmist pleades with himself in his Affliction Psalm 77. 7 c. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his Mercy clean gone for ever hath God forgotten to be Gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender Mercies Is his Mercy clean gone Hath God forgotton to be gracious That men should be merciless that men should forget themselves and their Friends in their low estate is no such wonder But hath God who is all Grace all Mercy all Pity hath God forgotten Doth Mercy cease to be merciful Grace cease to be gracious do Compassions cease to be pitiful Hath God not onely forgotten his servant but forgotten himself Remember thy self Lord thine own
Heart thine own Soul and according to it remember me 2. His glorious Name The Lords Nature is to be gracious and according to his Nature such is his Name Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth This is an Argument which the Lord puts into the mouths of his People telling them Ezek. 36. 21 22. I had pity for my Holy Name this I do not for your sakes but for â—y Holy Names sake And upon this we find them frequently pleading with him Psal 31. 3. For thy Names sake lead me and guide me Jer. 14. 21. Do not abhor us for thy Names sake do not disgrace the Throne of thy Glory remember break not thy Covenant with us Go you and do likewise 2 On Christ And there are four things from which you may plead with God upon this account 1 The Lords giving of Christ to you as your Lord and your Saviour Upon which gift you may call him your own 2 The Purchase of Christ who hath bought from the hands of the Father all that you stand in need of He hath bought your Lives 1 Cor. 6â— Ye are bought with a price He hath bought you a livelihood hath purchased an Inheritance and Possession for you 1 Pet. 1. 3 The Interest that Christ hath in the Father being the Son of God the Son of his Love the Servant of God in whom his soul delights Isa 4â— 1 Behold my Servant whom I have chosen mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth whose Name is so precious and powerful with the Father that it will carry any suit obtain any request Job 16. 23. Whatever you ask the Father in my Name he will give it you 4 The Interest that you have in Christ As he is precious to his Father so you are precious to him as the Father can deny him nothing so he can deny his nothing John 14. 13 Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name I will do it He gives you Commission to put his Name upon all your requests and whatsoever prayer comes up with his Name upon it he will procure it an answer Now when you are praying for any mercy especially for any Soul-mercie make use of all these arguments Lord Hast thou given Christ unto me and wilt thou not with him give me all things I stand in need of Hast thou given me the Fountain and wilt thou deny me the Stream When I beg pardon of sin when I beg power against sin when I beg Holiness c. Is not all this granted me in thy gift of Christ to me Is Christ mine and is not his bloud mine to procure my pardon his Spirit mine to subdue mine iniquities Are these mine and wilt thou with-hold them from me Oh shall this guilt lie upon me these sins live in me these losts rule over me when by giving me in hand that whereof thou hast already given me a grant all this would be removed from me Look upon Christ Lord Thou hast said to me Look unto Jesue and give thy servant leave to say the same to thee Look thou upon Jesus and give out to me what thou hast given me in giving of him to me Look upon the purchase of Christ Do I want any thing or desire any thing but what my Lord hath bought and paid for and thou hast accepted of the price Look upon the Name of Christ which thou mayest behold written upon every prayer I make Though thou mayest sâ—y for thy own sake thou shalt have nothing not a drop not a crumb yet wilt thou say nor for his Name sake neither Is not that Name still a mighty Name a precious Name before the Lord c. By these hints you may learn how to plead with God from any other arguments drawn from his promises your experience c. Quest But of what use is this our pleading with God and in what stead doth it stand us in order to our prevailing with him Ans 1 It is not of use to change the purpose of God to prevail with him to do that for us which before he resolved not to do but to bring forth his purposes into performance We may say concerning the purposes of God what himself says concerning the accomplishing of his Promise Ezek. 36. 37. Yet will I be euquired of by the House of Israel to do this for them Such praying fetches out those mercies which were in the heart of God and puts them into our hand 2. By pleading with God for audience we plead our selves into credence or the more firm belief the Lord acceps and will answer And if by all these Arguments we can plead our selves intoâ—a stronger faith our faith will certainly bring us down a fuller answer Quest 2. These Arguments the Saints may use In Prayer but is there no plea for poor natural men that are yet in their sins to make use of What may they say themselves when they come before the Lord Have you never a word to put in their mouths They have more need of Arguments then any What shall they say Answ 1. I shall premise That its the duty of meer natural men to pray For 1. Prayer is a part of Gods Natural Worship If there were no positive Law requiring it yet the Law of Nature enjoynes it and no man is exempted from the Obligation of the Law of Nature 2. Otherwise it were none of their sin to neglect and restrain Prayer where no Law is there is no Transgression Now we finde in Scripture that neglect of Prayer is reckoned up amongst wicked mens sins Psal 14. 3. 4. They are altogether become filthy c. they call not upon God Sin though it doth disable yet it doth not disoblige to Duty Object That which is usually objected against this is God heareth not sinners The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Now no man is bound to offer up to God an abominable thing better offer up nothing than an abomination Sol. In answer to this consider There are two sorts of sinners Resolved Sinners and Returning Sinners and accordingly there are two sorts of Prayers made by Sinners 1. Dissembling prayers mocking and lying Prayers Hos 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes lying Sacrifices lying Devotions makes as if he had a minde to know me and serve me when it is not in his heart and such prayers are made use of either as râ—vail to hide and cover their wickedness and to make them appear to men to be righteous or else as an Engine or Device to quiet and pacifie their consciences in a course of sin They make confessing of sin to serve instead of forsaking of sin praying to serve instead of repenting their prayers help them to sin the more freely They think they may go out with any thiâ—g if when they have done iniquity they do but pray for forgiveness Such prayers are an abomination to God and a desolation
come upon them without taking part with them in their sufferings then lust is conquered Lust no longer lives nor maintains its power and interest in us than whilest in all its afflictions we are afflicted when we feel its sufferings as our sufferings its disappointments and dissatisfactions as our own and flie out against whatsoever falls upon it as it fell upon our Souls When we can say 't is my passion that suffers but not I 't is my Covetousness that suffers my pride that suffers but not I and let them suffer for me let them be pinch'd and pain'd and starv'd and die none of all this shall move me nay herein I do and I will rejoyce There 's Patience Patience is Lust conquered Christians you complain of Corruption you tell one another sad stories what a burden what a bondage 't is you are under whilest Lust hath such power in you whar Briars and Thorns what plagues and stings they are in your hearts You pray and you mourn and groan and sigh in your selves waiting for your redemption from this bondgae and misery Oh for an humble heart Oh for a broken mortified spirit oh this earthliness this envy this peevishness this sloathfulness I am weary of my life because of these Daughters of Heth. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Why would you be delivered Be patient under Afflictions they are the Executioners sent from God to slay your Enemies the Medicines sent from your Physician to cure your Diseases Never quarrel with Affliction unless you resolve to befriend Corruption What will you be so foolish as not to be patient of your Disease nor your Remedy either bear the Cross or else never make your selves believe but you can bear your sins well enough Whatever your complaints are 't is a sign they come not very deep 'T is an Argument that sin sits light where the Cross lies so unsupportably heavy 4. Your patient suffering will be your Triumph over Temptation A patient Christian is a Conqueror over all the World By this alone naked Job overcame the Devil When Sathan and his Instruments have persecuted you into patience they have therein brought their Necks under your Feet This Brazen wall will make their shot recoil on their own heads and hearts Your Patience will be a Shield to yours and a Sword in your Enemies Souls Be patient and you have won the field and gotten the day They will have no hope to drive you to sin where they see you can suffer This was Job's Triumph and shall be yours In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly You may now make your boast in the words of the Apostle Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword In all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us 5. Your patient suffering will be the improvement of your sanctification Heb. 12. 9 10. We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them Reverence Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness The Fathers of our flesh corrected us and so doth the Father of Spirits they at their pleasure he for our profit You 'l say it may be for what profit What profit is there in our Blood in our Bonds in our poverty Why there is this profit we are hereby made partakers of his holiness There 's seldome any towardliness in a child till it be whipt into him Gods School of affliction is a Nursery for Heaven Were it not for his House of Correction Sion would quickly become as Sodom Seldom does any come out thence but their complexion shews where they have been 'T is with them that feel the Hand of the Lord as 't was with him that saw his Face his Face did shine his very spitting in their Faces doth wash them the cleaner Of all Saints there are none raised so high towards the third Heaven as those that have been in the Deep No Providences give such a lift to the soul as those that most humble Christians What-ever pains you travel under believe it the Births may be such as will make you forget your sorrow I have heard of an holy woman who used to compare her afflictions to her children they both put her to great pain in the bearing but as shew knew not which of her children to be without notwithstanding her trouble in the bringing forth so neither which of her afflictions she could have wanted notwithstand the sorrow they put her to in the bearing Heb. 12. 11. No chastning for the present is joyous but grievous but afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Oh when you see the Fruit where then will your Sorrow be John 16. 21. A Woman when she is in Travail hath Sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a Man-child is born into the world If the Joy of the Birth will make you forget why should not the hope of the Birth make you to bear the pain Beloved would you bring forth fruit unto God and will you not bear the Plow and the Harrow Will you expect an Harvest and yet must God let you lye fallow and still sow among Thorns Let me ask you and answer deliberately would you be more holy than you are more fruitful than you are or would you not If you would not you are no Christian Si dixeris sufficit defecisti If you would is that desire conditional You would increase so it cost you not over-much labour and pain that desire comes to just so much as no desire at all Or is your desire of an increase absolute would you be more holy what-ever it cost you Do you so prize and love an holy and fruitful life that you are heartily content that God should take his own course with you should take any course that 's needful to bâ—ing you on to it Can you freely say O Lord I am weary of this trifling I am weary of this dead and barren life Lord quicken me Lord enlarge me Lord perfect thy work and fulfil in me all the good pleasure of thy will So thou wilt but hear she in this thing I freely put it into thy hand to take thine own way and use thine own means Use the Word or the Rod. Command me or chastise me spare not this flesh for all its crying strip me of what thou wilt inflict on me what thou wilt throw me whither thou pleasest let me not want the most bitter Pill that 's needful any thing any thing Lord I hope I can be poor if thou wilt have