saith the Text they thought upon his Name And as for Love And Love Levit. 2.7 Cacabus ◠Rad. Hebr. ebullivit Psalm 45.1 as the Holy Fire under the Frying-pan made the Oyl of the Oblation to bubble and boyl up which is the Psalmists very word Holy Love is this Fire that makes Thoughts boil up for the very first word of that Psalm which is entituled a Song of Love is this My heart boileth up with a good matter Experience tells us Animus est non ubi animat sed ubi amat that the affectionate and tender Mother can leave her thoughts behind her at home with her sucking Child when she goes abroad Thus worldly Love will have worldly Thoughts and Gracious Love will have Gracious Thoughts O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day Psalm 19.97 And 't is a sign Holy Love is but weak and feeble when holy thoughts are but faint and few Deut. 6.5 And here let the Reader most carefully observe that where Moses layes down the First and great Commandment thou shalt Love the Lord thy God only in three words with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Might or strength Mat. 22.37 Mark 17.30 Luke 10.27 Our Saviour repeating the Law adds a Fourth viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex omni Cogitatione so Bez. vulg c. with all thy Thought or Mind plainly enough suggesting unto us that the Strength of the Heart cannot be reckoned as engaged to the Love of God where the Thoughts of the Heart are not drawn Out by it And therefore labour to ascertain and to clear up thine Interest in God and Christ Mark 12.30 and Heavenly things daily more and more for Christ saith not where Anothers but where your treasure is Luke 10.27 there will your heart be also for as Interest raiseth Love Love hath power to levy Thoughts and to keep them in readiness for its use and service so that if thy Treasure be in Heaven there will thine heart be also Luke 12.34 IV. Last Practical Rule 4. Practical Rule Begin thy Days and thy Weeks with Right thoughts Exod. 12.1 John 20.2 Coloss 3.1 Revel 1.10 LAstly As the Israelites were to reckon their Beginning of Moneths from the time of their Deliverance so let the Thoughts of thy DELIVERER still begin both thy Weeks and thy Dayes for it was both upon the First of the Week and of the Day that our Blessed Lord Rose again from the Dead and We must imp our Thoughts if we would help their flight upon the wing of Our Saviours Resurrection S. John was in the Spirit on the LORDS-DAY that is on the First of the Week for it is generally confest that the First day of the Week was as well known by the Primitive Christians in the Apostolical Age by the Name of the Lords-day as any other day was or is by Jews or Gentiles known and distinguished by any other Name Thus did the dear Disciple begin the Week and thus did Holy David still begin the day whose constant course was to take his slight for Heaven on the wings of the Morning Psal 139.18 when I was awake saith he to God I am still with thee And thus should the First-lings of the flock of our Thoughts be for God still Gen 4.4 Matth. 6.33 still First seek the Kingdom of God that is not onely above All but also every Week and every Day first of All. Of all the Ten there is but One Commandment that begins with a REMEMBER O forget not that Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy This is the standing Law commanding one Day or Seventh part of the Week blessed of God above all the rest to be set apart for God for so also the Commandment ends Verse 11. Hookers Ecclesiastical Policy the Lord Blessed the Sabbath Day and hallowed it The Perpetual obligatoriness of which Law is strongly asserted by the Learned Hooker and declaredly owned by the Church of England there being subjoyned to the publick reading of this fourth Commandment as well as of the rest a Lord have mercy upon us See also the Hom. of the Place and Time c. Titus 1.16 John 1.3 and encline our Hearts to keep this Law And if in Words we confess this Law O let not our Works deny it Now as the SON of God being Maker both of the First Creation and Sabbath for by Him were All things made and without Him was nothing made that was made as we have already seen First blessed that Day wherein He first Rested for the Commemoration of that First and Glorious work of his So after that He became the SON MAN Mark 2.28 being still LORD of the SABBATH He hath dignified the First Day of the Week with the glorious Title of the LORDS-DAY having Rested therein from a greater Work viz. the Suffering and state of Death which was the last and Finishing Work of his state of Humiliation and therein blessed and hallowed it for our Commemoration of the more glorious work of Redemption For as the glory of the later Temple Hag. 2.9 was greater then that of the former because Christ was more manifestly to appear in it it may be as truly and for the same reason said of Gods Workmanship Eph. 2.10 created in CHRIST JESUS unto good works that the glory of the New Creature excels that of the Old for the more manifestation of Christ still the more Glory till at last He shall come to be perfectly glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 For herein hath he obsignated and given an undubitable pledge of that REST or SABBATISM that remains for the People of God Hebr. 4.9 when upon the general Resurrection of their Bodies they shall Eternally rest from Sin and Death 1 Cor. 15.20 for Christ is risen as the First Fruits of them that sleep and therefore saith He thy Dead Men shall live Isaiah 26.19 John 14.19 together with my Dead Body shall they arise for because I LIVE Ye shall live also To allude then to that Word of our Saviour John 12.31 When I am lifted up I will draw all men to me and indeed when the King is up and gone 't is not for the Courtiers to loyter and lag behind O me-thinks this Resurrection of Christ should DRAW All our Hearts and Thoughts to him Colos 3.1 If we then be Risen with Christ saith the Apostle Let us seek those things that are above Psalm 24.7 Psalm 110.7 and then especially when He arose Then Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye Everlasting Doors for this Day did your dearest Lord lift up that head from the Conquered Grave John 19.30 which He bowed before upon that bitter Cross that as his Death was the Death of our Sins so his Resurrection might be the life of our Souls Psal 118 24. This this is the day that Our Lord hath made We will Rejoyce and be glad in it Every other Sun-Rising can make another Day Mal. 4.1 but it is onely the Rising of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings that made the Day we stile the LORDS-DAY and therefore when the Burthen of the Week for sufficient to every day is the Evil thereof hath made our Shoulders shrink Mat. 6.34 and gall'd our back this blessed Day takes off the Burthen and layes on the Balm heals the aking Heart Relieves the weary Thoughts and in a word it brings Heaven half down to us and takes us half up to Heaven Wherefore good Reader let thine Early Thoughts and Spicie Meditations begin every morning of this blessed Day as the good Women in the Gospel with a gracious and holy visit of thy Saviours Sepulchre Luke 24.1 6. till the Heavenly Ordinances of that Day proclaim to thee as the Angels to them He is not here but is risen John 14.2 3. and is gone before thee to prepare a place for thee that he may come again and receive thee that where He is there mayest thou be also And as the First day of each Week thus employed will sanctifie unto thee the rest of the Week so will the First of each Day the rest of the Day when by a Sun-beam thou canst climb to God Herber◠in Temple Close thy dayes with good thoughts as Divine Herbert most sweetly expresseth it And now having found thee with Him and Holy David in the Morning I would chuse to leave thee with Isaac in the Evening who was wont at that time to go out to MEDITATE That as God is Alpha and Omega of all things He may be the Beginning and the End of thy Thoughts for with Him it is that this little Book both designs and desires to leave Thee Amen Amen FINIS
which is in Christ Jesus What shall I then say to these things The Lord hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it Isaiah 38.15 I will go with him though I go but softly all my years even in the bitterness of my Soul So then the Thoughts of the Righteous pick up encouragement Numb 14.9 as the Good Spies from their very difficulties They are Bread for us I will go with this man saith Rebeckah I will go with this Jesus saith the fixed Thought of heart Though I go sadly yet I will go I will go though but softly in my souls bitterness all my years Isaiah 38.16 But yet O Lord by these things men live And in all these is the life of my spirit so wilt thou recover me and make me to live so saith the gracious Heart And thus is the soul fed with Manna aad led about many years it may be in the Wilderness of Anxiety Deut. 8.2 And all this to humble to prove to know what is in the heart and to do it good in the later end The end of the draught or scheme of Thoughts 1. Wrought in conversion And thus have I given you as briefly as I could though more largely then I thought a Scheme or draught of such Thoughts in man as do ordinarily flow from the Grace of God as I have received from that sure Word that is a discerner of the Thoughts and a discoverer as well as a discerner and as I have known and perhaps felt in some small experience And the Holy Ghost Prov. 27.19 that knows all hearts saith expresly As in water face answers to face so the heart of man to man Regenerate mans thoughts flowing from a new nature agree with other natural motions in three things Sect. XII NOw because as I have said The Regenerate mans thoughts are sparks from a new Fire fruits of a new heart stirrings of a new Nature Therefore it must needs be that they partake with all natural motions in these Three points I. Facility Natural Acts and Motions 1. Facility Good thoughts delightful if from a right principle Prov. 2.10 If Nature be not oppressed as sometimes the New nature seems to be are facile yea pleasing and delightful as to eat to drink to sleep c. So are right Thoughts to a Righteous person When wisdome entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul c. A naughty heart is like a vitious stomach those very thoughts that are as an hony Comb Prov. 27.7 or as pleasant bread to others do make it turn as it were at the very sight of them Go thy way Paul for this time I have no stomach to think of Righteousness or Judgment to come No no Acts 14.25 Felix his Thoughts were another way suitable to his Corruption He thought saith the Text there was no money coming Verse 26. and 't was the thought of money that made Musick in his Mind But saith David of his God not of his Mammon My meditation of HIM shall be SWEET Psal 124 34. I will be glad in the Lord. When the Miser receives his Mammon Oh how it glads him nay he loves the Thought of it when he cannot come at it Nay he can Think with delight of the Bills or Bonds he can lay them in his bosome that do but Name it Money is his God and Worldliness his Nature So doth a gracious heart with sweetness entertain the Thought of his God nay hide his word in his very Heart Psal 119.11 It goes down with him with delight as his food when he is most hungry Thy words were found and I did eat them Jer. 15.16 and they were to me the joy and rejoycing of mine Heart The Bar drinks in words but it is the heart that eats them by setting the Thoughts to chew upon them And as it is with a man that is in health if he want his set meals so is it with a good Heart kept in good order without many gripes and secret gnawings it cannot want its set MEDITATIONS And surely it would be better with most Christians then it is were they but careful with Isaac to set a part some little time of the day for Meditation who are so little able to say with David O how love I thy Law Psal â—19 67 It is my MEDITATION all the day And this leads me to the Sect. XIII Frequency Davids thoughts good all the day Psal 119 97. How to be understood II. ANd that is Frequency A good pulse strikes many a good stroke in a day and so doth a good heart as you may see in David when he was in a good state of soul health you cannot think that he thought of nothing but Gods Law in the whole day when he sayes It was his Meditation all the day his Crown was lined with Cares And his Head with Thoughts as other mens But he would allow no Thought in the day contrary to the Law He would order all his Thoughts in conformity and subordination thereto And his Thoughts thereof were better pleasing to him then all other Thoughts He was in his Element when in such Meditations and reckoned so much of the day lost as wherein he was hurryed by Temptations to any contrary cogitations If a Bird fall into the water 't is not her Element she neither useth nor delighteth to be there If a Mole get above ground he is not where he would be or is wont to be Tryal what Thoughts thy Element Psalm 77.5 Ask thine heart seriously what Element it is that thy thoughts most use and with most ease My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness when I think upon thee when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate upon thee c. And thereby discern whether it be a Bird of Paradise or a meer Mole for to be carrnally minded is death but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace Romans 8.6 A bad man may have a Thought of God now and then and a Thought for God or the most are very much mistaken But a David can say of his divine Thoughts how great is the sum of them Gods Thoughts of him and his Thoughts of God and the reflection of his Thoughts upon Gods Thoughts Psalm 137.17 for Sect. XIV III. 3. Perpetuity THere is Perpetuity as well as Facility and Frequency in Natural acts and motions The pulse beats not only all the day but all a mans dayes so do good thoughts in a Godly mind What a blessed frame was holy David in when he could never awake but he found his pulse beating Heaven-ward when I awake I am still with thee Psam 139.18 Psalm 1.12 The blessed mans delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate day and night O happy He whose Thoughts are holy day and night that is continually I know Grace is lyable to
already if he look saith Christ to Lust after her If thou do but think profanely he notes it thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy self But I will reprove thee I say he observes it and accordingly judgeth thee If presumptuously he dooms it and thee for it Presumption Deut. 29.19 20. If a man hearing the words of this curse bless himself in his heart that is in his own thoughts saying I shall have Peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine heart the Lord will not spare him c. If thy thought be vain and foolish Vanity wicked and worldly God will pronounce thee such as he finds that The grounds of a certain rich man brought forth plenteously Luke 12.16 17 19 20. and he thought within himself what shall I do c. I will say to my Soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry But God said unto him thou fool c. If thy thoughts be Viperous and Venomous Venome blasphemous and malitious against the Lord and His Christ He will damn thee for such as he finds them Mat. 12.25 compared with verse 34. Psal 2.4 5. Jesus knew their thoughts and said O Generation of Vipers c. Why do the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing they take Councel against the Lord and against his Anointed c. The Lord shall speak to them in his wrath c. The Consult He condemns they Think and He Speaks that is to say speaks in judgment Sect. IV. THis was the Condemnation of the old world as we have seen Evil men characterized by their thoughts Gen. 6.5 Gods proof of mans wickedness was from the Thoughts of his heart and the punishment thereof was proportioned thereunto an over flowing scourge upon them for that superfluity of naughtiness that was in them Yet were there many amongst these that because of their profession were called the sons of God Gen. 6.2 The sons of God saw the daughters of men c. 'T is not what our professions are or what our Names are but what our thoughts are that the Lord looks at and accounts of us by 'T is said of our Lord Jesus that though many believed on his Name when they saw the Miracles which he did Joh. 2.23 24 25. yet did not Jesus commit himself to them because he knew all men and needed not that any man should testifie of man for he knew what was in man The Text saith he judgeth of Man by what was In Man Our words proceed out of us our professions are on us but our thoughts are in us and these are they that the Lord Christ looks at Luke 2.3 35. and was himself set amongst other ends for the manifestation of That the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed Sect. V. ON the other hand So the Godly those blessed Souls whom the Lord Crowns with so high a testimony and so Honourable a Character of being his Mal. 3.16 17 whom he will spare his Jewels which he will make up for whom a Book of Remembrance was written before him they are briefly thus described such as feared the Lord and that Thought upon his Name 'T was not the Name of God upon them but the Name of God in them 't was not the bare speaking of his Name though no doubt they did that too for they speak often one to another but their thinking upon his Name that God Characterizeth them from whereas be the wicked grosly such Psal 9.17 Job 8.13 or Hypocrites they are stigmatized for such as forget God Sect. VI. THere are two things that God is said to know afar off God is said to know thoughts afar off Psal 13.8 6. aâ—d 139.2 Ezek. 38.10 The Pride of man and the Thoughts of man He hath it seems a severe eye upon each of these I know their Imaginations which they go about saith God of Israel even now before I have brought them into the Land which I sware and of Gog thus saith the Lord it shall also come to pass that at the same time shall things come into thy mind and thou shalt think an evil thought God minds our thoughts before they come into our minds and knows what we are about to think before we think it Then needs must he know what we think when we think and what to think of us too whilst we are a thinking before we speak or act Psal 94.11 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity saith the Psalmist the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.20 The variation in the version speaks thus much Amongst all the vain Children of men there is not one wise enough to hide his thoughts from being known to God and himself by them The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. He cannot keep the noisom stench of them from the Almighties nostrils Prov. 15.26 Yet abhors evil thoughts though at a distance Prov. 11.20 nor can God endure them without declaring his abhorrence of them Who smells them at a distance afar off and abhors them so they that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord If thy thoughts be froward though thy words through thy subtil or hypocritical restraint of them be not so as appears by the Antithesis but such as are upright in their way are his delight You see then how God reckons men by their Thoughts Sect. VII WE value men according to their Possessions and God according to their Thoughts We value men by their possessions Our thoughts are so A man of mean parts of low acquirements of mean Possessions we reckon a mean person A man of high Improvements of large Acquisitions of great Possessions we reckon a Great Man a substantial person now Mens thoughts aâ—e their Possessions and 't is observable that one word in the Hebrew expresseth both therefore when the Text in Job reads Job 17.11 My purposes are broken off even the Thoughts of my heart The Margin according to the Hebrew reads the possessions of my heart Luke 21.19 'T is by patient thoughts that we possess our Souls under Affliction By Chast and pure thoughts that every one should possess his vessel in Sanctification and Honour 'T is by believing thoughts 1 Thes 4.4 we possess the Lord Jesus put him on dwell in him Rom. 13.14 Col. 2.6 Job 7.3 4. walk in him having received him On the other part when Jobs thoughts were restlesse and unquiet tossing and tumbling from morning to evening from evening to morning from week to week from moneth to moneth then it is said God made him possesse moneths of vanity When God presented all his youth-sins as so many frightful Ghosts fresh to his Thoughts then it is said Job 23.26 God made him to possesse the iniquities of his
went out to meet God God will take notice whether our hearts set rightly out with him though after in the journey we may for some season loose our way Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when thou â—entest after me Psalm 110.7 c. Christ hath a dew of youth in a gracious heart as well as Holy Church and this Divine and early dew of pretious thoughts is fairest when freshest Coin fairest out of the Mint-house as from the Womb of the morning Gods Coin is brightest when it first comes out of the Mint-house of mans heart for such is mans Mind a Mint-house for thoughts when it passeth farther it comes to be discoloured to contract blackness especially by lying for some time in the Earth and so sometimes to grow suspicable to others perhaps hardly discernable to our selves without much rubbing c. Repentance and Reformation yet if it were right for mettal and stamp at its first setting out when we our selves dare hardly trust it yet God that knows its Original will own it It is said of King Asa 2 Chro. 15.17 that his heart was perfect all his dayes perfect with the Lord yet the poor man took many a wrong and wretched step 1 King 15.14 for a man of a right heart yea how was Gods stamp sometimes as it were worne off little left of his Image or Superscription to be seen for besides that the high places were not remoâ—ed which was a blot upon his Government In the business of Baasha 2 Chron. 16. Verse 8.19 He relyed on the King of Syria and relyed not on the Lord his God And when he that had eminent experience of God in the business of the Ethiopians and Lubims had done thus foolishly and Hanani the Seer had reproved him faithfully Verse 10. he was wroth yea in a rage with him and put him in Prison and oppressed some of the people at the same time nay in the very evening of his dayes and towards his very Eâ—â—t 't is said that in his Disease he sought not to the Lord Verse 13. â— but to the Physitians yet there was something found at bottom notwithstanding all this Contrariwise 2 Chrâ— 25.2 Amazia did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but saith God not with a perfect heart Like some counteâ—se pieces now abroad that being â—ased or plated over with Silver are observed to have fewer cracks and flaws in the Edges perhaps than the Kings own Coin and yet they are but Copper-hearted The gratious soul is the Spouse of Christ Cant. 6.8 who as she is attended with a number of Holy and Royal affections as so many Queens so also with pure thoughts as with Virgin without number And our Heavenly Solomon eyes them most that wait next and immediately as it were upon his Queens person now our thoughts as you have heard they he next to our hearts Sect. XIII Fifthly IT cannot but be granted that God judgeth as man cannot We look at each others outsides God judges as man cannot therefore by the thoughts Luke 6.45 Prov. 26.23 1 Sam. 16.7 and oftentimes are not deceived for ordinarily the abundance of the heart will break out either some tiâ—e or other by the tongues clinking what the heart thinks as the Proverb hath it or some way or other so that the wary observer may come to discern the Potsheard notwithstanding the covering of Silver dross oft times I say but not alwayes That 's Gods Prerogative so the Lord seeth not as man seeth How then for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart We hear mens words He seeth their thoughts we weigh their Actions and Appearances Prov. 24.12 Chap. 16.2 the Lord ponders their hearts and weigheth their spirits as the wise man speaks In the Levitical Law the Swan was pronounced unclean a Bird whose Feathers are excceeding white Lev. 11.18 God judges most by what is in most 2. Cor. 11.14 Maâ— 23.27 Verse 28. Verse 25. but her Skin black God judgeth most by what is In-most God can easily discern the trans-formed Devil under the Angel of Light the rottenness within through the whited Tomb and painted Sepulchre Wee unto you Hypocrites saith Christ for ye make clean the outside of the Cup and of the Platter but within they are fâ—ll of Extortion and Excess Even so ye also appear outwardly righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity Oh what horrid Spectacles were the most of men even of many that desire to make a fair shew in the flesh Gal. 6.12 as the Apostle speaks if their Insides were but turned out-side But alas They are all out-side to him that is All eye Sect. XIV Conscience Gods Deputy judgeth by our Thoughts Rom 2 13. Verse 16. LAstly That God sentenceth and Dooms us by our Thoughts is hereby evident in that Conscience that is Gods Vicegerent in mans brest doth so which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience bearing witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another it follows In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel God and Christ and the Gospel they will judge men by their Consciences and their Consciences they will judge them by their Thoughts in the great day Judge we therefore our selves now as then we must be judged CHAP. V. Disc vers what those Right Thoughts are that are the Righteous mans Evidence and how to be known Sect. I. Objection Psal 64.6 Jer. 17.9 BUt alas may some one say Is not Mans heart a great deep and desperately wicked and deceiptful above all things I am afraid of Judging my self by my Thoughts of my self least I should Mis-judge of my self finding my self so apt to think amiss doth not the Apostle speak of some that measuring themselves by themselves are not wise 2 Cor. 10.12 Prov. 16 2. and 21. 2. There is so much Pride Partiality and Self-love that almost every way of man will seem clean and right in his own eye if his own Thoughts may but be his Judges Why all this is true Solution Not what Thoughts we have of our selves but in our selves Gal. 6.3 4. yet all that hath been said before true also We never said that every mans Case is as his thoughts are of himself but yet by his thoughts that are In himself he may come to discover his own state For if a man Think himself to be something saith the Apostle when he is nothing he deceiveth himself But yet let every man prove his own works and then he shall have rejoycing In himself alone and not in another This he speaks in respect of Sincerity not of Righteousness or Justification in the sight of God for of the later he saith we rejoyâ—e only in Jesus
God hath grown up in thy heart or to deny what God hath done for thy Soul But yet withall this I must add that as it is observed that the coming of the Cup into the Sack in an unknown way left them in the more trouble and perturbations afterwards though it came from a friendly hand And those women that have less fore-pains then others have many times greater After-pains as they call them So they that have less signal Spiritual troubles preceding their conversion and have known least of the terrours of the Lord are by so much the more full of Anxiety many times almost all their dayes 2 Cor. 5.11 full of doubtful thoughts whether they were ever savingly wrought upon because not wrought upon as such and such Haunted many times with Hideous thoughts and Temptations to Atheism Blasphemy c. which make them even weary of life and afraid of death and yet may be very pretious in the sight of God and dear to Jesus Christ Sect. V. ANd as Gods usual Season is the time of trouble of spiritual trouble to bring men to Right Thoughts Psal 77.2.3 Verse 16. To remember God to Consider the dayes of old to commune with their own hearts to make diligent search into their own spirits to take notice of their Infirmities Verse 10. Verse 11. to Remember the years of the right hand of the most High to Remember the works of the Lord and to meditate of his doings c. All which is Right-Thought-work and which the Psalmist was set upon in the day of his Trouble Psal 77.2 Gods ordinary method to bring to right thoughts by setting home some particular sin So the Method that God ordinarily useth Is to bring to their thoughts some one particular Sin and to present it to their Souls view in all its ugly shape and monstrous deformity with its heightening circumstances and hellish horrour that like the tail of a Prâ—digious Comet it draws after it now as Ghosts are most terrible and confounding when they appear in the Dark so is Sin when it stares a man in the face in his time of trouble Thus the Patriarchs were struck with the appaling thought of their savage cruelty to their innocent Brother when themselves were in Distress Gen. 42.21 no doubt they had other Sins to trouble them but this first flew in their face Saul with the thought of his furious persecuting of Jesus Thus some for telling a known Lie Acts 9.4 others for some Theft or known Fraud others for prophaning the Lords-Day others for some prophane Oath others for Disobedience to Parents And some though few like Mary Magdalene for the foul sin that brings a wound and a dishonour and a repâ—oach that is hardly wiped away Prov. 6.33 So that as men ordinarily single out some one special Sin to set their heart upon though they entertain and practice all the rest Rom. 7.8 with 24. so God singles out some special Sin to fix their thoughts upon and thereby to bring them in due time to sight and sense of the whole Body of Death nay sometimes when men by a blameless appearance and moral conversation have got the good thoughts of other men their own much more Heb. 3.1 Luke 18.6 God sometimes suffers civil men to fall into some foul act to discover tâ—â—hem the plague of the heart 1 Kings 8 38. Sometimes thoughts are in an uproar troubled and distinct cares not known Acts 19.32 Verse 40. Yet God sometimes out of this Chaos draws a new Creation As in Genesis Reduceth thoughts to proper places and things to order Rev. 3.20 Prov. 18.14 Acts 2.57 Prov. 38.4 trusting as Christ speaks in themselves that they are righteous God suffers them to fall into some gross act of Sin perhaps Drunkenness perhaps making a mock at Godliness to please vile company perhaps Perjury or some other palpable act of wickedness that by such a rising in the flesh he may bring them to know and to bethink themselves of the Plague of the heart that Scripture speaks of Indeed I have sometimes observed some persons troubled with a strange unusual throng and croud of Thoughts Sermons trouâ—led them and Sins troubled them but their Thoughts wâ—re like that confused concourse in the Acts of which no distinct account could be given and the Assembly knew not why they were come together And as such a croud of thoughts have been thus in an uproar for some space of time and they knew not distinctly why so a little time hath brought it to they know not what nothing for good hath come of it And yet sometimes the All-wise and powerful grace of God even out of such a Chaos of confusion is pleased to draw a New-Creation reducing things to their proper places and thoughts to their right order Sect. VI. BUt generally when Grace first knocks at the door of the heart and finds the Sinner in distress wounded in Spirit that he cannot bear it prickt at the very heart the pressing sense of Sin lies upon him and goes over him as a burthen too heavy for him It brings him to speak within himself Or which is all one to think thus The Scheme of a Converts first thought Lament 3.1 or to this effect I am the man that have seen Affliction by the Rod of his anger and now I stand here a miserable Malefactour before the Lord who perfectly knows all my secrets and infinitely hates all my Sins My Conscience hales me to his Bar for my sin hath found me out Num. 32.23 Gen. 42.21 Prov. 28.13 Job 9.4 And I am verily guilty concerning this thing should I then either hide my sin or harden my self against God who ever did either of these and prospered This then is my proper station though my feet be hurt with setters and the Iron enters into my very Soul though the Chain of Gods Indignation be heavy upon me Micah 7.9 yet I must bear it because it is my own Chain I have sinned against him Excuse my sin Alas I cannot I knew my Masters will Luke 12.57 Rom. 7.12 Malac. 1.6 and knew it to be Holy just and Good and did it not I call'd him Lord yet fear'd him not I knew he forbad the thing I did yet I did it I knew he looked on me and yet I did it I knew he would call me to an account for it and yet I did it Accuse my Master Alas I dare not No no Jam. 1.13 14. He tempted me not but I was drawn away of my own lust and enticed my own lust I may call it so as much as I may call my Heart my own an Heart so vile but yet my own such a Fountain of Poyson such a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird an Heart nay an Hell yea and worse to me then all the Devils there I should bely them as bad as they be should I say otherwise an heart so desperately
13. who did hinder thee Hath a Nation changed their Gods whi h yet are no Gods but thou hast changed thy glory for that which doth not profit Be astonyed at this and be horribly afraid yea be very desolate O my heart For thou hast committed two Evils Thou hast forsaken the Fountain of living waters and hewed thee broken Cisterns that can hold no water O prophane Heart Heb. 12.16 17. that for a morsel of meat hast sold thy Birth-right How sain wouldest thou now inherit the blessing couldst thou but find a place for repentance Ezek. 37.11 Lam. 3.18 Job 19.10 chap. 8.13 though thou shouldst seek it never so carefully with tears But alas for thy part thine hope is cut off thine hope hath God removed like a tree and indeed what else can be expected but that the Hypocrites hope should pe ish O false heart and flattering hope Exod. 14.13 must I be thus deceived by you both which I so much trusted I said with Moses of my strong corruptions when I thought I saw them drowned in the Red Sea of my Saviours Blood I shall see them again no more for ever and with David in his prosperity I shall never be moved Psalm 30.6 Luke 10.15 and must I now like Capernaum after I have been thus lifted up to Heaven be thrown down to Hell and so everlastingly seperated from the blessed presence of the dear Jesus whom I fondly thought I had loved better then my life but now find I did love him less than my laziness and my lusts and indeed I am convinced that if any man loves any thing more than Christ He is not worthy of him Mat. 10 37. But ah my dear and blessed Jesus must thou and I thus part part Eternally Oh no! not for a World no not for a World of Worlds Why then Psal 88 14. O Lord castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me Yea rather O Lord why hast thou made me to erre from thy wayes Psal 63.14 Job 10.1 and hardened my heart from thy fear yet will I leave my complaint upon my self and I will speak in the bitterness of my soul I know indeed that God cannot be tempted with evil Jâ—m 1.13 14. neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Therefore Psal 42.6 7. O my God my Soul is cast down within me and deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water spouts Verse 4. thy waves and thy billows are gone over me When I remember these things I powre out my soul in me For I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise I call also to remembrance my song in the night Psal 77.6 and commune with mine own heart and my spirit makes diligent search Job 16.12 I was at ease but God hath brokâ—n me asunder He hath also taken me by the neck and shaken me in pieces and set me up for his mark Job 29.3 4 5. Oh that I were as in moneths past as in the daâ—es when God preserved me when his Candle shined upon my head and when by his light I walked through darkness when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle and when the Almighty was yet with me Psal 42.3 But now alas my tears are my meat day and night while my returning Corruptions and prevailing Lusts say to me continually where is thy God As with a Sword in my bones do they reproach me Verse 9. while they say daily to me where is thy God But wâ—ll the Lord cast off for ever will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever and doth his Promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath â—e in anger shut up his tender mercies 2 Sam 23.5 Surely this is my infirmity but I will remember the â—ears of the right hand of the most High Although my heart be not so with God yet hath he made with me a Covenant an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure I will therefore say unto God Psal 42.8 9. my rock why hast thou forgotten me why go I mourning because of the oppression of the Enemy Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day-time and in the night his song shall be with mo Verse 11. and my Prayer unto the God of my Life Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet Praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God O Lord though mine iniquities testifie against me do thou for thy Name sake for my back-slidings are many Jerem. 14.7 Verse 20. and 21. Psal 42.2 Psalm 63.2 I have sinned against thee But I acknowledge O Lord my wickedness Do not abl or me for thy names sake Remember break not thy Covenant with me For truly my Soul thirsteth for God for the living God to see his Power and his Glory so as I have seen him in the Sanctuary Be watchful therefore O mine heart Rev. 3.2 and strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die for here is yet a Pillar of Fire before thee Neh. 9.12 19. Jer. 3.24 the token of a Divine presence with thee Hath not God said Return ye back-sliding Children and I will heal your back-sliding Behold I come unto thee for thou art the Lord my God But surely if God will allow me to set my hope on high He will yet have me to keep mine Heart low for though he be still saying Hâ—sea 14.4 Jerem. 3.14 I will heal thy back-sliding and love thee freely and again Turn O back-sliding Child for I am married unto thee yet he still feeds me like the Israelites in the Wilderness as it were from hand to mouth The water of his Rock not my Cistern must supply me and I be undone if it do not follow me 1 Cor. 10.4 I must fetch my food by daily Faith my Manna out of the Heaven of his Promises not by Plowing for it is in the earth of my sâ—lf-Righteoâ—sness and legal performances and my Medicine too for all venomous bitings by all sorts of fiery temptations from him only who for that end was lifted up upon the Cross Johâ— 3.14 and still is on the pole of the Gospel and still must be in the THOUGHTS of my heart as my only strength my health my life my All And if at any time he allow me but a touch or taste of the hoped for Clusters Numb 13.23 't is to feed not my high but my diligent Thoughts Phil. 3.12 13. and to mind me that I have not already attained either am already perfect but that I press forward forgetting the things that are behind towards the mark for the price of the high Calling of God
set their Hearts aright have a marvailous advantage in point of consistency and as to the stability of their good thoughts even from their Natural temper whereas some others in Constitution sanguine and more symbolizing with the Air their minds seem commonly volatile and so their thoughts more fluid and less fixed be the habit of their Minds Difference of natural constitution may appear as in conversion or Objects of their Thoughts good or evil Now this difference of Natural constitution occasions many mistakes in the spiritual judging of Mens Estates A man may be very serious yet not Religious though John Baptist was naturally 't is probable very austere John came saith Christ neither eating nor drinking Mar. 11.28 and another man may be very pleasant and yet not vain and it would seem our Saviours Natural bodily temper was differing from the Baptists and disposed him to a complaisant conversation Verse 29. The Son of Man came eating and drinking for even in that sence his delights were with the Sons of Men Rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth The Hebrew word signifies sporting Prov. 8.5 and so the Margin reads it and yet he was the pattern of all Perfection And as in Conversation So in thoughts so in thoughts the Natural temper may if not attended occasion dangerous mistakes in judging the spiritual state Take an instance in two whom I take to be Eminent Saints King Solomon and the Apostle Paul Instance in King Solomon and St. Paul concerning the later none doubt nor dare I of the former who was Gods Iedidiah from whom God saith he will never take his mercy A Pen-man of Holy Writ and so numbred by the Apostle among the Holy men of God a grand Type of Christ and one of those Prophets of whom Christ saith expresly that all the Prophets are in the Kingdom of God Luke 15 2â— yet I suppose a vast difference in the Natural temper of these two excellent men Paul no doubt was of great natural resolution Acts 26 9â— and fixation I verily thought saith he of himself before his Conversion that I ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus Verse 10 11. which thing also I did in every Synagogue He never alters his mind as we say never changeth his thoughts never turns nor ever would had not God overturned him but then when God called him by his Grace and set the Watch right Oh! this Natural temper of His was an Excellent Ballance and kept the motion admirably What do you mean saith he to weep and break mine heart Acts 21.17 I am ready not onely to be bound but to Die for the Name of Jesus And when he would not be perswaded say they we ceased c. You see He was fixed before Conversion and fixed after for Grace rather useth then altereth Nature though it cures its corruption But now Solomon He was naturally I question not of a more Airy Constitution and so of a more doubtful mind as our Saviours Phrase is which He borrowes from the Aiery Meteors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 12.30 which are now here and now there and you can hardly find them fixed any where and so His thoughts more fluid and volatile flying up and down from one thing to a contrary thing from Wisdom Eccles 2.2 to Wine to Women to Madness to Folly yea from one thing to a thousand things Even from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hyssop upon the Wall and being naturally like Reuben unstable as water his Wives turned away his heart 1 Kings 11.4 and the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice and yet there was a well of Water after all this springing up in Him to Everlasting Life for you may see what was in the bottom of his heart what his deepest thoughts were by what you find in the bottom of his Book of Penitence and Recantation Let us hear saith He the CONCLUSION of the matter FEAR GOD Eccles 12.15 and keep his Commandments c. Now All is well We say that ends well Sect. IV. THis then to shut up this scrutiny is that which we are most accurately to observe amongst all that variety not only of Temptations Conclusion of the Rule but of Tempers and consequently of Thoughts Purposes and Resolutions Psal 94.14 Several instances of good thoughts at bottom working out evil thoughts Isaiah 8.13 if as David saith in another respect In the multitude of our thoughts within us We can find Divine and gracious Thoughts to be deepest in our Soul As to add to the instance forementioned when our slight Thoughts of God and slavish fear of Man and thoughts of sinful security as to our selves are wrought out by our sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts and making him our FEAR as the Prophet speaks When ones high thoughts of himself who is ready to say in his heart Deut. 8.17 My power and the might of my hand hath â—otten me this wealth are removed by remembrance of the Lord God Verse 18. and that it is he that gives power to get wealth When our self-justifying self-exalting thoughts are taken down and let fall as Job's plumes were by his thoughts of his black feet behold I am vile Job 40.4 what shall I answer thee c. When over-eager thoughts of the world are worn out by thinking on what He saith who hath charged us to take no thought for to morrow Luke 12.22 Matth. 6.34 Prov. 11.4 and over-valuing thoughts of the World by thinking that the world was not Crucified for Us cannot deliver or profit in the day of wrath that labouring for the World is but labouring for the Wind Eccles 5.16 whereof the more a man gâ—asps for the most part the greater are the gripes that their end is Destruction that mind earthly things but especially by Thinking that the Lord hath said Love not the World nor the things of the World for if any man love the World 1 John 2.15 the love of the Father is not in him When Flesh-pleasing thoughts are supplanted by thinking that to be carnally minded is death Romans 8. â— James 5.5 that living in pleasures upon the Earth and being wanton is but the nourishing of the heart as in the day of slaughter that a St. Paul himself must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 9.27 beat down his body and bring it in subjection least he himself should be cast away Phil. 3.8 or when thoughts of the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ come to make a man think other things to be but dogs meat or dung that he may win Christ when the thoughts of the Rivers of pleasures that are at Gods Right hand for evermore do challenge the Heart Jerm 2.18 What hast thou to do in the way of Aegypt to drink
the waters of Sihoi Heb. 11.25 what hast thou to do with the puddle pleasures of Sin that are but for a season When our wandring thoughts take Heaven for their home In a word when the wandring Thoughts like weary Travailers take Heaven for their Home and though they fetch too many a compass yet still they ultimately are making thitherward when they like so many busie Bees have been flying about all day perhaps yet never rest till they have housed themselves in God as an Hive of sweetness and there find satisfactory Repast and sweet Repose Thou mayst well say Psal 116.7 Return to thy Rest O my Soul and that the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee for this was it that the Church comforted her self in the thoughts of that the desire of her soul was to the remembrance of Gods Name Isaiah 26.8 9. Verse 13. with her Soul she desired him in the night even when other Lords had dominion over her c. for though Temptations which are called the fiery Darts of Satan may sometimes make thee black Ephes 6.16 Cant. 1.7 like the Spouse in the Canticles and real mixtures of darkness may be found in thee in respect of which thou mayst fitly be compared to smoak yet if thy Thoughts like hâ—rs be like Pillars of smoak Cant. 3.6 still winding and working upward Thou art black indeed but yet beautiful in Christs account As in the Levitical Law the creeping things going upon all four â—ev 11.20 21. were unclean yet if they had legs above their feet to leap withal as the Locust or Grashopper they were clean in the Laws account III. Tryal Sect. I. Thirdly COme we then to the Third Tryal of Thoughts viz 3. Tryal Right thoughts have influence upon ordering the conversation aright Psal 50.23 1 Iohn 8.9 Ephes 2.2 Acts 5.3 Right Thoughts have a natural Energy and influence unto the ordering of the Conversation aright as the Scripture speaks Now the reason of this Rule is this The Grace of God which as we have seen first stirs in Thoughts is called in the Scripture the seed of God and therefore 't is not possible that it should prove abortive for if the evil Spirit worketh effectually in the Children of Disobedience by working first upon their Thoughts why hath Satan filled thine heart c Satans work begins there Isaiah 1.15 And if Lust when it hath conceived in the Thought brings forth sin in the life which is an Anomy or Transgression of the Law True Grace when it conceives in the Thought must accordingly bring forth Newness in the Life Rom. 6. Gal. 6.16 Hebr. 8.8 as Scripture speaks which is a conformity to the Rule of the new Creature the Law and the Tearms of the new Covenant which first saith I will put my spirit within them and then they shall keep my judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 which is to be understood of Evangelical Obedience First Grace works in us and then it sets us a working for after that it pleased God who called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me immediately saith Paul Gal. 1.15 16. Acts 9.6 I conferred not with Flesh and Blood c. With whom then why Lord what wouldst thou have me to do His thoughts were working in the verse before and they see him a work in the verse following The works of God which we call Providence are All pursuant to the thoughts of God Ephes 1.11 Jer. 23.20 which Scripture calls his Purpose Thus God is said to perform all the thoughts and intents of his heart Now Grace is called a partaking of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and therefore cannot spend it self in bare thinking In Nature the motions of the hands and feet without the command or express dictate of the Tongue do readily pursue the thoughts and motions of the mind and therefore it is said Prov. 16.9 that a mans heart deviseth his way A man thinketh to go such a way and goes it He thinks to do such a thing and does it And it is so in corrupt Nature Isaiah 65.2 they walk in a way that is not good after their own hearts And it is as truly so in Grace I thought on my wayes Psal 119.59 Right thoughts are rectifying thoughts 1 John 3.7 Isaiah 59.4 Micah 2. saith David and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Right Thoughts indeed may we well call them when they are Rectifying thoughts when they make us to do Right as the Apostle saith He that doth Righteousness is Righteous 'T is said of the Wicked They conceive Mischief and bring forth Iniquity And can We think it proper to Grace only to prove abortive Woe to them saith God that devise Iniquity and work evil upon their Beds when the morning is light they practice it because it is in the power of their hand This is the Case and Character of the wicked Psalm 39.7 He first deviseth mischief upon his Bed and then sets himself in a way that is not good And thus the Sincere Convert Rev. 2.2 what good he thinks to do when God holds him down on the Bed of sorrows as Scripture phrase is and in the Night of affliction he will not therefore forbear doing because God lifts up the light of his Countenance upon him so far as it is in the power of his hand Psal 66.11 12 13. but will rather say with David with a little variation thou laidst affliction upon our Loins but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place I will pay thee my Vows which my Heart hath purposed and my mouth spoken when I was in trouble Purpose often outgoes power 'T is true indeed that in both cases the purpose of the Heart doth oftentimes outgo the power of the hand A wicked man thinks to do more mischief then he can possibly compass Gen. 27.42 2 Sam. 18.25 Thus Esau purposed to kill Jacob and Saul thought to make David fall by the Philistins It is said Sanballat and Geshem thought to do Nehemiah mischief Neh. 6.2 yet they could not do it So a Child of God perhaps purposeth greater exactness and more close walking with God in a sicknesâ— under a Sermon or a Sacrament then he can possibly attain unto afterwards by reason of renewing of Temptation and remaining corruption and then it may be he is ready to cry out Oh my thoughts were never right my purposes were never sincere for if they had I had never fallen so short in performance I thought in such a straight if ever God brought me out of it I should never forget my self and God and it as to my shame and confusion of face I may speak it I have since done I thought under such a trouble of mind if God would ever speak pardon to my sin and peace to my soul Job 15.11 Ephes 4.30 the Consolations of God should never more be small with
in respect of them as Jacob I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies yet not to think them the chief good or the best of them good enough for the precious soul to sit down with Many will say who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance c. Yea doubtless and I account all things but loss and do count them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs meat not Mans meat All things of all sorts civil advantages Church priviledges c. as nothing for the Soul without Christ that I may win Christ These I say were his thoughts of the highest humane attainments of Outward Church Priviledges of Creature Enjoyments in the World And so not to think Him happy that hath them but that hath a sanctified title to them and sanctified use of them If they be sanctified by the Word and Prayer If I rejoyced because my Wealth was great and because my Hand had gotten much and my Hand hath been secretly enticed or my Mouth kissed my hand He did not think himself to be the better or the happier for being the wealthier 't was the gain of the heart Heavenly treasure true Job 23.12 not the Gettings of the Hand that Job estimated to be true treasure I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my appointed portion so the Margin then my necessary Food so the Text. No doubt he accounted that good too but not the chief good Psal 49.8 not a sufficiâ—nt good for his Soul for the Redemption of the Soul is precious It ceaseth for ever And Alas Whole world not worth a Soul Mat. 16.26 thinks a Man that knows the worth of a Soul what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and loose his own Soul Sect. V. Right thoughts of Ordinances what Mat. 23.19 IN thinking of ORDINANCES as the good wayes of God to be gone in not rested in He thinks not so greatly of the Gift as of the Altar sanctifying the Gift of his attendances upon them as they are performances of his own but as appointments of God for the Communication of Himself to the Soul One thing have I desired of the Lord Good wayes to be gone not rested in Psal 27.4 that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life to see the beauty of the Lord c. not the beauty of the House though that was very beautiful and to inquire in his Temple not onely the way to his Temple but to the sight and fruition of him in his Temple Sect. VI. Right thoughts of sin what Greatest evil Job 32.21 Isaiah 33.24 IN thinking of SIN as the only contrary to the Supream good Therefore Jobs Friends would have fastened it on him as a Brand of in-sincerity that he had chosen Sin rather then Affliction The inhabitants shall not say I am sick for the people that dwell there shall be forgiven their Iniquity They shall think all well when sin is done away Sin in a good mans Thoughts is the very Gall of bitterness the very core of all troubles the very sting of Death it self 1 Cor. 15.56 Heart-sin worst Heb. 12.15 1 King 8.38 Jer. 17.9 Rom. 7.23 â—â—rom 9.5 Hibaâ— 2.5 and the very Hell of Hell And as he thinks Sin the worst of Evils so Heart-sin the worst of sins that Root of bitterness that Plague of the heart that desperately wicked thing that cannot cease to Sin that Law in the Members that wearies them to commit Iniquity yet it self is unweariable and unsatiable as Death and Hell and therefore called the Body of death which never saith it is enough 'T is this evil that makes good men cry out of themselvs as of the chief of Sinners Rom. 7.24 For whatsoever they know of others as to other Evils they know more of this by themselves then by all the World 'T is this Evil that makes many a man thought humble by others cry O my pride counted mortified by others Spiritual wickedness cry O my potent passion my strong corruption my unruly Lusts how many a man is there of unblemisht life that is weary at heart of his own Heart yea of his very Life because of the evil of his Heart his spiritual pride filthiness of Spirit Earthly-mindedness 2 Cor. 7 â—1 James 4.1 Spirits lusting to envy with the spiritual wickednesses abroad in the world as Hypocrisie Heresie c. But yet though he think Sin Root and Branch to be the greatest Evil Yet no sin so great an Evil as Christ a good Heb. 7.25 yet not so great an evil as Jesus Christ is a Good nor so mighty though mighty to destroy as He is Almighty able to save He thinks Sins demerits great Christs merits greater whereby he is not only secured from Hell but to be saved in Heaven And therefore He may plead even the greatness of his sin as an argument for his Pardon Psal 25.11 because He thinks the great Salvation to be so much the greater that it triumphs most in the spoils of the proudest sins in the thing wherein they have dealt proudly to be still above them When Sin groweth up unto the Heavens Ezek. 9.6 Psal â—08 4 1 John 4.4 Gods mercy in his Son is above the Heavens As when the wicked one is great that is in World yet greater is he that is in the Saints than he that is in the World Sect. VII IN thinking of HOLINESS Of holiness Isaiah 2.8 not only way to but part of happiness Psal 119.11 Philip. 3.20 1 John 5.3 Mat. 11.30 not only as the high way to as the Prophet calls it but also a principal part of Happiness the Duties of holiness to be the Beauties thereof Its Practise Priviledge Its Performances great Rewards Its inchoation an Heaven upon Earth Its Consummation and perfection the very Heaven of Heaven And therefore Its Commandments not grievous Its Yoke easie It s Burden light Of Affliction not so evil as sâ—â— Good to the good Ps lm 119.67 71. Hâ—bâ— 1.12.11 Verse 10. Profitable 1 King 17.18 Monitors of our frowardness but Fruits of Gods Faithfulness and Love Psal 119.75 Rev. 3.19 John 16.33 Christs Legacy Mat. 10.25 For many good ends Sect. VIII IN thinking of AFFLICTIONS though Evil not so Evil as Sin and therefore their being Sanctified desirable rather and more then their removal Evil in themselves yet good to the good and for the making of them Better It s good for me that I have been afflicted before I went astray but now I have learnt thy Precepts sharp and bitter twigs bearing sweet Fruit peaceable Fruits of Righteousness A Fathers Rod not for his Pleasure but VERILY for our Profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Remembrancers of our Sin yet not so much products of his Justice Power and soveraignty as Fruits of his Faithfulness I know O
Psal 73.12 Psal 4.9 6. Verse 18. The dispised excellent 1 Cor. 4.13 Psal 16.3 Heb. 11.38 Acts 20.24 Persecution not enough without love 1 Cor. 13 3. as part of a Christians Patrimony Ye shall receive an hundred fold in this life with Persecutions An Honour to be counted worthy to suffer a Gift to be able to suffer as well as to believe to you it is given And therefore he is so far from thinking that he merits by it as that he is but so much the more beholding to God and to Christ for it He thinks losses for Christ and the Gospel to be gain the spoiling of his Goods to be joyfully taken As knowing in himself that he hath in Heaven a better and more induring substance He esteems disgrace for Christ the highest Honour in the World and the Reproach of Christ greater Riches then the Treasures of Aegypt He refuseth to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness to have his portion in this life He chooseth rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of â—in for a season Those whom men think to be the happy men who call the proud happy having ONLY their portion in this life Those that prosper in the World that increase in Riches that boast of their Wealth that say they are rich and possessed with goods c. Such He thinks Poor and Wretched and Miserable and Blind and Naked And those whom such men think the off-scouring of the World He thinks the Excellent of the Earth And whom they think unworthy to live in the World He thinks that the World is not worthy of them He thinks his Life not too much nor too dear for Christ nay not enough if it want the sincerity of his Love and therefore labours as much that his heart and love be found staming towards him as if he call for it to give his body to be burnt for him Sect. XI Right thoughts of the outward condition of life Prov. 13.8 As fittest for us 2 Sam. 15.4 Hebr. 13.5 Contentment without covetousness Thinking of the promise Psal 23.5 For supply Psal 17.3 IN thinking of his present CONDITION of Life that his lines are fallen in the best place for him that his own food is most convenient for him That Sauls Armour would not suit him That anothers Condition would not fit him not as Absolom O that I were Judge in the Land He thinks it is his duty to be contented with such things as he hath without coveting anothers And thinks it his Relief that the lesse money he hath he may go the more upon trust The less he finds in his purse seek the more in the promise of him that hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee The Lord is his Shepheard and he thinks he shall not want And therefore he will trust in the Lord and do good And he thinks verily he shall be fed or Truth shall be his feeding as some read so that he thinks no man can take away his livelihood unless he can first take away Gods truth Sect. XII Right thoughts of the present time of life 1 Pet. 1.17 Heb. 4.1 To be past in fear that work may be done Phil. 1.12 Jude 23. 1 Cor. 9.24 Luke 16.2 Before time done Time for work Therefore be up and doing 1 Chro. 22.16 A time for every Work Eccles 9.4 Therefore hope while time no room for dispair Eccles 3.1 Time for best purposes Rom. 13.11 Hos 10.12 2 Pet. 1.10 But a time therefore no place for presumption Time pretious measured by moments Ephes 5.16 Right thoughts of death Job 18.14 Chap. 11.20 Eccles 11.3 Luke 16.26 IN thinking of his present TIME of life as the time of his sojourning here and therefore to be passed in fear in fear least he should come short nay or seem to come short at his going out of the World of that which he came into it for the working out of his own Salvation and the saving of others pulling them out of the Fire and both with fear with fear least his day be done before his work be done least his Glass be run before his Race be run least his accounts be required before they be stated with fear and yet in hope that though his time be little and his work great yet if he be up and doing the Lord will be with him And therefore as he that plows plows in hope so he when he prayes prayes in hope and repents in hope c. For to him that is joyned to all the living there is hope So that his fear is a spur to his hope and his hope a bridle to his fear That despair do not run away with him and Cast him quite down for want of hope Nor presumption make him loiter and loose both his time and his soul for want of Fear He thinks there is a time for every purpose under Heaven And therefore thinks he can I find a time for Eating and Drinking and Sleeping Buying and Selling Building and Planting Marrying and giving in Marriage and is there not a time nay a high time to awake out of sleep A time to seek the Lord to make my calling and election sure c. surely there is a time therefore there is hope And no room for desperation And but a time therefore no place for Presumption But a time and therefore that time is most pretious God measuring it to us only by moments as we do pretious Liquors by drops and therefore to be redeemed and so imployed in looking out for a pretious Christ and in looking after the pretious Soul Sect. XIII IN thinking of DEATH to the Unbelievers and Hypocrites as a King of Terrors a grave of their hopes which will then be as the giving up of the Ghost as the falling of the Tree that must lie till judgment as then it falls No work there nor devise no wisdom no calling upon God with hope of help or promise of pardon As the fixing of the gulf no passing no returning from a state of torment no means of Grace no hope of Glory any more as a cruel Jaylor haling the Soul to the dreadful Tribunal of God and then to the Tormenter and Executioner even to him that hath the Power of Death the Devil Hebr. 2.14 And alas how many thousands of black yea bloody self-murthering mouths shall then come to have their woful wishes before they thought of it when God shall damn them and the Devil take them But to the Righteous that hath hope in his death â— King of Terrors too Prov. 14.32 To the godly what but with a broken Scepter A Serpent but without a sting A ghastly countenance with an open mouth but without teeth A sturdy Porter yet standing only to open them their Fathers door The Saints Bed-maker Isa 52.10 Hos 13.4 Col. 3.41 hard-handed yet that makes their Beds soft and easy An Enemy frighted into a Friend by him that is the
yet but One Sun or to come nearer both to the Thing and Himself He thinks perhaps of the Soul in his Body where he finds an Understanding Will and Memory yet but One Soul But alas thinks he these are short shadows and dark resemblances of so great and high a Mystery for that light is not the Sun though it be Sun-light c. and that Understanding is not the Soul but the Souls understanding power or faculty But Jesus Christ is the LORD and the holy Spirit is GOD and yet to us there is but One God and One Lord. But this He thinks 1 Cor. 8.6 All in God GOD. That All that is IN God Eternally Imminently Unchangeably must needs be God As verily He thinks that GOD IS And that God the Father hath a perfect KNOWLEDGE of himself in himself God knowâ— himself This also He cannot but Think and that this Knowledge WISDOM Wisdom Prov. 8.22 23 25. John 1.1 Word Ver. 30. Image of God Hebr. 1.3 Loves Himself Fathers love to the Son declared by the Holy Ghost Verse 16. or WORD is God because it is IN the Father who is God And further that He cannot but LOVE himself whom He thus Knows and seeth in that express Image of Himself begotten in Himself and this Image or begotten WORD being in God and therefore being God cannot love God again And this Infinite Mutable liking Loving and good will Proceeding from Both and being in Both cannot but be what Both are viz. GOD. Thus We see when there was a visible manifestation of the Divine complacency with a loud voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased The Word being now made Flesh It was made by the Descending of the Holy Ghost like a Dove from the Father and resting on the Son But Alas after all thinks He of Himself who is he that hideth Counsel without knowledge Mystery exceeding thought Yet is to be thought for God is able to do above thought Eph. 3.26 Therefore is above thought Trinity one in working yet each his peculiar work John 5.17 19 20 21. Phil. 1.19 compared with 4.19 God onely properly Eâ—câ—â—â—â— Psal 106 48. Therefore have I thought that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not God hath indeed told me that THESE THREE are ONE And if I cannot tell how to think it yet I will think it For seeing Scripture teacheth me to Think that he is able to Do exceeding abundantly above all that I can think well may I Think that He Is above All that I can Think And therefore though it be above my thought 't is the fitter seeing He saith it to be thought of him that is so much above me These three thus gloriously but mysteriously coequally coessentially and coeternally One must be thought also to be One in Working as well as Being and yet each one to have his own peculiar work Thus Gods supplying by Jesus Christ is called the supply of the Spirit Sect. XXI THis God We must think an ETERNAL Being and nothing properly Eternal but God Created Spirits Angels and Souls of men and the bodies of these raised Spiritual bodies at the last day being Onely Eâ—erlasting But from Everlasting to Everlasting thou are God Art not thou from Everlasting Psalm 90.2 Hab. 1.12 Isaiah 48.12 O Lord my God And as if God were making answer to this Question saith He Hearken O Jacob and Israel my Called I am he I am the First I also am the Last Chap. 44.6 Verse 8. Jerem. 2.32 I am the First I am the Last and besides Me there is no God and after saith he Is there any I know not any There is no Eternal no First and Last but God onely Hebr. 7.3 And therefore Our First Thoughts and Our Last Thoughts yea and all our Thoughts should be of him and for him Thoughts should be Lasting where the Theme is Everlasting But O burning shame that We should forget him dayes without number who hath neither Beginning of Dayes nor end of Life but is Eternal Sect. XXII THoughts also must be holy and Reverend of the Infinite Immensity Gods Immensâ— omnipresence filling all things Psalm 33.5 as well as Eternity of this one true God His OMNIPRESENCE filling all things Hell with his glorious Justice and Severity Heaven with the glory of his Grace Earth with his Goodness Patience and Providence If I ascend up into heaven thou art there Psal 139.8 9. If I make my Bed in hell behold thou art there If I dwell in the utmost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me Jer. 23.23 24. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do I not fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. And 't is repeated so that the Lord saith this because vain men do so little think of this Thus doth he fill all things but is contained of none Contained of none 2 Chron. 6.18 But will in very deed dwell with men on earth behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee Alas How should it Can a Man be contained in his own span My right hand hath spanned the heavens Isaiah 48.13 saith God Alas how little can Our very hearts hold or Our Thoughts contain of this Great God! now the less we can comprehend the more and the greater should our Admiring Thoughts be Sect. XXIII God All-wise omniscient HE is also to be Holily and Reverently remembred in the Immensity of his Wisdome and OMNISCIENCE as well Omni-presence That He is All Wise Knows Us. 1 John 3.20 as well as Onely-Wise that knows us better then we know our own Hearts who is greater then our hearts and KNOWS all things He knows whereof we are made Our frame Psal 103.14 Psal 139.16 Our Sins Job 13 27. Chap. 14.16 17. his eyes did see our substance being yet imperfect He books our members He knows wherein we have sinned he looks narrowly to all our paths and sets a print upon the heels or as the Hebrew upon the Roots of our feet And as he books our Members so he bags â—our Sins Thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sin my transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine Iniquity But then he knows our Sorrows too as well as our Sins Our sorrows Psal 56.8 thou tellest my wandrings put thou my tears into thy Bottle Thou seest how I have Sinned observe how I mourn and indeed he doth so I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31.18 I saw him sinning and I hear him groaning He that hath a Book for our Members a Bag for our Sins hath a Bottle also for our tears He knows our Soul in Sin and he hath saith David known my Soul in adversity Psal 31.7 Our need Matth. 6.8
Job 23.10 2 Pet. 2.9 All Man 1 Cor. 3.20 Isaiah 2.15 So that he knows also whereof we have need Our heavenly Father doth so even before we ask as he knows our sins before we confess He knows the way that we take and he knows what way to take with us He knows how to deliver if we be Righteous And how to reserve the wicked to the day of Judgment to be punished He knows the Thoughts of the wise the way that they take yea though they dig deep to hide their Counsel from the Lord and knows too how to take them in that way that they take 1 Cor. 3.19 so that the Wisdom of the World is foolishness with God as it is written he taketh the wise in their own craftiness Knows how to bring good out of sin Be they Men or Devils We must think him a God so holy as that he would never suffer Sin in the World and so Pittiful and Gracious that he would never suffer sorrows and sufferings on his Saints Sufferings but that he is a God so WISE that he knows how to bring Glory to himself and good to his Chosen out of All to break Leviathans heads Psal 74.14 and to make it Food for his People As the Apothecary would never suffer so many Poysons in his shop but that he knows one way or other how to make them to conduce to the honour of his Art And good of his Patient for known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the World Acts 15.18 And his wayes are higher then our wayes because his Thoughts are also higher then our Thoughts as the heavens are high above the earth Isaiah 15.18 Isaiah 55.9 Chap. 40.28 James 1.5 Job 13.3 Psalm 2. Psalm 9.12 Psalm 16.11 Psalm 43.3 So that there is no searching out of his understanding And therefore think If any man want wisdom he is to ask it of God Would I know my Sins Lord make me to know my Transgression and my Sin Would I know the measure of my dayes how frail I am Lord make me to know my end so teach me to number my dayes as that I may apply my heart unto wisdom would I know thy Path of Life Lord shew it me In thy light I shall see light O send out therefore thy light and thy truth let them lead me and bring me to thy holy â—â—ll O thou Father of lights James 1.5 in whom there is no darkness at all Seeing therefore that we are to light our Fire at this SUN this Parent of Lights 1 John 1.5 All wisdom to be fought of God but only in means and measure prescribed 2 Tim. 3.15 Rom. 12.3 who affords us the Burning Glass of his Word for our help herein We are to think thus surely of his Wisdom if we will think of it rightly That as we are to be thankful for the Means so contented with the Measures of KNOWING that he prescribes and allows inasmuch as they are such as are able to make us WISE to Salvation for he hath expresly cautioned us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne quis sapiat supra quam oportet c. for so Beza uulg. c. not to be wise above what we ought but to be wise unto sobriety I know indeed that there is in corrupted man a Natural desire to KNOW Rom. 1.25 but it is to study the Creature more then the Creator who is blessed for ever to pursue the Science of other things whilest the EXCELLENCY of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord Phil. 3.8 is neglected All which Natural Knowledge should designedly be made subservient to such a Spiritual end as the holy Psalmist pursues in his ASTRONOMICAL Observations Psal 8.3 4. When I consider saith he THY heavens the work of thy Fingers the Moon and Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him c. But when Solomon himself who knew more 1 Kings 4.29 Eccles 2.12 in Naturals then any meer Man since Adam casts up the total sum he tells you that what he did arrive at by all this knowledg was to know this that the increase thereof is the increase of sorrow Chap. 1.18 and most notorious it is that ever since who so comes nearest to him in that point of knowledge Troublesomeness and uncertainty of natural lawful knowledge doth so likewise in that part of experience Alas how long have some of us been learning how ignorant we are And how great is his Wisdom that hath lock'd up from us in the intricate labyrinths of vexatious uncertainty the knowledge of that which he finds so apt to draw us from him who make so little right use of so much that is clearly revealed being sufficient in its kind to draw us to him We know where it is said Deut. 29.29 that secret things belong to God but things that are revealed belong to us and to our Children that it is not for US to KNOW the times and seasons that the Father hath put into his own power Acts 1.7 2 Pet 2.18 But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ John 17.3 Sinfulness of affecting to know by familiar spirits Wizards Isaiah 8.19 for this is life Eternal c. But besides a natural and lawful if duely moderated and ordered Desire of natural knowledge there is a desire of knowing such things and by such means as we are to think sinful and Satanical being no way approved in the Word or the Wisdom of God such is theirs who seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto Wizards that peep and that mutter as 't is expressed by the Prophet Isaiah or that use divination Ezek. 21.21 that consult with Teraphim that look into the liver that is the intrails of Birds or Beasts c. as Ezekiel speaks to direct actions or foretel future events thereby Judicial Astrology Isaiah 47.13 So also we find a severe and black brand fastened by the Scripture upon ASTROLOGERS Star-gazers and Monethly Prognosticators and such as are drawn by them from their sole Dependencies upon God 1 Tim. 6.20 for admit we forbear to say that here is Science falsly so called as the Apostle speaks whose Principles and Conclusions are certainly uncertain It s uncertainty and delusory for the Conjunctions and Aspects of the STARS being the same when divers Children are conceived or born in the same Place and instant of Time as in some great and Populous Cities how come they to divers and contrary Fortunes to use their own phrase some to live longer others under the same Stars to die sooner some to live and die in Wealth Honour and Prosperity Others born in the same article of time and under as auspitious and benigne a Planet to a life of Misery and a death of Shame or to add that undeniable experience frequently confutes the most positive
man that through terrours of Conscience starved himself to death being otherwise prevented in destroying himself by Hanging and Drowning which he attempted and in accusing himself that he might have been dispatcht out of the way by the hand of publick Justice for an old Murther which he pretended but intended it as a plot upon his own Life which not taking he never would admit any sustenance down his throat though forced into his mouth till utterly famished both recent instances and within little more then twenty Miles each of other and of both which I have been an eye-witness and other like might be added And now ask such as these if it be not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 Terrible in praises Exod. 15.11 Goodness Hosea 3.5 Forgiveness Psal 130.4 Spar'd not Angels 2 Cor. 2.4 Old World Verse 5. Sodom Ver. 6. Natural branches Rom. 11.21 His own Son He indeed is fearful in his very Praises and his Goodness to be feared His Grace by no means to be turned into wantonness but the forgiveness that is with him is that he may be feared He that spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down into hell that spared not the old World bringing in the Floud upon the World of the ungodly and turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into Ashes condemning them with an overthrow making them an Example unto those that should live ungodly that spared not the Natural Branches O take heed least he also spare not thee If by terrible things in Righteousness God will answer them to whom be is a God of Salvation Surely his Justice will be very terrible to the Sons of Perdition If God spared no his own Son but it pleased the Lord to bruise him Isaiah 53.10 Rejoycing in the destruction of the wicked Isaiah 1.24 Deut. 38.63 Jer. 1.26 27. and to put him to grief who knew no sin but had sin onely imputed to him O how terrible thinks the Soul is God when he cryes out Ah I will case me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of miâ—â— Enemies I will rejoyce over you to destroy you and to bring you to naught I will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your Destruction cometh as a Whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Thus shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them Ezek. 5.13 and I will be comforted And oh how awful a thought it is that it should be both casing and pleasing to God to destroy sinners 〈◊〉 1.3 That the God of all comforts as Scripture calls him should be Comforted in the Perdition of ungodly Men and laugh at their fear 〈◊〉 6.14 who forsake the fear of the Almighty And Oh how fearful is He in his punishments who is so in his praises How terrible in his Righteousness who is to be feared for his Goodness 1 Pet. 1.17 If they that Call on the Father must pass their time in fear because without respect of persons Isaiah 33.14 he judgeth every one according to his works O how may the Sinners in Zion be affraid what fearfulness may surprize the Hypocrites If they be unable to Contend with his burning Agues God terrible in present punishment Jerem. 12.5 Isaiah 30.33 Chap. 66. â—4 Nahum 1.2 Plagues and Feavers How will they dwell with Everlasting burnings Oh what will they do in the swellings of Jordan when the breath oâ— the Lord as a River of Brimstone shall kindle upon them those Eternal flames that none shall be able to quench for the Lord is jealous and Revengeth The Lord Revengeth and is furious The Lord will take vengeance on his Adversaries and he Reserveth wrath for his Enemies Reserves of wrath terrible O those RESERVES of Wrath how dreadful are they That when Millions of Ages are expired they remain unexhausted There is still a certain fearful expectation and looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation still Heb. 10.27 Psalm 90.11 God corrects whom he loves still Ah Lord who knows the power of thine Anger according to thy fear so is thy wrath Thou Correctest whom thou lovest what wilt thou do wiâ—h them thou hatest If Judgment must begin at the House of God what Heb. 12.6 1 Peter 17.18 What then shall be the end of the wicked Zech. 13.7 Heb. 5.8 Luke 23.31 O what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of God and If the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear thou gatherest a Rod for every Son thou receivest nay the Holy Child Jesus was not excepted nor exempted who though he were a Son thine Equal a Man thy fellow yet did thy Sword awake against him and He learnt obedience by the things that he suffered And if these things were done in the Green Tree O what shall become of the Dry What Scorpions are prepared to be scourges for the wicked Psalm 9.13 surely God hath prepared for him the instruments of death and ordained his Arrows against the Persecutors Upon the Wicked he shall Rain snares Fire and Brimstone Psalm 11.6 and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Psal 119. â—â— Wherefore O God My Flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am affraid of thy Judgments Deut. 32.4 for all the wayes of the Lord are Judgment a God of Truth and without iniquity Just and Right is he with him is terrible Majesty Job 37.22 23 24. Prov. 23.14 Neh. 5.15 He is excellent in Power and in Judgment Men do therefore fear him and well they may Be thou therefore in the fear of the Lord O my Soul all the day long and however others may dare to presume upon him yet so do not thou because of the fear of the Lord. Sect. XXVII THe Lord thou hearest O my Soul God of truth is a God of TRUTH is as well as Righteousness Isaiah 66.5 O Tremble at his word as well as works and be thou affraid of the Judgments of his mouth as well as of his hands For the Lord confirmeth the word of his Servants Isaiah 64.26 Math. 5.28 and performeth the Counsels of his Messengers neither is there any Iota of his Threatenings any more then of his Promises that shall pass away untill all be fulfilled for the strength of Israel will not he nor Repent 1 Sam. 15.29 Isaiah 11.5 for he is not as Man that he should Repent The truth is Gods TRUTH is as the Girdle of his Loins What ever God is He is in TRUTH As God is TRUE In all He is 1 Tim. 1.18 Jerem. 10.10 saith the Apostle Our word towards you was not yea and nay The Lord is the true God saith Jeremiah the God of TRUTH saith the Margin with the Hebrew at his Wrath shall the Earth tremble c. Whatever God
from thy Horse and saved both man and beast brought thee safe to shore the last time that thou gavest thy self for lost at Sea He gave thee thy Possessions Thy Promotions Thy comfortable Relations thy loving Wife thy lovely Children thy health strength limbs liberty credit Comforts of all sorts even every good gift James 1.17 2 Sam. 12.8 And if these had been too little as was said to David he would have given thee more and greater things then these hadst thou not been wanting to thy self Mat. 23.37 How often would he have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings How often would he have convinced converted humbled thee healed thee given thee his Son and given thee his Spirit And now judge I pray thee between God and thy own Soul Isaiah 5.3 what could he have done for thee more then that which he hath done Thou needest a Christ and all the day long Isaiah 65.2 he stretcheth out his hand to tender his Christ unto thee and why did he give thee thy Reason but to lead thee to close with his goodness for thy good But besides the Lord is GREAT as well as GOOD God great as well as good Mat. 21.34 37. else he were not GOD And hath done more then he owes thee in spreading a Table without compelling thy appetite that is more then thou expectest from thy best friend thou hast that is but thine equal 2 Pet. 3.19 Matth. 22.4 He hath sent forth his Servants and with them his Son and in them his Spirit And all these say to thee come All things are ready O tast then Psalm 34.8 and see how GOOD the LORD is Away then for shame with all thy sour and harsh thoughts of God Gen. 3.4 5. and purge out thy old Leaven whereby the old Serpent first soured the whole lump of mankind with a hard opinion of God as if he were not enough enclined to mans good Right thoughts of God must be sweet thoughts Our thoughts of God if they be Right thoughts must be SWEET Thoughts as Davids were Bones of marrow and not bags of gall our Souls must be satisfied with them as his was as with marrow and with fatness Yea even for them that were never yet brought into his Psal 104.34 banqueting house to tast of those dainties Psal 65.5 6. Cantic 2.4 Psal 106.5 Revel 2.17 God good to all Psal 83.3 Rom. 2.4 Acts 14.17 which Scriptures call the good of his chosen that hidden Manna the meat and drink which the World knows not of the sweet repast of the hidden ones there is a Goodness yea Riches of goodness to be thought of by them and not to be despised but Improved by affectionate meditation till it lead them to Repentance For he leaves not himself without witnesse even as to these in that he doth good and gives them Rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling their hearts with food and gladness And if he leave not himself without witness take heed he leave not thee without excuse Think with thy self therefore a little seriously O man of this Riches both of the goodness and long-suffering and forbearance of God Sparing mercies an evidence thereof Prov. 12.10 Hast thou not found that there are sparing Mercies and canst thou not think that there are pardoning mercies with the Lord He that hath laid it upon thee to Regard the life of thy Beast and hath himself had so continual a regard to the life of thy body which indeed is as thy Beast or bruitish part but stiles himself the Father of our Spirits Heb. 12.9 whilest he calls others the Fathers of our Flesh canst thou find in thy heart to think that he hath no regard for the life of thy Soul Jer. 2.31 Hath God indeed been a Barren Wilderness to thee that hath given thee so many fruitful seasons or hath he been only so to thy Soul surely what ever he is to other Nations he hath not been so to us means of Grace have not been wanting to thee So the means of Grace not would his Grace have been wanting to thee in the humble and diligent use of those means Thou hast not been straitned in the Lord surely 2 Cor. 6.12 whatever thou hast been in thy own bowels Hath He been a Land of darkness to thee who hath caused his Sun to arise upon thee Matth. 5.44 though thou art Evil Or hath he been onely so to thy Soul Hast thou not also heard of a Sun of Righteousness that he maketh to arise with healing in his wings upon those that believe in him that justifieth the ungodly Mal. 2.4 Romans 4.9 And if all other thy ungodliness be no bar O why should thy unbelief or hard thoughts of this good God be so But some one may think Objection Micah 3.6 is there any evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it nay doth he not own it where is then the Goodness you spake of Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not evil and good is not He said to frame Evil to devise evil God the Author or evil Lam. 3.38 Jerem. 18.11 Micah 2.3 Isaiah 45.7 Answer Joh 37.23 Lam. 2.33 God good in correcting Micah 6.8 Chap. 7.18 Isaiah 28.21 Mal. 1.8 Rom. 9.20 And punishing Punishment of the wicked good to the good to create Evil And can this consist with so great Goodness But think again O Man that the Scripture saith the Almighty will not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of Men. As a good Parent doth not correct willingly yet he were not a good Parent should he not correct He hath shewed thee O man what is good to do Justice and to love Mercy And cannot God be good though he do Justice whilest he love Mercy for Mercy pleaseth him or he delighteth in Mercy but Judgment he calleth his strange work But go thou and first offer this to thy Governour before thou presumest to reply against God and tell thy Prince if thou darest that His Government is not good because He hath Bethlehems for Mad-Folks and Houses of Correction for Rogues and Vagabonds and places of Execution and instruments of Death for Traytors and Capital Malefactors But how should the Government be good to the Good if it should not restrain and punish the Evil Nay surely the Lords goodness is never more orient in the eyes of his people then when he takes vengeance not onely of their Enemies but of their inventions and yet pardons their sins So of their own sins Psal 991.18 and saves their Souls And oh how shall he come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 Verse 8. Even when the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God and obey not his Gospel So that the Goodness of
day and was glad How busie was Holy Job about the Thoughts of his Redeemer of his standing upon the Earth and his seeing of him with those very eyes of his at the last day And gracious Elihu about the way of Gods dealing with penitent Sinners on the account of a Saviour Deliver him from going down into the Pit Job 23.24 â—gur I have found a RANSOM When Agur was discoursing with Ithiel and Ucal you may see where his Thoughts were by his Question Prov. 30.4 What is his Name and what is his SONS Name if thou canst tell Of David especially Psalms a little New Testament And as for David to whom as to a special Favorite so large and glorious discoveries were made O how enlarged and affectionate were his Meditations So that David and the Book of the Psalms is quoted by Christ himself as most clear and copious concerning Him Luke 24.44 Acts 1.16 and 20.25.29.34 4.25 c. and 13 33. All things saith he must be fulfilled that were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the PSALMS concerning ME And so in the Acts and elsewhere as if the PSALMS were a little New Testament in the middle of the Old Davids thoughts busied about Christs Name Psal 110. compared with Math. 22.43 Psalm 2.2 Psalm 45.7 John 4.29 2 Sâ—m 22.3 Psal 118.14 and 21. Luke 1.47 Phil. 3 3. Psalm 3.5 9. How full were Davids Thoughts of this great and glorious Name the LORD JESUS CHRIST He calls him LORD in spirit when he saith The Lord said unto my LORD sit thou on my right hand c. He calls him Gods Anointed which in the Greek Tongue is CHRIST Yea the Anointed of God above his Fellows which is as much as THE CHRIST as she asked Is not this THE CHRIST that is Christ above all Christs for though there were many Christs they were taught to expect ONE Christ above All And he calls him his Saviour and his Salvation most frequently which in the Hebrew Tongue is JESUS So that that saying of the Blessed Virgin My Spirit rejoyceth in God MY SAVIOUR and that of the Apostle We rejoyce in JESUS seem clearly to be taken from that of David My Soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall Rejoyce in his Salvation or as it may be read to the letter in the Hebrew Text My Soul shall Rejoyce in his JESUS Person Psalm 2.12 Verse 7. Concerning his Person his Thoughts were clear He exhorts the Kings of the Earth to kiss the SON and tells you plainly that he means the only BEGOTTEN of God when he saith the LORD hath said thou are MY SON Psal 89.26 compared with Heb. 1.5 this day have I BEGOTTEN Thee and again I will be to him a Father and He shall be to me a Son So also concerning his distinct Natures Natures in one Subsistence He calls him LORD in Spirit because he knew him to be GOD who he knew was to be his SON after the Flesh as MAN Psalm 45.67 yet saith expresly to him Thy Throne O GOD is for ever and ever c. Thou lovest Righteousnesse c. therefore GOD thy GOD hath Anointed Thee c. He knew that Christ the anointed of God was GOD Hebr. 1.8 for saith the Apostle It is unto the SON that he saith thy Throne O GOD is for ever and ever c. Yet He also distinctly and certainly knew that God had sworn that of the fruit of his Loins He would raise up Christ as concerning the Flesh to sit upon his Throne as the Apostle speaks Acts 2.30 So that he may be thought to mean this when he saith Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Psal 85.11 He might well call him TRUTH as he was the Promised Messiah for in this respect he was to spring out of the Earth to be born of a Woman in the City of David And he might call him RIGHTEOUSNESS who is called elsewhere Jehovah Tzidkenu Jer. 33.16 Mal. 4.2 The LORD Our Righteousness and the SUN of Righteousness as another Prophet calls him now 't is proper for the SUN to look down from Heaven Concerning his Incarnation and Birth Incarnation Psal 142.17 Luke 1.69 which he calls the budding of the Horn of David or which is all one the raising up a mighty Salvation or a Horn of Salvation for his people in the house of his Servant David he brings in Christ plainly thus speaking Sacrifice and Offering and burnt Offerings thou wouldest not Psal 20.6 7 8. Hebr. 10.5 but a Body hast thou prepared me So the Holy Ghost in the Hebrews renders that of the Psalmist Mine ears hast thou opened or pierced through and applies it to Christs Coming into the World in the Flesh Then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of Me I delight to do thy will O my God c. He had also most clear conceptions concerning Christs bitter Sufferings Passion 〈…〉 Psal 2.1 2. Acts 4.26 In the Raging Combination of the Heathen that is the Gentiles and the People that is the Jews and Consultation of the Kings of the Earth and the Rulers that is Herod and Pontius Pilate against the Lord and his CHRIST as it is expounded in the Acts. Psal 118.22 1 Pet. 2.7 By the Malice of the Priests and Elders that should have been Builders of the People in the Faith and acceptation of this Promised Messiah Refusing that stone which God hath designed to be the Head of the Corner By the Treason of Judas that did eat of his Bread yet lifted up his heel against him Psalm 41.9 Job 13.18 21. Psâ—â— 22.7 8. Mat. 27.43 By the scoffs of Spectators and cruel mocking of passers by wagging their heads at him and saying He trusted in the Lord let him deliver him if he will have him and let him save him seeing he delighted in him Psal 31.11 Mat. 26.56 By the faintheartedness of his Followers and Cowardise of his Friends I was a Reproach among mine Enemies and a fear to mine Acquaintance they that saw me without sled from me All this was done saith the Evangelist that the Scriptures might be fulfilled then all his Disciples forsook him and sled Psal 69.21 Mat. 27.48 By the cruelty of his Inhumane Persecutors that in his thirst gave him Vinegar to drink and Gall in his Meat Psal 22.16 17 18. Mat. 27.35 By the Savage Souldiers that parted his Garments and cast lots upon his Vesture and Bloody Executioners that pierced his Hands and â—his Feet and so distended his Body upon the cruel Cross that one might tell all his Bones Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 And most of all by Divine Dereliction which made him to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet in all this not casting away his Confidence Psalm 31.5 Luke 23.46 or loosing
himself by Impatience but committing himself and his Cause to God and crying out with a loud voice into thy hands I commit my Spirit and when he had so said saith the Evangelist He gave up the Ghost And as David was thus copions in the Thoughts of Christs Passion he leaves him not there Resurrection but pursues him with lively and comfortable Meditations of his Resurrection Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see Corruption from which the Apostle undeniably concludes the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead Acts 2.26 nay even from those words in the Second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psalm 2.7 Acts 13.33 Psal 110.7 This God hath fulfilled saith the Apostle Paul in that he raised up Jesus c He shall drink of the Brook in the way may be meant of his Passion for Christ calls it a Drinking the Cup which my Father hath put into mine hand saith he shall I not drink John 18.11 and therefore shall be lift up the head in his Resurrection And as his Thoughts ran of his Resurrection so also of his Ascention When he Ascended up on high Ascention Psal 68.18 Eph. 4.8 and led Captivity Captive he received gifts for men yea even the Rebellious that God might dwell amongst them expounded by the Apostle as meant of Christ by the Psalmist Session and Intercession Psal 110.1 4. Heb. 7.21 So also of Christs Session at the Right hand of God and Intercession as an High Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck All expounded of in Christ in the Hebrews Of his Kindome Throne and Scepter Kingdom Psalm 45.6 Thy THRONE O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy KINGDOM is a right SCEPTER Of his Prophetical Office in Declaring the Decree Prophetical Office Psalm 2.7 and 45.10 Success of his Ministry Psalm 110.5 Psalm 18.49 Rom. 15 9. Psal 117.1 2. Rom. 15.11 in Instructing the Church Hearken O Daughter and consider and encline thine ear c. And the wonderful glorious success of his Gospel Ministers Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power c. and that not only as to the Election among the Jews but also the fulness of the Gentiles the Calling and Conversion of them by the Grace of the Gospel I will confess thee among the Gentiles And again he saith Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles and laud him all ye People c. for great is his loving-kindness towards us us Jews and you Gentiles therefore praise ye the Lord. Second coming to Judgment And finally his Powerful and certain second coming to Judgment for the compleating of the work of his Grace in bringing many Sons unto Glory and in gathering his people together his Saints and his Covenanted ones Psalm 50.1 5. even from the rising of the Sun unto the going down thereof And O how he triumpheth and brings in other Creatures exulting as it were at the thought of this his coming Psalm 96. for he cometh for he cometh to judge the Earth with Righteousness will he judge the World and the People in his truth Ver. 11 12 13. for in all this it is evident that his thoughts ran of Christ when he saith He hath remembred his Mercy and his Truth towards the house of Israel and all the ends of the Earth have seen the Salvation of our God and then it follows Let the Floods clap their hands Verse 8 9. and the Mountains rejoyce together before the Lord for he cometh to judge the Earth with Righteousness shall he judge the World and the people with Equity In a word as blessed Maryes Soul did magnifie the Lord though she were his Mother so Davids Spirit did rejoyce in God his Saviour though as to the Flesh he were his Father and O how precious was that thought unto David which is as it were the sum and quintessence of all the rest Thou spakest in a vision to thy holy One Psalm 89.19 thou saidst I have laid help upon one that is mighty that is to say in the New Testament-Language He is able to save to the uttermost Hebr. 7.28 all that come unto God by him 'T is proved that David understood and thought of Christ in all this Acts 2.30 31. But some one may say was David indeed so well studied in a Covenant of Grace and did he think of a Christ in all this The Apostle Peter saith he did because he was a Prophet and knew what God had sworn that of the fruit of his loins he would raise up Christ concerning the Flesh to sit upon his Throne and that knowing this before he spake of his Resurrection c. So that David did not Prophesy like wicked Caiaphas the High Priest of he knew not what Joh. 11 50 51. but understood what he Prophesied and thought of what he Prophesied and was in this respect a man after Gods own heart 1 Sam. 13.14 because his heart was so much upon what Gods heart was upon Prov. 8.30 the Mystery of Grace in the Lord Jesus Christ so that as Christ saith that he was alwayes before God so David saith of Christ I foresaw the Lord alwayes before my face Acts 2.25 Christ was ever in his eye But O how great is the advantage that our Thoughts may have of his His was but a foreseeing and a fore-knowing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore but a fore-thinking of a Christ that was to come Verse 31. but ours is a seeing before whose eyes Jesus Christ is evidently set forth Gal. 3.1 even as if he were Crucified amongst us and a knowing and a thinking of that which is already and fulfilled to a tittle in all that he fore-spake and fore-thought even eight and twenty Generations before it was accomplished for from David Mat. 1.27 untill they were carryed away into Babylon was fourteen Generations and from the Captivity to Christ were fourteen Generations What shall I say now Heb. 11.3 the time would be too short as the Apostle speaks to tell you of Moses and all the rest of the Prophets of the Apostles and particularly of S. Paul whose heart was so full of a Christ and his thoughts so big of him that they deliver themselves almost in every other Verse of his very Name and croud it in many times as if it were an ease to that Abundance that was in his heart to have his mouth speaking or his pen dropping that sweet smelling Name of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST Sect. XXXI THis this is also that 1 Pet. 1.12 Christ the Theme of Angelical Thoughts Luke 1.13 14. which the Angels desire to pry into for you may know what all their Thoughts run on by what their Tongues run of when they take to them Tongues saith the Evangelist there was with the Angels a multitude of the Heavenly Host Praising
which All other Thoughts can be but a mear Chaos of Confusion and will prove in the Issue a very Hell of Horrour and a Thought with which the thought of Death is without a Sting 1 Cor. 15.55 Luke 21.28 1 Pet. 1.8 and the very Thought of Judgment doth lift up the heal and fill the heart with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory In a word a Thought that by mutual entercourses between Love on Gods part and Faith on Mans part doth bring Heaven down to Us and will if We follow it home raise Us up to Heaven 2 Cor. 3.18 for whilst we with open face behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of Lord For as Gods wayes are above our wayes as high as his Thoughts are above our Thoughts Isaiah 55.8 so our wayes will be above other mens wayes above the Corrupt way of Nature the bruitish way of sense and Carnal Reason as high as our thoughts are above their thoughts for whilst their God is their belly Phil. 3.19 20. and they glory in their shame who mind Earthly things Our Conversation shall bâ— in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ O welcome then the dear and precious Thoughts oâ— the blessed Jesus who thought of thee O my Soul Christ deserves Psalm 136.23 in thy low estate and therefore deserves thy Thoughts and puts himself purposely in thy way which way sâ—ever thou turnest thy self And desires our thoughts Luke 22.44 Knocks at the door of every sence and therefore sure desires thy thoughts for as there was never a pore in his Body but He did sweat out his Blood at it for thee and thy Good so is there never a door even of thine Exterior sences but He knocks at it to be let in to thy thoughts Canst thou hear or see or feel why that which we have seen and heard saith the Apostle 1 John 1.1 And ver 3. 1 Pet. 2.3 Cantic 2.1 Chap. 1.13 Verse 14. declare â—e unto you and our hands have handled the word of life Or canst thou tast and hast thou not tasted that the Lord is gracious or is the Rose of Sharon the onely Flower that can â—â—t please thy smell The bundle of Myrrhe the Cluster of Camphire c. are there no sweets in All these Methinks my Saviour does even court my Thoughts And puts himself in the way of our thoughts by every good thing about us Isaiah 11.10 Eccles 7.11 Rev. 12.16 Mal. 4.3 Rom. 13 14. John 14.6 Chapter 10.9 meeting them and me at every turn in every thing that is excellent and obvious If I shut my eyes He is my Rest and this Rest is glorious If I open them He is my Light and truly this Light is pleasant If Night fall he is the bright and fixed Star If Day dawn 't is writ with a Sun-beam upon my wall that he is my Sun of Righteousness when I get up can I forget my Cloths to put on the Lord Jesus Can I go forth and not think of him that is the way or come in again and not think of him that is the Door Can I sit down to Eat and forget him that is the Bread of Life and take a turn in my Garden among all my pleasant Plants Revel 22.2 and forget the Tree of Life or refresh my sweating brow amongst Rivers Verse 1. Isaiah 32.2 Zachar. 13.1 Shades and Fountains and not mind him that is the River of Life the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land the Fountain set open for Sin and for uncleanness Can I gaze upon Gold or Silver the Mammon of Unrighteousness and forget him whose very Reproach is greater riches then the Treasures of Aegypt or please mine Eye with the Brisk and sprightly Diamond or beautiful Emerauld and not call to mind that Pearl of great Price Mat. 13.42 for the sake of which the wise Merchant sells all he hath to buy the Field in which He finds it Do I see the welcome Officer bringing a discharge to his weary Prisoner and forget him that hath the Key of David who openeth Revel 3 7. and no man can shut and shutteth and none can open Do I see the Mariner drop his Anchor and forget him in whom alone is Hope which is the Anchor of the Soul is sure and steadfast Heb. 6.18 19. Do I see the Souldier run to his Colours and forget the Captain of my Salvation Chap. 2.10 Gen. 31.40 Do I see the watchful Shepheard expose himself as Jacob to Sun and Showre to Wind and Weather and forget him that laid down his Life for his Sheep John 10.11 Matth. 9.33 Or the painful Harvest-Man and forget him that is the Lord of the Harvest Or the careful Father setling his Estate by Will and leaving it to his little ones that he leaves behind him and can I forbear to call to mind my Saviours Testament confirmed by the Death of the Testator Hebrews 9.16 Do I see the Virgins preparing to receive the Bridegroom Mat. 25.31 or the Countrey going out to meet the Judge of Assize and not my Thoughts run out to meet my Saviour 1 Thes 4.17 In a word can I think of any thing and not think of Christ who is every good thing If I be well Psalm 42.11 Matthew 9.12 Philip. 1.21 John 11.25 't is He that is the health of my countenance and if I be sick he is my Physitian and if I live Christ is my Life and if I die he is the Resurrection as well as Life So that as there is a strange disease that takes some in their Heads who live many years but so strangely loose their Memory that they forget their own Name it is much more a monstrous disease that takes Us in our Hearts that makes us forget the Name of Christ that We should be so strange and so sottish and so stupid to the thoughts of Christ which of all the things in the World ought in duty and might in Reason be most ready frequent and familiar to Us since God hath made every good thing about us a plain prompter to our weak memories in spelling out the Name of his Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ We need no sorry Crucifixes dumb Pictures or dead Images to be our Remembrancers blessed be our God to put us in mind of him Especially by the Lords Supper instituted for his Remembrance 1 Cor. 11.26 who hath drunk to us in his own Blood and commanded us to pledge him at his Table and as often as we do it to do it in Remembrance of him O there do thou muse O my Soul till the Fire burn O there let thine Eye and thy Touch and thy Tast affect thy Thoughts and let thy Thoughts inflame thy Affections that the more thou think of Christ thou mayest love
three Evangelists you have this dreadful Word established and this Guard set like that terrible Cherubim and Flaming Sword to preserve that High Reverence that Mortals owe to the Holy Ghost All other Blasphemies saith Christ wherewith soever they shall Blaspheme shall be Forgiven Mark 3.28 and indeed have been so I was a Blasphemer saith S. Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 But I obtained mercy But whosoever shall wittingly wilfully and malitiously Reproach the Holy Ghost as the Pharisees here did Mark 3.30 they said of Jesus He hath an unclean Spirit whose works did testify of him That he cast out Devils by the SPIRIT of GOD Luke 11.47 Mat. 8.12 and that the Kingdom of God was come unto them as himself speaks Ten Thousand Woes shall be the Portion of such an One. Sect. XLII ANd here once for ever let me caution this Impious Age of coming near unto any thing that looks like or comes near the sin that is unto Death Caution against Reviling the Spirit Numb 26.16 even as Moses charged the Congregation of Israel concerning Corah and his Complices 1 John 5.16 that they should not come near those wicked persons Let me charge thee O Man whosoever thou art in the fear of God that thou entertain not a Contemptuous thought In Scripture much less utter a word against the written word of God for it is as you have seen the Dictate of the Holy Ghost And here I cannot but make an Honourable mention of that Honourable Person Mr. R. Boyl la his late piece of Scripture style who hath made Himself truly so by that most serious and ingenious complaint of his of the Prodigious folly of the Times whose onely wit seems to lie in a prophane and scurrilous abuse of Holy Scriptures But it may be observed as of Our Saviours so of these Scripture-scoffers that as they were part of our Saviours proof that He was the Prophecyed Messiah for even those scoffs as we have seen were part of what was fore spoken concerning him Eight and twenty Generations before he was born so are these part of the accomplishment of the Prophecies of that Book which told the World of these Men sixteen hundred years almost before they came unto it Be mindful saith the Apostle of the words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets 2 Pet. 3.2 3. and of the Commandment of Us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour knowing this first that there shall Come in the Last dayes Scoffers Wherefore We revere in our Thoughts what they revile with their tongues and so much the more Because They do so Matth. 18.7 But as Our Lord saith Offences must needs come yet they bring their woe with them so let me say to these Men in the Prophets words Isaiah 28.22 Be not Mockers lest your Bands be made strong Further Take we heed that our THOUGHTS despise not any of the Operations of this Holy spirit 2 Sam 6.26 In Prayer Jude 20. Eph. 6.16 Zech. 12.10 Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.26 as prophane Michal did holy David in her heart S. Jude speaks of Praying in the HOLY GHOST and S. Paul of Praying alwayes with all Prayer and supplication in the Spirit The Old Testament speaks of a spirit of supplication and the New of a spirit of Adoption crying or whereby we cry Abba Father The spirit helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what to pray for there 's matter as we ought there 's the manner but the spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered Verse 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit c. Preaching Rom. 12.6 Verse 7.8 So likewise saith the Apostle having gifts differing according to the grace that is given us whether Prophesie let us Prophesie according to the proportion of Faith or Ministry let us wait on Our Ministring or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation Now the manifestation of the Spirit saith he is given to every man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 so that where there 's no manifestation of the Spirit in the Preacher there can be no profit to the Hearer for to One is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to apply Verse 8. to another the word of knowledge to explain some excel in one thing Verse 3. some in another but all by the same Spirit And saith he I give You to understand that no man speaking by the spirit calleth Jesus accursed Verse 4. John 15.26 and 16.14 Acts 2.4 1 Cor. 2.4 Now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit 'T is the Spirit when we meditate that must take of Christs and shew it unto us And when we speak 't is the Spirit that must give us utterance and Preaching must be not in the inticing words of Mans wisdom Sanctificationâ— 1 Pet. 1.2 Rom. 8.9 Every true Christian is a Saint 1 Cor. 1.2 2 Cor. 1.1 Chap. 6.11 Eph. 1.1 15. Rom. 1.7 Mock Saints Revel 2 9. and 3.9 No ground for reviling the True Gen. 34.30 Gal. 4.29 Dan. 7. Mat. 24.24 All the godly have Gods â—spirit Rom. 8.15 Verse 5.9 Gal. 5.16 25. and 6.18 Rom. 1â— 15 1 Cor. 6.19 Gal. 5.22 Rom. 8.2 Ephes 2.22 1 Cor. 3.16 Rom. 8.9 11 13. John 16.7 8. 14.26 and 16.13 Psalm 51.18 and 143.10 Eph. 1.13 16. Rom. 8.14 Eph. 4.3 2.18.22 1 John 4.13 but in the demonstration of the Spirit Sanctification moreover is a peculiar work of the Spirit in every true Christian For if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his The Corinthians were made Saints when they were Converted and made Christians To the Church of God which is at Corinth c. called to be Saints And such were some of You saith the Apostle to them but now you are sanctified by the spirit of our God so the Apostle salutes the Saints in Achaia Rome Ephesus c. We have known indeed the Blasphemy of too many who have said they are Saints and are not but do lie but are of the Synagogue of Satan like those Brethren in Iniquity who troubled Israel and made him stink among the Inhabitants oâ— the Land who shall bear their own judgment yet this shall no more excuse those Ishmaels who persecute those that are truly born after the spirit and Revile the very Saints of the most High as the Prophet calls them then it doth the Indignities done to the True Christ because as was Prophesyed False Christs do arise The Scripture saith expresly That the Children of God are led by the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit are after the Spirit do walk after the Spirit are in the spirit must walk in the spirit do sow the spirit do reap the spirit have received the spirit who is in them whom they have of God as Fruit-bearer Law-giver yet a Liberty-giver and Life-giver