prostrating our selves before him in hope that this may make up our breach and be the healing of our wound But will this do Get you up get you up why lye you thus upon your faces Is there not an accursed thing among you think not that the Lord will be with you till that be destroyed from among you hope not for any thing from those prayers or fastings that do no execution upon your accursed things Do your prayers leave your pride alive your covetousness alive your wantonness alive your selves are like to dye notwithstanding all such prayers God is either upon refining or rejecting he hath cast us into his furnace kindled his fires been blowing with his bellows if our dross may yet be consumed If that be not done the next word we may hear may be that of the Prophet Jer. 6. 29 30. The bellows are burnt the lead is consumed by the fire the founder melteth in vain for this dross is not taken away reprobate silver shall men call them for the Lord hath rejected them Use 2. Of Direction and Exhortation Brethren have I not yet said enough to fetch you off from your servitude will you go free or have I spent my labour in vain must I leave you at the Brick-kiln or will you go over to Canaan what are your thoughts Is it good to continue in your servile state is the vassalage of unbelief better then the victory of faith what are your resolutions have you sold your selves for servants and will you stand to the bargain may you go free and will you not have you not understood enough of the worlds enmity have you not felt enough of the worlds tyranny have you not sin'd enough and suffer'd enough already by it what say you are you for liberty or bondage for captivity or victory why what may we do to obtain the victory why will you hearken then are you willing of help will you take Gods counsel when 't is offered you well in hope that some of you will hearken I shall yet farther adventure these few directions In the first place I shall mind you of what hath been already spoken touching the wayes by which faith overcometh the world and shall turn them into these 6. counsels 1. Get a right judgment of both worlds study and get an understanding of Earth and Heaven and give not off this study till you be throughly convinc'd of the unspeakable transcendencies of things to come above things present 2. Choose your lot in the best of the two determine for Heaven that infinitely better inheritance Be unalterably at this point I am for the everlasting blessedness however it be with me here 3. Be convinc'd that the good things of this World cannot further nor can the evil things of this world hinder your eternal blessedness and esteem of all things temporal according to the respect they bear to the things that are eternal 4. Be convinc'd that the Design of all the temptations of this World is to deprive you of your eternal inheritance 5. By living more purely a life of faith get clear apprehensions and a deeper sense of the blessedness to come 6. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure by turning your eyes back upon what hath been already said you may make fuller improvement of these directions upon which I forbear any farther enlargement To these I shall add this one general direction Make your advantage of all those means by which your faith may gather strength and in which it's strength is to be put forth and exercised Particularly 1. Improve all your duties this way Let all your seekings of God be a wrestling with the World Put this great affair into every prayer put it into your dayly confessions put it into your daily petitions Carry the sense of your sore bondage into the presence of God let the misery and the danger it hath subjected you to be written upon your hearts and go and spread the writing before the Lord. Let the throne of grace be a Judgment seat where this traitor may be daily arraigned and condemned Take unto you words confess unto God Lord I have dealt very falsely with thee and foolishly for my self I have forsaken the Fountain of living waters for broken Cisterns wherein is no water I have taken the World into my bosom and thrown the Lord at my heels I have set the World on the Throne and trodden Christ under my feet I have served mine enemy and slighted the Rock of my Salvation I have sold my soul for silver and my hopes for handfulls of barley I have followed vanity and neglected alsufficiency I have been a true drudg to this muck a good husband for this flesh but what have I been to the Lord what an evil and slothful servant If I should say I were not a worldling or a sensualist mine own soul would call me lyar to my face but though I see what a fool and what a beast and what a slave I am this sottish heart will not yet be wise it hath loved these Idols and will follow them still Confess thus unto God and if one dayes confession will not shame you out of your folly to it again the next day and the next day and every day as long as you live Bring in new Indictments fill'd up with all the aggravations you can gather up I have been often told of the evil of a worldly heart and life of the danger of it of the unworthiness of it I have been counselled to take heed of it and I have known it has been good counsel I have been oblig'd against it by commands by kindnesses by covenants by interest by experiences of the gall and the Wormwood it hath still prov'd in my belly whatever it hath been in my mouth My judgment and Conscience hath been against it I have been offered a better service and a better reward and I have understood it was a good offer and worth the accepting I have been charged upon pain of death and everlasting damnation to take heed and beware of it and yet still I am where I was Counsels have been despised commands have been broken kindnesses have been slighted covenants have been violated reason and conscience have been baffled yea death and hell have been despised for the sake of this lust and love of the world so foolish am I and ignorant and as a beast before thee Thus quicken and sharpen your confessions with all the aggravations imaginable till if it be possible thy folly may depart from thee not being able to bear such an hot prosecution Deal thus roughly and thus closly with your earthly hearts when ever you have them before the Lord that they may not dare to meet you so there again Put it into your daily Petitions Speak unto the Lord let not thy soul keep silence till he hear Let thine oppressed heart lift up its voice to the most high tell him Oh I have surfeited of
rejoycing Are there any such things Is there any thing in them then let these suffice you will you have your conversation and take your portion with those who are strangers to Christ and the comforts of his Spirit I beseech you by the mercies of God that you do not Do you hope for mercy have you received mercy do you live upon mercy hath mercy pitied you spared you pardoned you doth mercy feed you cloath you and comfort you and will you not hearken to its beseechings Why what doth mercy speak is this it's word Continue in sin for grace hath abounded now follow thy pleasures and thy liberties God is reconciled thy sins are forgiven thy Soul is secure now thou mayst slight the Lord now thou mayst trample upon mercy now thou hast obtained it is this the lesson that mercy teaches or what doth it speak is not this the voice of all the kindnesses and compassions of the Lord come back from your vanities come away from following Idols he sacrifices to God and prostitute not your selves any longer to the lusts of your flesh come away for our sakes come as you love mercy come as you have received mercy come as you hope for mercy come Is not this the voice of mercy and shall it not prevail how shall mercy be heard when it pleads for you if it cannot be heard when it pleads thus with you Is this the rate and price you put upon the grace of God that you will deny it in those little things it demands of you not a carnal pleasure to be abated not a vain companion to be displeased not a few handfuls of earth to be troden under foot for its sake Doth all the interest that Christ and his grace hath in you come to no more then this Brethren where is ingenuity is not goodness obliging will you shew what power mercy hath with you how much you can do how much you can leave for love you at least that have obteined mercy methinks your hearts should be at your mouth ready to take their flight from this wilderness to the mountains of spices Hath God given himself hath God given me his Son and granted me mercy unto life now let him take all farmes and oxen silver and gold honours and pleasures let all go and thou O my Soul become a sacrifice to the most high my love where art thou my desires whither run you come back from these vanities and get you up to your God mercy hath descended let me ascend with it and no longer dwell in the dust 2. Do not the severities of God call you off what mean the Judgments of God which he executes on the earth but to drive us up from our cisterns to the fountain what mean the wormwood and the gall but to wean us from these dugs wherefore are our disappointments vexations distresses but to tell us this is not your rest what speak the winds and the storms the flouds and the fires the sword and the famine the thief and the moth but get you up get you up out of this place of what use is the cross but to crucifie to crucifie us to the world and to crucify the world unto us Brethren have we not sufficiently smarted for our folly what is it that makes us so many rods and makes the lashes of them to cut so deep but our unmortifiedness to this earth how easy would our crosses lye were we dead to the world That 's the voice of the cross Be mortified be crucified prevent the greater severities of God Be crucified or God will crucifie you Be crucified to the world or look to be crucified by the world Friends would you have but one cross in all your lives choose you whether you will have one or many get your earthly minds nayld to the cross of Christ and there 's an end of all your crosses every other cross that comes will thenceforth be so easy that it will even loose its nature 2. What is there in your denyal to hearken to these calls of God Is there any thing less in it then this I will not be reconciled to God! I choose rather that God be mine enemy then that the world be not my friend I had rather have the wormwood and the gall then not the milk and the honey God saies give me thine heart no he shall never have it I have bestowed it on the world and there let it go God saies Take me for thy portion no I will not let me have my portion in this life God saies take me for thy Lord no I will not I will not that God shall reign over me God saies as thou hopest for mercy hearken as thou hopest for mercy submit to me refuse at thy peril be a worldling at thy peril be a sensualist at thy peril well at my peril be it I will run the hazard of that mercy or no mercy I cannot hearken to that word which is so contrary to me Is not all this comprehended in your denyal to come off from the world O tremble and now at length come and give in your answer Are there any of you that will yet say to me as those Jews Jer. 44. 16. The word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not do or as those Jer. 2. 25. there is no hope as good hold thy peace speak no more to us about it for we will not hearken we have loved strangers and after them we will go we have loved our companions and after them we will go There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices we will walk after the imagination of our own evil heart Jer. 18. 12. Is there no hope indeed would you henceforth be given over as hopeless would you that the Ambassadours of the Lord keep silence and for ever give you over as lost men shall there be no more treaty with you about this thing would you that we should preach no more to you nor pray no more for you that you may be brought to a better mind May there not be yet hope concerning you may you not yet be convinced may you not yet be perswaded This once let me prevail with you Oh might we hear such a word from you We have done with all our Idols to the Moles and to the Batts with them all we have done with this vain earthly life no more such madness to venture eternity for minutes to stake the everlasting kingdom for pictures and shadows Come we will hearken to the Lord this day hitherto we have been written in the earth henceforth for the invisible world hitherto we have lived in pleasures we have been sowing to the flesh we have been labouring for the wind we have been laying up our treasure on earth we have been gathering in dirt and throwing away Manna we have fed upon ashes and trod upon pearls our life hath been either a meer play or a labour for bubles Henceforth for substance for the durable riches for the everlasting pleasures for the bags that wax not old the treasure in Heaven that faileth not What say you brethren shall this be your voice will you hearken to the Lord at length give in your answer will you now become enemies to the world will you indeed shall your Souls and it now be parted Then go and draw up a writing of divorcement carry it before the Lord and acknowledg it as your act and deed and giving your selves to him go presently and take your leave of all things under the Sun Bid farewell to those that are with you in the house farwel Father farewel Child farewel Husband farewel Wife Bid farewel to all within doors and without farewel Goods farewel Mony farewel Sheep and Oxen Lands and Livings farewel my pleasant habitation farewel my merry dayes and easy nights farewel my friends and dear acquaintance farewel love friendship credit in the world farewel liberty and life Go take your leave of all the world to day stay not till to morrow lest it again intangle you and bewitch you into another mind And this is the leave I would advise you to take of all you have Be able to say to them all I am none of yours you are none of mine I am none of yours I have given my self to the Lord you are none of mine with my self I have given away you all the Lord hath given you me and to him I return you and shall not henceforth count you any thing to me but what you are to him I have given him the right of you and when he calls for it I will give him possession I can enjoy you and I can want you I can be thankful for fruition and I can bear your loss with what I have I am content if I have not I will be patient whether I have or no I am still the same and henceforth I will seek you as if I sought you not I will use you as if I used you not while you are with me I will rejoyce as if I rejoyced not that I may weep as if I wept not when we must part and I must know you no more Go thus and take your leave to day or if you find it more then one dayes work as 't is like you may set to it every day let not your hearts be quiet till they and this world be thus parted And then arise put on thy sandals and after thy crucified Lord Deny thy self take up thy cross and follow him and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven FINIS
of the world lives in you Oh have you been so long professours of Christianity and have not yet gotten the Spirit of Christianity Is this the Spirit of Christ that leads you on in an earthly course did God give you his Spirit to teach you how to be such drudges to the world did God give you his Spirit to teach you how to plow and sow and buy and sell and hoord up treasures on earth what are your thoughts your designs your courses your ordinary talk and discourse what is it but earth earth are these the thoughts the wayes the language of the Spirit can any one that beholds our conversation that in the general bent and tenour of it is all about the world and but now and then a cold wish or a few heartless words about the things of God can any man that beholds us say I these are the persons that are dead to the world that are crucified that are mortified to things below these are they that have received the spirit of Christ indeed these speak like Christians and look like Christians and live like Christians like men of another world can it be said thus of us can we say thus of our selves my life is a spiritual life my course is an heavenly course my steps are all bending to another countrey can we say thus would not our daily course our daily discourse give us the lye if we should Oh we are yet of an earthly sensual Spirit the Spirit of this world is yet bearing rule in us our very Soul is but a lump of earth and flesh Oh for another Spirit a new Soul a more divine and cellestial frame O seek O wait for this better Spirit and then we should quickly see another life once let the world be thrust out of the heart and we shall quickly see more of Heaven breaking forth in the life 2. The strength of the world lyes in the God of this world Sathan gives strength to and marshals its temptations so as that the success of them depends much on him this he he doth 1. By over rating the good things present and underrating the good things to come 2. By sharpning the edge of the evil things present and blunting the edge of the evil things to come 3. By an active stimulating and provoking the Soul on any terms whaatsoever to pursue the present good and to escape the present evil 1. By over rating the good things present and under rating the good things to come He that looks on the world through the Devils glass shall see it double to what it is he gives the same prospect to us as he did to our Lord Matth. 4. 2. shews it in its Glory every Comet Shines as the Sun he makes the silver as gold the brass as silver stones as iron every thing hath a borrowed face and looks better then it is The Apple whereby he tempted our first parents Gen. 3. 5. he makes a deifying Apple In the day that you eat your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Sathans design is to blind and put out mens eyes knowing that they can never see the terrene glory till their eyes be out but his pretence is to open eyes to make such discoveries of the hidden excellencies in these earthly treasures as will transfigure Earth into an Heaven He presents the world as that which hath substance sufficiency contentment hearts ease satisfaction in it he sayes to his friends as the Lord sayes to his Prov. 8. 17. c. I love them that love me and them that seek me early shall find me riches and honours are with me yea durable riches and righteousness I will cause those that love me to find substance and I will fill their treasures thus the Lord speaks to his and the Devil gives the world a tongue to speak at the same rate I love them that love me I have riches and honours durable riches and I will fill them with treasures And as the world speaks so worldlings think it cannot boast greater things of it self then will be believed Hos 12. 8. I am become rich sayes Ephraim I have found me out substance the shadow is a substance in those eyes that see no better things Hence these things are taken up by the men of this world as their portion as their heritage as their happiness and hope thou givest them their portion in this life Psal 17. and they take them as their portion and now Lord what wait I for saith the Psalmist my hope is in thee and now world what wait I for what work I for what live I for truly my hope is in thee the worldling sayes God is my portion and in a sense he says true for the world is his God And on the other side as Sathan over rates this so he under rates the other world 2 Cor. 4. 4. The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of of God should shine unto them The Gospel is a window through which the light and glory of the other world breaks in and shines down upon this here the pretended opener of eyes smites with blindness by a vail of unbelief he keeps the Gospel and all the glory of it out of sight unbelief gives the lye to all that the Gospel speaks calls all into question holds under uncertainties whether there be any such thing or no and what 's doubtful and uncertain whether it be or no will be vallewed there after What a low price do carnal hearts put upon the deep things of God upon the great things of eternity Glory and honour and immortality and eternal life what cheap things are they accounted whilest soul and conscience and peace and hopes and life are so ordinarily sold to purchase an earthly inheritance that 's the bargain that every where is driving in this earth how few are there that will deal for Heaven and Glory though it may be bought without mony and without price though it may be had for the seeking for though it be bought to their hands yet they will not take it Now what advantage is this to wordly temptations when the price of things to come is so beaten down when the price of things present is so hoised and raised as if the one could hardly be over-bought and the other were scarce worth the dealing for 2. By sharpening the edge of present evils and blunting the edge of evils to come The afflictions of this life are made to cut deeper than the vengeance to come The persecutions of men are more feared than the Plague of God Satan makes his Vassals to think there is no Heaven or Hell to those on Earth Poverty looks more dismally than eternal Fire Disgrace than Damnation the Wrath of man than the Cnrse of God Let Death and Damnation be preached to the World and this stirs them
this is the meaning of it thou hast all the good that thou art like to hsve for ever an end an end is come upon all thy comforts the Sun is set upon all thy good daies not one good day not one merry hour more for ever and ever thou hast had thy day henceforth nothing remains to thee but an eternal night the blackness of darkness for ever thy temporal joyes are swallowed up of everlasting sorrows thy honors are expired into everlasting contempt thy riches have taken wings and now thy poverty is come upon thee as an armed man which thou shalt not escape All this is included in this word which will be thy word Thou hast received thy good things What eyes have ye O ye sons of the earth if you do not yet see what hearts have you if you do not yet tremble The Lord be merciful to me if these things be so what 's like to become of me I have spun a fair thread Oh I have coveted an evil covetousness I have been busie in gathering dirt and building my Nest and providing for my young but whither is my soul taking her flight If the rest of my daies be as the daies that are past and God knows whether after so long an Apprentice I may ever go out free if the rest of my daies be as the daies that are past what remains but a fearful expectation of wrath and fiery indignation which will devoure me for ever I have kindled a fire and compass'd my self about with sparks and after I have walk'd a while in the light of my fire and of the sparks that I have kindled this shall I have of the hand of the most High I shall lye down in sorrow O ye worldlings shake up out of your stupendious security will you yet receive the Word of the Lord and suffer your selves to be convinced will you yet believe your selves to be unbelievers What say you Do you not believe that Worldlings are unbelievers can you have any other thought but you are Worldlings Open your eyes upon all your wayes view the whole course of your life what it hath been from your first time until now and let Conscience speak freely If these two things might stick in your hearts that you are Worldlings and that Worldlings have no part in Christ then there were hope that you would accept of those counsels which I shall give you from the Lord in order to your escape after I have first urg'd the second word of Conviction 2. That where there is but little power over the world there is but little Faith As the first Conviction will overthrow the Faith of some and prove it a meer nullity so this will call in question the confidence of others and at least take them some degrees lower There are some Professors who have a name among the first three of the Worthies of our Lord have the site and the aspect of stars of the first magnitude and are ranked among the chief of Saints who have risen high in the easier and sweeter but less significant parts of Religion who have gotten the language and tasted as they imagine of the milk and honey of Canaan and learned much of the more pleasing manners of that good Land who seem to be of the more intimate acquaintance of the sublimer spirit and power of the Gospel and to be much elevated in the spirituality of their notions and duties above the attainments of vulgar Christians and hence are grown up in their own and others apprehensions to be as the Cedars of the Lord among the lower shrubs whom yet if we enquire into about those severer points of mortification self-denial and crucifixion to the world possibly they may be found in these things as low as the least of Saints The faith of these if it prove to be the faith of Gods Elect at all yet sure it will be found to be by many degrees less then it appears and these arietes gregis must yet for the real spirit of faith and holiness come behind the littles ones of the flock where there is but little power over the world there is but little faith In order to the mannaging and carrying home this Conviction consider that 1. According to the truth or falshood of our faith so are we either Conquerours or Captives to the world 2. According to the proportion of our faith so will this victory over the world be more compleat or imperfect 1. According to the truth or falshood of our faith so are we either Conquerours or Captives to the world Every unbeliever is a Captive every believer is a Conquerour of the world both these have been already proved Faith is our chusing and laying hold on another portion our resigning our selves to the dominion of another Lord the world is gone when it may no longer be our Ruler or reward Faith changes the heart Act. 15. 9. it kills the Spirit of this World and that other Spirit that rises up in its room is this Spirit of faith By faith Christ is form'd upon the heart the old Soul is made new renewed after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness this new Soul is suited to a new treasure earthly things wax old and old things pass away when the soul is made new 't is argument enough that thou art an unbeliever and an enemy to the Cross of Christ that thou still mindest earthly things Philip. 3. 19. 2. According to the proportion of our faith so will this victory over the world be more compleat or imperfect We may best take the height and degree of our faith by observing the elevation of our spirits above the earth a low and earthly spirit whatever shew it makes is but of little faith Faith hath a general influence upon every grace and lust as to the nourishing of the one so to the withering of the other lust and the world run parallel where one is there you shall find the other on the Throne or at the footstool Faith lays lust in the dirt and the world ever falls with it Faith is our arm and according as this arm grows stronger so is the blow it gives to our Enemy more mortal The power of God is revealed in us from faith to faith there is a more abundant communication and a more vigorous exerting of this Divine Power where faith is grown where we are but of little strength its certain we are but weak in faith and where our adversary is so strong 't is argument enough that we are weak Growth in grace is then prov'd to be most real when 't is most equal and universal 't is an imperfection in Nature where one member out-grows the rest as grace and peace so grace and grace have their due proportions each to other great peace and little grace will make it questionable whether that peace be peace something of one grace and nothing of another will make it as doubtful whether that
and Reason For what is that which thou callest the witness and the seal of the spirit but an Opinion of thine own a voice within thee or a strong perswasion of thine own heart that thou art of God which because it is attested by some gifts of the spirit and some affectionate workings of thine heart at times heavenward thou takest to be the voice of the Divine Spirit though it be never so contradictory to the Word of God and so wilt hold thy confidence notwithstanding what the Word speaks to the contrary But that thou mayst no longer thus deceive thy self know and consider That the Spirit witnesses and seals in this double way By being the mark of the Lord upon us By being the light of the Lord in us whereby we come to discern the mark of the Lord upon us 1. By being the mark of the Lord upon us 1 Joh. 3. 24. he that keepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us By the Spirit we are to understand the graces of the Spirit that holiness and heavenliness of mind which the Spirit hath wrought upon us The spirit of God forms us into his own likeness and this image of the Spirit is Gods mark upon us As mens so Christs sheep may be known whose they are by their masters mark upon them whose mark is an earthly mind Is it of Christ or is it not the mark of the God of this world Holiness and spirituality is the mark of Christ earthliness and sin is of the Devil To whom does thy Soul belong The Spirit thou sayest witnesseth that thou belongest to God I but whose mark is it that is upon thee is this covetousness and greediness upon the world is this lying and defrauding this unrighteousness and unmercifulness which the world can ordinarily command thee to is this the mark of God or the Devil the Devil is this thy master for behold his mark still upon thee It 's true Christ buyes all his sheep out of the Devils flock but whatever sheep he buyes and brings home he scrapes out the old and claps on his own mark upon it and though there be some prints of the old yet remaining till we have put off flesh some dirt will stick yet the new mark which Christ hath set on now carries it Say not thou art seal'd with the Spirit whatever thy comforts or confidences have been unless thou seest his mark upon thee say not thou art mark'd by the Spirit whilest the Devils mark an earthly mind is the most visible and conspicuous upon thee 2. By being the light of the Lord within us whereby we are able to discern our Lords mark upon us 1 Cor. 2. 12. The Devil so amuses and deludes Souls that they often know not what to make of themselves but conclude themselves to be quite another thing then they are and this he doth by this threefold device by Counterfeiting Christs mark Pulliating his own mark Blurring and blinding the mark of Christ 1. By counterfeiting Christs mark and setting it on his own sheep Christ marks his sheep especially in the heart that 's the throne of the Spirit that 's the seat of Grace the heart the Devil can do something to the counterfeiting of this he can make common grace look like saving grace he can paint the face of a Saint upon the heart of a beast But he can more easily dissemble the outward marks of Christ Christ hath his outward marks his earmark Joh. 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice His mark in the forehead the owning or confessing of Christ before men Luk. 12. 8. He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my father which is in Heaven His mark in the mouth he circumcises their lip and makes them a people of a pure language Zeph. 3. 9. All these the Devil can counterfeit with more ease he can bring his sheep to hear Christs preaching he can bring them to own and confess Christ before men he can teach his to pray and to be expert in the language of Disciples and when he hath done thus then he tells them see thou art one of Christs for behold thou prayest and hearest and confessest Christ and what are these but Christs marks upon thee when whatever is upon the tongue or the forehead the image of the Devil is still upon the heart 2. By palliating his own mark Christs mark upon thee I but whose is that this earthly mind that stands above it O he hath a device for that too he hath a cloke for covetousness 't is but providence or good husbandry nay this gain is godliness all this carking and caring and drudging for the world is but in obedience to the will of God to provide things honest in the sight of all men And in this the Devil is so damnably successful that it is one of the hardest tasks to help poor worldlings to the sight of what 's under this cloke though all that know thee do see that thou art an earthworm yet thou wilt not be brought to see thy self And as the Devil thus deceives his own so he distresses the Saints 3. By blurring Christs mark that it cannot easily be seen or known to be his As he can make a meer paint look like sincerity so he can make sincerity look like hypocrisie as many carnal confidents bless themselves in the opinion of their uprightness so many mortified broken upright hearts condemn themselves for hypocrites though Christ be in them and hath set his seal upon their hearts yet the Devil raises up so many black mists of melancholique thoughts and fears that they cannot see what there is of Christ in them and thereupon they judge very sadly of their case I doubt I am an hypocrite and none of Christs for what is there of the grace of Christ found in me But now the Spirit of the Lord as it works grace in the heart so it gives light to the eye it brings mens perswasions and opinions to the word and compares them with that it searches the scriptures and shews the Soul what Christs mark is it irradiates the heart and shews the very same mark which is written in the word stamp'd upon the Soul and thereby establishes it in power if there be no such mark found there but the quite contrary to it the peace that 's spoken is not of the Spirit of God but of the Devil Worldly professour dost thou not see the scripture death-mark upon thee or if thou doest not does not every one that knows thee behold it Doth not this earthly mind appear upon thy forehead upon thy tongue upon the palms of thine hands and the prints of thy feet may not thy love of the world be read in every look in every word in every line of thy life and wilt thou yet say it 's the Spirit of the Lord that speaks peace to thee whose
up a general complaint one against another 't is in every ones mouth Oh how earthly are we become our gold is mixed with dross our wine with water behold a second but sad Incarnation our spirit is become flesh every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards how hard are we driving after bags of earth we assemble our selves for corn and wine and when riches encrease who is there almost that sets not his heart upon them who is there that labours to be holy as to be rich to thrive in grace as in purse though the Lord hath taken off our Chariot Wheels yet still we drive on though he hath been whipping us upward yet behold still we are all below though he hath burnt up our houses and fir'd us out of our Nests yet behold our hearts are still among among the rubbish though he hath mingled wormwood with our milk and gall with our honey yet we say 't is sweet and will not be weaned though he hath testified against our pride and testified against our covetousness and made such stains upon our beauty and such holes in the bottoms of our bags though we see plainly and say God is angry with us and angry for the iniquity of our covetousness yet who are they that have given off and are gone back from their so eager pursuit of the world Oh what 's like to become of us we are so set upon this Idol that it 's much to be feared desolation is determined upon us Do we not ordinarily hear and make such complaints but if we should with our complaints let fall a teare upon the guilty may they not return upon us weep not for us but for your selves for your own covetousness for your own carnality and what should we say for our selves if they do so Oh the Lord help me I am one of the company I even I also am guilty this Idol hath a tabernacle in this heart also though I considered it not But must our complaints suffice us is it enough to make all well to confess 't is so bad must this be all our heavenliness to bewail our earthliness will God take our acknowledgments for amendments is this your redemption to bewail your captivity But when shall it be better when shall it be said to these prisoners Go forth when for the other world when for God alone for nothing but the everlasting kingdom Arise O captive put off thy prison garments get thee up out of this house of bondage unclog unfetter thy Soul get thy foot out of the snare and away for the holy land leave this earth to its heirs let the men of this world take to their portion and be the only servants to it but go thou and serve the Lord let God and the world take their own whilest worldlings will not be the servants of Christ let it no longer be said that Christians are the servants of the world Brethren conclude upon it that you have no more of christianity then you have of spirituality that this spot of earthliness will unavoidably be a blot upon your evidences for Heaven Have you assurance that you are the Lords how can that be when you are so much the worlds What ever arguments you have that seem to conclude well for you yet how many objections are there also Oh how many Buts are there against us Such a one is a judicious understanding Christian But hee 's greedy upon the world such a one is of a savoury gracious behaviour But hee 's unmerciful to the poor such a one is much in prayer and will pray singularly well But there 's no trust to his word such a one is of a free and liberal Spirit But he is proud Shoot down these Butts if ever you would stand established in your confidence Have you not assurance Is this yet to be gotten Oh how can you so eagerly mind any other getting can you have such leisure for Earth when Heaven still hangs in doubt or do ye think that the same way does lead to both that the same labour will serve for both will the same wind and the same course carry you towards both the Poles can you at once be sayling Northward and Southward can you ascend and descend by the same motion when you are progging for your flesh building your houses enlarging your border laying you up treasure on earth and making it as sure as you can Is this your laying up treasure in Heaven your giving diligence to make God sure your calling and election sure once be bound in good earnest for glory and take the strait course thitherward and then farewel World thy kingdom is finished thy dominion is at an end Brethren receive this word of conviction and submit to it the summe whereof is that where there is so much of the Spirit of this World there is but little faith and where there is but little faith 't is more then you can tell whether there be any at all God is a convincing of us if his word does not his providences shall convince us and lay us yet lower in our own eyes what means his undoing and ruining providences but to try us what spirit we are of and to teach us with his briars and thorns to understand our selves better and to recover why is his face so against us why is his hand so heavy upon us what do the ashes of our wasted treasures speak to us If it do not speak out this to us Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead yet does it speak less then this Thou hast but a little strength thou hast but a few names that have not defiled their garments strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye Is not this its word seekest thou yet great things for thy self when I am breaking down what I have built when I am plucking up what I have planted is this a time to seek great things for thy self yea or to think great things of thy self seek them not no nor think any more such great thoughts lay thee down in the dust be ashamed and confounded for what thou art and hast done and climb no more up those trees that are hewing down under thee Brethren when do ye think the Lord will cause his fury towards us to cease when will the flames be quenched when will his repentings be kindled what hope is there that our conflagrations should be at an end till our Idols be burnt up 't is vain to think that our prayers and fastings and weeping before the Lord will put out the fire of his jealousie Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned they have taken of the accursed thing I will not be with you any more except ye destroy the accursed from among you Josh 7. 10 11 12. The Lord hath broken us with a great breach the Lord hath smitten us with a very grievous blow and now we fall to fasting and praying and
his Will Worship and Waies is preserved and propagated to wit the holy Scriptures Isa 8. 20. to the Law and to the Testimonies c. 2. Fixed Officers To interpret expound and give the sense of the Word and to publish and preach it to the World Nehem. 8. 4. 8. Mal. 2. 7. 3. Fixed Ordinances Wherein the Lord is to be solemnly worshiped the Observing and keeping pure and entire whereof is required as in many positive Precepts so also in all those Scriptures which forbid Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship 4. A fixed time for instruction in the Law of God and for his more solemn Worship This fixed time is the Sabbath day Isa 66. 23. c. The Adversaries of Religion have attempted its destruction by heaving at these Pillars npon which it is supported and the opposition which hath been made against them hath been carried on some part of it at least much after the same way The Authority of the Scriptures hath been inunded by pretences to other rules besides to be added to them as unwritten Traditions or enthusiastical Revelations Ordinances have been assaulted by the addition of humane Inventions to Divine Institutions The destruction of the Ministry hath been by some of its Adversaries attempted by making all Teachers and Sabbaths have been undermined by others by pleading for an every day Sabbath First enclosing the six daies to the Lord and thereby at length laying the Sabbath in common to the World Upon these four pillars is Religion upheld let these be removed and what becomes of it and the destruction of this one this fixed time how greatly will it endanger all the rest An every-day Sabbath will soon bring us to no Sabbath and from no Sabbath we shall quickly come to no Ordinances no Ministery and from no Ministery how long will it be ere we arrive at No Scriptures no Religion no God But whatever the adversaries of Religion and their waies to supplant it be that which makes them adversaries and engages them in this wicked design are the lusts of this World Religion levels at the flesh its affections and interest and these set themselves to make their batteries upon Religion and all its supports and foundations Keep up Sabbaths and you are like to keep up Scriptures Ministery Ordinances Religion keep up Religion and the World falls under you But the more immediate influence the due sanctification of the Sabbath will have upon the conquering the World will appear if you consider that this day is 1. A day of separation for God 2. A day for special communion with God 3. A day of special provision for souls 1. A day of separation for God The people of God as such are a separated people separated from the lusts of men to the Law of their God Neh. 10. 28. Ezra 6. 21. In their first day their day of Grace they separate themselves from the evils of the World in this day they are to separate themselves from the affairs yea and the thoughts of the World Isa 58. 13. This day is an Hallowed day sanctified by God and to be sanctified by his Saints Gods sanctifying it is his setting apart the day for an holy use our sanctifying it is our setting our selves apart thereon for his holy service This day is a priviledged day nothing that 's common or unclean may encroach upon it The day of the Lord is as the house of the Lord a kind of meeting betwixt heaven and earth wherein God calls us up to the Mount and comes down to give us a meeting And as when he came down on Mount Sinai he required that his people who yet were to come no nearer him than the foot of the Mount should by washing their clothes and separating themselves from their Wives make ready against his comming down Exod. 19. 11 15. So doth he here give us as strict a charge Remember be ye also ready Be ye wash'd and be ye separate Wash your hearts empty your hands come in from your fields come out of your shops lay by your work leave this earth below come up to meer your God There are two things that give to objects their greatest efficacy and advantage upon us Their nearness to us and the remoteness of their contraries The World on this day loses both these advantages wherein we are called to stand aloof from it and to draw nigh to God We are then fairest for victory over the World when we are farthest off it 't is ill fighting a Cock on his own Dung-hill while the world is at our elbow there 's little like to be done against it whilst it is in our eye or our hand 't is not easie to keep it out of our heart when the Lord hath gotten our company alone and the World hath nothing not an Oxe nor an Ass not a business nor a pleasure to sollicit our love or labour When we are gotten out of sight and out of hearing of the wooings of this Harlot and its cries after us then is it most like to lose its hold of us The reason why we ordinarily make no more advantage of Sabbaths this way is because however we pretend to draw nigh unto God yet we do not with-draw from the World we come into the Sanctuary as Israel went out of Aegypt we carry not our Wives and our little ones only but our Flocks and our Herds and all our Substance we carry all we have with us when we come before the Lord. The lowing of the Oxen the bleating of the Sheep the sound of the Mill-stones is so still in our ears the Butter and the Hony the wine and the oyle the silver and the gold are so continually in our eye that we cannot hearken what the Lord God doth speak nor see his face Brethren who is there with you at this houre here you are before the Lord but who is there with you search every room look into every corner Is there none within that should not be there is there no messenger of Satan hath the World no agitatour now at work within you O behold whilest the Lord is a treating with our cares what a mixed multitude are there within cares and thoughts and lusts and projects for this world and what a stirr do they all make that God may not be regarded The Devil will be most most busy in such a time he doubts how matters might go with him if he now keep silence Doubtless many a Soul more might have been gain'd over to Christ had not Satan stood by and hindred and had those ever near us who forbad the match use to be alone with God out of the company and out of the noise of these harlots and then there 's hope the Lord may gain your love What wonder that that seed dies and becomes unfruitful that falls into a brake of thorns or amongst such birds as stand watching to catch it all away what hope that the counsel of the Lord be accepted of a
stopped the mouth of Conscience quenched the heat of zeal slain holiness with the edge of the sword put to flight the hopes of the Saints left for dead those whom God hath raised up to life left the Church that living vineyard as a field of dead carkasses their peace slain their comforts slain the Spirit of light and life within them vanished into dimness and deadness and all this because our Faith hath so much fail'd what are we become to what a low ebbe are we brought O we of little faith well but yet there is hope concerning this thing This stump if there be but life in the root will spring again and recover again you that have but a little faith blow up that living sparkle and your sick and spoiled and half dead Souls will revive again let your faith once out of weakness be made strong and it will recover all you have lost Beleive more nourish and cherish and exercise Faith more lean on the rock of ages look unto Jesus lay hold on the Covenant live in the word of promise hang upon the shoulders feed upon the fulness of the Lord and there let your Faith gather strength again and this will be the strength of your hearts will renew your life recover your love enflame your zeal set your holiness and your hopes again upon the wing and bring the world and its temptations again under your feet the strenth of a Christian is his Faith 2. The strength of Faith is Christ Christ is the mighty one the mighty God If. 9. 6. The rock of ages in whom is everlasting strength If. 26. through Faith this mighty God is our God this rock of ages is our rock 1 Joh. 4. 4. Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world who is he that is in you t is Christ that is in you who is he that is in the world the Devil is in the world Christ is greater then the enemy and therefore you have overcome He that is in the world is great but he that is in you is greater he that is in the world is strong and subtil but he that is in you is stronger and wiser then he little Children ye have overcome what are a company of poor children to a mighty giant But behold the childrens Champion and you will quickly see on which side the victory will go There are 2. things in Christ which are the strength of faith His Power Victory 1. His power he is a mighty one as before I have layd help on one that is mighty Psal 89. 19. he hath power Temptations To prevent To deaden To succour those that are tempted 1. He hath power to prevent temptations 1 Cor. 10. 13. he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able You may conclude from the promise of Christ to his power he will not promise more then he can doe when he saies he will not suffer us to be tempted you may be sure he hath power to restrain the tempter Christ hath all our tempters and temptations in his power the Devil in his power the World in his power they must have leave ere they can strike a stroke If he say the word the Assyrian shall not come against Jerusalem nor dig a trench about them nor shoot an arrow against them he hath his hook in the nose and his bridle in the Jaws of all his enemies As the Devil could not tempt Christ so neither any of his servants unless the Spirit lead them into the wilderness to be tempted therefore he directs us to pray Lead us not into temptation 2. He hath power to deaden temptations to take off the edge of them that so though they come yet they shall not enter though Sathan strikes yet his arrows shall not stick Gal. 6. 14. By him the world is crucified to me and I am crucified to the world Christ by his Cross hath slain the world it s now become to the Saints as a dead thing It s beauty and glory is dead dried up and withered Christ by his cross hath discovered the glory of the other world life and mortality are hung forth in open sight on the Cross of Christ and that sunshine hath withered all the flowers here below who will play at such small games that sees the invisible Crown which the Cross of Christ hath set before his eyes And as the beauty and glory so the power and wrath of the world is slain Christ by his death kill'd all the powers of darkness a Christian sees that the world can now doe him neither good nor hurt it can neither befriend nor mischief him who would be enticed by a dead Carrion or affrighted by a dead Lyon And I am crucified unto it Christ hath slain the World without us and our worldly Lusts within us Our old man is crucified with Christ Rom. 6. 6. ye are dead saith the Apostle Col. 3. 3. dead to this World Set your affections on things above for ye are dead to things below I am crucified to the World that is worldly temptations are no more to me than if I were a dead man What are meat and drink and cloaths and pleasures and honours to a dead man If the Devil should go and preach among the tombs and call out to the dead hearken to me and I will feed you with delicates cloath you in scarlet enrich you with silver and gold exalt you to honour what skull or bone would be moved the same success will he have in his tempting crucified Saints were they totally thus mortified the highest temptations would move them nothing at all no more than a Carkass in the grave and according to the degree of that mortification they have attained to so far forth is the edge of temptation blunted 3. He hath power to succour those that are tempted Though the Tempter be let loose and temptation come thick and strike deep as by reason of our imperfect mortification they may our experiences sadly restifie how much the World is often too hard for us how often we are intangled and led away by it what breaches it makes on our peace what wounds in our hearts and what fears and misgivings hereupon arise in our souls how we shall stand for the future thus are we weary and distressed and hard bestead but though it be thus with us in the midst of all these there 's this to support us Heb. 2. 18. In that he suffered being tempted he is able also to succour those that are tempted 2. His Victory over the world Christ hath power over the World to restrain it from tempting to deaden its temptations to succour those that are tempted yea more than that he hath already overcome the World and thereby secur'd our fifinal victory John 16. 33. In the world ye shall have tribulation but be ye of good comfort I have overcome the World Why
what comfort 's that that he hath overcome Why 1. 'T is some encouragement that our enemy is not invincible he that hath been beaten may be beaten 2. There 's this farther comfort to us that in his victory we have overcome Who is it that hath overcome Our Captain our Champion hath overcome he hath overcome and overcome for us he hath overcome and we in him We are more than Conquerours through him that loved us Rom. 8. Faith unites to Christ and thereupon 1. All the Power of Christ is engaged to our help and assistance We are hereby interess'd in his Victory Christs Victory is our Victory and also in his Power he is now concern'd to protect and help us we are his own the attempts that are made against us are made against him the spoil that is made upon us is made upon him as in all our afflictions he is afflicted so in all our temptations he also is tempted our enemies are his enemies our sufferings are his sufferings our temptations are his temptations Is not Christ concern'd to look to his own Isa 63. 15. 19. Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thine holiness and thy glory where is thy Zeal and thy Strength Why what have you to do with me or with my strength O we are thine say they ver 19. So are not our enemies thou never barest rule over them nor are they called by thy Name Psal 119. 94. I am thine save me I am thy Child saith the Believer thy Servant a Lamb of thy Flock thou art my Shepherd I have committed my self to thee and thou hast undertaken for me If Satan prevails upon me he prevails upon thee if the World steal away my heart it robs thee of thy due I am thine save me 2. By vertue of this Union there is a diffusion and shedding forth of the strength of Christ into the soul strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Ephes 3. 16. Believers as they have the mighty hand of Christ over them so they have the mighty Spirit of Christ in them whereby they wax strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Christians be ware of excusing your falls by pleading want of strength as sometimes some do I could not help it I am not able to stand in the day of temptation the cares of this life are too hard for me either to bear or to deliver my self from there 's no man knows what a load they are to me how they run upon me like a flood which I am no way able to withstand I cannot keep my heart free I cannot mind my God and my Soul as I would and desire to do one business or other one care one trouble or other is still upon me dividing distracting me so that I cannot do as I would 't is no comfort to me to live at the rate I do but I can do no more then I can I cannot help it Others it may be will make the same complaint concerning the pleasures of this life I know a severe and self denying life would be much more comfortable to me if I could bring my heart to it I am troubled at my self and angry with my self that I am so often led aside to fleshly liberty I find mischief enough and sorrow enough afterwards that my vain mirth and my vain company bring upon me I have many a sad night after my merry dayes but yet there is such an unhappy proness of my nature and disposition to such a life that when ever I have temptations before me I have no power to forbear It hath cost me something I have pray'd and hop'd for more seriousness and circumspection but still I am overcome and how to help it I cannot tell But art thou a Christian where is thy Faith man hast thou Faith and no Christ hast thou Christ and no strength Is the world too hard for Christ Is the flesh to strong for the spirit hast thou the spirit of the living God in thee and yet canst thou say I can't help it to be thus earthly and thus fleshly Mistake not thy self thou hast reason to fear lest thy cannot help it be a will not help it or a care not to help it thou art too willing of this carking caring life thou art too willing of this vain and looser life and it may be art glad thou hast so much to say as I cannot help it thou art inexcusable O man who pleadest inability when all the power of Christ is before thee and he hath said to thee if thou believest thou maâ—st IIII. The conflict of Faith with the tempting world or the wayes and means by which faith over comes the world These are 1. It gives a right Judgment of the world It discovers its true valew what the world is worth By faith we understand Heb. 11. 3. as whence the world was we understand its original so what the world is we understand its worth and its power what it can do for us or against us what help there is in it and what hurt it can do us and we understand its end too of what durance it is as well as its beginning Faith takes its estimate of the world from the word and gives its judgment of it according to the Scriptures The word speaks of every thing as it is of God as he is of Sin as it is of the present World as it is and of the world to come as it is what the word speaks God speaks and whatever Faith speaks it hath it from the word What a poor and contemptible thing doth the Word make the World a figure a shadow an image a dream vanity a lye things that are not of no consistency or endurance When the word speaks of the world to come how highly doth it speak what a wonderful and glorious report doth it make of the promised land and the new Jerusalem that state of blessedness prepared for the Saints a Kingdom a Crown an eternal weight of glory an inheritance incorruptible underfiled that fades not away Riches rest joy pleasures such as neither tongus can express nor hearts conceive And how dreadfully doth it speak concerning the miseries of the other world A prison a place of darkness a bottomless pitt a lake of fire where is weeping and howling and gnashing of teeth Faith seals to the Judgment of the Scriptures Joh 3. 33. He that believeth hath set to his seal that God is true when the word speaks most highly of things to come Faith saith it is even as it hath been told me of the Lord and it cannot speak so contemptibly of things present but Faith will believe its report Unbelievers will not be perswaded that the world is so poor a thing as it is Hos 12. 7. He is a merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand the unbeliever will not weigh things in the ballance of the sanctuary but in his own deceitful ballances
late and time to go to bed and so God and the Soul must wait their time till to morrow and when to morrow comes that is as this day and much more busie Judge Brethren whether it be not too ordinarily thus with us and then tell me which do ye think hath the greater interest God or the world Prayer is one of our weapons wherewith we are to maintain the fight against the world Ephes 6. 18. Exod. 17. 11. When Moses hands are lift up this Amalek falls And can you think the world hath you not sure enough when it can at pleasure command your weapons out of your hands or if it leave them with you can so blunt their edge that they are good for nothing No man that is a Souldier will lay aside his weapons but one of these either a Conquerour or a Captive or a Fool. A Conquerour whose victory is compleat needs his Arms no longer the work is done the Enemy is fallen and shall no more be able to rise A Captive who is totally and irrecoverably lost hath no further use of his Arms they will now stand him in no stead 't is too late to fight the field is lost He that is yet in the fight and will lay down his Arms is a fool in laying by his weapons he gives his enemies the day he is a fool that thinks to stand in the fight and will not stand to his Armes In heaven when our warfare is accomplished no more need of praying then no more watching no more fighting no more exercises of faith and patience then the Enemy is under our feet the triumph is all that then remains the Robes and the Palms and the Crowns singing and shouting and rejoycing no more need of praying and watching In Hell when the captivity is irrecoverable there 's no more use of weapons t is too late then they 'le stand them in no stead t is too late to pray and watch and wrestle the day is lost The shame the contempt the prison the mill the dungeon the torments of their captivity is all that there remains Prayer that men now make to give place to lust and vanity to laughing or labouring God will then make it to give place to cursings and ravings and roarings to tearing of hairs and gnawing of tongues and gnashing of teeth you that now count it a trouble and a cumbrance to attend on praying and fasting and such like duties if you ever fall into that prison you shall have your liberty from these burthens you shall live an eternity of dayes and nights and never be put to the trouble of one Prayer more of one Sermon more of one exercise of religion more there 's an everlasting end of Prayer in Heaven and Hell But now though the perfect conquerour may though the perfect captive must lay by his weapons have done with prayer for ever yet he that is yet in the fight is a fool if he stand not to his arms either he triumphs before the victory or else cares not on which side the victory goes Thou art a fool with a witness that either slightest such a potent enemy or holdest thy self little concerned in the victory May all his cost and labour be spared canst thou stand in thine own strength needest thou not be beholding to the Lord for his help or is the help of the Lord so cheap as to he had without seeking for or will any slight seeking now and then serve serve thy governour so Will the world give thee leave to take sufficient time for seeking God if thou wilt not take whether it will or no Brethren learn hence forth not to put God off with the worlds leavings but let the world be content to take Gods leavings if time fall short for any thing see that it be not for your Souls let God have his daily due and your Souls have theirs whatever goe without Let not the world any longer say give place Bible stand aside Prayer I have no leisure for you but let your Souls daily say stand aside world business trade I must serve the Lord. Never look to be other then worldlings whilest any thing below hath so much power with you as to keep God and your Souls asunder to hold you either under a total neglect or ordinary remisness in your religious duties whilest it can keep you either so busy or so slothful that you restrain prayer it hath you sure enough if the Divel can but keep you out of your closets he will not fear to meet you in the field he will not doubt your standing on your feet if he can but keep you from falling on your knees Because there is so much depending on this both as to the issue of our conflict and the evidence of our victory over the world give me leave to press you the closer to it by giving you a short view of the summe of what I have here suggested in these following propositions and advice 1. The death of the world will never be either compassed or witnessed but by the life of religion 2. The life of religion cannot be maintained but by keeping up the life of duties no prayer no holiness little prayer and but little holiness The vigour of grace is maintained from above and nothing will come down unless we often look up 3. The life of duty will not be kept up unless there be set and sufficient time allotted to it occasional duties will be but short and seldom 4. Seldom recesses from the world and suddain returns to it short and hasty prayers the Devil will allow us and the world will be no looser by them 5. If business or slothfulness ordinarily get the upper hand of duty whatever time be allotted for it little enough will be bestowed on it If we never pray but when we have list or leisure there will be but little done the world will either fill us with work or weary us into sloth Therefore 6. Resolve whatever the countermands of the world or Devil of your busy or weary Spirits are to set and keep up your daily duties if time fall short yet let not your Souls fail of their due be constant be instant in prayer If this counsell be not accepted I look not that any other of the counsels of God should prosper with you Are you worldlings are you in bondage to your carnal and earthly hearts there I look to find you to your dying day if constant and instant prayer do not fetch you off 3. That in the multitude of his businesses he neglect not the Souls of his Relations He that neglecteth his families Souls sinneth against his own Soul Worldlings hold all they have in the same bondage with themselves the sons of these bondmen are seldom suffered to be freemen like the Scribes and Pharises Math. 23. 13. They neither enter into the kingdom of God themselves nor suffer those that would to enter in Like Pharaohs task-masters Exod. 5. 17. Ye
let a Minister or a Christian friend warn thee and how are they either slighted or laugh'd out of countenance But remember that there is a God Thou wilt know no other heaven but below thou blessest thy self in the earth in thy pleasures in thy companions and canst fancy no other happiness but thy fools Paradise But remember that there is a God Remember that this God is thy Creator and therefore thy Governour and Judge to whom thou owest thy self and thy time and to whom thou must give up thine account Remember and return to thy God remember and repent remember God and then run on if thou dar'st be a drunkard if thou dar'st be a wanton if thou dar'st be a worldling if thou dar'st Remember thy God and repent Remember thy Creator now in this day of thy youth If ever why not now Is not this the fittest time Is not this the accepted time May not this be the only time How know'st thou but that this may be the Word of the Lord to thee Now or never Wilt thou never learn wisdome till thy loss teach thee it Wilt thou never know thy day till thy Sun be set Young men reckon not upon the evening your Sun may be set at noon Consider what thou art to day as one of the fools in Israel a vile insipid useless thing the filth the refuse the off-scouring of the earth and if thou wouldst not be found thus at thy dying day let not this night overtake thee before thou hast run from thy self and thy sins unto thy God Such of you Brethren as have already return'd to the Lord and accepted of his Grace as have had the grace to consecrate your youth to the Lord Oh bless the name of God bless him while you live and have any being Who hath redeemed your life from death and crouned you with loving kindness and tender mercies who hath taken you out from among the dirt and rubbish and made you polished stones for his Temple who hath cur'd you of your madness and made you the children of Wisdome who hath separated the precious from the vile fetch'd you out from the rude Rabble and those Potsheards of the earth wherein there is no pleasure and mark'd you up for his Vessels of Honor What day the Lord goes forth among the wild Herd and takes out here and there one of the company he saith These shall be for me this young man or this young woman shall be mine they shall be mine in the day wherein I make up my Jewels and for the rest that will not hearken let them run till death seize upon them and the pit swallow them up Yet say young man of which number wilt thou be of the taken or the left wilt thou along after thy Creator or wilt thou stay with thy companions what wilt thou say to the Lord Take me or leave me let me be thine or leave me to my self let me this day repent and be sober or let me run mad still till there be no place for repentance Consider and be wise But to return to our matter in hand 2. The circumstance of his education He had been bred up from a child in a gallant Princely way he knew not what belonged to a low estate those that never had much forsake but little when they forsake all 't is but a short step from a little to nothing he can take no great harm in a fall who alwayes sits on the ground want will never much pinch those who never understood plenty 't is no such hard change to be cast from the Cottage to the dunghill we poor little ones if we had hearts might say we have not opportunities to leave much for God 't is those who dwell on high whose Mountains are exalted among the tops of the Mountains of the earth and that have had their Nest among the Stars 't is these are like to feel it when they must take up their dwelling in the dust and this was Moses case from the height to the depth from the height of ease and honour to the depth of affliction and hardship 3. The circumstance of his Obligations Pharaoh's Daughter had strangely oblig'd him had sav'd his life took him up an abject Infant and adopted him for her Child given him Princely breeding and set her heart upon him as her own and hereupon the ingenuity of his Nature could not but plead with him thus Unworthy unthankful creature what art thou meditating whither art thou going a running away from her whose pity gave thee thy life who pittied thee and loved thee who loved thee and took thee in who took thee in and bred thee up what art thou what hast thou that she may not justly call her own and wilt thou thus requite that pity love bounty which thou canst never recompence what a reproach wilt thou become mark'd out for infamous an unworthy unthankful disingenuous ill natur'd man whither wilt thou cause thy shame to go oh how would such suggestions gall and gravel an ingenuous spirit Well but Moses breaks through all let my fame be infamy let me be accounted any thing unworthy unkind foolish or any thing that 's worse God is worthy for whose sake I should bear all this and away he goes 'T is not the least of temptations which lies on some mens spirits and which unhappily keeps them from Christ that they shall discontent their friends disoblige their dear Relations seem to put a slight upon the love and kindness and dearest respects of those whom they have lov'd as their own souls if I take this course if I fall into this uncouth discountenanced reproach'd way what will they call me how will they look on me how shall I look my Father in the face or my Husband or my Wife in the face what will become of the esteem and affection and dearness which now I have with all my intimates and acquaintance what shall I be accounted with whom shall I be reckon'd how shall I bear up under those evil reflections and those unworthy imputations that I cannot but expect But now a resolved Christian will weigh the other side too But how shall I look God in the face how shall I look Christ in the face if upon such grounds I refuse to hearken to him who hath been such a friend as God hath been to me who hath loved me as Christ hath loved me who hath done for me as he hath done for me who hath laid down his life for me who must save my soul from death how shall I look God in the face if this be all I have to say I would have followed thee Lord I would have hearkened to thee but my Father and Mother would have been angry then my Husband or Wife would have taken it unkindly I should have displeased my friends they would have counted me a fool or a mad man or unkind or unthankful if I had hearkened to thee Oh I remember what he
in the case of the Apostles Acts 5. When the Priests and Rulers forbad them a boldness to be holy and upright and not to sin against God as in the case of Job chap. 1. When the Devil afflicted him for it a boldness to confess Christ before men both in our ordinary conversation and in special when called before rulers bearing witness both by word and works against all the sins the prophaness the Atheism the Idolatries and Apostacies of the world a boldness to suffer rather then sin against God This is Christian fortitude and is then the clearer proof of our victory over the world 1. When we follow God and keep his way with the contempt of the greatest advantages on the one hand and the sharpest sufferings on the other when the highest price that the World can give cannot entice us and the greatest mischief that the World can do cannot force us to unfaithfulness when its best and worst are contemned in comparison of a good conscience towards God Wilt thou mind and serve and follow me saith the World why what reward wilt thou give me Thou shalt have wealth what nothing else yes thou shalt have pleasure what no more yes thou shalt have honours and preferments thou shalt be a great man and exalted in the earth and what more canst thou desire And if thou wilt not hearken if thou wilt forsake me why what then look for all the mischiefs I can do thee look for reproach and scorn if that will not do look for hunger and thirst if yet it be not enough look for stripes and bonds and prisons and torments and death Well is this all that thou canst give is this the worst thou canst do Away from me I neither love nor fear thee I will keep the Commandments of my God there 's a bold Soul one of Christs worthies 2. When we choose the greatest of sufferings rather then little sins May be thou wouldst be afraid to run upon horrid sins If these were the terms that were given thee Curse God and live Renounce thy part in Christ forswear thy Lord blaspheme and live These horrid wickednesses have too ghastly a face these look too much like Hell thou darest not buy thy liberty or thy life at so dear a rate But mayst thou escape by Zoar will some little sin secure thee some little sinful shift a little complyance or that which hath but the appearance of evil what sayest thou now If thou canst not drink down a full draught of the cup of fornication canst thou not sip of the cup or so much as put to it thy mouth canst thou not kiss the cup no no every drop is poyson and a drop of poyson is deadly every little sin is the price of bloud the very appearance of evil will be a blot on my holy profession 1 Cor. 9. 13. I had rather dye then that any should make my glorying void Not only what 's unjust or impure or dishonest but what 's dishonourable what ever hath an evil face or an evil sound my life shall go rather then I will redeem it by any such unworthy way 3. When we refuse the greatest advantages rather then neglect the least of duties When we can resolve from love what Balaam did for fear Numb 22. 18. If Balak would give me an house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to do less or more I will not willingly fail of a tittle of all that the Lord requires me I will not be bought out of my duty weigh me my price whatever can be given houses or mountains of gold and silver they will be contemned in comparison of faithfulness to God I will not be hired not only to a total neglect of God but not to do less then he requires I can make no abatements I will not keep back part there is unfaithfulness in the least the whole World shall not hire me to be unfaithful If God saies Keep thy self pure keep thy self unspotted of the World If God saies Be faithful be circumspect be zealous If God saies Hold fast that which thou hast Hold forth the word of life be not asham'd to confess me before men be harmless be blameless in the midst and in the sight of a crooked generation endure hardness deny thy self take up thy cross and follow me without turning aside either to the right hand or to the left As the Lord liveth as I will not go beyond so neither will I take up short of the word of the Lord to do less or more It may be if the profane World say let all alone give up all thy religion have done with this praying and hearing yea and this professing of religion scrape out all prints and raze out all principles of righteousness and holiness and prostitute thy self with us to all manner of licentiousness possibly thou wilt not dare to do thus But if thy carnal friends say at least be wise be not righteous over much be not fondly precise remit of thy heat abate of thy zeal conceal thy self Hast thou faith have it to thy self Hast thou conscience have it to thy self If thou wilt follow Christ still yet walk no more openly with him thou mayst be a Disciple and no body the wiser if thou wilt be a little more moderate and wary What sayst thou to this no if all the friends I have in the World should thus plead with me even in this I cannot hearken What Christ saith is over much shall be abated when Christ saith be less precise be not so zealous keep thy religion to thy self keep thy conscience to thy self I will hearken What Christ calls discretion and moderation I will embrace what Christ calls pride and fondness and nicety I will avoid where Christ saies be sober be wary hide thy self I will obey but beyond the word of the Lord I will not go to do less or more I will not be rash or heady I will not be wilful or obstinate I will not be turbulent or contentious I will not contend for any thing as religion which Christ hath not call'd so nor for that which is farther or otherwise then he hath required me Christian wisdom and moderation and meekness and gentleness and condescention and peaceableness I will embrace and follow after with all men for this is the will of my Lord. But say no more to me be less holy be less zealous for righteousness and holiness I cannot be righteous overmuch and I will not be wicked in a little If you ask further what are the properties of this godly boldness I answer it is 1. An humble boldness that does not make a noise that does not boast and bluster nor shew it self in uncomely heats and animosities that hath firmness and undauntedness but joyn'd with lowliness and meekness 2. A prudent boldness that doth not espouse needless controversies that is wary of mistaking matters or measures that doth not rashly and headily
run upon dangers which it might without sin avoid that doth not unwarily create it self nor needlesly provoke enemies but fears not to meet them in his way nor will either turn aside or stand still to escape them Now put all these together he that is bold with the Lord who being reconciled by the bloud of Christ and walking before him in his integrity can with an holy boldness approach and make known his requests to the Lord for grace and mercy and help in the time of need He that is bold in the Lord whose heart is fixed trusting in God He that is in his name bold for the Lord bold to be faithful to God bold to be holy and righteous that will follow God and keep his way with the neglect of the highest worldly advantages on the one hand and the sharpest sufferings on the other that will choose the greatest of sufferings rather then little sins that will refuse the greatest advantages rather then neglect the least of duties that is meek and yet mighty through God that trembles at the word and yet stands against all the world that is tender as a bruised reed and yet stands against all the world that is tender as a bruised reed and yet not terrified at an army with banners whom a child may lead and yet a giant cannot drive an innocent dove with a serpents wisedom a patient lamb with a Lions heart who will not strive nor cry nor make a noise in the streets and yet in the strength of the Lord brings forth judgment into victory Here is the valiant Christian that triumphs over thrones and Dominions that in the name of Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers and hath led captivity captive Here is a man clothed with the Sun who hath the moon under his feet Christians where is this mighty spirit of the Gospel Behold some who seem sufficiently high flown are yet as weak as water whose hopes and whose comforts lye at the mercy of every temptation whose religion must strike sail at the fight of every enemy or tack about at every turn of the wind who are no body but in the sun-shine and the calm whose course must be steer'd by their commodity and safety who are for duty yet dare not pray to their loss who protest against iniquity yet will sin rather then suffer Is not this thy case wouldst thou not have been better if thou hadst dar'd thy conscience is for more praying and hearing and closs walking with God but thine heart will not serve thee the times will not bear it thy estate will be in hazard thy liberty yea and thy life too in danger thou darest not turn Apostate from Christ thou wouldst be one of the company still though thou be but a midnight Disciple and this must comfort thee under all thy disguised unfaithfulness thou haltest betwixt Christ and the World thou dar'st neither utterly to forsake him nor resolvedly to own him thou canst not tell what to be nor where to find thy self were it not for love of this World what a Christian wouldst thou be were it not for fear who should out-strip thee but as Matters are what to do thou knowest not and whose thou art who can tell to day thou art with the Disciples but who can tell where to find thee to morrow weak Soul hast thou good will for Christ why wilt thou not venture after him hast thou the name where is the Spirit of a Christian arise shake off thy fear and be bold Be bold for God Some are bold enough but 't is for themselves God hath the name but self is the mark that 's aim'd at beware that this be not it thou countest thy godly boldness Some are bold upon God upon the patience and forbearance of God bold to slight and affront the Lord bold to sin against him to stand it out against him against all his commands threatnings and judgments bold to continue unbelievers impenitent blasphemers unclean livers though God hath said that all such shall be damned to be thus bold is to be desperate they dare the Almighty to his face to bring his Counsel to pass and to perform all his words that he hath spoken against them Be bold but see that it be for God not against him Be bold for God but let it be also in the Lord. Be bold in the Lord but that you be not more bold then welcome look to it that you be the friends of God the boldness of strangers is sauciness or presumption The Lord upbraids his rebellious people with their confidence in him Mic. 3. yet they will lean upon the Lord they love me not yet they will lean upon me It s hard to say which is more dangerous the trust of the ungodly or their distrust God will be no Rock to those who will not that he be their Lord He will not accept of a testimony from a devil it disparages a good Cause to be pleaded by an evil mouth and as he will not regard thy confession so neither will he bear thee out in what it costs thee If thou wilt not submit to God confess him at thine own peril depend on me for my help expect countenance or encouragement from me lay hold on my power lay claim to my all-sufficiency or faithfulness how dar'st thou be so bold what art thou to me a stranger and yet so bold an enemy and yet so bold away Confident look to thy self stand on thine own bottom I have nothing for thee Art not thou he that wilt not be rul'd by me that wilt not accept of my love and peace that dissemblest with me that speakest me fair but thine heart is not with me art not thou he that dar'st continue in thy sin and to walk after the flesh and in friendship with this world whose heart goes after thy covetousness and thy companions and thy pride and thy pleasures and wilt thou lean on me and strengthen thy self in me I have offered to be reconciled to thee and thou wilt not I have offered to change thee to change thy mind and change thy way to make thee a new soul and a new life and still thou refusest and art the same man that ever thou wast may be thou hast gotten thee a new face and a new tongue and I have thy company sometimes thou draw'st nigh to me and comest in among my Saints but behold the same heart still that ever thou hadst thou wilt not be a Convert thou wilt not be brought into a Covenant of peace with me but are still in league with thy flesh and this world and how canst thou say I trust in God I will be no sanctuary for sin Brethren beware there be not any among you who make your trusting in God to serve you instead of turning to God your outward forwardness in the cause of God to serve instead of your hearty accepting the grace of God the Lord needs not nor will regard your
good words whilest your hearts are not with him go and be reconciled to your adversary for such the Lord is yet to you go and be reconciled to God accept of his grace resign to his Dominion set him up as Lord and Ruler within you let his Law and his love be in your hearts and then you may be bold both upon his acceptance of whatever service you do for his Name and upon your security in it Be the Lords in truth and then fear not to make the Lord your trust 5. Aequanimity in all the changes of his outward condition An equal steady fixed frame in all turns and changes If prosperity alone if afflictions alone will not corrupt or discompose us they are often made to take their turns sometimes one sometimes another if that may do it Though all wet or all dry will not yet sometimes wet and sometimes dry will rot the sturdy Oak He is a strong man indeed upon whom great and sudden changes of weather air diet and his whole course and way of life doth make no change Those souls are often toss'd with turns of fair weather and foul which can ride at anchor in constant tempests we can hardly be long the same whilest matters go not with us after the same way As the Psalmist Psa 55. 19. Because they have no changes so sometimes may it not be said Because they have many changes therefore they fear not God we may be so long emptied from vessel to vessel till we have lost our savour He is a Christian indeed whose soul is not tost out of its peace whose feet are not turn'd out of course by all the tossings and turnings of his outward state whose heart is not moved within when every day proves that all he has without are moveables Inward changes there are and ought to be according to the vicissitudes and varieties of providential occurrences every providence should make impression upon our spirits proportionable to it a due and different sense there ought to be of our outward mercies and crosses a sad sense of paternal displeasure is as necessary under corrections as a chearful sense of bounty and kindness when all things prosper with us We may not be as stocks or stones upon whom the Summer or Winter makes no difference God looks that worldly changes be seen and felt in hearts we may and must have our light and dark our joys and sorrows our hopes and fears there 's need and use of all But now in all these outward and their corresponding inward changes a Christian as to the main changes not his heart is fixed trusting in God he is not out of frame though he be in another frame to day then yesterday he was both in his prosperity and in his patience he possesseth his soul he is the same to Godward and towards sin still in motion heavenward and in defiance with iniquity As 't is on the other side with the wicked though they are as a troubled Sea yet they are still at rest in their iniquity whatever changes pass over them their hearts as to the main are not changed ever besides themselves and yet ever themselves wicked still emptied from vessel to vessel and yet their sent goes not forth out of them Ungodly still hardned still for sin and the devil still let their condition be what it will let them be in health let them be sick let them be full let them be empty let their steps be wash'd with Butter or sprung with Vinegar let their way be straw'd with Rosebuds or hedg'd with Thorns let them be merry let them be sad all 's one they are the same men and holding the same course wicked under mercies wicked under judgements wicked in their joys wicked in their sorrows O how do we see the providences of God thrown away lost upon the ungodly world Let the Lord do what he will with them shine upon them or thunder upon them deal gently or deal roughly with them cloath them or strip them feed them or famish them it comes all to one their hearts will not be broken nor turned to the Lord. Oh what strange changes hath the Lord of late made upon this wicked age what turns and returns have we seen smitings and healings scatterings and gatherings wars and peace sickness and health and yet behold the world still where they were lying in wickedness So for the Saints let the world do what they can upon them let them shine or thunder upon them deal gently or deal roughly feed or famish them they are still where they were their heart is fixed trusting in God And he that by all this feels the least disturbance upon his spirit he that sails most steadily in all winds and weathers whose heart is not unhinged by all his turnings who is not inordinately exalted nor depress'd by his fair weather and foul nor hurried out of himself by passionate and troublesome transports on the one hand or the other but holds his soul in such an even equal poise that his moderation appears unto all men there 's another that rides in triumph over earth and hell Oh Brethren how is it with us upon this account If we have made over our selves to the Lord and have ceased to be numbred among the men of this World if we no longer seek our treasure on earth and have laid hold on that better treasure above yet are we gotten so clear of things below that they have not still too great a power upon us Hath not this Moon a mighty influence upon our waterish spirits do not these ebb and flow according as it waxes and wanes are we the same men when things are not with us after the same manner are we the same in summer and winter can we keep our hearts and hold our course in all weathers Is it come to be all one with us as to our inward state which way matters go with us without can we want and yet be quiet can we be full and not be wanton can we be full and not forget God and be hungry and not fret our selves against him can we love God when he smites and fear him when he smiles Is it peace longer then there is plenty have we sunshine in cloudy dayes do we keep warm in the winter and not sleep in the summer how small a sunshine will steal off our garments and how little a wind will blow us off our legs Consider brethren it may be whilest the Lord hath prospered you and matters outward have gone according to your hearts then you could love and serve and praise and rejoyce in the Lord then you could be active and lively and fruitful and chearfully go on your way but the next cross providence hath been as water upon all your fire a little storm that hath risen hath put out all your light turned you besides all your duties and comforts turn'd you besides praying and rejoycing in God to vexing and fretting and
it is chiefly because their Victory over the world is not perfect and compleat There are three grounds of mens unwillingness to die 1. From a natural abhorrence of death 2. From a lothness to part with their treasure here 3. From an uncertainty whither they shall go when they go hence 1. From that abhorrence of death which is implanted in the natures of all living And upon this account there may be even in the best of Saints an unwillingness to die Our Lord himself who was without sin discovers something of it when he cried out Matth. 26. 39. Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me It s true in his case there was more in it there was wrath in the Cup there was a curse in the Cup there were all the sins of the World wrung in to mingle him a bitter draught but this was also something of it there was death in the Cup. He that said a little before Luke 12. 50. I have a Baptisme to be baptized with this Baptisme of Bloud was it and how am I straitned till it be accomplished I think long ere that day come yet when it came his Innocent Nature you see how it was put to it Christians you that seem to have triumph'd over the fears of death that upon good grounds have said unto it in the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 55. Death where is thy sting grave where is thy victory yet when it comes to it in earnest you know not how this flesh may shrink and if it do yet be not discouraged possibly this very instance of our Lord may be left upon Record to this very end to comfort his Saints when they shall be thus troubled It will be your wisdome to whatever confidence you are arrived that your death is already swallowed up in victory that you shall entertain your dying day as the most joyful day of your life though in this confidence your hearts pant after the approach of that day Make haste my beloved come Lord Jesus yet will it be your wisdome to buckle on all your armour all your hopes all your graces all your evidences all your experiences and comforts and to expect that the conflict of that day may be such as may need your utmost preparations for it 2. From a lothness to part with their treasure here What men have they cannot carry it with them and they are loth to leave it behind them When men die can they carry their money with them can they carry their houses or Lands with them they covet they purchase they build they lay up with so much care and zeal as if they could ship over all they have into the other world but yet they know that as they came naked in so naked they must go out of this world Job 1. 21. But now a Christian that hath Conquered the World the World from thenceforth ceases to be his treasure A Worldling what he has here 't is his treasure for 't is all he has God is a treasure but he 's none of his Christ is a treasure but he 's none of his heaven is a treasure but man 't is none of thine this earth is all thou hast a Christian hath another treasure he hath not his hopes in his hand that 's to come But yet in regard we have hitherto conquered but in part there may be some unwillingness upon this account also even in the Saints to die-Woe to us there are still such remains of the spirit of this world in us our hearts are still carnal to such a degree so suited to an earthly and fleshly life taking such large allowances of our fleshly delights and finding such pleasure in the enjoyment of them that this makes us linger and hang back when God calls away And indeed such Christians who indulge themselves the pleasures of the flesh and are overgrown with an earthly mind is not this the case of too many such Christians do but deceive themselves and others while they say they are willing to die Thou saist if I were sure that Christ were mine I would not care to live a day longer I want assurance and that 's the only reason I would yet a while longer abide in this Tabernacle No no there 's something more in the matter the world hath still such hold of thy heart thou findest such pleasure in an earthly life thy friends and thy estate and thy contentment thou hast herein are so taking with thee that yet thou canst not find in thine heart to part Search Christians narrowly if you find not the matter to be thus with you I never look to be more willing to die till I find mine heart more loose from the pleasure of an earthly life 'T is the mortified Christian he whose soul is already dead to this world who is ready to die out of this world Those who live most with God whose souls being weaned from this milk and honey can keep their distance from it whose self-denying course hath made the pleasures of the flesh to loose their gratefulness to them whom their communion with God their converse with Eternity their delightful fore-views of the pleasures above have already carried up their hearts these are the Christians that are ready to be gone I will believe such an one that he is in earnest when he sayes Make hast my beloved 3. From an uncertainty whither they shall go when they go hence what world they shall find when they leave this Upon this ground I cannot blame worldlings to be afraid to die art thou afraid thou mayst well enough for whither will thy death carry thee O the Lord knows I know not whither nor where it will lay me Dost thou not know whither death will carry thee thou mayst be sure into no good place if it find thee thus Captives to the world are Captives to the Devil and whither will the Devil carry his prisoners Who would be willing to leave his Country his habitation and acquaintance for an unknown Land especially when he had a jealousie he should be sold for a Bondman Is this thy case Worldling I wonder not that thou sayest It s better to abide here A Christian may know whither he is going when he goes hence 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens And hence sayes the Apostle v. 2. We groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven Whatever our dwelling be here we know where we shall have a better when this fails we groan not under the ruines of this but in hopes of a better building earnestly desiring that joyful day It s true Christians may be at some uncertainty through the weakness of their faith and in doubts what their place and portion hereafter may be and therefore also may fear to be gone But however upon
let faith and love and hope and prayers and praises which are the stairs to the other World and your weapons against this be your Sabbath-work and delight Let not finer cloaths and better fare let not idleness and ease no nor filling up a place in the Congregation be the only difference betwixt Sabbaths and other daies but this better work and meat for souls Provide against the dayes of scarcity provide against the dayes of temptation Let not the Manna fall besides your vessels Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Catch at every word observe every look of your Lord upon you And whatever you receive lay up and ponder in your hearts Have you received a check or reproof lay up your reproof have you received a word of counsel or instruction lay up your instructions Hath he spoken peace to you lay up that word charily by you whatever transactions have passed betwixt the Lord and your Souls keep the records and when you go forth whither ever you go carry all this upon your hearts that whenever the World meets you again and tempts you again you may be thus well appointed and throughly furnished against its assaults Brethren put hard on every Sabbath for such an undisturbed attendance on the Lord single out the Lord for the object of your whole converse knit your hearts thus to him solace your selves thus in him get you thus elevated and raised in your spirits from earthly to heavenly and every inch of ground you get of your adversary maintain it carefully from Sabbath to Sabbath If this were seriously design'd and more generally attempted by Christians we should find both another face and another power of Christianity in the earth the children of the Kingdom would be more visibly differenced from the men of this World and both the guilt and reproach of earthliness and sensuality be wip'd off from the Professors and Profession of the Gospel 3. Improve Sacraments this way The advantage that we have in Sacraments against the World lies In our Preparation Participation 1. In our preparation One confessed preparatory duty is self-examination 1 Cor. 11. 28. A great security of this Idol is the secret of its tabernacle It s covert in which it lurks unseen Worldlings many of them if they knew what is within them their Conscience would so prick that they could have no rest or ease till this thorn were puld out but they are not aware that the World is within them Yet this enemy lies not so close but upon a privy search it may be discovered Sacramental trial should be close and thorow no corner within us should be left unransacked The reverence of this great Ordinance and the dreadful consequence of comming so solemnly before the Lord with a Traitor in our bosoms eating and drinking judgment will cry in our ears Make diligent search The evidence that this one thing an earthly mind carries in it of our treachery towards God is so notorious that he hath but little understanding in the matters of God that would not from this alone conclude himself an unworthy guest at the Table of the Lord were all things else never so specious and fair Dar'st thou say Surely the Lord will accept me for he hath but this one thing against me That I love the World more than I love God I can own his name and waies I join with the Assemblies of his people I can pray and hear and fast I am neither proud nor froward nor envious nor malicious there is no evil but this covetousness but I hope I can acquit my self of Dar'st thou say thus I am no drunkard I am no Adulterer I am no swearer I am nothing but an Idolater the Lord I hope will excuse me in this thing Dost think he will indeed And may it not be like enough that upon this diligent search thou mayst find this to be thy case Friends get the sense of these terrible truths upon your hearts He that eateth and drinketh unworthily is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself He that is an Idolater eateth and drinketh unworthily He that is covetous is an Idolater Let these things sink into your hearts and then see if you dare come without a narrow search make a narrow search and then you will see how great your unworthiness and danger is Certainly were there a due care taken of this duty it were not possible that men could go on from Sacrament to Sacrament under the power of their earthly hearts this would surely startle them This Ordinance would either make them afraid of their worldliness or this worldliness would make them afraid of Sacraments Worldly Professors what care is there ordinarily taken of this duty do you examine do you make diligent search do you make particular search for this evil It may be you enquire Am I in the faith am I in charity do I bear no malice hath no man a quarrel against me nay possibly you may go a little farther and ask Am I unjust am I an oppressor an extortioner have I done wrong to no man and if you can acquit your self here then an end But do you further ask Do I not love the world Is not mine heart too much upon it Am I not too busie for the world is not my time spent too much upon it are not duties neglected is not my soul or my families souls neglected for its sake am I not so bent upon growing rich in the world that I mind not how poverty grows upon my soul do I honor the Lord with my substance am I merciful am I bountiful do I seek no more nor no otherwise then God would have me seek do I aim at God do I entitle God to all I have do I know how to abound can I want if the Lord will have it so is God enough if I have nothing is not all the world enough if God be a stranger how can I bear crosses and disappointments in the world Speak friends are any of these things enquired after I doubt whether you be faithful in this matter oh might I prevail with you to put upon this closer and severer tryal you know not what it might gain you If you can but apprehend your Enemy at such a time as this when you are making this solemn approach to the Lord when it would be so dreadful to you to be found in league with it at what an advantage would you then have it Now is a time when if ever we are like to have you serious loose not the season beware of solemn triflings hide not now your eyes from seeing your disease beware of palliating and mincing be zealous to know the worst of your case put Conscience close to it what sayst thou Guilty or not guilty If Conscience plead Guilty then come before the Lord if thou darst without serious repentance and
heart ever bear the watchings the fastings the labours together with the distresses and afflictions of this warfare I shall surely perish one day or other by the hand of this Enemy Discourage not thy self thus what cannot God do what will not God do who hath said who hath seal'd to it I will never fail thee nor forsake thee Behold his Seal Is it not in thine hand and in thy mouth Trust in God set to thy Seal that God is true and then say Though my flesh and my heart fail God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever I will go in the strength of the Lord through him I shall do valiantly he shall tread down mine enemies and my difficulties 2. Our Seal engages us on Hast thou sealed to the Lord and not bound thy self to him Hast thou set thy seal to a blank hast thou engaged thy self to be the Lords and not therein to be no longer the worlds Canst thou serve these two Masters Is not thy renouncing the world necessarily included in thy Covenant Obligation Brethren that the tye may the more sensibly lie upon you I advise that as often as you come before the Lord in this Ordinance you put this expresly into your engagement Father I am sensible of the plague of this earthly heart and of the tyranny of these worldly lusts how impetuously they set upon me and how imperiously they lead me on after them how false and unfaithful have they made me to my God how ordinarily am I led away by them against my Covenant and my conscience But I here bewail it I detest it it is my grief and my shame that ever I have been so false and unworthy Behold now again in thy fear I open my mouth to the Lord I take hold of thy word I hang upon thy help let the Lord my righteousness be my strength and in his Name I again lift up mine hand to the most High solemnly protesting before the Lord that I so avouch thee to be my God and so entirely and unreservedly make over my self unto thee that through the grace of God with me I will henceforth and while I live be the avowed enemy of a worldly heart and life I will use all thy means for the overcoming of it I will study I will watch I will pray against I will rate and check and restrain and resist all the motions lustings and temptations by which I have been so often led aside and overcome I give my self my estate my strength my parts my time all that I have unto the Lord Lord take me at my word and all that I have for thy servants I am thine save me Thou that knowest all things knowest that I would not lye unto God but that I sincerely intend in thy strength to stand to this word in testimony whereof I here take this holy Sacrament from thine hands I have opened my mouth to the Lord help me and I will not go back And now O my soul look to thy self Shall I again break my Covenant shall I wickedly repent and alter the word that is gone out of my lips shall I any longer walk after the course and in the lusts of this world fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of my mind shall mine heart still go after my covetousness shall I study and project and plot and prog for this flesh at that rate as if the world were still my God shall it climb up from the footstool to the Throne shall it again give Laws to my heart and set limits to my Religion shall interest Lord it over Conscience and carnal inclination bear down devotion shall I suffer this Robber to break in again into the Sanctuary of the Lord shall it eat up my Sacrifices steal away my Sabbaths curtail my duties and enervate Ordinances shall the Lord have no more of me then the world will spare him shall business be ever again pleaded against duty or gain against godliness shall my soul take up its dwelling in my shop or in my fields and only give some short visits to heaven at its leisure But oh shall lying and promise breaking shall fraud and oppression shall unrighteousness or unmercifulness be nothing with me or but excusable failings Are these things according to the vows of God that are upon me Look to thy self O my soul be not found a lyar against God O Brethren were there this solemn and express transaction betwixt our souls and the Lord at every Sacrament and did we thus live in the conscience of this Obligation and the dread of being found false to God from Sacrament to Sacrament what might it not bring forth what a wound would be given to the head of this deadly Enemy 3. The Sacrament is the New Testament blessings exhibited The new wine broached this Conduit runs with Gospel Wine Our partaking in the Sacrament is our coming into the Garden of our Lord to eat his pleasant fruits We read Cant. 2. 3. I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste I shall stay a while here and shall gather a bundle of these fruits and present them to your eye I shall in short shew 1. What the special fruits of Christ are 2. That these fruits are sweet and pleasant and then I shall add 3. That these fruits are exhibited in the Sacrament 4. The advantages we hence have against the world 1. What the special fruits of Christ are which I shall reduce to these two heads The fruits of His Bloud His Spirit 1. The fruits of his Bloud These are especially two in which all others are comprized Viz. Righseousness Peace 1. Righteousness He is therefore called the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. Joh. 16. 8. He shall convince the world of righteousness that is of the righteousness of Christ he shall evidence and make manifest unto the world who all lye in wickedness that in him there is righteousness not only that he is righteous as an individual person but as a publick person that he hath in the name and on the behalf of all those that believe on him fulfilled all righteousness and hath hereby a stock and treasure of righteousness to bestow and wherewith to cloath all those that come unto God by him to whom he is made wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Beloved are there any guilty souls among you any unrighteous ones do you know what 't is to be guilty do you know the dread and terrour of the Lord do you consider what the face of a righteous incensed God will be to an unrighteous soul do you understand how naked you lye and open before everlasting vengeance how can you endure or how can you escape the wrath to come righteousness of your own you have none and that which you seem to have is not your righteousness But behold here 's righteousness for you come to Christ put in here dip you
in the joy of the Lord or in the terrours of the Lord What shall be your sentence Come or depart come ye blessed or depart ye cursed inherit the kingdom or away into the fire what say you consider and speak will you be damned or are you for the saving of your Souls If you say you are for salvation then let me farther ask you 2. Is not the world an enemy to your salvation Is salvation possible without a victory over it Is it not against the declared will and purpose of God Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified whom he justified them he also glorified who are the justified and glorified is it not onely the called is there ever another man of the number And who are the called of God is it all those that are bid to come is he of them that makes light of it that saies I cannot come that saies no Lord I pray thee call some other guests and let me alone as I am to follow my oxen and my farm and my wife I pray thee have me excused is this one of the called of God If not what hope of his salvation will God change his purpose and baulk his way to gratify thy carnal mind and reconcile lust and eternal life Is there not an inconsistency in the nature of the things to be saved and left under the power of the world is to be saved and yet left under the power of the Devil to be saved and yet left unsanctified to be made free and yet left in bonds Doth it not enervate and resist all the means of salvation Doth not the world hinder the word that that cannot prosper with you is not this it the lusts and love and cares of this life that choke the word that it becomes unfruitful Math. 13. 22. Hath not the world hitherto dealt by you as in the beginning of this discourse I told you it would darkned your eye that you could not see deadned your sense that you could not fear hung upon your hearts and about your necks that you could not come to Christ Have you seen have you feard are you come to Christ or are you not yet in your sins why what is it that hath hindred you and kept you back from Christ hitherto but either the cares of this life or the deceitfulness of riches or the pleasures and lusts of this present world Doth not the world hinder prayer hold you back from going to God to seek your lives at his hands while you should be with God to seek your lives the world calls you abroad to seek your livings a little praying must suffice a worldly heart when the tribes go up to pray before the Lord how often is the worldlings place empty If I were to go in search for a worldlings heart I would seek all the places of the earth first ere I would seek him before the throne of grace he is so seldom there that you may as well seek an idle shepherd in the pulpit as a worldly heart in the closet O if worldly men did no more diligently seek the world then they use to seek God what poor men would they be Get you asunder worldlings let your Souls and this harlot part that Satan tempt you not for your incontinence that your prayers be not hindred what praying whilst the world is still with you and what hope of salvation whilest no praying 3. Is this enemy invincible Is not victory over it possible is it not possible for thee to become an enemy to this world if thou art an enemy thou art a conquerour It 's true thou hast an hard field to fight and there 's great hazard thou mayst be eternally lost by it It hath slain so many Souls and laid them up in everlasting chains there have been so very few have escaped with their lives that it 's a great question whether thy life may not also go Thou hast been so long a captive that it is much to be doubted whether ever thou mayst be set at liberty Thou bearest such a love to the world thou wilt so hardly be perswaded that 't is thine enemy and art so apt to take it to be a better friend then God is to thee thou art so hardly perswaded that he is a friend to thee that doth but tell thee the world is an enemy and art so angry at any that offers to assist thee against it or but perswades thee to take heed of it thou art so apt to take all the counsels warnings reproofs that are given thee to put thee upon thy watch against it to be injuries unkindnesses that it 's much to be feared how it may go with thee There have been so many charges made against it without success the axe hath been so often layd at the root of this tree God hath been hewing at it conscience hath been hewing at it may be all thy life long the word hath been fighting against it prayer hath been wrestling with it meditation hath been considering about it Thou hast been so often warned Take heed and beware of covetousness Love not the world nor the things of the world mortify thy members which are upon the earth Flee youthful lusts Get thee up from the tents of these men set not thine affections on the earth Thou hast been so often told That the fashion of this world passeth away those that will be rich fall into a snare the friendship of the world is enmity against God and after all this there is so little done thy heart is so much upon it still it holds to this day so strong an hand over thee thou art still siding with it and taking its part against God and thine own Soul thou art so loath to hear that 't is a sin to be worldly minded or to be convinced that thou art a worldling that I must tell thee 't will be hard work for thee to obtain the victory and to escape with thy Soul Look to it such a disease which hath been so long rooted in thy nature such an enemy that hath so long lien in thy bosome that thou wilt not be perswaded that 't is thy disease that 't is thine enemy such a disease will hardly be cured such an enemy will hardly be conquered But yet is not a victory possible Is this disease unto death and is there no remedy Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there Is the field lost and is there no recovery who is it that hath bid thee fight against this enemy Is it one that had a mind to mock thee Look upon the Captain of thy Salvation hath not he overcome the world Hath not he said Be of good comfort look unto me and be saved come unto me and ye shall have rest Doth he not call to thee Wilt thou not be made clean wilt thou not be made free If thou wilt thou mayst there lies all the