may be poor in this World yet rich in Faith and an Heir of the Kingdom as James 2. 5. and a man may be rich in this World yet poor in Soul and an Heir of Hell as we see in Dives 6. Faith is a powerful a victorious conquering Grace This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Stephen was full of Faith and Power Acts 6. 8. The work of faith with power 2 Thess 1. 11. Faith brings all visible temporal things under the Believer's Feet it gives the Believer power to use the World and not to abuse it not seeking Rest and Contentment in it to use it moderately without damage and detriment to the Soul to use it for God's honour it s own spiritual advantage and the good of others and power to keep it out of the Heart Christ dwelling there by Faith to use the World and not losing our Hearts our Peace nor our Consciences in it Faith gives the Soul power to withstand the Threats and Temptations of the World and power to be willing to leave it and to go to a better World Oh the mighty power of Faith and by the Power of this Faith gracious Souls are taken off from those visible temporal things And so much for the Doctrinal Part. The Application follows First for Information If it be the Character and Duty of gracious Souls because visible things are temporal therefore they must not they do not much mind or regard them I. It follows then that Earthly-mindedness worldliness is a great Evil and very unbecoming true Christians for their minds and conversations are it Heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. There is the discriminating Character both of the gracious and ungracious a vast difference between them the one mind Earthly things the otherâ— have their conversation it Heaven Most People look on those things which are seen all seek their own things those that they count their own and those are mostly â—hiefly and principally minded as appears manifestly thus 1. By the stream of their Thoughts which runs steddily upon visible temporal things having vain Minds 2. By the common current of their Discourses their Talk is all of the World 3. By the tide of their Affections Love Joy Fear Sorrow Delight all run strongly Worldâ—â—rd 4. By the course of their Actions their Time Pain Care all is spent about the World rising early going to Bed late eating the Bread of Carefulness and all about the World This is a great Evil because expresly forbidden Matth. 6. 19. Lay not up for your selves treasures on earth Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for that meat which perisheth Col. 3. 2. Set your affections upon things above and not upon things below And this Worldly-mindedness is contrary to the Practice of true Christians as in the Text We look not on those things which are seen So Phil. 3. 20. And it is the Character of such as are in a state of Nature and that cannot please God Rom. 8. 5 8. They that are after the flesh do mind in things of the flesh Such are not crucified to the World but conquered and captivated by it yea crucified by it conquered by the Profits Honours and Pleasures of it and meer Slaves to these and crucified by the Crosses and Losses of the World their Hearts and Spirits lye under the Feet of these and are at the beck of these their Hopes and Comforts lye all at the Courtesie of the World and this is a woful Bondage Remember this we can never conclude that we are truly gracious until we have Grace enough to keep God and our Hearts together and to keep the World and our Hearts asunder 1 John 2. 14 15. Love not the world nor the things of the world for he that loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him Woe to them that have their Portion in this World Psal 17. 14. who have their good things here who have laid up their Treasures upon Earth and there have their Heart That Text Phil. 3. 19. is enough to terrifie aâ— such Their end is destruction who mind earthâ—â— things Inf. II. It follows from the Premises that Contentment with our Condition and with any portion of visible temporal things is a great Virtue and well becoming Christians Discontent proceeds from our over-minding and over-valuing and over-loving earthly things and it is a very great Evil for it practically denies God's All-sufficiency his Wisdom Soveraignty Faithfulness and Mercy it disgraceth the Gospel and Godliness and is in it self a great Plague Q. But how shall I do to be content content to be deprived of my dear Relations Estate Health Liberty c A. Read Mr. Burroughs's Book of Christian Contentment Take also these Directions 1. Labour to make God your own and then you will have a full and sufficient Ballance to all your Losses He is God All-sufficient Weigh well those two Scriptures 1 Sam. 30. 6. 2 Sam. 23. 5. 2. Labour to make Christ your own he offers himself to you in the Gospel with all he is and with all he hath And in him dwelleth all fulness he is all in all Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want said David 3. Search the Scriptures and be acquainted with the many exceeding great and precious Promises that are there suitable to every Condition you can be in Act your Faith on them and apply them lye upon and suck those full Breasts of Consolation 4. Pray for Contentment and pray earnestly for the manifestation of God's Love to your Souls and that will so satisfie and content you that any measure of earthly things will content you 5. Be much in Heavenly Meditations look upon invisible and eternal things spend serious frequent fixed Thoughts on them 6. Consider your Deserts No person in the World how little soever he hath of the good things of the World but hath much more than he deserveth and more than he doth well improve and how much soever he hath of the evil things of the World he hath infinitely less than he deserved for every thing out of Hell is a Mercy It 's of the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed 7. Consider if you be true Christians you have the Spirit of Christ in you Rom. 8. 9. Jesus Christ had a most contented Spirit Contentment is the inseparable Companion of true Godliness 1 Tim. 6. 8. Having food and raiment let us be content Let us that are Christians who have the Great GOD for our Portion and Blessed Jesus for our Treasure and Heaven for our Inheritance having Food and Raiment any Food any Raiment though never so coarse let us be content content with such things as we have Heb. 13. 5. Inf. III. Thirdly hence it follows also that great is the Folly of all by Nature and great is their Blindness which appears in this that they value prize mind and follow after visible temporal things much more eagerly and earnestly than after invisible eternal things
thâ— Lord Jesus may the more fully and sweetly manifest his love to the Souls of his people See Mr. Burr on the Second of Hos Verse 9 10 11 12 13. There are many heavy Judgments threatned the taking away all the Comforts of the outward Man Where we may note God's absolute Soveraignty over all our enjoyments and his propriety in them all So Ezek. 16. 18 21. All we have is the Lord's and his gracious sweet and blessed ends and purposes in threatning and executing those terrible things and that is wonderful as Verse 14. Therefore Behold I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably to her It was to make way for the communications of glorious Mercies The gracious God hath gracious Ends in all his taking Providences towards his poor people to make the wastings fadings totterings perishings of their outward Man to prove helpful to the increasing prospering and flourishing of the inner Man Outward Takings make way for inward Givings I will take away saith God all her Lovers dry up all her Cisterns that I may open to her the Fountain I will strip her naked of all her outward Comforts that I may speak comfortably to her Soul Now I will allure her now I have brought her into the Wilderness now my poor peoples hearts are taken off from the Creature I will see now to win them to my self I may now win their love and gain their hearts to me seeing they are stript of the earthly comforts O what support should this be to God's afflicted People O that we could believe it and improve it that God's design in all his takings from us is but to make way that he may bestow greater and better Mercies upon us This Argument our Lord used to comfort his Disciples with John 16. 6 7. Of all earthly Comforts the bodily presence of Christ with his Disciples was the best yet he tells them he must leave them and withal assures then for their comfort that it was for their advantage and that it was expedient for them that he should leave them that the Comforter might come which should abundantly supply his absence and who would not come to them if he did not go away This would be enough to quiet and comfort â—â— in all sinking providences that these takings an intended to make way for the giving of Spirituâ—â— Mercies if our unbelief distrust despondencâ— and impatience do not hinder Oh could we but drink in this truth and firmly believe it that God's takings from us are iâ— order to his givings to us as God took from Daviâ— an Infant begot in Adultery and gave him Solomon in its room and that his Castings of â— down are in order to his Raisings of us up hâ— witherings of our outward intended for the reneâ—ings of our inner how patiently and comfortablâ— should we bear our troubles yea and how fervently should we pray that God would bring pass all those his gracious purposes upon oâ— Souls I shall conclude this particular by setting dowâ— an Instance of our times which I had from a Person of Quality and Honesty tho' I never use â— record Reports but this upon the credit of tâ— relator I shall for once and it is very remarkable There was some years since in London a veâ—â— Godly Gentleman and his Wife who had a veâ—â— fair Estate both of them very zealous professors Religion eminent for Piety and Charity who had lived together many years but had never a Child which they much desired and often sought the Lord to build their Family for them and at last God was pleased to give them a Son to their great joy which lived and grew up to be three or four Years Old exceeding fair and witty very delightful and pleasant tractable and teachable and they having but this one Child their affections were much set upon him and likely too much The Husband and Wife lived exceeding lovingly together insomuch that many observed their sweet Carriage to each other he being of a lovely disposition and every way well bred and a Man of good Parts and of an Holy Life so amiable and tender to his Wife that her Life was even bound up in his In the midst and height of this their Prosperity the Gentleman fails Sick and Dies which was so heavy a stroak to his poor Wife that she could not bear up under it her Spirit sinks and she refused to be comforted many Prayers were put up to God for her in the publick Congregations and many pious Ministers and godly Friends visited her to Comfort her but to no purpose for she had no regard to her self or did care to Eat or Drink but for meer necessity but would sit in the Chimney-corner all day sighing and weeping and hanging downher head seldom giving an answer to any body Upon a certain day some godly Ministers with Christian Friends by agreement met at her House to Fast and Pray and seek God for her and it came to pass that after they had ended their work walking up and down where this disconsolate Widow was her lovely Child playing there in the Room of whom she took no noice had got a Joint-steel and carrying it up and down at last he turns the Stool upside down and immediately fell or thrust himself into it no Person present knew how but the Stool and the Child overturning together the Childs head being downward he brake his Neck they sent presently for Physicians and Chirurgeons but the Child died presently and no means would avail at all to get so much as one breath from him which was most amazing and astonishing to all the beholders the Chamber being then full The poor Mother sat there all this while in her usual posture but when she saw her Child was really dead she arose up and before them all uttered these words or words to this purpose most of them are the very words O! blessed Jesus will nothing please thee but the heart of thy poor Creature and the whole heart and the whole love now take it Lord take it thou hast won it thou art worthy of it I give thee my whole heart Lord take it take it fill it with thy Love and possess it for ever And from that very moment she was filled with joy and comfort and walked very chearfully and comfortably several Months even until God took her unto himself Here we see the truth of what I have been treating of the Lord made the blastings and breakings of her outward Man the means of refreshing and comforting her inner I should not have set this down but that I depend upon the Credit of the Relator O Lord how unsearchable are thy Judgments and thy ways past finding out 4. The last particular proposed was that for a Christian to be renewed in the inner Man when the outward Man doth decay and perish is the Character and Comfort of gracious Persons That it is their Character appears because the
Fruits of the Spirit in us as the Work of true and sound illumination true Conviction of our Sin and Misery and of the Creatures Vanity of our own impotency and utter insufficiency to help 〈…〉 our selves and of Christ's Excellency All-sufficiency and willingness to save all such as come unto him and are heartily willing to take him for their onely Lord and Saviour all this is the work of the Spirit As also sound Conversion from all Sin unto God as the chief good the Spirit enabling the Soul to repent and turn to God and also working in the Soul the Grace of Faith enabling it to come to Christ to receive him accept of him rest upon him and to resign it self up sincerely to him and to his Government by his Word and Spirit The Spirit works Sanctification in the Soul destroying the old corrupt Principles of Nature and implanting new Principles of spiritual Life making it partaker of the Divine Nature mortifying in it the lusts of the flesh and quickning it to newness of life repairing the Image of God upon it and working all those other Graces which are the Conditions of Pardon and Justification as true love to God and Christ to his Word and People true Fear of God sorrow for and hatred of Sin producing those Fruits mentioned Galat. 5. 22 23. as Patience Meekness Humility and the like Also the Spirit helps the Soul to act those Graces and to perform those Duties required of us in order to our Salvation It guides and leads and teacheth us helps our Infirmities teacheth us to pray and carrieth on the whole work of Sanctification in us And this I take to be the Seal of the Spirit when those saving Impressions and Habits of Grace and Holiness are wrought in and upon the Soul whereby the Soul is made in some measure like unto Christ Jesus being by the Spirit united to him planted and grafted in him and by vertue of its union with him made partakers of his Life and Grace whereby it lives and grows until it come to the State of Perfection in the other World This Spirit thus savingly working is God's Seal upon our Hearts the Seal of his everlasting love to our Souls and of his everlasting Covenant which he hath entred into with us which he will never deface or blot out and it is also the Earnest of our Inheritance that thereby we may confidently conclude to our great comfort that as sure as he hath given us his Spirit thus savingly to work in us those gracious Works this gracious Change this true Repentance and Faith and Love and Holiness and other Graces even so sure he will give us the Inheritance in Heaven at last as surely as he hath sanctified us so surely he hath justified us and will glorifie us For this is the Seal this is the Earnest And upon this account saith the Apostle Having this Seal this Earnest this comfortable Assurance of a better state and of a better life after this we groan earnestly to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven That we may possess that glorious purchased Inheritance of which we now have the earnest we long to enjoy the full Harvest of which we have received the First-fruits and consequently we that have received these First-fruits this blessed Earnest have no cause to be troubled or disquieted when these our earthly Tabernacles begin to decay and perish because we are wrought by God's Spirit for a better state and as was said not only the Spirit of God worketh this willingness to die by working those Graces in the Soul as you see but also accompanying Afflictions and blessing them to crucifie our Affections to earthly things and helps to Holiness in order to our eternal Happiness and therefore also ought the more patiently to be endured Seventhly Then it is the chiefest wisdom in the World for every one of us to labour to become real Saints to get into a state of saving Grace and often to search and try our selves and never to give over searching and trying until we come to some well-grounded Assurance That we are indeed truly Regenerated and that we have a real Interest in Jesus Christ for this Assurance may be attained and we are commanded to give all diligence to attain it 2 Pet. 1. 10. It is not bare wishes or desires will serve the turn but we must labour and strive after it and be much in self-examination 2 Cor. 13. 5. How is it possible we can have any true comfort living or dying if we have no Assurance of a better Life and so long as we know not whether we shall go to Heaven or Hell when we die We all have been too negligent in labouring after this Assurance let us lament it and let us all now begin to bestir our selves and in God's strength lay out our utmost care and pains in the use of all means to get the clear evidences of our peace with God and that we are in a pardoned and reconciled state for upon this Assurance we shall have this Advantage above all others that we shall not be troubled nor much disquieted when our outward man doth decay and perish our earthly comforts fail us our bodily Members wither because all these decays and wastings do but make way and prepare us for the happiness of our Souls Whereas on the contrary it must needs be an uncomfortable thing to look upon a decaying Body and be altogether uncertain what will become of the Soul when it leaves this Body It must needs make Death terrible But when we know that our Souls at death shall enter into our Master's joy we shall bid Death welcom The Eighth Inference From what hath been said we may draw one Rule of Tryal to us all whereby we may know whether we be true real Christians or no or only nominal and but formal Professors viz. by the real good to our Souls that our Afflictions have done us we all have had Afflictions of one kind or other let us examine what spiritual good we have got by them look over the former Particulars and apply them It is a true sign of a Child of God to be the better for Prosperity and Adversity and commonly more the better for Adversity than or Prosperity But lest we should be mistaken I grant that Affliction may work some good in the hypocritical Professors as on Ahab and Nineveh But note these Differences First On the Godly Afflictions work good mostly on their inward man on their Souls although they work good also on their Conversations the sweet fruits of Afflictions appear also in their Lives But on others if Afflictions do work any good at all it is mostly on their outward man they may by them be outwardly reclaimed and reformed but not inwardly renewed and sanctified Now there is a vast difference between outward Reformation and inward Renovation 2dly The fruit of Affliction on the Godly is continually increasing and growing
we must not despise them II. The second is That we must not faint under them nor grow weary of them This is the other Extream that we must carefully avoid Seeing Afflictions which are but light and short work for us and work us for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory therefore we must not grow weary under them By this weariness in general I mean a sinking of Spirit a despondency of Heart under the Rod when a man is as we say Crest-faln and without Spirit so that he cannot bear up his Spirit fails in the day of Adversity when a man is willing to throw off the burthen before God takes it off is Job 4. 5. Psal 88. 14 15. I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me by terrors have cut me off Thus spake Heman a choice Saint Here I shall briefly shew 1. the Cause 2. the Cure of this Weariness that we may the better avoid it 1. First the Cause and that is manifold as first from Man himself we our selves are the Causes of this Weariness in a threefold respect as 1. Our not expecting Troubles In Health we look not for Sickness and when Troubles come unexpectedly they make us weary 2ly Our over-valuing of our earthly Comforts 3ly Because in truth we are more sensible of our Losses than of our Enjoyments 2. In regard of the Affliction it self 1st When it swells to any great height 2ly When Afflictions are multiplied one upon the back of another 3ly When they be of long continuance 4ly When inflicted on the nobler parts and upon the Spirit 5ly When but little support but few Comforters or miserable Comforters few to help to bear the burthen 6ly When they are heavy and ordinarily they are heavy because Sin is light and Glory is light for when Sin lies heavy on the Soul and Heaven much in the Heart Afflictions are much lighter on the Body Nil sentit in nervo cum aniâ—â— sit in Coelo 3. In regard of God He puts Lead into sonâ— mens Burthens sometimes he sets home Sin and Wrath upon the Conscience and then men grow weary 4. In regard of the Devil he doth his utmost to imbitter every Trouble and adds his Tempations to make it more intolerable So much â—â— the Cause of Weariness 2. Secondly for the Cure We must labour to avoid this Weariness under Affliction and thaâ— we may take these Directions 1 Direct 1st Let us urge our Heavenly Father Command upon our own hearts and the Command of our Lord Jesus upon our selves See the express Command of God Prov. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 5. Be not weary of his chastisements faint not when thâ—â— art corrected Thus speaks our Heavenly Father to his Children And the Command of our Lord Christ is express also John 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled Whatever affliction befals you let not your Hearts be troubled Let us urge these Commands upon our selves Consider we 1. Is there any cause of Heart-trouble when our Heavenly Father the great Lord of Heaven and Earth hath his will which we daily pray for All our Troubles are by the Will of God 2. When the great Proprietor and Owner of all things doth most wisely and most righteously dispose of his own 3. When we are called to render back but what we had borrowed Our Health Estates Liberty Relations Life it self all were but lent us 4. When lesser Mercies are removed that greater and better may be bestowed 5. When we have our Iniquities purged which is the sure Evidence that they are pardoned and that we are made more conformable to Christ and so sitted for nearer and fuller Communion with God 6. When our Graces are tryed and acted and so made more apparent and illustrious 7. When by all our Afflictions we are prepared for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Let us weigh all these things well and they will help us against Weariness And for our further help against Heart-trouble see my Discourse on John 14. 1 2 3. 2. That we may not grow weary of God's Chastisements let us urge Reason also upon our selves as thus If I grow weary I break the express Command of my Heavenly Father and disobey the Counsel of my Dear Lord 2. If I grow weary it argues my Unbelief for who would grow weary of long and grievous Afflictions that did fully believe the gracious ends and designs of God in them and his sweet Promises to his afflicted People and that Afflictions are in the Covenant that they are the Fruits of God's Fatherly Love and shall surely work for our good that the Cross is the way to the Crown Who believes these things and yet is weary Again By Weariness we make our Burthens heavier than God intends them to be Cheerfulness and Patience makes them lighter The like Affliction to a patient humble contented Christian is much lighter than to another fretful weary and discontented person Now it is possible we may make our Burthens heavier than God intends them thus 1st When we think no Trouble like ours Consider Job's Case Trouble was upon all his Relations all his Estate upon his Body Soul and All. 2ly When we let loose our Passions to run whither they will without any restraint 3ly When we refuse the Comforts that God sends us So did good Jacob Gen. 37. 35. 4ly When we continually fix our Thoughts on our Afflictions and are always poring on them so that all the Mercies that we enjoy are quite swallowed up And have we any reason to greaten our own Burthens And again by our Weariness we dishonour God and discomfort our selves and discourage others 3. Thirdly Serious Consideration laying to heart and pondering upon several things that may prevent this weariness as 1. Consider what this Weariness signifieth and implies it hath very ill significations for to be weary signifieth a want or at least a great weakness of Faith for he that believeth maketh not haste want of Hope for we must hope to the end want of Patience for Patience must have her perfect work which is to last as long as Trouble lasts want of Love for Love endeareth all things or at least a great weakness of those Graces 2. Consider God is long-suffering He hath waited long on us 3. It hath been the Practice of all the Saints in all Ages to wait on God 4. That by our weariness we limit the Holy One of Israel and do indeed call in question all the glorious Attributes of God his Power Wisdom Faithfulness Let us consider these things 5. Consider that they that suffer without weariness they are blessed and happy Job 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. Jam. 1. 12. Blessed are they that endure that is that suffer without weariness 6. Consider that Afflictions are signs of our Sonship Heb. 12. and signs of God's Fatherly love 7. Consider God's good and gracious Ends Isa
his Providences to observe and comply with them answering them by suitable Duty 2. Secondly We look unto our Blessed Jesus the Image of the Invisible God the eternal Son of God He was once visible and seen in the Flesh and shall be so again at his second coming Acts 1. But now we see him not yet now we believe in him and look on him by Faith And that we may look upon and behold this unseen Jesus and by Faith and Love to enjoy Union and Communion with him to know him living in us and to have fellowship with him in his Death and Resurrection and in his Life to receive of his fulness Grace for Grace This the Saints aim at and spend their Thoughts and Cares about and make this the main and principal work of their Lives Phil. 3. 8 9 10. That they may be joyned to Christ married to him engrafted into him partake of his Spirit Life and Grace that they may be conformable to him and enabled to walk as he walked that he may sup with them and they with him that he may dwell in their Hearts by Faith and take up his abode with them and manifest his Love unto them that they may grow up in all things like unto him These are the Aims Intentions Desires Prayers Longings and constant Endeavours of truly-gracious Souls Not to be rich and great and honourable in the World but to partake of the unsearchable Riches of Christ to get and possess Jesus this Pearl of greatest 〈◊〉 to be rich in Faith to have a clear Title to â—e Crown of Life which Jesus hath purchased â—â— promised to live in Christ and to please hoâ—â—ur and enjoy Jesus This is their Chief Laâ—â—ur 3. The holy Spirit is invisible and eternal the â—â—cious Influences and Operations of the Holy â—host on the Hearts and Spirits though the â—ects may in some sense be said to be visible â—â— of eternal efficacy yet the Operations are in 〈◊〉 sence invisible the Graces of the Spirit â—â—ch I take to be those Waters of Life which our â—â—d speaks of John 4. which spring up to Eterâ—al Life the Joy the Comforts of the Spirit the â—aintings teachings guidings of the Spirit the â—â—iness and sealings of the Spirit all these are inâ—â—able and eternal things and these are the things â—hat natural men cannot know nor discern 1 Cor. 2. â—1 13 14. Strangers intermeddle not with this by because Strangers to it It is hidden Manna â—â—at these are the unseen things that gracious â—als mind seek and breath after and always â—â—g for Oh that they may be filled with the â—pirit filled with the Graces and Comforts of the Spirit and enjoy Communion with the Spirit 4. The Word of God the glorious Gospel that is invisible and eternal not in the Letter of it for that is to be seen in the Book but the Mysteries of â—t are hidden Mysteries Matth. 11. 25. These things are hid from the wife and prudent of the World It 's true the sound of the Gospel is gone â—ut abroad throughout the World but the power and efficacy the vertue and inward workings of it the sweetness of it that is invisible to the Eye of the Body and hidden to the World 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. God reveals those things to his People by his Spirit The infinite Beauty of Christ his transcendent Excellencies the Beauty of Holiness the surpassing sweetness of the Promises the glory of Heaven with many many other unspeakable Excellencies which are held out in the Gospel all which bodily Eyes cannot see nor carnal Hearts understand The powerful enlightning quickning transforming nourishing strengthning refreshing and comforting power and vertue of the Gospel but very few see and feel none but such as are spiritualized and whose Understandings are savingly enlightned Eph. 1. 17 18 19. There are great and glorious things represented in the Gospel but Men's Understandings must be enlightned before they can see them Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel Heaven and Hell opened in the Gospel but not to be seen by the bodily Eye Hence the Gospel is said to be hid 2 Cor. 4. 4. and this word abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1. 25. and it is an everlasting Gospel Now saith the Apostle we look to the Word of God and mind the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel and feel the sweet and powerful effects of it we desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow thereby we esteem the Word of God above our necessary food Job 23. 12 13. and it is sweeter to us than the hony or hony-comb Psal 19. 9. 5. We look unto and mind all the exceeding great and precious Promises which are in the Word of God the vertue sweetness and good of them are all invisible to carnal Eyes Tell a carnal man of the goodness and sweetness of the Promises it is a Riddle to him give him present Enjoyments he never tasted any sweetness in them but true Christians look on them as exceeding rich things and look up to them and embrace them and live upon them they could not â—re without them The Promises are dry Breasts â—â— carnal Hearts they can draw no vertue from them but they are full Breasts to gracious Souls â—â—il 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed that â—â— in the Promises to see the goodness of God in the 〈◊〉 of the living The Promises That God will be our God in Christ and our Portion and exceeding great Reâ—ard Gen. 17. 1. That He will be a Sun and a â—ield to us give us Grace and Glory and will with-hold no good thing from us Psal 84. last â—romises of Pardon of Peace of Holiness and â—â—essedness of Rest for our Souls Mat. 11. 28 29. Promises of his good Presence with us in all our â—roubles of Supports Supplies and of a gracious 〈◊〉 out of all gracious Souls trade in the Promises converse with the Promises these they mind â—nd rest upon and find Sweetness and Comfort in 6. And Lastly We look unto all those great and glorious things which the Great God hath prepared for us from the foundation of the World and which our most dear Lord Jesus hath purchased for us by his most precious Blood Oh the great and glorious things which God our Father â—ath prepared for us that blessed Vision of God that Kingdom of Heaven that Life eternal that Crown of Glory of Life of Righteousness that inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that saâ—â—th not away that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory that everlasting Rest all these things are invisible and eternal And unto these â—â—seen and eternal things we saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 and set our mind upon And also the great and glorious things which our Lord hath purchased as Peace with God his Favour Acceptance with him Adoption Sonship Heirship Remission of Sins an heavenly Inheritance these are all invisible and eternal things great and wonderful things things of the greatest
I could converse more with God and have my Conversation more above Thus holy Souls pant and breath after God and Heavenly things 4. In esteeming prizing valuing those invisible eternal things above all earthly temporal things Psal 30. In God's favour is life Psal 63. 3. His loving-kindness is better than life Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us This will put gladness into our hearts more than the encrease of corn and wine 5. In applying and appropriating these invisible eternal things to our own Souls My Lord and my God my Jesus The kingdom prepared for me the crown belongs to me 6. In frequent conversing with them by meditation contemplation consideration spreading and spending our most serious Thoughts and our most fixed and deepest Cogitations on them and never leave thinking and thinking pondering musing ruminating and dwelling on them until our Hearts be warmed and our Affections kindled our Desires enlarged and our Delights raised Psal 37. 5. Delight thy self in the Lord. Psal 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet Alas we have so few and such short and inconstant and unfixed Thoughts of God and Christ of Heaven and Glory that our Hearts are not affected nor raised and enflamed 7. And lastly In a conversation suitable to those invisible eternal things Phil. 3. 20. the Apostles and Primitive Christians had their Conversations in Heaven This alone is true real minding of and conversing with those Heavenly things when we live the life of God live like God like Jesus walk in the Spirit to be holy in all manner of conversation 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. To be like Christ in Meekness and Humility Matth. 11. 28. and in Purity 1 John 3. 3. in contempt of the World and Vanities of it in Heavenly-mindedness And thus we ought to look unto and mind invisible and eternal things and this will bring true Joy and perfect Peace Isa 26. 3. Psal 112. 6 7. Moreover I conceive that the Apostle and Primitive Christians did look also unto the invisible eternal Evil things and spent some Thoughts upon them as The Terrour of the Lord Everlasting Destruction Eternal Death the Wrath to come c. These things they minded two ways 1. By way of Praise and Thanksgiving admiring the Love and Grace of God in Christ by which they were delivered from those invisible eternal Miseries which their Sins had deserved as we find often in their Praises 2. In their Diligence to escape those eternal Evils labouring for the assurance of their full deliverance from them constantly exhorting all men to give all Diligence that they might not fall short of their Everlasting Rest But principally I think they looked unto those invisible eternal Good things to secure their Title to them and Interest in them and so minding them as still to press forward towards the Mark of the Price of the high Calling and with the fore-thoughts and fore-sights of them did support their Spirits under their Troubles and sweeten their passage through this present evil World So much for the Doctrinal part The Application First For Information 1 Inference Hence appears the extream Folly and Madness of People by Nature who look at mind and aim only at visible temporal things but totally neglect Invisible eternal things God Christ Heaven is not in all scarce in any of their Thoughts Lovers of themselves of their own things of Profits and Pleasures more than of God Phil. 1. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 4. that make themselves the Mark they aim at but the Glory and Honour of God the pleasing and enjoying him are strange things to them things they never minded never thought on God complains of this against the Jews Hos 8. 12. I have written to them the great things of my Law but they counted them as strange things So may Jesus Christ justly complain of Men under the Gospel I have revealed the great and glorious Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven the Mysteries of Salvation the unsearchable Riches of the Grate and Love of God in the Gospel Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel the true and only way to Heaven and Eternal Life to Everlasting Happiness is clearly made known in the Gospel the only Means to get an Interest in the great God in Jesus Christ in the New Covenant how to get Pardon of Sin Peace with God how to be justified saved and glorified for ever All these things are fully and clearly revealed in the Gospel The invisible eternal things of the World to come which are the greatest Realities and Excellencies the choicest greatest and best things But woe and alas how little are those things minded It is Corn Wine and Oyl Who will shew us any good any visible temporal good Now is not this extream Folly and Madness for reasonable Creatures made for God made capable of enjoying God and all those invisible eternal good things for them thus to labour and pant after the Dust of the Earth to spend their Thoughts Minds and Strengths upon that which cannot satisfie which will not endure but thus to waste precious Time and Breath and Spirits for perishing fading things and neglect invisible eternal things the incorruptible Crown that fadeth not away the undefiled Inheritance the everlasting Kingdom eternal Life and Salvation not to look on those nor mind them nor labour for them Yet this is the common neglect of the World It is amazing Madness astonishing Folly Thus God expresseth Jer. 2. 11 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Prov. 1. 20 21 22. Yet such is the Madness of all by Nature and it is greatly to be lamented This shews also the blindness and darkness of Men by Nature that they cannot see the excellency of those invisible eternal things nor their own absolute necessity of them and concernment in them 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 God should shine into them This glorious light shines upon them and shines into many of their Heads this Light they cannot resist but it shines not into their Hearts to transform and change them as it doth into the Hearts of God's Elect and it 's greatly to be lamented 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2. Inf. Secondly Hence appears the beguiling bewitching nature of the World that it should so strangely win and gain the Hearts and Affections of Men and Women and so easily prevail with them while God and Christ are offered to them and are not embraced Heaven gates are opened to them and they invited entreated perswaded by Promises by Threatnings commanded to come and enter but they will not they make light of it no
work to converse with God and Heaven in the Creatures As for instance When we sit down at Table remember there is a time coming when we shall sit down with Christ and eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom that is we shall enjoy free and intimate Communion with him in Heaven And let us labour to raise our Hearts from temporal to spiritual things and be much in praising adoring and admiring God in the Creatures 6. Be convinced also that all our happiness and comfort both here and hereafter for ever lyeth not in any or all of the sensible temporal things but all lyeth in those invisible eternal things It lyeth not in having Honours Riches Pleasures c. for a man may be happy without them as Job and Lazarus were and miserable with them as Haman Ahab Dives and others were Psal 144. 15. Yea happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Happy indeed if God Christ and Heaven be ours happy for ever or else miserable for ever 7. And Lastly Let us labour to be renewed in the Spirit of our Minds or else we shall never seriously and heartily mind invisible eternal things as was shewed before We must get those invisible eternal Principles of Renewing Grace planted in our Hearts the Divine Nature the Life of God the Spirit of our heavenly Father to renew our Spirits or else we shall never mind those things in good earnest for which purpose let us go to God call cry to him for Renewing Grace Psal 51. 10. Let us look up to and lay hold on God's Covenant Ezek. 11. 19. go to the Promise Luke 11. 13. If you being evil know how to give good things to your children how much more will your heavenly Father give his spirit to those that ask him A precious Promise indeed let us rest upon this Promise and most earnestly beg God to perform it to us Old Bottles will not hold new Wine nor old Hearts retain Heavenly things New Hearts we must have heavenly holy Hearts or we shall never mind heavenly things as we ought III. Motives to this Duty 1. Consider that thus to look unto and mind invisible eternal things is the express Character of every true Christian No man can approve himself to be a true Christian and be a total Stranger to this Work for to be a true Christian is to be like Christ Now Jesus Christ minded those invisible eternal things as is most evident in the whole course of his Life his Heart was in Heaven while his Body was on Earth John 3. 13. Shall we profess our selves Christians and not be like Christ nor have the Character of Christians 2. Consider this will be a sure sign and clear evidence to us of our interest in and title to all those invisible eternal good things in the other World Matth. 6. 20 21. Where the Heart is there the Treasure is If our Hearts and Minds Thoughts and Affections are on God on Christ and Heaven it is a sure sign that these are ours An heavenly Mind is as good a sign that we belong to Heaven as any is as was also shewed before 3. This will begin our Heaven upon Earth these heavenly things minded affected delighted in will yield such joy and comfort as to begin our very Heaven here when Faith and Hope Joy and Praise Love Desire and Delight are exercised on God and on Christ and Glory we shall be filled with Joy and Peace as Rom. 15. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Psal 31. 7. Oh then let us labour to begin our Heaven here by our Heavenly-mindedness 4. This will yield Contentment and Comfort Satisfaction and Peace to our Souls in every condition It will sweeten every bitter Cup To think on God as our Father and on Christ as our Redeemer Head and Husband and on all the sweet Promises of which we are Heirs what comfort will this bring to our Souls Lam. 3. 33. He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Isa 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God With many other exceeding great and precious Promises which our good God hath made that our Faith might feed upon them and find satisfaction or else our Souls would faint 5. This will fit us for every Duty to God and man The more we think on God and heavenly things the more conscientious shall we be in our Duties to Man because it is for the Lord's sake from whom we look for the Reward as the Apostle speaks to Servants Eph. 6. 5 6 7. And for Duties to God it will make us serve God cheerfully delightfully and constantly having the Glory of God the enjoyment of him and the Recompence of Reward in our Eye Oh how will it quicken raise animate and encourage us For why are all those great and glorious invisible eternal things proposed and promised to us but that we should mind them aim at them and live in the lively hopes and comfortable expectations of enjoying them Heb. 11. 6 24. 1. 1 2 3. 1 Cor. 15. last Therefore be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. 6. This will serve to encrease and strengthen Grace for the more we mind those invisible eternal things the stronger will be our Love our Faith our Hope and our Patience yea the more heavenly and spiritual we shall grow and the more useful savory and profitable in all our Discourses By our heavenly-mindedness we shall smell of Heaven in all our Converses and Communications to the advantage of others 7. This is one principal way of enjoying Communion with God here in this World for by this we open our hearts to God raise up our Desires after him spend our Thoughts and Affections upon him and in these heavenly Meditations God communicates his Light and Love his Grace and Peace to our Souls By these Meditations on invisible eternal things our Souls converse with God talk with God walk with God have our conversations with God and this is most sweet and contentful to gracious Souls this is to live in God and to live the Life of God and it is the sum of all our happiness here and hereafter The enjoyment of God's good presence here in acts of Communion with him will produce greatness of Joy and the enjoyment of God's glorious presence hereafter in the uninterrupted Acts of Communion with him in Heaven will produce fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16. last 8. By this looking to and affectionately minding invisible eternal things we shall be more and more changed into the image and likeness of them 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in
the Reality of those things Who hath believed our Report Isa 53. 1. and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed to make Souls believe and to work effectual Faith in them Surely to very few A very bare historical Faith is wanting but much more a cordial practical Perswasion of those things for by true Faith we come to have an Interest in all these eternal good things and if we had an Interest in them we should mind them more Those invisible eternal things spoken of in the holy Scripture signifie no more to most of us than those Mountains of Spices and Mines of Gold do that are in the Indies which we never hope to see or possess and for which none of us will part with our poor Cottages Alas alas it were impossible if we did really believe those things above and that they may be had by us but that we should take more pains to get a Title to them and having once got a Title surely we should mind them more than we do Now the grand Reasons why we that profess that we know and believe those great things of the other World yet take so little pains to be assured of our Right to them are these viz. our false Faith our false Hope and our inordinate Love of the World Cou'd we get these three Thieves out of our hearts it wou'd be otherwise with us 1. Our False Faith building our Faith on the Mercy of God and Merits of Christ in general not considering whether those Conditions are wrought in us to which the Mercy of God is promised and to which the Merits of Christ do belong Isa 1. 16. 55. 7. Rom. 8. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 6. 17. Heb. 5. 9. Matth. 11. 28 29. 16. 24. 10. 34. By all which places we shall find that the Mercy of God belongs to the penitent returning Sinner and that those only can truly claim an Interest in Christ that submit to his Yoke that have his Spirit that are new Creatures that deny themselves and give up themselves to the Government of Christ 2. Our False Hope that deceived those eminent Professors in Matth. 7. 21. and the foolish Virgins Matth. 25. and which deceives all Hypocrites and formal Christians that build their Hopes upon outward Profession Priviledges the performance of religious Duties outward Reformation c. not minding that express word in 1 John 3. 3. Every one that hath this hope that is to see Christ in Glory and to be made like unto him purifieth himself even as he is pure Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory Not Christ without you professed by you but Christ in you formed in you dwelling in your Hearts by Faith living and reigning in you by his Word and Spirit that is the Hope of Glory the true and only ground of true Hope of Glory 3. Inordinate Love of the World 1 John 2. 14 15. If we be friends of this world we are enemies to God Too much love of Life Liberty Ease Relations c. our Hearts are let out strongly after these therefore our good God doth oftentimes strip his dearest Children of these in love to their Souls to take off their Affections from them that they may place them on better things where they are better bestowed III. It is Lamentable also that those invisible eternal great and glorious things should be no more minded thought upon considered and spoken of by Professors that hope shortly to enjoy them God Christ Glory Heaven are seldom in mens Minds and Thoughts What are most Peoples Morning and Evening Thoughts Psal 49. 11. What vain Thoughts lodge in our Hearts Jer. 4. 14. Oh how little talk is there of these things amongst us Is God our Father Is Christ our Head and Husband Is the Holy Ghost our Counsellour and Comforter Is the Word of God our Rule and Guide our spiritual Food and Nourishment our Comfort and Consolation Are the Promises our great Charter Heaven and Glory our Inheritance And do we indeed hope to enjoy all these things for ever and ever and yet think no more and speak no more of them Can this be so Can our hopes be good and well grounded Let us not deceive our selves IV. It is Lamentable that those great things should be no more laboured after Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for that meat which perisheth but for that which endureth to eternal life Prov. 2 2 3 4. Isa 55. 2 3. We labour for that which is not Bread not Bread for our Souls and spend that which is better than Mony our Spirits and Time for that which doth not cannot satisfie Why should visible temporal things have so much of our hearts heads tongues hands time strength and all and those invisible eternal things have so little Is there any colour of Reason for it Are not those invisible eternal things infinitely better than the other Certainly it is because they are not known nor believed nor minded that they are no more laboured after How do we dishonour God and Christ and the Promises how do we undervalue Christ's Purchase and Eternal Life when we lay out our selves so much for the World and so little for these How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. V. It 's lamentable also that the loss of the means of the discovery of those invisible eternal things should no more affect and trouble us Lam. 1. 7. Jerusalem remembred in the days of her affliction all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old A Famine of the Word is the worst Amos 8. VI. And it is lamentable that those who know believe desire and labour after those things themselves should be no forwarder and readier to commend those things to others and should take no more pains to perswade and draw others to look after them Oh how few cry out to others with holy David Come and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul VII And no less lamentable is it that those who claim an Interest in all those great and glorious good things and hope to enjoy them hereafter that those persons should no more express the power of them in their Lives that they should no more rejoyce in them and be no more raised in their Spirits and gladded in their Hearts with the fore-thoughts of them and that they should live no more comfortably upon them It 's sad that those thus interested in God and Christ and Glory and that are the Expectants of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory should not live better lives more exemplary shining profitable joyful lives We that look for such things what manner of persons ought we to be in all manner of holy conversation It 's sad also that such should bear up with no more strength holy courage and confidence in the midst of the Troubles of this short Life seeing they hope for such glorious things in the other World
spirit Second Vse by way of Exhortation to all Christians Would you have sweet Support under all your Discouragements and sinking Troubles then stedfastly and fixedly look upon invisible eternal things Labour to live in the believing views and prospects of and in a serious hearty minding and meditating upon invisible eternal things Oh that we could draw off our Thoughts and Affections from visible temporal things and that we could set them upon things above Oh what Peace and Sweetness should we find in our Spirits Q. But how shall we be able to do this A. I. By looking to God in all our Mercies II. By resigning up our Wills to God in all our Miseries III. By aiming at Communion with God and Conformity to him in all our Actions I. Let us look to God in all our Mercies He is the God of our Lives and of all the Comforts of Life The power vertue and comfort of all created good comes from the Created good even GOD alone for in him we live and move and have our being This Health Ease Liberty Relations Rest Sleep that we have and all those comfortable Accommodations that we enjoy are from the Lord. It was truly said of one That many love the Creature in opposition to God Most love it in competition with him and almost All love the Creature in a way of separation from him But more particularly let us labour 1st To look unto and acknowledge with Heart and Tongue that our Heavenly Father in Christ is the Author and Giver of all the Mercies we enjoy When we have Health Ease Liberty Rest or any other Mercy we should look to him from whom they come and to him through whom they come we should eye the hand of a Father the heart and love of a Father and consider also that all these Mercies come to us through the Blood of a Redeemer this will make every morsel every drop and crumb to be sweet and pleasant to us A Dinner of green Herbs Barley-bread and cold Water with the Love of God will be sweet Q. But when shall we know that we have these from the Love of God and with the Love of God Ans Then we may conclude these outward Mercies come from the Love of God to us when we are truly thankful for the least Mercy we receive and are stirred up to love God more and to be more careful to serve please and trust God the more Let us look thorough our visible Comforts to the invisible giver of them and to that eternal Love from whence they come 1 Chron. 29. 12 13 16. It is our great evil that we love the gifts of God for themselves and not for the giver of them if we could see and taste Divine love and goodness in our Relations Health Estate c. Oh how sweet would they be unto us But this is our Folly and Fault we overlook and forget God and look no further than our visible sensible temporal Comforts even when we speak of God with our Mouths our Hearts are but too far from him Our Hearts hang loose from him and lye at too great a distance from him our Hearts are not engaged with Love and Desire and Delight in him nor enlarged after him and so we miss the Comfort and Sweetness which we might find in him To delight in the God of Mercy more than in the Mercies of God is a true Christian frame and an high pitch of Grace and a special way of enjoying sweet Communion with God a thing wholly strange to most and experienced but by few Q. But how shall I know when I do this Ans 1. By real practical hearty acknowledgment and owning God's Propriety in all our Mercies These Relations Friends this Health Ease Liberty Safety c. these are all the Lords as Jacob said Gen. 33. 5. These are the things that the Lord hath graciously given me We should always look on God as the proper owner of us and them and all that we have are but lent to us and we are but Tenants at his will 2. By labouring to draw up our Hearts and Loves to God by those Mercies we receive from God to make them as Cords and Bands of Love to draw our Hearts nearer to God and to bind our Hearts faster and closer to God by them to make those Mercies as steps to raise up our Souls higher towards God in all the ways of obedience and holy confidence we should pant and pray thus Oh that this Creature-comfort may draw my Heart nearer to God and not lye as an Idol between my Heart and God oh that this temporal Blessing may raise my Heart some degrees higher towards God oh that it may help me to advance God more Oh that it may not divide my Heart from God nor make me forgetful of him nor hinder me in my Duty to him but oh that every Mercy I receive from God may endear God to me and engage my Heart more to him Such pantings and breathings of Soul should be in us then we shall enjoy God in our Mercies and then they will be sweet unto us 3. By labouring to use and improve all our Mercies for God our Health Ease Liberty Estate and all for God to lay all out for his Service If we have any Talent let it be improved for God if any Candle of Comfort lighted in our Habitation let it burn for God if any Ease after Pain any Strength after Weakness lay it out for God Let us be thinking and studying what use and service we can put our Mercies to for God Let us spend Time Health Strength and all for God 4. By labouring to be willing to part with all our outward Mercies when God calls for them As we should desire and wish for no Comfort otherwise than as we may have it with the love of God and as it may help us and not hinder us in our way to God so likewise we should not desire the continuance of any outward Comfort any longer than with the Love of God and when he is pleased to call for them willingly to surrender them to him This is not to love any thing above God nor in competition with him nor in separation from him 1 John 2. 14 15. For he that loveth any thing in the world otherwise the love of the Father is not in him And in so doing we evidence that we love the God of Mercies more than the Mercies of God And this way we may enjoy and maintain much sweet communion with God here in this Life namely by our hearty acknowledgment of God our Father in Christ to be the Author of all our Mercies looking to his Love in them owning his Propriety in them all making them as Cords of Love to draw up our Hearts to God using them for God and willing to part with them at his call This is to look to God in all our Mercies Secondly Let us labour to look unto and live upon God
in every Creature-comfort that we enjoy Not only look unto God in our Mercies as was said before in the other particular but let us labour to ascend higher and that is let us labour and learn to live upon God and his Love in those Mercies Let this be minded by us That it is not the Creature but God in the Creature that we must love and live upon The Creature should not content us without some sense of God's Love in it If we have Health Wealth Liberty Friends we should put this Question to our selves Do we enjoy God's Love with these A great Question yet seldom ask'd It is surely the Love of God in a Mercy that doth sanctifie and sweeten the Mercy to us as is evident in that famous Instance of Hezekiah Isa 38. 17. Thou hast in love to my soul delivered me from the pit of corruption Then Deliverance is sweet when it comes from God's Love to our Souls Q. But how may we know that A. As Hezekiah did For saith he thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back When Pardon of Sin comes with a Mercy 't is a Mercy indeed a double Mercy Note When a Soul-mercy comes with a Bodily Mercy a Soul-mercy with Ease Recovery c. then that outward Mercy comes from the Love of God indeed And thus many times our Lord Jesus distributed his Mercies in the days of his Flesh upon the Earth healing Souls and Bodies together forgiving their Sins and curing their Diseases all at once Q. But how shall we know that our Sins are forgiven as well as our Trouble removed Ans 1. When the Soul is stirred up to suitable praising of God as in Hezekiah so in David Psal 103. 1 2 3. the sense of God's Mercies to them enlarged their Hearts with Thankfulness 2. We may know that our Sins are forgiven us if those Conditions are wrought in us unto which forgiveness of Sins is promised and those are chiefly Repentance and Faith Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 10. 43. To him namely to Jesus do all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Now if after Mercies God gives us Hearts to repent and believe we may certainly conclude that those Mercies come to us from the love of God We follow hard in our Prayers and Desires and Endeavours after earthly Mercies when we want them whereas our Souls should follow hard after God in them Psal 63. 8. 31. 23. In every Ordinance Priviledge Duty Providence in every Enjoyment it is the Love of God in it that our Souls should thirst after as David did Psal 63. 1 2 3 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God So Psal 84. 1. Thee thee Lord my soul longeth for He longed for God's Ordinances too but chiefly for God in them So should we cry Health and Ease and Liberty and Deliverance with thy self Lord and with thy Love Peace and Plenty with thy Love Lord not without it Better be without these Mercies than without the Love of God in them Jude 21. Keep your selves in the love of God Gal. 2. 20. Psal 62. 10. If riches Friends Ease c. encrease set not your hearts â—â— them but on God in them To look through and beyond and above a Mercy unto the God of that Mercy is a Mercy in that Mercy and a choice one too for none but God's Chosen ones can do it And so to do argues much Grace and much Communion with God Col. 3. 1 2. Let us look up look up to God in all our Mercies Stay not on the Mercy be not content with the outward Mercy for that is but the Shell but look up to God and long to see and taste his Love in it for that is the Kernel his Love in Christ feed on that by Faith Love Meditation O let us labour to have God in all our Thoughts for to look to love and live upon Creature-comforts meerly barely only is but to live upon Husks Ashes Wind and Vanity these are no Bread for the Soul Isa 55. 2. Psal 143. 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee my soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land When we taste and see the earthly Comforts we have if we can also taste and see the Love of God in them we enjoy a double sweetness an outward and an inward a visible and an invisible sweetness Oh what sweetness then may we taste for both Faith and Sense are fed at once And we may further know that any Mercy comes to us in Love when our Souls are the better for that Mercy more endeared to God and more enlarged after God 3. We must labour to use and enjoy all our Mercies for God for his Honour and Service as was hinted before This is God's end in giving them and it should be ours in using them 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God This great End should always be minded by us We should judge all that good that leads us nearer to God and all that evil that draws us farther from him Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself We have lost most of our Comforts for want of this to wit our not enjoying them in God and for God and God in them We feed on them but not on God in them and this provokes God to remove them and to take away our best outward Mercies from us even his Gospel for our not using it and not improving it for God and for contenting our selves barely with it without God in it Bare Ordinances bare Duties without God in them are but dry Breasts without Milk which Souls may lye upon all their days and starve and perish notwithstanding if they meet not God in them But now if we thus eye and look unto God and seriously mind the invisible eternal God we shall hereby be sweetly supported under all our Troubles For 1st This will take out the gall and wormwood of our Troubles which is our inordinate love of the Creature for there is no immoderate Sorrow for the loss of any thing but of that which was inordinately loved So that if God had had our Hearts and Affections when we had our Creature-Comforts he will have them much more then they are removed for God remains the â—ime still every way as full and as All-sufficient â—â— supply and support us So that if we had lived â—â—on God the Fountain when we had the Cisterns â— shall live more immediately upon him when the â—â—sterns are broken and shall then have our Comforts more pure and more refreshing And this is not all but if we be truly gracious â— will grieve us to the very Heart when our earthâ—â— Comforts are gone that we set our Hearts so much upon them that
27. 9. 8. Consider Christ's dreadful Sufferings for us 9. Consider the many exceeding great and precious Promises that God hath made to patient Sufferers that he will be with them will sustain them and in due time will deliver them Now if we will think and meditate on those things and let our Thoughts dwell on them and suffer them to sink down into our Hearts and roul and revolve them in our Minds they will much support us and help us against weariness 4. A Fourth thing we must do to prevent or cure this Weariness under Affliction is serious examination of our selves whether we belong to God or no whether reconciled regenerated and born of God or no whether united to Christ justified and pardoned or no If you are why then should we be weary of Affliction For if God have done so many great things for us surely he loves us and will afflict us no more nor no longer than need Such a Soul will say If the Lord please to become my God in Covenant to give me to Christ and Christ to me to pardon my Sins and take me into his favour and save me at last let him do with my Health and Estate and Liberty and Relations and all as he pleaseth But if on the contrary upon examination we find our selves not regenerated and pardoned it is high time for us to set about these great works in earnest lest we should be cut off before they be wrought in us and to set in with God in his Afflictions on us for his Rods are one way he takes to bring about these gracious works upon us therefore we should not be weary of them O labour for the sense of God's Pardoning Regenerating Redeeming Love and labour to clear up to your selves your Interest in God by Christ and this will bear you up 5. Fifthly Labour to get and keep your Consciences pure and clean that when there be Troubles without you may have Peace within But if God strike you without and lay on blows on your outward Comforts your Consciences may not lash you within and charge you with heavier Burthens If a man have a sound and whole Back he can bear an heavy Burthen but if his back be sore a small Burthen will pinch him Let us therefore make even reckoning with God and our own Consciences by renewing our Repentance our Faith in the Blood of Jesus and by New Obedience and let us take heed we wrong not nor wound our Consciences 6. Sixthly Spend many Thoughts on Zion be grieved for the Afflictions of Joseph think upon the Miseries and Distresses of many of the Lord 's dear Servants and lay them to Heart Divert and turn aside from musing on your own Troubles only and let Sion's Sorrows have some impression on your Minds 7. Seventhly Labour to act Faith strongly upon the Invisible God and upon that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory prepared in Heaven for you Moses endured and was not weary as seeing him that is invisible Heb. 11. 25 26. having an eye to the recompence of reward Act Faith on God's Almighty Power he can bring light out of darkness and can make dry Bones live And upon his infinite wisdom He who is only-wise and most merciful orders all the circumstances of your Afflictions for time place quality and quantity Act Faith on his Faithfulness Righteousness Love Pity and Compassion and labour by Faith to realize the promised purchased Glory which Afflictions prepare you for Dilate spread and enlarge your Thoughts and Meditations on those Crowns and Kingdoms that Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you those many Mansions in your Father's House those everlasting Habitations above and sweeten your Spirits with those Thoughts 8. Lastly To prevent or cure Weariness let us be much in Prayer Seek the Lord seek his Face continually seek his Strength He give â—â— power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength Isa 40. 29 30 31. Jam. 5. 13. Psal 50 15. Is any afflicted let him pray call upon God in the day of Trouble Q. But is this all we must do in Affliction Must we do nothing but pray A. Yes 1. We must seek the Lord and search our hearts and try our ways Lam. 3. 40. seeking God and searching our Hearts to find out our Sins must go together 2. Seek the Lord and hear the Voice of his Rod Mic. 6. 9. God speaks many things by Afflictions all his Rods have Voices there is an awakening a discovering an humbling Voice a purging trying Voice an instructing teaching comforting Voice Let us own God's Hand in all our Afflictions whoever be the Instruments It is the Lord hath taken away my Health my Estate my Friends So said holy Job not a word of Instrument 3. Seek the Lord and turn to him with all your Hearts Turn to him that smiteth It is in vain to seek God if we do not turn from our Sins by true Repentance and thorow Reformation 4. Seek the Lord and act Faith on Jesus Christ Hos 6. 1 2. After two days he will revive us Luther says This is the Scripture Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 15. 4. Christ â—ose the third day according to the Scripture What Scripture This saith he And then the sence is this As if the Church should say Our Afflictions and Mâ—â—cies may be great and we may lye in them for a time So did Christ he was dead and buried and lay in the Grave two days but he was raised up the third day And thus should a Child of God exercise his Faith I am thus and thus afflicted and brought very low so was Christ and much more he was a Man of Sorrows though he were the beloved Son of God He was delivered up into the Hands of Enemies he was scorned scourged crucified killed but my Condition was never so bad no Sorrows were like Christ's Never was the Church of God the Cause of God in so low a condition as Christ was who is the Head of his Church never was Man or Woman in so low a condition as Christ was he lay not only under the wrath and malice of Men and Devils but under his Father's wrath also He was not only brought to Death's Door but to Death it self yea he was sealed up in his Grave and yet God raised him up Here is Foâ—d for Faith In what depths and dangers soever the Church of God and People of God may be let us act Faith on the Resurrection of Christ he was raised up and so shall we if we be his and therefore let us trust in the living God which raiseth the dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. Thus we see what means to use that we may not grow weary of God's Chastisements nor faint under them Q. O but if I knew God did afflict me in Love I should not grow weary but patiently and cheerfully bear my Trouble A. 1. If thy Heart be drawn