yet awake and free in true inclinations and desires willing though mixt with sleepy unwiâ—…ingnes to be at any pains and cost to enjoy her souls beloved Christ Jesus in his own appointments Hence such expressions with sighs and tears if I were perswaded of Gods will if I were perswaded of the â—…ecessity of such publick ordinances and formes Hence others expressions if I were perswaded of such and such ordinanâ—…es that such a people or such a people were in the true way of enjoying Christ Jesus how joyfully should I joyn with them Hence holy David though not so throughly awaked to enjoy the Ark and presence of God he and all Israel brings up the Ark of God with rejoycing though not after the Lords due order which caused his holy jealousie to send that perez Vzzâ—… that breach of Vzzaâ—… amongst them It is in the heavenly as in the earthly marriage there are degrees of marriage affection and yet all true The affections of some are more lively and strong of some more dull and weak When yet the truth and life appears in a true and longing desire to enjoy the Lord Iesus in what way soever himself is pleased to ap point and to turn from the bed and bozome that is the worships of all false Christs and strangers A â—…th discovery of true spirituall life in weaknes I find to be a painfull and a restles mind in temptations to sin in yeelding to sin and lying in sin the breach not being made up with the Lord in humble confâ—…ssion and suit for mercy in the blood of a Saviour This was Davids painfâ—…ll cafâ—… in his silence Psal. 32 When I kept silence my bones waxed olâ—… through my roaring all the Day So that as a Fish out of the â—…ater itâ—… element 〈◊〉 a bone broak or disjoynted is the troubled mind of a child of God upon his discovered or but strongly suspected sinfull way or practice Obj. May not Hypocrites be troubled in the sence of Gods displeâ—…sure for sin as Sâ—…ul Abab and Iudâ—… c. I answer an Hypocrite like some Traytor or murtherer may desire a pardon from the King of Kings whose person he hates so did Saul and Ahab and so may any dissembler for his own ends of peace and safety c. But Gods children and they only grieve at Gods displeasure and grievance Only a true Wife and Spouse of Christ Iesus can grieve and morun for the displeased absence of Christ Iesus and cries out in humble bitternes of sâ—…l saw ye him whom my soul loveth A 10th triall of the true life of the inner man though weak and sickly is a discerning and liking and secret wishing that beauty and shining of the grace of Christ Jesus which appears in others of Gods children and which we see wanting in our selves Thus were there a sort of Gods children which could see beauty and excellency in those which so affectionately inquired after Christ Iesus in his visible worship and the severall parts thereof although themselves were not so zâ—…alously affected Thus therefore say they Oh thou the fairest of Women an acknowledgment of heavenly grace and beauty and they also enquire and desire to see that beauty of Christ Iesus which the other Saints so praised And in Cant 6. they say whither is thy Beloved gone oh thou fairest among Women that we may seek him with thee Hence many of Gods dear Saints in Qu Maries time and other bloody days in our own and other countries have praised God for and have been ravished with the beauties of the heavenly love and zeal and patience in others of Gods servants which they have seen wanting in themselves And thus whatever be our weaknesses it must needs argue a life of grace when we can view the lives and deaths of the blefsed martyrs or witnesses of Christ Jesus either in the holy scriptures or other Records I say can view them with a liking and true affecting of their graces with an humble acknowledgment of our own wants and poverties and a mourning desire of attaining to such a beauteous profession of Christ Jesus Such a beauty doubtles did many of Gods children apprehend in the Lords Ordinances and in such as suffred for them in England who yet found not strength themselves to stand and suffer for and with them yet left much and fled to New England hoping to enjoy there though with too much weak desire of peace and liberty the Ordinances of Christ Jesus their souls Beloved Obj. But did not Balaam see the beauty and excellenâ—…y of Gods Saints when he cried out let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his c. I answer it is usually well said Balaam desired the death and blessednes of the righteous but not the life and righteousnâ—…sse of the righteous Obj. Balaam seems to have seen the beauty of righteousnesse it self I answer he might see and like righteousnes in the end and fruit of it and yet not in the true nature and beauty of it for then he would have as well desired the life as the death of the righteous just as these Indians amongst whom I write these lines thâ—…y see the excellency of the English industry joyned with plenty and a better condition then their own but endure not that life of laâ—…our and indeavour wherein that plenty and better state is found But Gods children beholding the beauty and excellency of the heavenly lives and deaths of others like souldiers in a Field are provoked by those examples to desire to follow Christ Jesus in those holy paths and secretly to bemoan their own infirmities and deformities These and many more discoveries of the life of Christ Jesus in the soul though in the midst of many weaknesses and spirituall sicknesses I hope my dear love and faithfull companion thou in truth discernest in thy self and I and others have discerned in thee But oh search diligently in the Lords holy presence and humbly beg his help that as the Spirit of God admonisheth Gal. 6. thou maiest have rejoycing in thy self and not in anothers good opinion of thee But grant all these and the assurance of a true and blessed life of grace within us Grant this life is as the life of Christ never again to be extinguished Yet who rejeyceth not in health who mourns not under the pains and weaknesses of a sick bed Next therefore to the discovery of spirituall life all that are born of God must try their spirituall strength and health and chearful temper The particular instances whereof being propounded as examples copies and samplars for us to follow in the holy Scripture I shall pick and gather and bind up for both our incouragement and comfort I confesfe the beholding of such heavenly patterns may astonish and anâ—…ze uâ—… and make us dispair to attain to the like heavenly temper I pray thee therefore dear love observe what before I
is not the grossest Protestant or Papist but pretends to the Spirit of God yea that horrid Monster Mahomet blusht not to avouch that in the Forme of a Dove the holy Spirit of God did whisper in his eare from Heaven Now blessed is that Spirit publike or private who is truly willing and joyfull to lye downe in the Ballances of the Lords weighings Hitherto tend these Experiments of personal Communion with God in the Spirit of Holinesse Rom. 1. 3. 'T is true all publike and private Christian Spirits pretend the Spirit of Holinesse yea how great a part of the World pretend to be Christendome the Christian world that is anointed with the Spirit of Christ Jesus But was it Death in Moses Rites to counterfeit that ceremoniall and figurative Ointment Exod. 30. what shall it be to counterfeit the Spirit of Life and Holiness it self What I beleeve therefore as David and Paul once spake I freely speak Yea who can but speak saith Peter and John the Things they have seene and heard I confesse I spake these first but in a private Letter in America and thought not that the light in Europe should have seen them But a two-fold desire hath prevailed with me to expose these Tryalls to the Trying of all men 1. The earnest desire of some Godly Friends 2. Mine owne desire of sowing a little handfull of spirituall seed while the short Minute of my seed-time the opportunity of life lasteth My scope is to fill each truly Christian soule with triumphing and rejoycing I speak peace and joy to the Weakest Lamb and Child in Christianity that is so low so weake so litle so poor in its owne eyes that it sometimes saith it hath no Christ no Spirit no Faith no Love no nor true Desire in it selfe To this poore weake one I speak peace and joy and say this spirituall poverty is blessed and is the first step or round of that spirituall Ladder Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly I sound joyfull Alarums of Encouragement to the strong to grow as Peter exhorteth in the Grace and Knowledge of the Lord Jesus T is true the communion of Saints is sweet and joyfull strong and powerfull eternally gainfull and profitable and holy and blessed is that Spirit that makes the Saints who are the Excellent of the Earth its Delight and after that blessed hour of the Saints uniting in one Heart one Spirit one Worship let all that love Christ Jesus mourne and lament and breath and pant And yet the weakest and the faintest Lamb that comes but stealing in the Crowd to touch the hemb of the Lord Jesus his garment that is content to be esteemed a Dog and to wait for crums of mercy under the Table of the Son of God let them I say rejoyce also for he that hath begun that blessed work by his owne free and eternall Spirit will by the same his owne holy Arme gloriously finish it I end Deare Christian with the proposall of two Christian knots or Riddles not unsuitable to these present Times and Spirits First Why is the Heart of a David himself Psa. 30. more apt to decline from God upon the Mountaine of Joy Deliverance Victory Prosperity then in the dark Vale of the shadow of Death Persecution Sicknesse Adversity c. Secondly Why is it since God worketh freely in us to doe and to will of his owne good pleasure that yet he is pleased to command us to work out our owne Salvation with Feare and Trembling Let us all humbly beg the Finger the Spirit of the Lord to untie these Knots for us I. desire to be thine unseighned in Christ Jesus R. W. The Contents of this Discourse The Heads are three UNder the first are contained the Arguments of Spirituall Life wherein the Weakest and the Sickest Child of God may finde its Spirituall Life apparent though over-cast and eclipsed with spirituall Weaknesse and Distempers Under the second Head Arguments of the strength and vigour of the Spirit of Life and Holinesse In which the strongest and the eldest in Christ may find Experiments of Spirituall Health and Christian Activity and chearfullnesse These Experiments respect 1. The Souls private correspondenâ—…y with the Lord himselfe 2. Converse and correspondency with Men 3. Private Retirednesses with it selfe Under the third Head are proposed some Means wherein the Spirit of God usually breatheth for the preserving and maintaining of a truly Spirituall and Christian Health and Chearfullnesse The Letter which the Author sent with this Discourse to his Wife M. W. upon her recovery from a dangerous sicknesse My Dearest Love and Companion in this Vale of Tears THy late sudden and dangerous Sicknesse and the Lords most gracious and speedy raising thee up from the gates and jawes of Death as they were wonderfull in thine own and others eyes so I hope and earnestly desire they may be ever in our thoughts as a warning from Heaven to make ready for a sudden call to be gone from hence to live the rest of our short uncertaine span more as strangers longing and breathing after another Home and Country To cast off our great cares and fears and desires and joyes about this Candle of this vaine life that is so soon blowne out and to trust in the living God of whose wonderfull power and mercy thou hast had so much and so late experience which must make thee sing with David Psal. 103. Blesse the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Blesse the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thy sins and healeth thine infirmities who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnesse My dear Love since it pleaseth the Lord so to dispose of me and of my affairs at present that I cannot often see thee I desire often to send to thee I now send thee that which I know will be sweeter to thee then the Honey and the Honey-combe and stronger refreshment then the strongest wines or waters and of more value then if every line and letter wâ—…e thousands of gold and silver Hezekiah upon his recovery from his sicknesse made a writing Isai. 38. as an everlasting monument of his praise unto God and as a Goad or spur to himselfe and others in the wayes of godlinesse for the future Thy holy and humble desires are strong but I know thy writing is slow and that thou wilt gladly accept of this my poore helpe which with humble thankefulnesse and praise to the Lord I humbly tender to his holy service and thine in him I send thee though in Winter an handfull of flowers made up in a little Posey for thy dear selfe and our dear children to look and smell on when I as the grasse of the field shall be gone and withered Wee know how it pleaseth the spirit of God to distinguish between
EXPERIMENTS OF Spiritual Life Health And their PRESERVATIVES In which the weakest Child of God may get Assurance of his Spirituall Life and Blessednesse And the Strongest may finde proportionable Discoveries of his Christian Growth and the means of it By Roger Williams of Providence in New-England London Printed in the Second Month 1652. To the truly Honorable the Lady Vane the Younger Madam YOur favourable and Christian respects to me both of former and latter date your Godly and Christian Letters to me so many thousand miles distant in America And your many gracious Demonstrations of an humble and Christian Spirit breathing in you are a three fold Cord which have drawn these lines into your presence While I have sometimes mused how to express a Christian gratitude I am at last perswaded to crave your Ladyships acceptance of these poore Experiments of each true Christians personall union and communion with the Father of Spirits It is true I have been sometimes prest to engage in controversies but I can really and uprightly say my Witnes is on high how harsh and dolesul the touch of those strings are especially against such Worthies both in old and new-England in whom I joyfully before the world acknowledge in many heavenly respects a lively character and Image of the Son of God This broken piece is a breath of a still and gentle voice none but the God of this world and the men of this world can I lightly at this turne expect my opposites At other times I have been drawne to consider of the little flock of Jesus his Army his body his building that for these many hundred years have been scattered routed and laid wast and desolate At present I onely examine who are the personall and particular Sheep of Jesus Christ his Souldiers his living materials though scattered divided and not compos'd and ordred at their souls desire I confess Madam it was but a private and sudden discourse sent in private to my poor Companion and Yoak-fellow occasioned by a sudden sickness threatning death into which and from which it pleased the Lord most graciously to cast and raise her The forme and stile I know will seem to this refined age too rude and barbarous And the truth is the most of it was penn'd and writ so as seldom or never such discourses were in the thickest of the naked Indians of America in their very wild houses and by their barbarous fires when the Lord was pleased this last year more then ordinarily to dispose of my abode and travell amongst them And yet is the Language plaine it is the liker Christs Is the composure rude such was his outward Beauty Are the tryals seemingly too close such is the two edged Sword of his most holy Spirit which pierceth between the very Soul and Spirit and bringeth every thought into the obedience of Christ Jesus Amongst the many Crowns of mercy Madam which it hath pleased the Father of mercies to crowne your soul with as David speaks of his Psal. 103. there are two which justly challenge and your Ladiship I know doth humbly acknowledge them to be the fairest The first That he himselfe most high most holy who makes his common choice the poor Jam. 2. and chooseth few Lords few Knights few Ladies few wise few noble few mighty hath freely chosen you Madam in so gracious and blessed a measure to desire to feare his Name A second That for your dearest Companion and Guide in this vale of tears amongst the famous Worthies of this age he hath graciously guided you to such a blessed choice of such an Husband on earth who beares so bright an Image of your Husband in the Heavens and in whose most holy and gracious hand he hath been such a mercifull and faithfull Instrument for both the freedoms both of the outward and inner man I doe humbly acknowledge that upon an absolute account all is mercy and yet I am also humbly confident that in a respect as he graciously remembred his old friend Abraham and tels us of a speciall love he yet bears the Jewes for Abrahams sake even so he hath graciously vouchsafed at this present an honorable remembrance to the NAMES of some of his more eminent former friends and witnesses How hath he â—…rowned the memory of those his 2 zealous Servants in K. Henry the 8th his days * with a most eminent and blessed succession of such names and spirits at this day and in a gracious remembrance of his love to that blessed daughter and witnesse of his the Lady Vane in Q. Maries dayes how hath it pleased his wisedom and goodnesse to remember and to honour that Name both in your Ladiship and so many otherways with so many loving kindnesses at this day My humble cry Madam to the Lord shall never cease those all those your many obligations of both temporall and eternall mercies may like chaines of Adamant draw and bind your precious Soul more and more to resolve by his grace assisting to make his name great who hath made your so and so to love his Name his Son his Spirit his Truth his Children that others at the Torch of your exemplary meeknesse and fear of God may light and kindle theirs That your Souls-eye more and more brightly may see him who is invisible and may so experimentally resent those invisible and internal Honors pleasures and profits that are in him that in comparison thereof the visible and worldly may be accounted by you but dreams of shadows c. That your great desire may be a likenesse of so high and holy and so dear a Saviour and as in other excellencies so in that especially of a desire of saving others your Children Kindred Servants Friends yea Enemies that neither the pleasing calme of prosperity nor the dreadfull storms of changes may quench or dampe that holy fire of your Souls love in Life and Death to Him whom your Ladyship hath so much infinite cause to love but never yet saw in whom and for ever I desire to be Your HONOURS unfeinedly faithfull R. W. To every truly Christian Reader AS it is in the Earthly so it is in the Heavenly Marriage of a poor Sinner to his Maker There useth first to passe a private kindling of Love and a private consent and pomise which sometimes are long before the open solemnity and the publikâ—… profession of a Married life together This is my present designe not to controvert the matters of publike Order and Worship but to present some poor Experiments of those Personall excellencies of each true beleeving soule and spirit The Holy Spirit in Isaiah tels us of Ballances wherein the most High weighs the Hills and Mountains As also in Solomon of Ballances wherein hee weighs the very Spirits even of men whose way is right in their owne eyes And in John 14. he commands us to try the Spirits pretending to come from Christ Jesus whether they be of God or no There
of Christ Jesus to wit the glorifying of God in the saving of the poor sons of men Object But is it not possible for Gods children to be slack in this work and trade of doing good to the souls and bodies of others and yet be strong in grace and healthfull I answer Doubtlesse Gods Children may be strong one way and weak in another strong in one grace and weak in another strong in one tryal and weak in another But it is their weaknesse and sicknesse when they are slow and negligent of so gloâ—…ious and heavenly a worke Thus Paul complains of the Saints of Asia that he found none that stuck close to him but Timothie Thus was it in Barucks weaknesse and sicknesse to seek great and earthly things and Jeremie strong in spirituall health and life chides and reproves him for it Jer. 45. Secondly It argues strength of spirituall life when we bear a strong affection to the seed of the woman Christs seed Gods children To doe good to all men is a Christians trade but especially to the houshold of faith This was Davids affection Psalme 16. when he look't upon Gods children as the excellent of the Earth and placed all his delight in them Thus Jonathan though he lost his Fathers love for Davids though he was to loose a Kingdom by David yet he loves him as his owne Soul Thus Ruth so loved that holy woman Naomi that although she were growne poor a widow and now in a tedious travel from Moab to Israel and Naomi did also intreat her and her sister to goe back and Orpah her sister was already returned to her kindred and her Gods yet such was the flame of her holy affection that she intreats Naomi not to intreat her Intreat me not to leave thee for whether thou goest I will goe where thou dyâ—…st I will dye and there will I be buried thy God shall be my God c. Object May not wicked persons favour love and respect Gods children Did not Saul greatly respect Samuel and for a while Herod John the Baptist Did not Michol love King David as well as did her brother Jonathan yea did not David finde wonderfull favour in the eyes of a Philistian Achaz I answer The nature and the grounds of the love of naturall persons to Gods children must be rightly distinguished Gods children themselves may and ought to love each other and others also acccording to any naturall and civill Relation yet onely Gods children can love Gods children for the grace and spirit of God which they see and finde in each other Thus as two Candles or Torches they spiritually close and embrace each other with heavenly affection being of one common heavenly nature together Thus Countrey-men meeting in strange and forraign nations presently know each other by their language c. Thus Brethren rejoyce to finde each other in strange places and to know themselves the sons of one Father and Mother Thus Fellow-souldiers which stick close each to other in life and death yea although routed disordered and flying if possible they can discerne and know each other Object But did not holy David who was a man strong in grace did not he lay plots for the life of an holy man noble and faithfull Uriah Did not Asah that holy King of Judah practice false Imprisoning in committing the man of God to prison and that onely for his faithfulnesse in reproving him from God I answer This shews that both David and Asah at this time were very sick and David upon his recovery laments his weaknesse and wickednesse and Blood-guiltinesse Psal. 51. Quest But may not Gods children have just cause of exercising sharpenesse each to others Yea doubtlesse for Paul withstood even Peter himselfe to to his face and the Church of Corinth must put away and deliver the incestuous person to the Devill though probably yet deare and a brother according to that of Paul to the Thesselonians yet count him not as an Enemie but admonish him as a Brother In a way of Justice in a way of Physick the dearest friend or Brother may exercise much bitternesse though with much sweetnesse of temper and with much tender melting and bemoaning of affection Thus in cases have we seen mounfull violence used to a wife or brother in some kind of distempers and distractions But when Gods children shall so far degenerate as to pursue the life each of other though it be with desire to cover a sin and to keep Gods name from being dishonored as in Davids case it is a weaknesse it is a sicknesse which although it be not unto death yet bringeth it neer unto Deaths door and made David cry out with bitternesse of his soul Deliver me from blood-guiltinesse O my God and my tongue shall sing loud of thy righteousnesse A third tryal of spirituall health and strength is a compassionate anâ—…pitifull melting-heart over the afflicted or miserable yea although our enemies or enemies of their owne Salvation Thus the Lord Jesus sighs for the hardnesse of the heart of his Enemies thus he weeps over Jerusalem that was to kill him and prayed for his persecutors and enemies Thus Jeremy powres forth his Book and Rivers of Lamentations for Jerusalem of old as Christ for the latter Thus Gods people are commanded to weep with them that weep And when any oppose themselves wee ought in meeknesse and patience to bear it as knowing their wofull and miserable bondage and slavery to Sathan And who knows whether it will please God in infinite mercy and compassion to deliver them by vouchsafing repentance in Christ Jesus as he hath done to us Object But may not Gods children exceed and ouer grieve for others Yea doubtlesse and therefore God chideth Samuel for over-grieving for Saul because God hath rejected him Gods children may as well exceed the bounds of gtiefs as of joy and auger and any kind of Passion or affection but it is ever safer to fall on the right hand of too much mercy and compassion then on the left of Anger Wrath and Cruelty Hence David weeps over sinners with Rivers of Tears because they keep not Gods Law Hence we are commanded to bear the burthens of others and so fulfill Christs Law All sin is a burthen but especially to Gods children whether they commit it out of a deceived judgment and conscience or out of passion and sudden slight of temptation Their sins therefore especially if superiours we must cover and with shame and sorrow go backward like Shem and Japheth as grieving and unwilling to behold their nakednes Obj. But we are commanded not to suffer sin upon our Brethren but reprove them I answer then is the tongue a fit instrument to reprove others when it is tuned by a grieved heart that considers and ponders it self as subject to temptation and sin as others except mercy make the difference and deliver from temptation Fourthly it is a good
evidence of spirituall health respecting others when we endure not sin to lie upon them or rather them to lie in the pit of sin but endeavour to help them out by wise and loving and seasonable reproof and exhortation Hence Job endures not sin in the wife of his Bozome but chargeth her with folly for her impatient impious counsell Hence David smites deeply his dearest Michol when she mocks at his holy zeal for the Lord and his worship Hence Christ Jesus sharply reproves his faithfull servant and Apostle Peter and that only for seeming loving and affectionate councell Get thee behind me Satan Again as true love and zeal for God when strong spares not the dearest so neither doth it balk or shun the highest Thus deal Gods Prophets even with Kings and Princes Thus Samuel spares not Saul nor Nathan David Eliah Ahab nor John Baptist Herod and his Queen even for those most neer and darling sins which were most dangerous to touch and meddle with Qu How stands such bold and snarp language as some of the Prophets used with humble Duty Fear and Reverence due unto superiâ—urs I answer as true affection stands with plain and sharp reproof of dearest so true humility in bold dealing on Gods behalf with the most supream and highest Hence are Gods people also commanded not only to reprove but to seperate in case of finall obstinacy in sin Obj. This course may seem to destroy humane society yea nature and civillity out of the world I answer it is true that Godlines and Christian affection and zeal for God destroys corrupt nature and humanity but otherwise Godlines saâ—…ctifieth and directeth nature and civillity in the fear of God Fifthly it argues strength of spirituall life and grace when a Soul is able to withstand resist and repell such sins unto which the opportunity of temptation sollicites and invites us Hence holy Joseph and David are propounded to us for heavenly examples of power and strength of grace in resisting those most two plausible temptations to which the wicked nature of man is so prone and subject the one of lust to Women when strongly and often solicited by his wanton Mistris the other of revenge toward man when his blody persecutor Saul seemed by God himself to be delivered and brought into his hand Oâ—…j But David himself was conquer'd by uncleannes and Asa wreaks his wrath upon the very servant and Prophet of the most High and yet both David and Asa were thought to be strong in grace and power of Godlines I answer Gods champions are sometimes strong and sometimes weak strong in some things weak in others and as the strongest bodies subjâ—…ct to spirituall colds and falls and hurts which are most graciously recorded for our comfort in our falls as well as the holy victories of the Saints to make us watchfull and couragious Sixtly in matters concerning others it is a good argument of strength of grace when we can patiently and thankfully bear a Reproof and Admonition when we can esteem a Reproof for our evill words or ways not as a blow or streak on the Head but as a sweet and precious Ointment powred on us Hence the admirable patience and meeknes of Hanna when Eii zealâ—…usly but uncharitably reproved her for Drunkennes Hence when Christ Jesus most sharply reproved Peter and afterward Paul dealt severely with him about dissembling in the matter of Communion We hear not of the least impatient or bitter word to either yea when he was unjustly charg'd and that by Saints Act. 11. he patiently bears it and returns a soft and gentle answer which turned their murmuring accusations into joyfull satisfaction and thansgiving But now the scorner yea the godly being weak reproved burst out in wrath Thus not only Ahab imprisons Micaiah and Herod John the Baptist but Asa also claps up fast the reproving Prophet and the best of Gods children are subject to such sad distempers when either a mistake of judgment or a pang of passion finfully hinders the receit and working of the Reproofs of the Almighty which are wholsome heavenly potions intended by him the Father of mercies for our good who ever be the cup the vial or instrument Obj. Many Phil sophers by naturall wisdome and many civill and morall men out of the principles of civillity and morality and sometimes for some private ends will bear a Reproof with patience And hence that of Solomon rebuke a wise man and he will love thee whence it may seem that men by strength of wisdome may receive in love and profit by a Reprehension I answer Gods children as well as naturall men may also act from Rules of Reason and naturall wisedom but withall they act from an higher ground and principle that is they hear they see Gods wise and holy permitting hand in the foulest mouth So David acknowledgeth God in Shimâ—… railing and Hezekiah in Rabsheka his provocations and blasphemies 2dly Gods children by reproofs by slâ—…nders and reproaches are sent to God So David as a figure of Christ Jesus and so Moses also when the people in their murmurings reproached him as the cause or occasion of their miseries he runs to God and praies even for those unwarthy and unthankfull men Lastly with reference to our walking with others it is an argument of great strength of grace when the glory of the Lord and the salvation of Gods people is so great and so dear in our eyes that we can wish upon suppâ—…sition of them two that we not onely loose our temporall but our eternall slate and welfare Hence those two famous and wonderfull speeches of those two glorious stars Moses and Paul Blot me out of thy book saith Moses And I could wish to be accursed from Christ saith Paul for Israels sake Ob. But can such a wish be lawfull though for the gain and glory of Christ since to be accursed from Christ cannot be without sin against Christ I answer I will not dispute what accursedness or separation from Christ that is some saying that Paul wished onely a temporall and some an eternall separation from Christ some a separation from joy and delight in the presence of Christ but not from the puritie and holiness of Christ But I say doubtless so neer as any soul approacheth to these heavenly copies of Moses and Paul so neer comes he to the greatest strength and health and beautie of a Christian life Ob. But can any man now attain to such a strength of grace as this so to wish I answer as it is in nature so in grace there are children and young men or strong men and there are old and aged men in Christ Again as it is in nature so in grace there are differences of childâ—…en and differences of young and aged men in Christ every Israelite had not the strength of Samson nor every of Davids Souldiers the strength and valour of Davids worthies yet