powerfully assimilated to him by converse with him as we readily contract their Habitudes with whom we resort much especially of such as we singularly love and respect thus the Soul is moulded further to the likeness of God is stampt with fuller Characters of him by being much with him becomes liker God more holy and spiritual and brings back a bright shining from the Mount as Moses 4thly And not only thus by a natural influence doth prayer work this advantage but even by a federal efficacy suiting and upon suit obtaining supplies of Grace as the chief good and besides all other needful mercies it is a real means of receiving whatsoever you shall ask that will I do says our Saviour God having establisht this intercourse and engag'd his Truth and Goodness in it that if they call on him they shall be heard and answered If they prepare the Heart to call he will incline his ear to hear and our Saviour hath assur'd us that we may build upon his Goodness and the affection of a Father in him that he will give good things to them that ask says one Evangelist and the holy Spirit to them that ask it says another as being the good indeed the highest of Gifts and the sum of all good Things and that which his Children are most earnest supplicants for Prayer for Grace doth as it were set the Mouth of the Soul to the Spring draws from Jesus Christ and is replenisht out of his fullness thirsting after it and drawing from it that way And for this reason is it that our Saviour and from him and according to his example the Apostles recommend Prayer so much Watch and pray says our Saviour and St. Paul pray continually And our Apostle here particularly specifies this as the grand means of attaining that conformity with Christ which he presses this is the high-way to it be sober and watch unto prayer He that is much in prayer shall grow rich in grace he shall thrive and increase most that is busiest in this which is our very traffick with Heaven and fetches the most precious commodities thence he that sets oftenest out these Ships of desire makes the most Voyages to that Land of Spices and Pearls shall be sure to improve his stock most and have most of Heaven upon Earth But the true art of this trading is very rare every trade hath something wherein the skill of them lies but this is deep and supernatural is not reacht by humane industry industry is to be used in it but we must know it comes from above the faculty of it that Spirit of Prayer without which Learning and Wit and religious Breeding can do nothing Therefore this to be our prayer often our great suit for the Spirit of Prayer that we may speak the Language of the Sons of God by the Spirit of God which alone teaches the Heart to pronounce aright those things that the Tongue of many Hypocrites can articulate well to mans ear and only the Children in that right strain that takes him call God their Father and cry unto him as their Father and therefore many a poor unlettered Christian so far outstrips your School-Rabbies in this faculty because it is not effectually taught in these lower Academies they must be in God's own School Children of his House that speak this Language Men may give Spiritual Rules and Directions in this and such as may be useful drawn from the word that furnishes us with all needful Precepts but you are still to bring these into the seat of this faculty of prayer the Heart and stamp them upon it and so to teach it to pray without which there is no prayer this is the prerogative Royal of him that framed the Heart of Man within him But for advancing in this growing more skillful in it it is with continual dependence on the Spirit to be much used praying much thou shalt be blest with much faculty for it so then askest thou what shall I do that I may learn to pray there be things here to be considered that are exprest as serving this end but for present this and chiefly this by praying thou shalt learn to pray thou shalt both obtain more of the Spirit and find more the chearful working of it in Prayer when thou puttest it often to that work for which it is received and wherein it is delighted and as both advantaging all Graces and the Grace of Prayer it self this frequency and abounding in Prayer is here very clearly intended in that the Apostle makes it as the main of our work that we have to do and would keep our hearts in a constant aptness for it be sober and watch to what end unto prayer Be sober and watch They that have no better must make the best they can of carnal delights it is no wonder they take as large a share of them as they can bear and sometimes more But the Christian is called to a more excellent estate and higher pleasures so that he may behold men glutting themselves with these base things and be as little moved to share with them as men are taken with the pleasure a Swine hath in weltring in the Mire It becomes the Heirs of Heaven to be far above the love of the Earth and in the necessary use of any thing in it still to keep both within the due measure of their use and their heart wholly disingag'd from the affection of them This is the Sobriety here exhorted It s true that in the commonest sense of the word it is very commendable and it is sit to be so considered by a Christian that he flie gross intemperance as a thing most contrary to his condition and holy calling and wholly inconsistent with the spiritual temper of a renewed mind and those exercises to which it is called and its progress in its way homewards It is a most unseemly sight to behold one simply by outward profession a Christian overtaken with surfeitting and drunkenness much more to be given to the vile custom of it all sensual delights the filthy lust of uncleanness go under the common name of Insobriety Intemperance and they all degrade and destroy the noble Soul are unworthy of Man much more of a Christian and the contempt of them preserves the Soul and elevates it But the Sobriety here recommended though it takes in that too yet reaches further than temperance in meat and drink It is the spiritual temperance of a Christian mind in all earthly things as our Saviour joyns these together Luk. 21. 34. surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and under the cares are all the excessive desires and delights of this life which cannoâ— be followed and attended without distempered carefullness Many that are sober men and of temperate diet yet are spiritually intemperate drunk with pride or covetousness or passion drunk with self-love and love of their pleasures and ease with love of the world and the things of it which
that for Cry in the Psalm do mean and in that sense the Lord's open ear and hearkning hath in it his readiness to answer as one that doth hear and to answer graciously and really as hearing favourably Some directions 1. For Prayer that it may be accepted and answered 2. For observing the answers of it 1. For Prayer the qualification of the Heart that offers it 2. The way of offering it The Heart 1. In some measure a holy Heart according to that here the Righteous no regarding iniquity entertaining of friendship with any sin but a permanent ove and desire of Holiness Thus indeed a man prays within himself as in a sanctified Place whither the Lord's ear inclines as of old to the Temple need not run superstitiously to a Church c. intra te ora sed vide prius an sis templum Dei The sanctified Man's Body is the Temple of the holy Ghost as the Apostle speaks and his Soul the Priest in it that offers sacrifice both holy to the Lord consecrated to him a believing Heart no praying without this Faith the very life of Prayer whence springs Hope and Comfort with it to uphold the Soul and keep it steady under storms with the promises and as Aaron and Hur to Moses keeping it from fainting strengthening the hands when they would begin to fail that word Psal. 10. 17. for the preparing of the heart which God gives as an assurance and pledge of his inclining his ear to hear signifies the establishing of the Heart that indeed is a main point of its preparedness and due disposition for Prayer Now this is done by Faith without which the Soul as the Apostle St. Iames speaks is a rolling unquiet thing as a Wave of the Sea of it self unstable as the Waters and then driven with the Wind and tossed too and fro with every tentation see and feel thine own unworthiness as much as thou canst for thou art never bid believe in thy self no but countermanded that as Faith's great Enemy but what hath thy unworthiness to say against free promises of Grace which are the basis of thy Faith so then believe that that you may pray this is David's advice Ps. 62. Trust in him at all times ye people and then pour out your hearts before him confide in him as a most faithful and powerful Friend and than you will open your hearts to him 2. For the way of offering up prayer 't is a great art a main part of the secret of Religion to be skill'd in it and of great concern for the comfort and success of it much here to be considered but for the present briefly 1. Offer not to speak to him without the heart in some measure season'd and prepossess'd with the sense of his Greatness and Holiness and there is much in this considering wisely to whom we speak the King the Lord of Glory and setting the Soul before him in his presence and then reflecting on our selves and seeing what we are how wretched and base and filthy and unworthy of such access to such a Great Majesty the want of this preparing of the heart to speak in the Lord's ear by the consideration of God and our selves is that which fills the exercise of prayer with much guiltiness makes the heart careless and slight and irreverent and so displeases the Lord and disappoints our selves of that comfort in prayer and answers of it that otherwise we would have more experience of We rush in before him with any thing provided we can tumble out a few words and do not weigh these things and compose our hearts with serious thoughts and conceptions of God The Soul that studies and endeavours this most hath much to do to attain to any right apprehensions of him for how little know we of him yet should we at least set our selves before him as the purest and greatest Spirit a Being infinitely more Excellent than our Minds or any Creature can conceive this would fill the Soul with awe and reverence and balast it make it go more even through the exercise to consider the Lord as that Prophet saw him sitting on his Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by him on his right Hand and on his left and thy self a defiled Sinner coming before him as a vile Frog creeping out of some Pool how would this fill thee with holy Fear Oh! His greatness and our baseness and Oh! the distance This is Solomon's advice be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few This would keep us from our ordinary bablings that heart nonsense tho' the words be sense yet through the inattention of the heart are but as impertinent confus'd Dreams in the Lord's ears as there follow v. 3. 2. When thou addressest thy self to prayer desire and depend upon the assistance and inspiration of the holy Spirit of God without which thou art not able truly to pray 't is a supernatural work and therefore the principle of it must be supernatural He that hath nothing of the Spirit of God cannot pray at all he may howle as a Beast in his necessity or distress or may speak words of Prayer as some Birds learn the Language of Men but pray he cannot and they that have that Spirit ought to seek the movings and actual workings of it in them in Prayer the particular help of their infirmities teaching both what to ask a thing that of our selves we know not and then enabling them to ask breathing forth their desires in such sighs and groans as the breath not simply of their own but of God's Spirit 3dly As those two before it so in the exercise of it you should learn to keep a watchful eye over your own hearts throughout for every step of the way that they start not out by the keeping up of a continued remembrance of that presence of God which in the entry of the work is to be set before the eye of the Soul and our endeavour ought to be to six it upon that view that it turn not aside nor downwards but from beginning to end keep sight of him who sees and marks whether we do so or no. They that are most inspective and watchful in this will still be faulty in it but certainly the less watchful the more faulty and this we ought to do to be aspiring daily to more stability of mind in prayer and driving out somewhat of that roving and wandring that is so universal an Evil and certainly so grievous to those that have it most but that observe and discover it most and endeavour most against it A strange thing that the mind even the renewed mind should be so ready not only at other times but in the exercise of Prayer wherein we peculiarly come so near to God yet even then to slip out and leave him and follow some
cannot consist with the love of God as St. Iohn tells us drunk with the inordinate unlawful love even of their lawful calling and the lawful gain they pursue by it their hearts going after it and so reeling to and fro never fixed on God and heavenly Things but either hurried up and down with uncessant business or if sometimes at ease it is as the ease of a drunken man not compos'd to better and wiser thoughts but falling into a dead sleep contrary to the watching here joyned with sobriety Watch. There is a Christian Rule to be observed in the very moderating of bodily sleep and that particularly for the interest of Prayer but Watching as Sobriety here is chiefly the spiritual circumspectness and vigilancy of the mind in a wary walking posture that it be not surprized by the assaults or slights of Satan by the World nor its nearest and most deceiving enemy the corruption that dwells within that being so near doth most readily watch unperceived advantages and easily circumvents us Heb. 12. 1. The Soul of a Christian being surrounded with enemies of so great both power and wrath and so watchâ—ul to undoe it should it not be watchful for its own safety and live in a military vigilancy continually keeping constant watch and sentinel and suffering nothing to pass that may carry the least suspicion of danger to be distrustful and jealous of all the motions of his own Heart and the smilings of the World and in relation to these it will be a wise course to take that word as a good caveat be watchful and remember to mistrust Under the Garment of some harmless pleasure or some lawful liberties may be conveyed into thy Soul some thief or traytor that will either betray thee to the enemy or at least pilser and steal of the preciousest things thou hast Do we not by experience find how easily our foolish hearts are seduc'd and deceived and so apt to deceive themselves and by things that seem to have no evil in them yet are drawn from the height of affection to our highest good and from our Communion with God and study to please him which should not be intermitted for then it will abate but ought still be growing 2. Now the Relation of these is clear they are inseparably link't together each of them assistant and helpful to the other in their nature as they are here in the words Sobriety the friend of watchfulness and prayer of both Intemperance doth of necessity draw on sleep excessive eating or drinking sending up too many and so gross vapours surcharge the brain and when the body is thus deaded how unfit is it for any active imployment Thus the mind by a surcharge of delights or desires or cares of earth is made so heavy and dull that it cannot awake hath not spiritual activeness and clearness that spiritual exercises particularly Prayer do require Yea as bodily insobriety full feeding and drinking not only for the time indisposes to action but by custome of it brings the body to so gross and heavy a temper that the very natural spirits cannot stir to and fro in it with freedom but are clog'd and stick as the Wheels of a Coach in a deep miry way Thus is it with the Soul glutted with earthly things the affections bemir'd with them make it resist and unactive in spiritual things and the motions of the spirit heavy and obscured in it grows carnally secure and sleepy prayer comes heavily off But when the affections are soberly acted and even in lawful things that they have not liberty with the reins laid on their Necks to follow the World and carnal projects and delight when the unavoidable affairs of this life are done with a spiritual mind a heart kept free and disingaged Then is the Soul more nimble for spiritual things for Divine Meditation and Prayer it can watch and continue in these things and spend it self in that excellent way with more alacrity Again as the Sobriety and the watchful temper attending it enables for Prayer so Prayer preserves these it winds up the Soul from the Earth raises it above these things that intemperance feeds on acquaints it with the transcending sweetness of Divine Comforts the love and the loveliness of Jesus Christ and these most powerfully wean the Soul from these low creeping pleasures that the World gapes after and swallows with such greediness He that is admitted to nearest intimacy with the King and is called daily to his presence not only in the view and company of others but likewse in secret will he be so mad as to sit down and drink with the kitchin boys or the common guards so far below what he may enjoy surely no. Prayer being our near Communion with the great God certainly it sublimates the Soul and makes it look down upon the base ways of the World with disdain and despise the truly besotting pleasures of it Yea the Lord doth sometime fill these Souls that converse much with him with such beautiful delights such inebriating sweetness as I may call it that 't is in a happy manner drunk with those and the more of this the more is the Soul above base intemperâ—nce in the delights of the World as common drunkenness makes a Man less than a Man this makes him more that throws him below himself makes him a beast this raises him above makes him an Angel Would you as sure you ought have much faculty for Prayer and be frequent in 〈◊〉 and find much the pure sweetness of it then 〈…〉 selves more the muddy pleasures and sweetness of the World if you would pray much and with much advantage then be sober and watch unto prayer 〈…〉 your hearts to long so after ease and wealth 〈◊〉 esteem in the World these will make your hearts if they mix with them become like them and take 〈◊〉 quality will make them gross and earthly and unable to mount up will clog the wings of prayâ—r and you shall find the loss when your Soul is heavy and drowsie and falls off from delighting in God and your Communion with him Will such things as those you follow be able to countervail your damage can they speak you peace and uphold you in a day of darkness and distress or may it not be such now as will make them all a burden and vexation to you But on the otherside the more you abate and let go of these and come empty and hungry to God in prayer the more room shall you have for his consolations and therefore the more plentifully will he pour in of them and enrich your Soul with them the more the less you take in of the other 2. Would you have your selves raised to and continued and advanced in a spiritual heavenly temper free from the surfeits of earth and awake and active for heaven be uncessant in prayer But thou wilt say I find nothing but heavy indisposedness in it nothing but roving and vanity of
that there is a 〈◊〉 need of this honouring that consists in not dâ—spiâ—â—g and in covering of â—railties as is even imply'd in this that the Woman is not called simply weak but the weaker and the Husband that is generally by Natures advantage or should be the stronger yet is weak too for both are Vessels of Earth and therefore frail both polluted with sin and therefore subject to a multitude of sinful sollies and frailties but as that particular frailty of nature pleads for Women that honour so the other reason added is not from particular disadvantage but from their common priviledge and advantage of grace as Christian that the Christian Husband and Wife are equally Co-heirs of the same grace of life As being Heirs together of the grace of life This is that which most strongly binds on all these duties on the hearts of Husbands and Wives And most strongly indeed binds their hearts together and makes them one 〈◊〉 each be reconciled unto God in Christ and so heirs of life and one with God then are they truly one in God each with other and that 's the surest and sweetest union that can be Natural love hath risen very high in some Husbands and Wives but the highest of it fallâ— far very short of that which holds in God hearts concentring in him are most and excellently one that love which is cemented by youth and beauty when these moulder and decay as soon they do it â—ades too that is somewhat purer and so more lasting 〈◊〉 holds in a natural or moral harmony of Minds yet these likewise may alter and change by some great accident but the most refin'd and spiritual and most â—â—disâ—olubleâ— is that which is knit with the highest and 〈◊〉 Spirit And the ignorance or disregard of this 〈◊〉 great cause of so much bitterness or so little true 〈◊〉 in the life of most married Persons because 〈…〉 meet not as one in him Heirs together Loath will they be to despise one another that are both bought with the precious blood of one Redeemer and loath to grieve one another being in him brought into peace with God they will entertain true peace betwixt themselves and not suffer any thing to disturb it They have hopes to meet one day where is nothing but perfect Concord and Peace they will live as heirs of that life here and make their present estate as like to Heaven as they can and so a pledge and evidence of their title to that Inheritance of peace that is there laid up for them and they will not fail to put one another often in Mind of thâ—se hopes and that Inheritance and to advance and further both each other towards it where this is not 't is to little purpose to speak of other rules where neither party aspires to this heiâ—ship live otherways as they will there is one common Inheritance abiding them one Inheritance of everlasting flames and as they do increase the sin and guiltiness of one another by their irreligâ—ous Conversation so that which some of them do wickedly here upon no great cause they shall have full cause there to curse the time of their coming together and that shall be a peice of their exercise for ever but happy those persons in any Society of Marriage or Friendship that converse so together as those that shall live eternally together in glory This indeed is the Sum of all duties Life A sweet word but sweetest of all in this sense that Life above indeed only worthy the name and this we have here in comparison let it not be called life but continual dying an incessant journey towards the Grave if you reckon years but a short moment to him that attains the fullest old age but reckon miserieâ— and sorrows 't is long to him that dyes young Oh! that that only blessed liâ—e were more known and then it would be more desir'd Grace This the tenor of this Heirship Free Grace this Life a free Gift Rom. 6. ult No life so spotless either in marriage or virginity as to lay claim to this life upon other terms if we consider but a little what it is and what we are this will be quickly out of question with us and we will be most gladly content to hold it thus by deed or gift and admire and extol that Grace that bestows it That your Prayers be not hindred He supposes in Christians the necessary and frequent use of this takes it for granted that the Heir of Life cannot live without prayer this is the proper breathing and language of these Heirs none of them dumb they can all speak these Heirs if they be alone they pray alone if Heirs together and living together they pray together Can the Husband and Wife have that love and wisdom and meekness that may make their life happy and that blessing that may make their Affairs successful while they neglect God the only giver of these and all good things You think these needless motives but you cannot think how it would sweeten your Converse if it were used 'T is prayer that sanctifies and seasons and blesses all and not enough that they pray when with the Family but even Husband and Wife together by themselves and with their Children that they especially the Mother as being most with them in their Child-hood when they begin to be capable may draw them apart and offer them to God often praying with them and instructing them in their youth for they are pliable while young as glass when hot but after sooner break than bend But above all Prayer is necessary as they are Heirs of Heaven often sending up their desires thither You that are not much in prayer look as if you look'd for no more than what you have here if you had an Inheritance and Treasure above would not your heart delight to be there Thus the Heart of a Christian is in the constant frame of it but after a special manner Prayer raises the Soul above the World and sets it in Heaven 't is its near access unto God and dealing with him especially about those Affairs that concern that Inheritance Now in this lies a great part of the comfort a Christian can have here and the Apostle knew this that he would gain any thing at their hands that he press'd by this Argument that otherwise they would be hinder'd in their prayers He knew that they who are acquainted with prayer find such unspeakable sweetness in it that they will rather do any thing than be prejudic'd in that Now the breach of conjugal Love the jarrs and contentions of Husband and Wife do out of doubt so leaven and imbitter their Spirits that they are exceeding unfit for Prayer which is the sweet Harmony of the Soul in God's ears and when the Soul is so far out of tune as those distempers make it he cannot but perceive it whose ear is the most exact of all for he made and tun'd the Ear and is the
Fountain of Harmony it cuts the sinews and strength of Prayer makes breaches and gaps as wounds at which the spirits fly out as the cutting of a vein by which as they speak it bleeds to death When the Soul is calm and compos'd it may behold the Face of God shining on it and they that pray together should not only have hearts in tune within themselves in their own frame but tun'd together especially Husband and Wife that are one they should have hearts consorted and sweetly tun'd to each other for prayer So the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 18. 19. And 't is generally true that all unwary walking in a Christian wrongs their communion with Heaven and casts a damp upon their Prayers clogs the Wings of it these two mutually help one another Prayer and holy Conversation the more exactly we walk the more fit for prayer and the more we pray the more enabled to walk exactly and 't is a happy lâ—â—e to find the correspondence of these two calling on the Lord and departing from iniquity Therefore that you may pray much live holily and that you may live holily be much in prayer surely such are the heirs of Glory and this is their way to it Verse 8. Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as brethren be pitiful be courteous HEre the particular Rules the Apostle gives to several Relations fall in again to the main current of his general Exhortation that concerns all us Christians The return of his discourse to this universality is express'd in that finally and the universality of these duties all 'T is neither possible nor convenient to descend to every particular but there is suppos'd in a Christian an ingenuous and prudent spirit to adapt those general Rules to their particular Actions and Conversation squaring by them before hand and examining by them after and yet herein the most fail hear these as general discourses and let them pass so apply them not or if they do 't is readily to some other but they are address'd to all that each one may regulate himself by them and so these Divine Truths as a well drawn Picture looks particularly upon every one amongst the great Multitude that look upon it And this one Verse hath a cluster of five Christian Graces or Vertues That which is in the middle as the stalk or root of the rest Love and the other growing out of it two on each side Vnanimity and Sympathyâ— on the one and Pity and Courtesie on the other but we shall take them as they lie Of one mind This doth not only mean Union in Judgment but it extends likewise to Affection and Action especially in so far as they relate to and depend upon the other And so I conceive it comprehends in its full latitude an harmony and agreement of minds and affections and carriage in Christians as making up one body and a serious study of preserving and increasing that agreement in all things but especially in spiritual things in which their Communion doth primely consist And because in this the consent of their Judgments in matters of Religion is a prime point therefore we will consider that a little more particularly And First What it is not 1. 'T is not a careless indifferency concerning those things not to be troubled about them at all nor to make any judgment concerning them this is not a loving agreement arising from oneness of spirit but a dead stupidity arguing a total spiritlessness as the agreement of a number of dead bodies together which indeed do not strive and conâ—â—st that is they move not at all and that is they live not So that concor'd in things of Religion that iâ— a not considering them nor acting of the mind about them is either the fruit and sign of gross ignorance or irreligion they that are wholly ignorant of spiritual things are content you determine and impose upon them what you will as in the dark there is no difference nor choice of colours they are all one But 2. which is worse in some this peaceableness about Religion is from an universal unbelief and inaffection and that sometimes comes of the mâ—ch search and knowledge of debatâ—s and controversies in Religion men having so many disputes about Religion in their Heads and no Life of Religion in their Hearts fall into a conceit that all is but juggling and the easiest is to believe nothing and these agree with any or rather with none sometimes 't is from a prophane supercilious disdain of all these things and many therebe of these of Gallio's temper that care for none of these things and that account all Questions in Religion as he did but matter of Words and Names And by this all Râ—ligions may agree together but it were not a natural Union by the active heat of the Spirit but a confusion rather by the want of it not a knitting together but a freezing together as cold congregates all how heterogeneous soever Sticks and Stones and Water but heat makes first a separation of different things and then unites those that are of the same Nature And to one of these two is reducible much of the common quietness of Peoples Minds about Religion all that implicite Romish agreement that they boast of what is it but a brutish ignorance of spiritual things authoriz'd and recommended for that very purpose and amongst the learned of them as many idle differences and disputes as among any 'T is an easie way indeed to agree if all will put out their eyes and follow the blind guiding of their Judge of controversies this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their great device for Peace to let the Pope determine all Iâ— all will resolve to be cozen'd by him he will agree them all as if the Consciences of Men should only find Peace by being led by the nose at one man's pleasure a way the Apostle â—aul clearly renounces 2 Cor. 1. 24. Not for that we have Dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy for by Faith ye stand And though we have escaped this yet much of our common union of minds I fear is from no other than the aforementioned causes want of knowledge and want of affection to Religion You that boast you live conformably to the Appointments of the Church and none hears of your noise we may thank the ignorance of your minds for that kind of quietness but this requir'd unanimity is another thing and before I unfold it I shall premise this That although it be very difficult and it may be impossible to determine what things are alone â—undamental in Religion under the notion of difference intended by that word yet it is undoubted that there be some Truths more absolutely necessary and therefore accordingly more clearly revealed than some others there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great things of the Law and so of the Gospel And though no part of Divine
good yea mainly in so doing is peace to be sought and pursu'd and most readily to be found and overtaken in that way for the fruit of righteousness is peace Cons. 1. An unpeaceable turbulent disposition is the badge of a wicked mind as the Raging Sea still casting up mire and dirt Is. 57. But this love of peace and in all good ways seeking and pursuing it the true Character of the Children of God who is the God of peace True the Ungodly to prevent their own just challenge as Ahab call the friends of true Religion disturbers and the troublers of Israel And this will still be their impudence but certainly they that love the welfare of Ierusalem do seek and pray for and work for peace all they can as a chief blessing and the fruitful Womb of multitudes of blessings 2dly Considerthen that it is a heavy judgement the deprivement of peace and calls for our prayers and tears to pursue it and intreat its return to seek it from his hand that is the Soveraign dispenser of peace and War to seek to be at peace with him and thereby good all good shall come unto us and particularly this great good of outward peace in due time and the very judgement of War shall in the event be turn'd into a blessing We may pursue it amongst Men and not overtake it use all good means and fall short but pursue it up as far as the Throne of grace seek it by Prayer and that will overtake it will be sure to find it in God's hand who stilleth the Waves of the Sea and the Tumults of the people If he give quietness who then can disturb He that will love Life This the attractive Liâ—e long Life and days of good is the thing Men most desire for if evil days then the worse that they be long and the shortest of such seem too long and if short being good this cuts off the enjoyment of that good but these two compleat the good and sute iâ— to Men's wishes length and prosperity of Life This here supposed that all would be happy that all desire it carried to that by nature to seek their own good but he that will love it that 's here that will wisely love it that will take the way to it and be true to his desire must refrain his Tongue from Evil and his Lips that they speak no guile he must eschew evil and do good seek peace and ensue it You desire to see good days and yet hinder them by sinful provocations desire good clear days and yet Cloud them by your guiltiness Thus many desire good here yea and confus'dly the good of the Life to come because they hear 't is Life and long Life and good to be found in it yea nothing but good but in this is our folly we will not love it wisely the face of our desire is towards it but in our course we are rowing from it down into the dead Sea You would all have better times peace and plenty and freedom from the molest and expence of our present condition why will you not be perswaded to seek it in the true way of it But how this do not the Righteous often pass their days in distress and sorrow and have few and evil days as Iacob speaks Yet is there a truth in this promise annexing outward good things to Godliness as having the promises of this Life and that which is to come and so accomplish'd to them when the Lord sees it convenient and conducing to their highest good but that he most aims at and they themselves do most desire and therefore if the abatement of outward good either the length or sweetness of this Life serve his main end and theirs better they are agreed upon this gainful commutation of good for infinitely better The Life of a godly Man tho' short in comparison of the utmost of Natures course yet may be long in value in reof his activity and attainment to much spiritual good they may be said to live much in a little time and they that wear out their days in folly and sin diu vivunt sed parâ—m i. e. they live long but little or as he again non diu vixit diu fuit i. e. he lived not long but existed long And the good of their days unseen good surpasses all the Worlds mirth and prosperity that makes a noise but is hollow within as the crackling of thorns a great sound but little heat and quickly done as S. Augustine says of Abraham he had dies bonos in Deo licet malos in seculo Good Days in God tho' Evil Days in his Generation A Believer can make up an ill Day with a good God and enjoying him hath solid peace but then that which is abiding that length of Days and that dwelling in the House of God in that length of Days is that which Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard c. Good Days an Everlasting Day no need of the Sun nor Moon but that Day immediately flows from first and increated light the Father of Lights his glory shines in it and the Lamb is the light thereof Verse 12. 12. For the Eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous and his Ears are open unto their Prayers but the Face of the Lord is against them that do Evil. THe Wisest Knowledge of things is to know them in their Causes but there is no Knowledge of Causes so happy and useful as clearly to know and firmly believe the Universal dependance of all things upon the first and highest Cause the Cause of Causes the Spring of Being and Goodness the Wise and Just Ruler of the World This the Psalmist and here with him the Apostle gives as the true reason of that truth they have averr'd in the former words the connexion of Holyness and Happyness If Life and peace and all good be in God's Hand to bestow when it pleaseth him then sure the way to it is an obedient and regular walking observance of his will and the way of sin is the way to ruin for the Eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous c. And his Face against them that do Evil. In the words there 's a double opposition of persons and of their portion 1. Persons The Righteous and Evil Doers 1. These two words are usual in the Scriptures and particularly in the Book of Psalms to express the Godly and Wicked and so this righteousness is not absolute perfection or sinlessness nor the opposed evil doing every act of sin or breach of God's Law but the righteous be they that are students of obedience and holyness that desire to walk as in the sight of God and to walk with God as Enoch did that are glad when they can any way serve him and griev'd when they ofâ—end him that feel and bewail their unrighteousness and are earnestly breathing and advancing forward have a sincere and unfeigned Love to all the Commandments of God and a
diligent endeavour to observe them that vehemently hate what most pleases their corrupt Nature and love the command that crosses it most this is an imperfect kind of perfection Phil. 3. 12 15. On the otherside Evil-doers are they that commit sin with greediness that walk in it make it their way that live in sin as their Element take pleasure in unrighteousness as the Apostle speaks their great faculty and their great delight lyes in sin they are skillful and cheerful Evil doers not any one Man in all kind of sins that 's impossible there is a concatenation of sin and one disposes and induces to another but yet one ungodly Man is readily more vers'd in and delighted with some one kind of sin another with some other forbears none because evil and hateful to God but as he cannot travel over the whole globe of wickedness go the full circuit he walks up and down in his accustomed way of sin No one Mechanick is good at all Trades nor any Man expert in all Arts but he is an evil doer that follows the particular Trade of the sin he hath chosen is active and diligent in that and finds it sweet In a word the main of this opposition lyeth in the bent of the affection what way it is set The godly Man hates the evil he possibly by tentation hath been drawn to do and loves the good he is frustrate of and having intended hath not attain'd to do the sinner that hath his denomination from sin as his course hates the good that sometimes he is forc'd to do and loves that sin which many times he does not either wants occasion and means and so cannot do or through check of an enlightened conscience possibly dares not do tho'so bound up from the act as a Dog in a Chain yet the habit the natural inclination and desire in him is still the same the strength of his affection is carried to sin As in the weakest godly Man there is that predominant sincerity and desire of holy walking according to which he is call'd a righteous person the Lord is pleas'd to give him that Name and account him so being upright in Heart tho' often failing There is a righteousness of a higher strain upon which his Salvation hangs that is not in him but upon him he is cloath'd with it but this other of sincerity and of true and hearty tho' imperfect obedience is the righteousness here meant oppos'd to evil doing 2dly Their opposite condition or portion is express'd in the highest notion of it that wherein the very being of happiness and misery lyeth the favour and anger of God As their natures differ most by the habitude of their affection towards God as their main distinguishing character so the differences of their estate consists in the point of his affection towards them spoke here in our language by the divers aspects of his countenance for that our love and hate usually look's out and shews it self that way Now for the other word expressing his favour to the righteous by the openness of his Ear the opposition in the other needed not for either the wicked pray not or if they do 't is indeed no Prayer the Lord doth not account nor receive it as such and if his face be set against them certainly his ear is shut against them too and so shut that it openeth not to their loudest Prayer Tho they cry in mine ears with a loud voice yet will I not hear them sayes the Lord. And before we pass to the particulars of their condition as here we have them this we would consider a little and apply it to our present business what are these Persons the Lord thus regards and opens his ear to their Prayer This we pretend to be seeking after that the Lord would look favourably upon us and hearken to our Suits for our selves and this Land and the whole Church of God within these Kingdomes Indeed the fervent Prayer of a faithful man availeth much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is of great strength a mighty thing that can bind and loose the influences of Heaven as there is instanc'd and the Prayer of a Righteous Man be it but of one Righteous Man how much the combined cries of many of them together And that we judge not the Righteousness there and here mention'd a thing above human estate Elias sayes the Apostle was a man and a man subject to like passions as we are and yet such a righteous Person as the Lord had an eye and gave ear to in so great a matter but where are those righteous fasters and prayers in great Congregations How few if any to be found that are but such in the lowest sense and measure real Lovers and Inquirers after holiness What are our meetings here but Assemblies of Evil doers rebellious Children ignorant and prophane Persons or dead formal Professors and so the more of us the worse incensing the Lord more and the multitude of Prayers tho we could and would continue many days all to no purpose from such as we Though ye make many prayers when ye multiply prayer I will not hear And when ye spread forth your hands I will hâ—de mine eyes from you your hands so filthy that if you would follow me to lay hold on me with them you drive me further off as one with foul hands following a Person that is neat to catch hold of him and if you spread them out before me my eyes are pure you will make me turn away I cannot endure to look upon them I will hide mine eyes from you And fasting added with prayer will not do it not make it pass when they fast I will not hear their cry Jer. 14 'T is the sin of his People that provokes him instead of favourable looking on them to have his eyes upon them for evil and not for good as he threatens and therefore without puting way of that prayer is lost breath doth no good They that retain still their sins will not hearken to his voice how can they expect but that justly threatned retaliation Prov. 1. and that the Lord in holy scorn in the day of their distress should send them for help and comfort to these things they have made their Gods have preferr'd before him in their trouble They will say arise and save us but where are the Gods that thou hast made thee let them arise if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble Jer. 2. 28. And not only do fouler Impieties thus disappoint our prayers but the lodging of any sin in our affection if I regard iniquity in my heart says the Psalmist the Lord will not hear my voice if I see iniquity the word is if mine eye look pleasantly upon it his will not look so upon me nor shall I find his ear so ready and open Says not if I do sin but if I regard it in my heart The heart entertaining and embracing a sin be
and Body do not and possibly cannot well joyn with it Fears and Loves and Trusts in him which properly the outward Man cannot do tho' it does follow and is acted by these affections and so hath share in them in its capacity Beware of an external superficial sanctifying of God for he takes it not so he will interpret that a prophaning of him and his name be not deceived he is not mocked he looks through all Visages and Appearances in upon the Heart â—ees how it entertains him and stands affected to him if it be possess'd with reverence and love more than either thy tongue or carriage can express and if it be not so all thy seeming-worship is but injury and thy speaking of him iâ— but babling be thy Discourse never so Excellent and the more thou hast seemed to sanctifie God while thy heart hath not been chief in the business thou shalt not by such service have the less but the more fear and trouble in the day of trouble when it comes upon thee No estate so far off from true consolation and so full of horrors as that of the rotten-hearted Hypocrite his rotten Heart is sooner shakt to pieces than any other If you would have heart-peace in God you must have this heart sanctifying of him 'T is the heart that is vex'd and troubled with fears the disease is there and if the prescribed remedy reach not thither 't will do no good but let your hearts sanctifie him and then he shall fortifie and establish your hearts This sanctifying of God in the Heart composes the Heart and frees it from fears 1. In general the turning of the Heart to consider and regard God takes its off from those vain empty windy things that are the usual causes and matter of its fears it feeds on wind and therefore the bowels are tormented within the Heart is subject to disturbance because it lets out it self to such things and lets in such things into it self as are ever in motion and full of instability and restlesness and so cannot be at quiet till God come in and cast out these to keep the Heart within that it wander out no more to them 2. The particulars of Fear and Faith work particularly in this 1. That Fear as greatest overtops and nullifies all losser fears the Hearâ— possess'd with this fear hath no room for the other it resolves the Heart in point of duty what it should and must do not offend God by any means lays that down as indisputable and so eases it of doubtings and debates in that kind whether shall I comply with the World and abate somewhat of the sincerity and exact way of Religion to please Men or to escape persecution or reproaches no 't is unquestionably best and only necessary to obey him rather than Men to retain his favour be it with displeasing the most respected and considerable Persons we know yea rather chuse the universal and highest displeasure of all the World for ever than his smallest discountenance for a moment counts that the only indispensible necessity to cleave unto God and obey him If I pray I shall be accused might Daniel think but yet pray I must come on 't what will so if I worship God in my Prayer they will mock me I shall pass for a Fool no matter for that it must be done I must call on God and strive to walk with him this puts the mind to an ease not to be hanging betwixt two but resolv'd what to do we are not careful said they to answer thee O King our God can deliver us but however this we have put out of deliberation we will not worship the Image As one said non oportet vivere sed oportet navigare 't is not necessary to have the Favour of the World nor to have Riches nor to Live but 't is necessary to hold fast the Truth and to walk Holily to sanctifie the name of our Lord and Honour him whether in Life or Death 2. Faith in God clears the mind and dispels carnal fears the most sure help what time I am afraid says David I will trust in thee It resolves the mind concerning the event and scatters the multitude of perplexing thoughts that arise about that what shall become of this and that what if such an enemy prevail what if the place of our abode grow dangerous and we be not provided as others are for a removal no matter says Faith though all fail I know of one thing will not I have a Refuge that all the strength of Nature and Art cannot break in upon or demolish a high Defence my Rock in whom I trust c. Psal. 62. 5 6. The firm belief of and resting on his Power and Wisdom and Love gives a clear satisfying answer to all doubts and fears It suffers us not to stand to jangle with each triffling grumbling objection but carries all before it makes day in the Soul and so chases away those fears that vex us only in the dark as affrightful fancies do This is indeed to sanctifie God and give him his own Glory to rest on him and it is a fruitful homage done to him returning us so much Peace and Victory over Fears and Troubles perswades us that nothing can separate from his Love and that only we fear'd and so the things that cannot reach that can be easily despised Seek to have the Lord in your Hearts and sanctifie him there he shall make them strong and carry them through all dangers though I walk says David through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no ill for thou art with me Psal. 23. so Psal. 27. 1. What is it makes the Church so firm and stout though the Sea roar and the Mountains be cast into the midst of the Sea yet we will not fear that 's it God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved No wonder he immoveable and therefore doth establish all where he resides If the World in the middle of the Heart it will be often shaken for all there is continual motion and change but God in it keeps it stable Labour to get God into your Hearts residing in the midst of them and then in the midst of all Conditions they shall not move In your hearts Our condition universally exposed to search and troubles and no man so stupid but studies and projects for some Fence against them some Bulwark to break the incursion of Evils and so put his mind to some ease ridding it of the fear of them thus the most vulgar Spirits in their way for even the Brutes from whom such do not much differ in their actings and course of Life too are instructed by Nature to provide themselves and their young Ones of Shelters and the Birds their Nests and the Beasts their Holes and Dens Thus men gape and pant after gain with a confus'd ill-examin'd fancy of quiet and safety in it once to reach such a day as
long time hearers of the Gospel whereof Baptism is the seal and most of us often at the Lord's Table What hath all this done upon us ask within are your hearts changed is there a new Creation there where is that spiritual minâ—â—dness are your hearts dead to the World and 〈◊〉 and alâ—ve to God your Consciences purged from dead works What mean you is not this the end of all the ordinances to make all clean and to renew and make good the Conscience to bring the Soul and your Lord into a happy amity and a good correspondence that it may not only be in speaking terms but often speak and converse with him may have liberty of answering and demanding as this Word hath both That it may speak the language of faith and humble obedience unto God and he may speak the language of peace to it and both the language of the Lord each to other That Conscience alone is good that is much busied in this work in demanding and answering that speaks much with it self and with God this is both the sign that it is good and the means to make it better That Soul will doubtless be very wary in its walk that takes daily account of it self and renders up that account unto God it will not live by guess but readily examin each step before hand because it is resolved to examin all after will consider well what it should do because it means to ask over again what it hath done and not only to answer it self but to make a faithful report of all unto God to lay all before him continually upon tryal made tell him what is in any measure well done as his own work and bless him for that and tell him too all the slips and miscarriages of the day as our own complaining of our selves in his presence and still intreating free pardon and more wisdom to walk more holily and exactly and gaining even by our failings more humility and more watchfulness If you would have your Consciences answer well they must enquire and question much both before hand whether is this I purpose and go about agreable to my Lord's will will it please him ask that more and regard that more than this that the most fâ—llow will it please or profit my self fits that my own humour And not only the bulk and substance of thy way and actions but the manner of them how thy heart is set sâ— think it not enough to go to Church or to pray but take heed how yea hear consider how pure he is and how piercing his eye whom thou servest Then after again think it not enough I was praying or hearing or reading it was a good work what need I question it further No but be still reflecting and asking how it was done how have I â—heard how have I prayed was my heart humbled by the discoveries of sin from the Word was it refresht with the promises of grace did it lye level under the word to receive the stamp of it was it in prayer set and kept in a holy bent towards God did it breath forth real and earnest desires into his ear or was it remiss and roving and dead in the service So in my Society with others in such and such Company what was my time and how did I follow it did I seek to honour my Lord and to edifie my Brethren by my carriage and speeches or did the time run out in trifling vain discourse when alone what 's the carriage and walk of my heart where it hath most liberty to move its own pace is it delighted in converse with God are the thoughts of heavenly things frequent and sweet to it or does it run after the earth and the delights of it spinning out it self in impertinent vain Contrivances The neglect of such inquiries is that which entertains and increases the impurity of the Soul so that Men are afraid to look into themselves and to look up to God But Oh! what a foolish course is this to shift off that which cannot be avoided in the end answer must be made to that all-seeing Judge with whom we have to do and to whom we owe our accompts And truly it would be seriously considered what makeâ— this good Conscience that makes an acceptable answer unto God That appears by the opposition not the puting away the filth of the flesh then it is the puting away of Soul â—ilthiness so then its the renewing and purifying of the Conscience that makes it good pure and peaceable In the purifying it may be troubled which is but the stirring in cleansing of it which makes more quiet in the end as Physick or the launcing of a sore and after it is in some measure cleansed it may have fits of trouble which yet still add further purity and further peace so there is no hazard in that work but all the misery is a dead security of the Conscience remaining filthy and yet unâ—tirred or after some stirring or pricking as a wound not thoroughly cured skin'd over which will but breed more vexation in the end it will fester and grow more difficult to be cur'd and if it be cur'd it must be by deeper cutting and more pain than if at first it had endured a thorough search O My Brethren take heed of sleeping unto death carnal â—ase resolve to take no rest till you be in the Element and place of Soul rest where solid rest indeed is rest not till you be with Christ though all the World should offer their best turn them by with disdain if they will not be turned by throw them down and go over them and upon them you have no rest to give me nor will I take any at your hands nor from no creature no rest for me till I be under his shaddow who endured so much trouble to purchase my rest and having found him may sit down quiet and satisfied and when the World makes boaâ—t of their highest contents I will 〈◊〉 them all with this own Word my beloved is mine and I am his Towards God The Conscience of 〈◊〉 is never right at peace in it self till it be rightly perswaded of peace with God which while it remains â—ilthy it cannot be for he is holy and iniquity cannot dwell with him what Communion betwixt light and darkness so then the Conscience must be cleansed e're it can look upon God with assurance and peace This cleansing is sacramentally performed by Baptism effectually by the Spirit of Christ and the blood of Christ and he lives to impart both Therefore here is mention'd his resurrection from the dead as that by virtue whereof we are assured of this purging and peace Then can it in some measure with confidence answer Lord though polluted by former sins and by sin still dwelling in me yet thou seest that my desires are daily more like my Christ I would have more love and zeal for thee more hatred of sin that can answer with St. Peter
wills and loves that 's Law and a powerful Law so written on the Heart this Law of Love that it obeys not unpleasantly but with delight no constraint but the sweet constraint of love to forgive a wrong to love even thine enemy for him is not only feisible now but deâ—ectable that ere while thou thoughtest impossible That Spirit of Christ is all sweetness and love so calms and composes the Heart that peace with God and that unspeakably blessed correspondence of love with him doth so fill the Soul with lovingness and sweetness that it can breath nothing else hates nothing but sin pities the sinner and carries to the worst that love of good-will desiring their return and salvation but to those in whom appears the Image of their Father those their heart cleaves to as Brethren indeed No advantages natural no birth no beauty nor wit draws a Christian's love so much as the resemblance of Christ wherever that is found it is comely and lovely to a Soul that loves him Much communion with God sweetens and calms the mind cures the distempers of passion and pride that are the avowed enemies of love particularly Prayer and Love suit well 1. Prayer disposes to this love he that loveth not knoweth not God saith the beloved Apostle for God is love he that is most conversant with love the spring of where 't is purest and fullest cannot but have the fullest measure of it flowing in from thence into his heart and flowing forth from thence unto his Brethren if they that use the society of mild and good men are insensibly assimilated to them grow like them and contract somewhat of their temper much more doth familiar walking with God powerfully transform the Soul into his likeness makes it merciful and loving and ready to forgive as he is 2. This love disposes to prayer to pray together hearts must be consorted and tun'd together otherwise how can they sound the same Suits harmoniously How unpleasant in the exquisite ear of God that made the ear are the jarring disunited hearts that often seem to joyn in the same prayer and yet are not set together in love and when thou prayest alone thy heart imbitter'd and disaffected to thy Brother altho' upon an offence done to thee 't is as a mistuned Instrument the Strings are not accorded so are not in tune amongst themselves and so the sound is harsh and offensive try it well thy self and thou wilt perceive it how much more he to whom thou pray'st when thou art stirr'd and in passion against thy Brother or not on the contrary lovingly affected towards him what broken disordered unfastened stuff are thy requests therefore the Lord will have this done first the Heart tun'd go thy way says he leave thy Gift and be reconcil'd to thy Brother c. Why is this so much recommended by Christ and so little received by Christians given by him as the cognisance and badge of his Followers and of them that pretend to be so so few that wear it Oh! little real Christianity were more worth than all that empty profession and discourse that we think so much of Hearts receiving the mould and stamp of this Rule these were living Copies of the Gospel ye are our Epistle says the Apostle We come together and hear and speak sometimes of one Grace and sometimes of another and the most never seek to have their hearts enricht with the possession of any of them We search not to the bottom the perversness of our Nature and the guiltiness that is upon us in these or we shift off the Conviction and find a way to forget it when the hour 's done That accursed root self-love that makes man an enemy to God and Men enemies and devourers one of another who sets to the discovery and the displanting of it bends the force of holy Endeavours and Prayer supplicates the hand of God for the plucking of it up Some Natures are quieter and make less noise but till the heart be possest with the love of God it shall never truely love either men in that way due to all or the Children of God in their peculiar relation Among your selves c. That is here the point the peculiar love of the Saints as thy Brethren glorying and rejoycing in the same Father the Sons of God begotten again to that lively hope of glory now these as they owe a bountiful disposition to all they are mutually to love one another as Brethren Thou that hatest and reproachest the godly and the more they study to walk as the Children of their holy Father the more thou hatest them art glad to find a spot to point at on them or wilt dash mire on them where thou findest none know that thou art in this the enemy of God that the indignity done to them Jesus Christ will take it as done to himself truely we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the Brethren he that loveth not his Brother abideth in death So then renounce this Word or else believe that thou art yet far from the Life of Christ that so hatest it in others Oh! but they are but a number of Hypocrites wilt thou say Brethren if they be so this declares so much the more thy extream hatred of holiness that canst not endure so much as the Picture of it canst not see any thing like it but thou must let fly at it and this argues thy deep hatred of God holiness in a Christian as the Image of God and the Hyprocrite in the resemblance of it is the Image of a Christian so thou hatest the very Image of the Image of God for deceive not thy self it is not the latent evil in hypocrisie but the apparent good in it that thou hatest The prophane Man thinks himself a great Zealot against Hypocrisie he is still crying out of it but it s only this he is angry at that all should not be ungodly wicked enemies of Religion as he is either dissolute or meerly civil and the civil man is readily the bitterest enemy of all strictness beyond his own size as condemning him and therefore he cries it down as all of it false and counterfeit wares Let me intreat you if you would not be found fighters against God let no revilings be heard amongst you against any that are or seem to be Followers of Holiness if ye will not reverence it your selves yet reverence it in others at least do not reproach it It should be your ambition else why are you willing to be called Christians but if you will not pursue holiness yet persecute it not if you will not have fervent love to the Saints yet burn not with infernal heat of fervent hatred against them for truly that is one of the likliest pledge of these flames and society with damned Spirits as love to the Children of God is of that inheritance and society with them in glory 2. You that are Brethren and
can turn the chase in an instant still cleave to him when the whole powers of thy Soul are as it were scatter'd and routed rally them by believing draw thou but into the standard of Jesus Christ and the day shall be thine for victory follows that standard and cannot be severed from it yea though thou find the smart of divers stroaks yet think that often a wounded Souldier hath won the day believe and it shall be so with thee And remember that thy foiles through the wisdom and love of thy God may be ordered to advance the victory to put courage and holy anger into thee against thine enemies to humble thee and drive thee from thine own imagined strength to make use of his real strength and be not hasty think not at very first to conquer many a hard conflict must thou resolve for and often be brought very low almost to a desperate point that to thy sense 't is past recovery then 't is his time to step in even in the midst of their prevailing let God but arise and his enemies shall be scattered Thus the Church hath found it in her extremities and thus likewise the believing Soul Knowing that the same afflictions c. There is one thing much troubles the patience and weakens the Faith of some Christians that they are ready to think there is none yea there was never any beloved of God in such a condition as theirs Thus sometimes they swell even their outward trials in imagination but oftner their inward which are most heavy and pressing to themselves and the parallel of them least discernable by them in others Therefore the Apostle St. Paul breaks this conceit 1 Cor. 10. and here is the same truth The same afflictions c. Inf. We had rather hear of ease and cannot after all that is said bring our hearts to comply with this that tentations and troubles are the Saints portion here and that this is the royal way to the Kingdom Our King led in it and all his followers go the same way and besides the happy end of it is it not sweet even for this simply because he went in it yet this is the Truth and taken altogether is a most comfortable Truth the whole Brotherhood all our Brethren go in it and our eldest Brother went first Verse 10. But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Iesus after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you HIS Divine Doctrine and Exhortations the Apostle closes with Prayer as we follow this rule in publick after the Word preached so St. Paul frequently so Christ himself Iohn 17. after that Sermon in the preceding Chapters it were well if both Ministers and People would follow forth the same way more in private each for themselves and each for the other and the want of this is mainly the thing that makes our preaching and hearing so barren and fruitless the Ministers of the Gospel should indeed be as the Angels of God going betwixt him and his People not only bringing down useful Instructions from God to them but putting up earnest supplications to God for them In the 10th of St. Luke the Disciples are sent forth and appointed to preach and in the 11th we have them desiring to be taught to pray Lord teachus to pray and without this there can be little answer or success in the other little springing up of this Seed though Ministers sow it plentifully in preaching unless they secretly water it with their prayers and tears And People truly should keep some correspondence in this duty and that if other engagement will not perswade even for their own advantage for it returns unto them gainfully if much of the Spirit be poured forth on Ministers are they not the more able to unfold the Spiritual Mysteries of the Gospel and build up their People in the knowledge of them Oh! that both of us were more abundant in this rich and sweet exercise But the God The Prayer suits the Apostle St. Paul's word in his direction to the Philippians Chapter 4. 6. 't is supplication with thanksgiving prayer with praise In the prayer or petition consider the Matter the Stile The Matter or thing requested in divers brief words which though they be much of the same sense yet are not superfluously multiplied for they both carry the great importance of the thing and the earnest desire in suiting it and though it be a little light and unsolid to frame a different sense to each of them nor are any of the ways that such kind of Interpreters have taken in it very satisfactory to any discerning judgment yet I conceive they are not altogether without some profitable difference as the first perfect carries more clear than the rest their advance in victory over their remaining corruptions and infirmities carrying them on towards perfection Stablish hath more express reference to both the inward lightness and inconstancy that is natural to us the counterblasts of persecutions and tentations and to outward oppositions and imports the curing of the one and support against the other Strengthen the growth of their graces especially gaining of further measures of those graces wherein they are weakest and lowest And settle though it seems the same and in substance is with the other word stablish yet it adds somewhat to it very considerable for it signifies to found or fix upon a sure foundation and so indeed may have an aspect to him who is the foundation and strength of Believers on whom they build by faith Iesus Christ in whom we have all both victory over Sin and increase of Grace and establishment of Spirit power to persevere against all difficulties and assaults he is that corner foundation stone laid in Sion that they that build upon him may not be ashamed that Rock that upholds the House founded on it in the midst of all winds and storms First Obs. These have in them that which is so primely to be sought after by every Christian perseverance and progress in Grace These two here interwoven for there be two words importing the one and two the other and are interchangeably plac'd this is often exhorted them as their duty and accordingly ought they to apply themselves to 't and use their highest diligence in it not to take the beginning of Christianity for the end of it to think it enough they are entered into the way of it and sit down upon the entry but to walk on to go from strength to strength and even through the greatest difficulties and discouragments to pass forward with unmoved stability and fixedness of mind To be aiming at perfection this we shall still fall exceedingly short of but the more we study it the nearer to it shall we come the higher we aim the higher shall we shoot though we shoot not so high as we aim Inf. It is an excellent life and it is the proper
Glory cannot endure the ballance is found too light a great Monarch and so many Principalities and Provinces put in one after another â—till no weight yea possibly as a late politick Writer wittily observes of a certain Monarch the more Kingdoms you cast in the scale is still the lighter Men are naturally desirous of Glory and gape after it but they are naturally ignorant of the true nature and place of it they seek it where it is not and as Solomon says of riches set their hearts on that which is not hath no subsistence nor reality But the Glory above is true real Glory and bears weight and so bears aright the name of Glory which in the Hebrew signifies weight and the Apostles Expression seems to allude to that sense speaking of this same Glory to come calls it a far more excellent weight of glory it weighs down all labour and sufferings in the way so far as they are not once worth the speaking of in respect of it it is the hyperbole other Glory is overspoke but this Glory over glorious to be duly spoke exceeds and rises above all that can be spoke of it Eternal Oh! that adds much the glory here such as it is yet were it lasting Men would presume upon some more reason so to affect and think if it stayed with them when they have caught it and they stay'd with it to enjoy it but how soon do they part they pass away and the glory passes away both as smoakâ— as a vapour our life and all the pomp and magnificence of those that have the greatest outward glory and make the fairest shew it is but a shew a pageant goes throâ— the Street and is seen no more But this hath length of days with it Eternal Glory Oh! a thought of that swallows up all the grandeur of the World and the noise of reckoning years and ages had one Man continued from the Creation to the end of the World and in the top of Earthly Dignity and glory admired by all yet at the end everlasting oblivion being the close how nothing were it to Eternal Glory but alas we cannot be brought to believe and deeply take the impression of Eternity and that is our undoing By Iesus Christ. Your portion out of him eternal shame and misery but by him even all Glory and this hath likewise an evidence of the greatness of this glory it can be no small estate that the blood of the Son of God was let out to purchase His. That which he gives and gives as his choice of all to his chosen his Children and if there is any thing here that hath delight or worth in it which he gives in common even to his enemies if such a World and variety of good things for them that hate him Oh! how excellent must those things be he hath reserved for his friends for those he loves and causes to love him As 't is his gift it is indeed himself the beholding and enjoying of himself Now this we cannot conceive Oh! that blessed Day when the Soul shall be full of God shall be satisfy'd and ravisht with full vision should we not admire that such a condition is provided for Man wretched sinful Man Lord what is Man c. and for me as wretched as any that are left and fallen short of this Glory a base worm taken out of the mire and washt in the Blood of Christ and within a while set to shine in Glory without sin Oh! the wonder of this how would it stir to praise when we think of such an one there who will bring us up in the way to this Crown how will this hope sweeten the short sufferings of this Life and Death it self which is otherwise the bitterest in it self most of all sweetned by this as being nearest it and setting us unto it what though thou art poor and diseased and despised here Oh! consider what is there how worthy the affection worthy the earnest eye look of an heir of this Glory what can he either desire or fear whose heart is thus deeply fixed Who would refuse this other clause to suffer a while a little while any thing outward inward he thinks fit how soon shall all this be overpast and then overpayed in the very entry the beginning of this Glory that shall never end Verse 11. To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen THEY know little of their own wants and emptiness that are not much in Prayer and they know little of the greatness and goodness of God that are not much in praises The humble Christian hath a heart in some measure fram'd to both he hath within him the best School Master that teaches him how to pray and how to praise and makes him delight in the exercise of them both The Apostle having added Prayer to his Doctrine adds here you see praise to his Prayer To him be Glory and Dominion for ever The living praises of God spring from much holy affection and that affection springs from a Divine Light in the Understanding so says the Psalmist sing ye praises with understanding or you that have understanding Psal. 47. It is a spiritual Knowledge of God that sets the Soul in tune for his praises and therefore the most can bear no part in this Song they mistune it quite through their ignorance of God and unacquain ance with him Praise is unseemly in the mouth of fools they spoil and mistune it Obs. 1. The thing ascribed 2. The term or endurance of it The former in two words Glory and Power Glory the shining forth of his Dignity the Knowledge and acknowledgment of it by his Creatures that his excellency may be confest and praised his name exalted that service and homage may be done to him which all adds nothing to him for how can that be but as it is the duty 't is the happiness of his creature to render it such as he hath sitted for that all the creatures indeed declare and speaâ— him glorious the Heaven's sound it forth and the Earth and â—ea resounds and â—cchoes it back but his reasonable Creature hath he peculiarly framed both to take notice of Glory in all the rest and to return it from and for all the rest in a more express and lively way And in this lower World 't is Man alone that is made capable of observing the Glory of God and offering him praises he expresses it well that calls Man the World's High-Priest all the creatures bring their oblations of praise to him to offer up for them and for himself for whose use and comfort they are made the Light and Motion of the Heaven's and all the variety of creatures below them speak this to Man He that made us and you and made us for you is great and wise and worthy to be praised and you are better able to say this than we therefore praise him on our behalf and your own Oh! he is great and mighty