of the whole man God hath chosen the mid way to translate the Soule the best part to dissolue the bodie so Gods threatning is keeped thou shalt die and thou shalt returne to dust the example of Christ in death is followed our best part is translated for our happinesse and the assurance of the bodies reunion and a way to all Death in this respect is not penall but premiall in a sort not of Gods anger for our sinne to punish vs but of his mercie for our well to perfect vs. Oft-times God giueth vs plaine documents heereof if wee would obserue them euery twenty foure hours we haue cleare proofes of foure things 1. Our Life in the day time when we are busied in our Calling 2. Our Death at Euen when wee rest from our labours 3. Our Buriall when wee goe to bedde wee are not casten in them nor our garâ—ments pulled off but wee goe in quietnesse and lay our garments downe in order intending to take them vp againe 4. Our Resurrection when wee rise in the morning more vigorous to our Calling than when we lay downe then wee shall behold his face in righteousnesse and when wee awake shall bee satisfied with his Image Psal. 17. The sentence of Death in bodilie paines hath taught mee many thinges 1. The mortalitie of my body which must once bee ouercome and yeelde to them and so turne to dust this Cottage of clay so oft and so hardlie beaten must once fall Many haue a strong desire to liue long and turneth this naturall desire in a conceate that as they would and may so they shall liue longer Though there bee necessitie of Death in a decaying bodie and the spending of the life yet that desire and hope of life groweth euen with the decay of life But the holie desire of Immortalitie will eate out that fleshlie desire and the sense of daylie mortalitie will cut off that false hope 2. The immortalitie of my Soule in that vnder such paines it can haue the own free working on God If in a body so diseased it can seeke him and finde rest in him shall it not beeing separate from the bodie haue a more free working 3. The loue of God in deliuering mee from damnation How often haue I cryed in the midst of my paines O how farre am I bound to thee my Redeemer who hath deliuered mee from the fire of Hell If a short and light paine vnder thine hand in loue bee so heauie how intollerable is that paine of soule and bodie eternallie vnder thy wrath 4. That thy loue can stand well with affliction thou hast made light to arise to mee in darknesse and caused thy countenance to shine on mee in Christ and giuen me great peace in my Conscience in my greatest extremitie O what a Iewell is a good Conscience in affliction Though no man want his slips and infirmities yet he may eschew the grossest sinnes though none can attaine to a legall perfection yet hee may haue an Evangelicall perfection in Faith Repentance and begunne obedience When the Soule darre attest God as witnesse and appeale him as Iudge to its sinceritie In intending nothing but his Glorie In inquiring his will as the way to that Glorie And endeuouring to doe according to his knowledge for that good end Then in some measure wee may say with Ezechiah Remember O Lord how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart The conscience of these things haue so taken vp my Soule that my paines at the greatest are mitigate that holy and heauenly diuerting of my Spirit by so sweet and spirituall influence sometimes beguyleth my bodilie sense that it doeth but tolerablie affect mee The present sense of thy loue in mine acceptation in Christ and assurance of Glorie to come are strong ingredients to temper the greatest paines in this life And it is a profitable paine in the bodie that both occasioneth the seeking and bringeth out the feeling of the health of the Soule in thy sensible loue It hath also giuen mee a new Experience of Death surelie Death to the Sainctes is not as the most part take it 1 not a destruction but a deliuerie 2 It is both my last affliction and my last deliuerance from all miseries 3 It is both an end of this life and the beginning of my life of Glorie in Heauen 4 In it selfe it is a curse but to the Sainctes a blessing in him who hath ouercome it 5 I finde it both a dissolution from the world and of Soule and body and of euerie part of the bodie from other and my first great union with GOD the Sainctes and Angels 6 It is both my death and perfect birth day I haue now a seeming life but I liue not perfectlie till I die the New man shall then come foorth to a glorious libertie in the face of God 7 It is my last and greatest pollution my bodie is sometimes and by partes affected with weaknesse and Death turneth all in a lumppe of vyle and lifelesse clay and yet it is my first and greatest purgation Many purgations spirituall hast thou giuen mee in this life in Baptisme the Laver of Regeneration from sin in euerie act of Faith purifying the heart in euerie act of Repentance washing mee in the blood of Christ in euerie exercise of spirituall worship clensing mine handes in innocencie to compasse thine Altar But this is the great and last purgation when I am cleansed from all sinne In that same instant when my Soule and body doe separate all spiritual blemishes are separated from mee That is the worke of thy Spirit in mee hee knoweth no vncleane thing can enter in Heauen and therefore at my last breath he will giue me the last full cleansing and last degree of sanctification I tremble not at the fire of Purgatorie The enemies of the crosse of Christ are justlie so punished by that their errour when Christs Blood hath cleansed mee from all guiltinesse of all sinne and his sanctifying Spirit hath purged out the nature of it And his perfect obedience hath relieued mee from all punishment there is neither place nor use for that purging or rather tormenting fire after this life 8 Death is in it selfe the most terrible of all terrors but I find it in Christ most desireable The wicked doe tremble at the thoughts of it they see it onelie in the fearefull respects as a destructioÌ„ a curse an end a death a dissolution a pollution Therefore they abhorre it and the mention of it is to them as the hand-write on the wall was to Beltashar But thou shewest to mee these pleasant respects of death as a deliuerie a blessing a beginning a birth an union a purgation They haue none but fearefull grounds they are yet in Nature vnder the Law vnder sinne without Christ and vnder an euill conscience but thou hast layed better grounds in mee and put mee vnder Grace and vnder the Gospel vnder remission of
that Couenant commeth these waters diuide themselues Let mee see the high Priest of my profession who is the Arke himselfe carying that Arke before mee Where hee setteth his feete there is dry ground to passe through the midst of dangers O Sonne of God shew thy propitiation to the Father to appease him To me to encourage mee To these waters that they may flee away and to mine enemies that they may bee destroyed Let mee see thee as I did long since at the like sentence of Death interponing thy selfe betwixt the wrath of God and mee securing me from sinne punishment and all that worke of Iustice When thou turned wrath in mercie and the Iustice Seate in a Throne of Grace And setting thy selfe as a sconse between GODS wrath and mee made mee as posedlie and calmelie to stand before God vnder the sentence of Death as euer I did in the sweetest meditations motions of thy Spirit That former proofe yet fresh in my minde confirmeth mine hope in the expectation of the like peace when Death shall come indeede All this I know this I beleeue and hope for and feele alreadie begunne in mee in some measure and perswade my selfe as now I thinke it and write it that in due time I shall finde it and praise thee in Heauen eternallie for it when thou hast crowned thy mercies in mee The sense of thy presence doth now delight mee but I rest not on it As it giueth mee vnspeakable contentment so it pouseth mee fordward to thy perfect presence I must euer bee in mouing till I bee perfected in thee Though thy presence coÌ„fort me now in these my Soules-speaches with thee aâ—d refresh my wearie heart both vnder present paine and foreseene paines of death yet I stay not there These cooling tastes doe rather inflame my desire than quench it and increase my longing for the Well it selfe That I may bee satisfied aboundantlie with the fatnesse of thine House and drinke of the Riuer of thy pleasures For with thee is the Fountaine of Life and in thy Light I shall see light Psal. 36. 8. 9. All my joyes in the way cannot satisfie mee till I bee in that Citie whereof the Lord God Almightie the Lambe is the Temple That new Ierusalem that hath no neede of the Sunne nor of the Moone for the Glorie of GOD doeth inlighten it and the Lambe is the Light of it Reuelat. 21. 22. 23. I long for that pure Riuer of the water of Life cleare as crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lambe I long for the fruite of the Tree of Life that bringeth fruite euery Moneth euer constant and new joyes that I may see the face of the Lambe and haue his Name written in my forehead and follow him vvhither soeuer hee goeth Revelat. 22. 1. 2. 4. Till I come to this estate my Soule will euer thirst for thee more than the thirstie land doth for raine or the chased Hart panteth for the riuer of vvaters My Soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God Oh vvhen shall I come and appeare before God Psal. 42. 2. None hath wrought or can worke this great Desire in me but thou onelie none can or shall satisfie it but thou and that by none of thy giftes but by thy selfe alone It is a desire of thy selfe aboue all and cannot rest without thy selfe It is stronger than all other desires in mee they are all silent when it raigneth they cease willinglie and quite their priuate contentment and seeke it in the satisfaction of this greatest One. Come therefore O thou whom my Soule loueth and satisfie my Soule in her greatest desire of thee This is for the present by the worke of thy Spirit I trust shall be my last ardent affection to thee in the houre of my Death mine eternall condition in the Heauens Then the greatest satisfactioÌ„ of my greatest desire shall work my greatest delight Sight and Sense and FruitioÌ„ shall then teach mee that which now the eye hath not seene not the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued But when I shall see thee as thou art shall know thee as I am known then I shall see that which now I beleeue and hope for euen mine happinesse in thee perfectlie When the end of thy loue to mee and of my desire of thee doe meete in that glorious perfection there shall neither be matter nor place for more desire The infinite weight of Glorie The eternall indurance of it The constant freshnesse and continuall newnesse of it in my neuer-loathing nor decaying feeling excludeth both the increase and beeing of any desire WheÌ„ thy delight in mee and my delight in thee doe concurre then my glorified delight shall rest on thee and thy delights contentedlie I cease now to write but not to think of and affect thee as mine onelie happines Let thy good Spirit O Lord keepe my Soule vnder the sense of these delights or vnder the memorie of them or the fruite of them that I may walk in the strength of their coÌ„solations delighting my selfe in thee and in that mine happinesse which is thy selfe till I perfectlie enjoy Thee Into thine Hands I commit my Spirit for Thou hast redemed mee O LORD GOD of Trueth COME LORD IESVS AND TARIE NOT. AMEN FINIS The Table of these OBSERVATIONS A ACcidents rare make many Prophets Obser. 51 Affections right placed 46 Afflictions great profite 69 Athiesmes poyson 27 Ambitious men die of their disease 48 B Our Bodies spiritualitie 40 The Bodies tendernesse a blessing to the godlie 80 C Callings are our tryall 35 Gods Calling a sufficient warrand 26 Fruitefull labour in our Calling 8 Calumnies Comfort 87 Christian Furniture 1 Combat betweene the Earth the Wretch 17 Companie usuallie hurtfull 15 Complementing is a windie fulnesse 82 Contemplation and practise ought to bee ioyned 47 Conceate of VVisedome is great folie 44 Conscience Exercise 79 Conscientious Knowledge 83 Constant inconstancie 30 Corruptions Danger 56 Corruptions Remeede 90 Credulitie and Confidence 41 D Death surpriseth the most part of men 6 Deuotion and Obedience are twinnes 12 E Eiaculations continuall 81 Experience fruitfull 14 F Phantasies Tyrannie and Remeede 94 Faults with the World but not with God 23 Feares needlesse are fruitfull to the godlie 85 Flesh and Spirit discerned 58 G God alone better than all 50 God mercifull presence 59 The sight of a present God-head 42 Gods best giftes 57 God seeth the Heart 67 Gods Beggers are best heard 72 How to please God and man 33 God the dwelling place of the godlie 100 God and Sathan contrare in ends wayes 60 The godlies warre in peace 91 H Concerning happines we are greatest fooles 5 Hearts discouerie 10 Hearts hardnesse 75 I Iniuries inflame our corruption 32 Insolent fittes 29 Iudging wrong 31 L Short life ought a short care 20 Loue of good and hatred of euill 54 The best Lotte hath some want 55 M Mans threefold perfection 97 Man most disobedient of all creatures 70 Man both blind and quicke sighted in his owne cause 88 Mankinds wise temper 84 Best men most iniured 71 Mankinds threefolde respect 96 Meditations profite 39 The Merchant wise and foolish 53 Good Motions are of God 73 N Holie Necessities are no distractions 13 Thirst of News 86 O Obseruations right vse 74 Operations of the holie Spirit 2 P Particulars are mixed with common causes 89 Passions disease and Remeede 22 Patrons of Grace and Nature 43 Peace of God a sweete Vade-mecum 4 Perplexities disease and Remeede 21 Politickes secrecie is open 62 Predominant vertue and vice 93 Prayers great profite 7 Prouidence particular to the godlie 98 Rest on Prouidence 68 R Religious Religion 82 Refuge of the Christian. 95 Resolution performed 34 S Saluation of God alone 24 Scriptures vnspeakable profite 65 Securitie in God 38 Selvishnesse damnable 52 Sense of weaknesse 62 Sinne an euill Guest 28 Proud Sinners post to Hell 25 Soules life 63 Soules Foode 36 The stamppe of God in the Soule 77 Great worldlie Spirits 78 Good Spirits most free of Passions 49 T Our Thoughts fruitfull worke 3 The godlie Traueller 16 Tryall of Trueth 61 Tryall of our Tyme 19 W VVarres fearefull calamities 66 VVayes of God well expounded 18 VVorld worse and worse 9 Dead to the world 45 A new better world in this old bad one 99 VVorship of God done as his worship 76 Constant dyet in Gods worship 37 Y Youth and olde Age. 11 FINIS Faults escaped in the printing in the Obseruations Page Line Fault Corrected 53. 1. delate deleete 57. 1. friend frrine 68. 2. adde Post. 79. 5. wrath worth 87. 17. craueth carueth 111. 21. coÌ„uersatioÌ„ couersioÌ„ 113. 1. craue carue 152. 14. to in 157. ult dele him 180. 10. calamities calumnies 212. 19. taker tacke 218. 11. titling tilting In the Resolution 2. 3. reproach approach 39. 10. it is 49. 2 secure serue
CHRISTIAN OBSERVATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS OR The daylie practise of the renewed man turning all occurrents to spirituall uses and these uses to his vnion with GOD. I. CENTVRIE VVith a Resolution for Death c. Newlie published by Mr WILLIAM STRVTHER Preacher of the Gospel at EDINBVRGH Ecclesiastes 2. 14. The wise mans eyes are in his head but the foole walketh in darknesse EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heires of Andro Hart. ANNO DOM. 1628. TO GOD ALMIGHTIE GRATIOVS MERCIFVLL c. FATHER SONNE AND HOLIE GHOST His most vnworthie Seruant thristing his glory in the Saluation of the Saints Mr. W. STRVTHER THESE first fruits of Thine owne Grace in mee I offer to Thee O Fountaine of Grace Thy thoughts are pretious to mee and thy Meditations sweete All the desires of mine heart is to Thee and to bring thy Saiuctes to thy fellowship that in that vnion they may enjoy Thy selfe and partake true Happinesse Blesse all meanes vsed to that good end that they may proue meanes of thine owne choyse and worke But aboue all shedde abroad Thy loue in the hearts of Thy people then our preaching and writting will bee either lesse needefull or more fruitfull Thou hast wonâ— to Thy selfe for euer the heart that is deepelie affected with the sense of Thy loue Thou knowest that it can no more byde or rest off Thee than a stone of it selfe can hing in the aire While I thinke of Thee my thoughts increase themselues and while I preasse to expresse them I can not satisfie my selfe in that expression Thou art in the heart that loueth Thee truelie and that heauenlie affection ouercommeth it twise once in vnspeakeable softning sweetnesse nixt in an vnsufficiencie to vtter it But this is some remeede that it can poure it selfe immediatelie vpon Thee Words writes come shorter than thoughts and thoughts shorter than the affection the onelie just and equall expressing of the affection is to thrust it selfe on Thee and to adhere and inhere in Thee continuallie It sufficeth mee that Thou knowest mine heart and thine owne worke in it Let the Meditations of mine heart and the words of my mouth bee acceptable to Thee O GOD my Strength and my Redeemer and direct Thou the workes of mine hands that all may serue to the magnifying of Thy glorious Grace and edifying of thy people AMEN TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader THE present time Christian Reader both offereth these obseruations to me and throweth their publication from mee None walketh with opened eyes but these and the like shall occurre vnto him This time of the Gospel aboundeth in the meanes of sauing knowledge but few partake it The most part brutishlie neglect it other in their search are carried on the by Seeking affecting and resting on trifling knowledge as on happinesse and many who in some sort find it out doe separate from it both affection action so preuailing Athesme giueth thee effront to sauing Knowledge Grace in the Gospel But the Sun sendeth a quickening heate as well as a shining â—ight and man is borne with heart and hands as well as with eyes The worke of light is to discouer but affection separateth vs from the discouered euill and ioyneth vs to the knowne Good and to walke in the direction of that Light and the discerning of Affection is to know sauinglie It is the best knowledge which is about the best things and needeth least change at Death To know GOD and our happinesse in Him hath no change at Death but in the degree aduancing to perfection As other thinges so other knowledge will then vanish This is the affectuous and actuous Knowledge according to godlinesse wherevnto I labour in the Lord to stirre Thee vp That knowing GOD in Christ thou may liue in Him and walke in Him The sense of a God-head is the marrow and kernell of Christianitie Without this all our knowledge is but a carcase of knowledge wee our selues the carions of Christians The Lord worke these good things in thee and thee to his Image to fill Thee heere with Grace and heereafter with glorie Amen Thine in the Lord Mr. William Struther CHRISTIAN OBSERVATIONS AND RESOLVTIONS OR The daylie practise of the renewed man turning all occurrents to spirituall uses and all these uses to his union with GOD. 1. The Christian Furniture THREE thinges are necessar for our Christian walking the right end the straight way and a good Guide And all these are to bee found in God alone his glorie is the right end and the high way to this ende is his Word and himselfe the onelie Guide yea hee himselfe is all these three Hee is the Way and the Trueth and the Life for wee are led by his Spirit in his will to himselfe His presence in mercie giueth vs all this furniture and without it euerie man goeth astray some seeke the right end but choose not the straight way some find the straight way but seeke not the right end in place of God they seeke and follow themselues in all their businesse they aduance not one foote from their first and naturall condition but are more drowned in miserie than at their birth The truelie godlie come to this threefold blessing The more sincerelie they intend his glorie the more sure are they of his direction and guiding This is Abrahams walking before God and Enochs walking with him and Paul his walking in him The present fruite is answerable to such grounds a certaintie to obtaine such an end because of the way and Guide a securitie in that way and a joy in the conscience of rhem all The conscience of the sinceritie of our intention of our endeuouring to find and walke in the way is a great degree of his presence in grace a presage of his presence in glorie The Soule that laboureth for this sort of walking in this life shall bee with him for euer after this life The most part of men proclaime to the world that they haue neuer thought earnestlie of this Iourney Their furniture is rather for Hell if such a Iourney needed furniture then for Heauen They take this worlde for their home themselues for their end their Guide and Guarde loosing their heartes to all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse But the godlie know they haue no byding citie heere therefore they seeke for one to come and deale with God for this prouision in so dangerous a way Hee may bee sure of that end who is guided and guarded by God in the way to it Hee who is now alwayes in God must bee with God for euer So hee guideth his owne with his Counsell and afterward bringeth them to his glorie 2. Operations of Gods Spirit are powerfull THe working of Gods Spirit is neither at our desire nor our direction Hee bloweth where hee listeth and GODS Kingdome commeth not by obseruation Our euill deseruing hath more power to stay him than our desires to set him on worke omissions grieue him greatlie but commission of grosse sinnes grieue him
more they can procure both the intermission of his worke a temporall desertion though hee neuer depart simplie from the Elect. Wee can not fore-see his comming but wee may feele his working The worke it selfe telleth vs that hee is in the worke When hee lurketh what confusions in the minde and disorder in the heart In great businesse we make but slow speed all is in a manner forced and nothing doeth promise the desired successe But when hee showeth himselfe O what a change in the Soule Illumination is great in the varietie and the clearnesse of light and euerie power hath the owne seale stamping the heart all goeth then so easelie as the Soule sufficeth not to take vp particularlie his working In that diuine worke it findeth the power of a diuine Nature no creature can either worke so mightily in vs or affect vs in that kinde or degree It hath more increase of light affection sense and sweetnesse in one houre than in some other moneths As the Soule moueth the bodie so hee moueth his giftes and graces in vs which are as a carcase without him Hee is both the worker teacher of his own operations moueth vs to mak due use of them his desertions are grieuous but his felt operations doe largely recoÌ„pence that grief It is good both to feare eschew his desertioÌ„ but when we find it to comfort our selfe in the remembrance of his bygone and assurance of his future working to our former joys His work is euer powerful but not euer seÌ„sible We know that the hand of the Horolodge hath moued when it commeth to the houre but our sight discerneth not the mouing of it His worke is oft-ten secret to vs and yet forcible Thereby our condition is changed to the better though we obserue not aye the progresse of that bettering When hee both worketh in vs sauing Graces and a feeling of his worke so that his worke and our sense of it doe meete together that is our vnspeakable Ioye 3. The fruitfull worke of our thoughts AS our thoughts are called light so is our accompt of their worke They are restlesse and wee are carelesse what and how they worke no man can hold them within both outward things draw them out and themselues are giuen to wandring euen while wee are musing to hold them in order as water they slide away In their going out they carrie the soule with them and at their returne report some fruite of the matter which they considered But many doe neither obserue their going out nor their returne they let them out on euerie thing mak use of nothing some are worse in a profaine libertie they send them out on impious and naughty matters and take them home fraughted with pernicious and sinfull reports God hath giuen vs our Soule for a better use as he hath set it in the bodie to quicken and moue it so also to keepe a fruitefull intercourse with outward things If it went simplie out of the bodie death would follow If it remained inclosed in it there could bee no intercourse with outward things God hath appointed a midde way that the substance of it shall abide in the bodie but it sendeth out the thoughts as fearchers and intercommers Our best in this kinde is to follow Gods appointment not to let our thoughts wander rackelessie but to send them in order not on euerie trifle but on good things and at their returne to receiue their worke in order A wise Soule in this Thought-work is as a Bee-hyue all the powers are in labour a continuall going out and returning no power idle and none returne emptie and all their obseruations as Honie laid vp for use It gathereth and disgesteth in it selfe a substance masse of purified knowledge and that for affection and action and all of them for the obedience of God and union with him Fixed endes make an well ordered and fruitfull course It is good to intend the good of our callings and then to set our Thoughts to worke about the way Painters draw first the lines theÌ„ fill vp the spaces compleat the portrate And Frost turneth first the face of water in hard lines and then equalleth all with yce And the bodie of a childe in the wombe hath first the noble partes framed then all is filled vp to the comelie proportion of a bodie So the bodie of profitable knowledge hath first the noble partes framed in our fixed designes then the enterjected spaces are filled vp by the Minds daylie labour A ball striken in the open fielde goeth straight out from vs but in a Tinnice the wall maketh it returne to our hand So if our thoughts goe out rackleslie they â—uanish But if wee hem them within the compasse of fixed intentions of our calling and particular taske therein they come home with pertinent obseruations In the first case they are as the Rauen fleeing about the Arke of Noe but not entring in it In the next they are as the Doue returning wearie at Euening with the fatnesse and peaceablnesse of the Oliue 4. Gods peace a sweete Vade-mecum HEalth of Bodie and peace of Conscience are two substantiall blessings Without them other blessinges are not pleasant to vs and this Peace is better than Health as the Soule is better than the bodie The ground of it is Gods free loue the price of it Christs satisfaction the worker of it Gods owne Spirit the mettell vpon which he stampeth it is a good Conscience the fruite of it the joye of the holie Ghost It cannot bee keeped but by great circumspectnesse Sathan cannot endure such a Iewell in the midst of his kingdome It is vineger to his teeth and smoak to his eyes to see Gods children full of this peace in the midst of all his snares wee haue it in the world but not of it neither can the world know it nor giue it nor take it from vs. It sweetneth the bitternesse of our afflictions and doubleth the sweetnesse of prosperitie Goe with it whither wee will we haue a better jewell in our heatrs than all the treasures on earth O what comfort is it when wee lift vp our heartes to GOD and hee meeteth vs with softnesse of heart and joye in Spirit when hee maketh the beames of his face in Christ to strike on our Soule to warme and quicken them and doubleth his grace in vs in the conscience of these things It is Gods seale in the godlie but the wicked neither haue it nor care for it A wonder it is howe men can liue in the world without this Peace Non can well liue in a Kings Court or Countrie without his Peace And how shall they liue in the world his great familie and not care for his fauour And yet men vnder their Kinges wrath may lurke in their Dominions but no place can hide them from God There is small appearance that they who care not for this Peace doe know God strangers taste
vniuersal most vncureable disease of the world It is a coūtersconce erected by Satā against the Gospel to elude the force of it and to hold men still in the bandes of sinne It goeth vnder one name but hath many branches some more open and some more secrete and in their worke some more dangerous than other A dissolute man is not so powerfull to perswad his opinions as he who colloureth his profannesse Open Atheisme almost refuteth it selfe but couert Atheisme may deceiue the wise There is neither such a ground nor couerture for Atheisme as to maintaine that men of all Religions may be safe To make so many doores to Heauen is to cast wyde open the gates of Hell Christ hath tolde vs that the way to heauen is narrow and few finde it and hee calleth himselfe the VVay but not the wayes As there is but one God so there is but one way to him by Faith and Obedience in Christ. The signes of it are an humane officious carriage to man but licentious and irreligious before God a praise of all other religious and a carping of the Religion professed in the place of their dwelling And if necessitie draw them to the publicke worship their behauiour bewrayeth an absence of their soule from that exercise They jest at Sermons and make none other use of holy Scripture than profanlie to apply it to euery profane purpose trifling occasion at their meales their vnhalowed morsels must be set ouer with the sauce of some abused sentence of Scripture they care not to offend God for pleasing their companie who partak of their profannes if they be not offēded at y◠offēce of God As mettals are known by their sound so their grosse Atheisme is discouered by their profane noyse They who feare God dare not carie themselues so before him And they who haue found sacred Scripture the seed of their regeneration the foode of their soule and their comfort in trouble will neuer turne so heauenly Oracles to the matter of their sporting But they are not long vnpunished and their damnation sleepeth not Nature in Athiests findeth it selfe vexed with the dumbe choppe of conscience crying vnto them that there is a God But this surmyse is out-cryed and Conscience out-faced by this when they thinke any course is a way to heauen Such men are not so much justifying their course before men as prouyding libertie of sinning against the cheeke of their owne conscience There is no such compendious way to libertie as the lacke of Gods feare And that heart is voyde of his feare who sayeth That there is no God Though hee be most glorious in himselfe and gracious to them that know him yet hee is nothing to the hart that denyeth him But Athiests will finde a fearefull wakning God whom they deny hath his witnesse in them and in ende will testifie his trueth to their destruction except they amend It turneth men in beastes yea in Deuils While their heart is saying There is not a God their Conscience giueth them the lie and by secrete checks both arreasteth them before and tormenteth them in the Name of that God whom they denye They can neither destroy GOD in himselfe though they desire it neither in the hearts of the godly All the fruites of their godlesse spurring is to moue him to destroy themselfe It is good to soften our heartes in the feare of God and to seeke out and follow that straite way of life Blessed is hee who feareth alwayes but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall in mischiefe Prov. 28. 14. 28. Sinne is an euill guest SInne is the worst Guest that commeth in any place It bringeth double destruction One in the beeing of it the other in the fruite It is plaine that the wages of it is death but euen the being of it such as it hath is destruction of the thing wherein it is Men Angels Thoughts Words and deedes are good in themselues but sinne in them maketh them euill It hath no being of it selfe and is nothing but the breake of Gods Law a discord and deformitie a priuation of good deprauation of its owne dwelling the beeing it hath is in these thinges and so soone as it commeth in them it spoileth them they become euill Men Angels Thoughts Words and deedes by it He is an euill Guest who for his reckoning putteth the Pest or a fire in his lodging I wonder not so much at the euill recompense it giueth as at our selues who welcome it againe No receiuer will welcome him who put his house on fire Yet wee receiue sinne and welcome it though wee were euen now smerting for the worke of it Some doe marke the second worke of sinne the punishment of it but fewe marke the first destruction by the beeing of it so as to abhor it be like it so destroyeth vs that wee haue not a sound minde to make its destroying Nature O! what ods in Grace It both changeth vs by renovation and bringeth vs to glorie the verie beeing of it is the health of Soule and body next to God himselfe there came neuer a better Guest in man than sauing Grace Of Adams Sonnes it maketh vs the Sonnes of God Of Naturall men spirituall And of vile Sinners it turneth vs in Sainctes It is extreame miserie to bee desirous and patient of sinne But a token of a renewed Nature to abhorre sinne and thirst for Grace 29. Fittes of Insolencie THeir is no Spirit so modest which hath not some fittes of Insolencie If any odde thing appeare in them they are puffed vp in a conceat of wrath and as farre transported from their wonted modestie as they conceate of that supposed worthinesse These fits are more marked of other than themselues their humour blindeth them so that they cannot obserue that change others remembereth their former dejection and foresee it to come againe so marketh that startling as insolent indeede An Equable cariage proueth an well fraughted Soule Our true worthinesse is in Gods fauour our dignitie is his dignation and the exalting or downe-cast of our heart is from the sense of his fauour or lacke of it If wee bee sure of his fauour wee shall then alike euenlie carrie our selues in all other things But fits of insolencie bewray a double weaknesse one of little true worth that seemeth so great to vs another of a racked judgement making vs to passe boundes vpon so small occasion The wise man is euer like himselfe And at any odky thing he is rather dejected thā puffed vp If the speeches of other make him ouerweene himselfe he chasteneth himselfe in secrete for it seuerly When hee returneth to his wonted thoughts he abhorreth that insolencie and guardeth himselfe that they surprysse him not thereafter 30. Constant Inconstancie THe vpright heart must encounter with many thorters When it meeteth with vprightnesse there is no difficultie but such are as rare as a whyte Rauen in the world When it meeteth with
it with man The first is both a corrupted and corrupting mind the next a senslesse heart the third a shamelesse face Such Furniture is neither to bee enuyed nor coueted It is a witlesse Witte that is wittie to warppe a mischiefe to it selfe Achitopheâ—s policie put his house in order and himselfe out of order Hee gained by it nothing but a roppe to his necke and confusion to himselfe and his estate This is true Wisedome to feare God and to depart from sinne is good vnderstanding 63. The life of the Soule THe Soule is the life of the bodie but it selfe must liue by some other life and that not from within but from without Euery one seeketh not that same thing for the life of it It is a second life in time but should bee better than the first because it is the life of the first euen of the Soule it selfe and should as farre excell the Soule as the Soule doeth the body But the multitude chooseth a worse and a baser life to their Soule Some liue by their riches some by their fame others by their pleasures and others by their conceates This is not an exalting but a debasing of their Soule not a quickening but a killing of it It is Gods worke to quicken our earthlie lumppe by an heauenlie substance but to destroy that Soule by a lumppe of earth and vanitie is Sathans destroying worke It were extreame senslesnesse to liue a day or an houre and not know if our Soule were in vs and yet many put off long time and neuer try if they haue this spirituall life They lacke it who know it not a speciall worke of it is to reueale it selfe to them who haue it It is a vigorous life all in action and cannot lurke Holie Motions Operations and assiduous Care to keepe it are euidencies that wee haue it I will seeke nothing for the life of my Soule but that which is infinitelie better than it and that is God himselfe When hee dwelleth in the Soule hee maketh both Soule body liue in him and exciteth them to an higher degree than they had before There is no food so sweete to the mouth as the sense of Gods loue to the heart when it is warmed by that heauenly sweetnesse then the body is refreshed by a wondefull presence The life that is of God and is himselfe liuing in mee both giueth mee life and telleth mee what that life is and by the sense and conscience of it selfe redoubleth that life in the aboundance of peace and joye Hencefoorth I liue not but Christ liueth in mee and the life that I liue I liue by the Faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for me yea hath giuen himselfe to mee and taken mee to himselfe Galat. 2. 20. 64. Sense of weaknesse IT is absolutely necessar to bee keeped vnder the sense of our weaknesse but all meanes for it are not alike Some learne it by falling in great temptations as Dauid in his sin other find it in smaller and trifling ouersights as rashnesse in words or out-breaking in passions Both grieuous falls and small ouer-sights discouereth our weakenesse but this last hath neither such guiltines before God nor such slander before man nor such a wound to our conscience as the first It is a great mercie of God to bee schooled by lesser infirmities and it is the blessing of that mercie to make use of it This is a point of heauenly wisedome to bee made as conscious of our weakenesse by small slippes as by grieuous sinnes if it worke in vs a distrust of our selues a constant adherence to God wee are brought to a guarde for our weaknesse It is extreame weakenesse or rather death to bee ignorant of our weaknes And it is both strength restored increased to feele it Death feeleth no disease but life the integritie of it maketh vs sensible of any thing that hurteth vs. The tryall of it is to enterpryse nothing without earnest incalling of God for wisedome and direction Neuer to proceede in any thing without imploring his assistance and blessing and that not in greater businesse onely but in our smallest adoes The watch-man of Israel will then preserue our going out and comming in When we absolutelie relye on him in euery thing Hee is most secure and safe from his weaknes who by many proofes is made conscious of it and by that conscience doeth euer depend on GOD he shall ouercome great difficulties to his owne others admiration But he who presumeth in his owne strength is ouerthrowne of smaller businesse Humilitie in the one grippeth God to be led of him But Presumption in the other is Sathans snare to entrappe him Humilitie is both a degree of Gods present assistance and a presage of his accomplishing presence But Presumption in the other is both a just desertion of God and a surrendring of the presumptuous man to fearefull inconuenients Conscience of weaknesse findeth want within and seeketh supplie in God But Conceate of strength holdeth them within The first is blessed with helpe of God the other is coÌ„vinced by grieuous losses 65. The Scriptures vnspeakable profite IT is impossible to liue either Christianlie or comfortablie without the daylie vse of Scripture It is absolutelie necessar for our direction in all our wayes before wee beginne them and for the tryall of our wayes when we haue done For the warrand of our approbation of them for resoluâ—ng of our doubts and comforting vs in our griefes Without it our conscience is a blinde guide and leadeth vs in mist of ignorance error and confusion Therein wee heare God speaking to vs declaring his will to vs concerning our Saluation and the way of our obedience to meete him in that his good will What Booke can wee read with such profite and comfort For matter it is Wisedome For authoritie it is diuine and absolute For Majestie GOD himselfe vnder common wordes and Letters expressing an vnspeakable power to stamp our heart And where shall wee find our mindes so enlightned our heartes so deepelie affected our Conscience so moued both for casting vs downe and raising vs vp I cannot finde in all the Bookes of the worlde such an one speak to me as in Scripture with so absolute a conquesh of all the powers of my soule Contemners of Scriptures want food for their soule a light for their life and the sword of their spirituall warre-fare But the louers of Scripture haue all that Furniture Therein wee heare the voyce of our Beloued wee smell the sauour of his Oyntments and haue daylie accesse vnto the Arke of propitiation If in our knowledge wee desire Diuinitie Excellencie Antiquitie and Efficacie wee cannot finde it but in Gods Worde alone It is the extract of heauenly Wisedome which Christ the eternall Word of God brought out of the bosome of his Father Oft-times on this Meditation I doe both pittie the Pagans who haue not this sacred Booke and were without
to vs. There was neuer such a meeting neuer a more indigent begger than man nor a more liberall giuer than God If as wee are great beggers in pouertie so also in importunitie of suting we shall finde his fulnesse running ouer to our superaboundance and his All-sufficiencie turne our necessitie in sufficiencie It is helpfull in the nature of it in that it is good contrare to our euill and for the disposition of it in that it is liberall to communicate it selfe to our helpe But hee commeth nearer to vs in that hee hath made the fulnesse of his goodnesse to dwell in Christ that is neare to vs that is come to our nature All Grace is treasured in Christ our Head Beside this approching of Grace in him it is neare to our possession when as hee hath it so hee hath procurred by his merits the right of it to vs by his intercession obtaineth it by his dispensation distributeth it daylie Heere are groundes sufficient both for suting and confidence of obtaining I find him neuer more readie to giue than when I haue new receiued neither is my Soule more desirous to craue of him than when it is yet warmed with the sense of his mercie in his new receiued blessing Hee will neuer cease to giue till wee cease to craue perfection is his last gift and our greatest measure Wee neede no more nor can containe no more when once his bountie hath perfected vs in glorie 73. Good motions are of God WEE are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any good 2. Cor. 3. 5. As euery good gift so euer good motion commeth of God Heereby wee vnderstand not fleeing motions of his common and tâ—mporarie giftes but the constant worke of his indwelling Spirit who after our sealing by him abideth in vs That sealing is not so much in any motion as in himselfe for wee aâ—e scaled by the Spirit of promise for the day of Redemption as the earnest of our Inheritance Infused habits of Grace are his great work gift but they wil remaine habits still or rather decay and neuer produce actions without his operation His Spirit is free and worketh where he listeth and in them whom hee possesseth hee worketh not aye to their feeling but when he will His working as his Kingdome come not by obseruation The waters of Bethesda had their tyme of wholesome troubling and so the holie Spirit hath his owne dyet of powerfull operation Occasion may bee offered outwardlie but the inward power can not stirre it selfe without his hand who gaue it It is a great blessing to haue that vertue and power of infused Grace and good occasions and holy necessities in our callings are great prouocations but aboue all the holy Spirite dwelling in the heart is to bee sought when hee kythes himselfe small gifes will vtter themselues excellently according to their Nature When hee lurketh great Graces are on a sleepe they can neither moue themselues nor the Soule that hath them The Soule is the life of the body and giftes and Graces are the life of the Soule But the holy Spirit is the life of them all Both they and wee are dead without him But in his mightie operation we are quickned and that to our feeling So long as I find God in mine heart I am sure of a timous and fruitfull stirring vp of his gifts his owne worke assureth mee of his Presence and his presence perswadeth mee of his worke His time I leaue to himselfe who is as wise to choose the opportunitie as he is able to work the work If I grieue not the Spirit of promise and bee not lacking to his working I will finde tymous and powerfull operation in my necessitie Euery life hath its own naturall actions whereby it is both manifested discerned and so hath the life of God and it is a speciall worke of it to keepe it selfe in vs but to bee carelesse of it is a worke of the flesh and not of the Spirit 74. The right use of obseruing of our neighbours infirmities OBseruation is a Commentarie of euerie occurrent but that Commentar is written in the heart of the obseruer It is wisedome to obserue at all times but there is no necessitie to vtter all our obseruations to other There is as great wisedome in some cases to suppresse as to marke them If wee see God offended wee ought not then to be silent when wee see him dishonoured it is our part as louing Children to pleade zealouslie his cause and to admonish the offender according to our calling But if we obserue our self injured by meÌ„ it is better to misken that wrong and suppresse our owne obseruation Hee who trauelleth through a rough Forrest should not rubbe on euerie thorne and brier that will both rent his garments and flesh and stoppe him in the way Hee is more wise who draweth his garments hard to his body and shifteth the touch of thornes And if they fasten on him softlie freeth himselfe off them It is a safe course through this thornie world to haue no medling but necessar And then not to prouoâ—ke mens infirmities Or if they will rubbe vpon vs wisely to decline or passe them ouer Hee who carpeth at euery thing breedeth much needlesse and endlesse labour But he who passeth by tollerable things without challenge prouyded great peace to himselfe Obseruation is the eye that seeth these thornes Patience and Prudence are the two hands the one to decline them the other to loose them when they fasten in vs. This is not a politicke Dissembling but a Christian disgesting of wrongs The first is a craftie smoothering of anger which will arise to reueng at the owne occasion the second is a buriall of it neuer to reviue or bee remembred The worke of obseruation in it selfe is a good degree of wisedome but the right vse of it is greater wisedome If wee shall euer communicat all our remarkes to men wee could not haue peace in the world men are not so sanctified as to suffer themselues to bee challenged of that whereof they are guiltie Passions in their hearts when they are touched by obseruation are as Lyons in the denne and Serpents in their holes To shew that wee see them prouocketh a greater irritâ—tion It is better to let a Dogge sleepe than to waken him It is sufficient to know hee is a Dogge and wiselie to decline his barking and byting The particular directions of this point would bee many but this is the summe of all to make such vse of obseruation that GOD bee not dishonoured Our Neighbour be not offended Our peace with God our Neighbour and our selues bee not broken 75. Hardnesse of Heart DOubtlesse the heart is naturally hard and accidentallie soft as yron holden in the fire is hotte and soft but out of it turneth cold hard wheÌ„ God warmeth it with a spirituall motion and sense of his loue then it is soft as wax but atonce it becommeth as a stone
chase Thee from the Earth O my Soule Miseries made Pegans to desire death but they saw not a Glorie to come God hath enlightned thee in the face of Christ thou knowest that there is Glorie layed vp for thee in the Heauen thou belieuest it hopest for it thou hast tasted it and is vnder a longing desire of it Call thy selfe to minde of the dayes of olde when either a sense of mercie or more usuallie affliction sent thee to God did hee not then allure thee to the wildernesse and speake to thine heart Hosea 2. 14. Wast thou not then vnder his liberall hand as a small vessell vnder a large Fountaine Did not his joyes so abound in thee that thou could neither receiue them all nor keep them in the measure that thou receiued them Tell me what was then thy comfort Thy God so sensible to thee in that diffusion of his loue that thou wast in a sort drawen out of thy selfe at least drawne out of mee Could thou either holde thine affection off God or containe it when it returned to thee Could thou lodge it or God that it brought with it or that sense of him and joye that it reported to thee Did not thy bodie partake of that thy joy with a sweete complacence it rested on that sense and was glad to bee so honoured as to bee a lodging of a Spirit which had so sweete and friendlie an intercourse with God When his loue shed abroad in thee could not abid in these boundes whither was thy griefe greater that so good a God should bee at any time displeased by thee or thy joye because hee was then reconcealed to thee Then atonce were the deepe groanes both of griefe and joy but more of joye than griefe and of joye for that holy griefe for offending so good a Father If thou remember these excessiue joyes why doest not thou mak good use of them They were not giuen thee for that time only but for this that is now What were these tastes first fruits but as the wine grapes that the Spyes broght out of Canaan They were so great that they could not beare them in their hand but were a burden to two men When these two senses of spirituall joy Sonlie griefe reported their burthen of an excessiue sweetnesse was not that a taste of the fruite of Canaan If a Cluster of that Land be so sweete so great to thee What shall thou finde when thou enters in that Land How can thou but loue that Land that hath such fruits long for the fulnesse of that fruite that is so sweete to thy taste when thou wast vnder that sens◠thou was more in God than in thy selfe and more in Heauen than on Earth Since the remembrance of it doeth both present the Image of it and waken it selfe againe in thee Be of good courage enter and possesse the Land God hath discouered it to thee off the toppe of Nebo and Pisgah Thou hast tasted the fruite of it by the report of the Spyes Lay hold on it by the hand of thy loue longing desire God hath cast downe the walles of Iericho before thee and hath wounded the world the sonnes of Anake at thy conuersion and daylie is killing the sonnes of Harapha in thy daylie battells Bee strong and goe fordward for God is before thee Consider by the satietie of the tastes how great a satietie thou shalt haue in Heauen when the smallest blinke of Gods face made thee patientlie to beare forget thy greatest affliction what shall that full presence worke in thee In his presence is fulnes of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. If thy taste bee vpright thou cannot but long for that fulnesse thou must welcome the Messenger that calleth thee to it How can I but long for a change betwixt two so contrare estates present miserie grieueth mee and future Glorie gladeth me in hope The Earth thrusteth mee from it and the Heauen allureth and draweth mee to it Who can indure such a violence of an out thrusting earth and alluring Heauen Sathans snares doe vex mee heere beneath and the sweetnesse of Christ pulleth mee aboue Naturall miseries made naturall men to desire Death and shall I not desire it more who haue an hope and sight of Glorie which they knew not I will not bee as a Meteor in the Aire betweene them two but I resolue to leaue the Earth that I may goe to Heauen Who can either delight to abide in such an Earth or refuse to goe to such an Heauen All things here inforce a remouing Our life a weariesome journey our walking in it laborious and it selfe a way and not our end And while wee are heere we are absent from God But in Heauen all is contrare our life shall bee pleasant without labour It is our end and not the way Our home in the presence of God This is sufficient to chase thee from Earth and sette thy desires on Heauen Art thou walking in the valey of the shaddow of Death yet feare not euill for God is with thee and in thee and thou in him Can a man that is in God die the death No more than Life can die can that man die that liueth in God As wee are in Christ wee are in life and that life of his euen himselfe can not die so farre art thou from dying in him at death that thou liueth more by death and in it than before it None can take that frō me on the Earth which God is keeping for mee in Heauen My life is not in this bodie nor in the world but in God in heauen It is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. 3. And the life that I liue I liue by the Faith of the Sonne of God Galat. 2. 20. My death commeth not so much of paines thrusting mee out of this bodie as of that life and fountaine of it in God sucking and drawing my Soule to it and that not to slay or destroy it but to quicken and perfect it Consider thy selfe art thou not dwyning and dying in this life when sinne liueth in thee and stayeth thee from good and compelleth thee to euill The Bodie though an helpe as it is boared through by the windowes of fiue Senses yet it is an hinder to thy proficiencie perfectiō of knowledge doing A Cage suffereth the Bird to looke through the wyres yet it is a prison to keepe it from libertie When thou art loosed from that cage thou shalt haue greater light in libertie As Christ himselfe ouercame Death so will he doe in mee Sathan did hound it at him as his last and most fearefull mastiue but he destroyed it they went together in others grippes to the Graue but Christ did strangle it in the owne dungeon Hee arose and left it behind him as a conquered and triumphed Enemy he did not that for himself but for vs his owne Bodie will doe it in euerie one
By day euen vnder spirituall exercise it stealeth it selfe away from sensiblenesse And in the night though wee close our eyes vnder a strong spiritual sense and softnesse yet in the morning wee shall finde it hard in our breast It can bee hardened not by Commission of euill onely but also by omission of good and that while wee are labouring to soften it Next to the pleasing of God I neuer found an harder taske than to keepe the heart in tendernesse There is no pleasure to the softnesse of it and no griefe to the felâ— hardnesse of it and yet when I grieue for that hardnesse I shal rejoyce if it were incurable it would bee vnfelt The Conscience of my endeuouring to flie sin giueth some comfort the vnspeakable griefe for the hardnesse of it mitigateth that griefe An heart fullie deserted of God and judiciallie hardened can neither feele that hardnesse nor grieue for it If I feare it and feele it I haue it not griefe for it is a softning and loosing of hardnesse Hee hath neede to dwell in his heart and in these thoughts continuallie who would keepe his heart in a tendernesse and affectuousnesse to God The best way to keepe hardnesse out of our heart is to intertaine an heauenly heat of Deuotion in it The Altar of God had alwayes the fire that came downe from heauen If wee keepe our heart vnder the sense of Gods loue to vs and the worke of our loue to him that warmnesse shall preserue our heart in that temper that God at no tyme shall want a sacrifice nor wee a comfort 76. Gods worship done as his worship MAny exercise themselues in the worke of Gods worshippe but not as his worship The Hypocrite doeth it to be seene of men and to purchase a name of pietie the Politicke to bee counted a professor and eschew the suspition of Atheisme And the Atheist himselfe to feede his curiositie It is a good worke in it selfe but to them who doe it with by respects it is sinne Their life doe proue how profanelie they act it they are neuer one whit better but goe on in their profannesse they obtaine the end that they intend and can sute no further Their ende is not edification in the Grace of God but other base respects the desire whereof cerieth them to the worke and in it they find their satisfaction further they looke not and finde not The end of Gods worshippe is our union with him to partake his forgiuing goodnesse in the pardon of sinne and his giuing goodnesse in all sauing Grace The forme of it is in giuing diuine homage honour to him But they minde none of these If they can purchase the name of zealous professors suters of Sermons though indeede they bee but naturallie or ciuillie disposed in all the worke and seekers of nouelties they haue all their desire But to doe the worke of Gods worshippe as his worship hath vnspeakable profite wee doe it so when the loue of God and his Grace allureth vs and the griefe of our miserie forceth vs to him when we preasse not to please men but God seeke not any base respect but his Glorie the rest comfort of our Soules in Christ Wee take time occasion place Texts all as Gods prouidence doth offer them to vs in all we seeke him find him rest on him We may both please men and our selfe and deceiue vs both therein in such by-respects Yet God will not bee deceiued what euer his secrete goodnesse worke in man yet no spirituall fruite is due to so fleshly a disposition 77. Gods stamppe in the Soule and Bodie GOD hath reserued the immediate search and knowledge of the heart to himselfe But so as hee hath left some indices for others to obserue it GODS Image is principally seated in the Soule yet it is not inclosed there but the body hath the owne part in it Election Iustification Sanctifiation pertaineth to both Soule Bâ—die though the soule be both more capable seÌ„sible of them Gods treasure of Grace in his owne is so laide vp in the Soule that it may bee seene in some measure in the body and that not onely as the Soules Instrument but as a Companion That fellowship in partaking Grace with the Soule doeth more affect the bodie than a naked Instrument The countenance conuoy of businesse gesture and wordes giue some notice how the heart is sette Though man by Education Letters Religion and Grace be subject to a change from his naturall disposition yet there is euer some Characteristicke thing in Nature to bee seene in euery one Hypocrisie the fittest visorne for deceat cannot hyde that from the discerning eye As the colour of people testifieth the soyle their language the Nation their accent of speach their Prouence as a Galilean from an Iew So euerie mans Character telleth his disposition hee must cast off himselfe before hee cast it off It is the Soules lineaments in the body words and deeds if wee find it wee haue found out the predominant both in its â—eate and chiefe instrument It is matter for our circumspectnesse to eschew mens euill and of our hope to look for their good What either good or euill can bee remarkable in them is marked by and tasteth of that stamppe It is good when the naturall Character is stamped with Grace when God reneweth me to his Image in righteousnesse and holinesse sure I am hee will make mee a signet on his arme and his heart when hee filleth all the heart with his Grace his Name will bee written in the forehead so that they who can may read Holinesse to the LORD Courtlie attendance giueth men a courtlie countenance And Sathans slaues by their deuilish consulting with him drawe on their face a sterne rasednesse the horrour of that vncleane Spirit deformeth his familiars And shall not the heauenlie familiaritie with God giue an holy impression to his daylie attendants Familiar conuersing with God made Moses face to shine The Soule is naturallie both affected with and affecteth the body with the things that it most loueth And what is more excellent or giueth stronger impression in it than God If wee come seldome to him we are but lightlie touched of him but if our Soules by continuall mynding of him bee sub-acted by these thoughtes and kned in them doubtlesse as our Spirit within so our body without shall giue some testimonies of a diuine disposition 78. Of great naturall Spirits I Saw neuer greater folie than in these named greatest naturall Spirits odde wits haue as odde gaddes no great ingyne without some mixture of madnes and their vyce oft-ten doeth equall or rather exceede their vertues No moderate thing can coÌ„tent them but al their worke is in excesse and that in the worst sense their end in intending their practise in plotting and they choose rather to hunt an vncertaine and imaginate contentment than to enjoye a certaine and present estate I doe
not so wonder at their course folie in judging it as at the world that counteth them great Spirits Alexanders Courtiers mocked Diogenes but hee in his Hodged was a greater Monarch than Alexander For he commanded Pride Ambition and Lust wherevnto Alexander was a slaue I will leaue reasoning with those Spirits till they come home to themselues They are not brought home usuallie but by some great calamitie and many not till their death Moderate Spirits proue best With little businesse they doe much and holding themselues within their reach they come softlie to their just and desired ends But the other take great libertie ouer their Spirites and States and outreach them both But Prouidence will not bee commanded of them It câ—osseth their desires and breaketh their purposes in shiuers What euer Spirit wee haue in naturall partes it is good to haue it sanctified our care shall be helped with heauenly prudence furthered by Gods prouidence These shall bring to our hand more than euer wee could dreame The supposed base Spirites of this holie temper doe infinitely exceede these falslie named great Spirits Their greatnesse is more in the worldes style than in the thing it selfe but the event will proue them great in miserie they are great only in humane things in mans account True greatnes is in true goodnesse It is a base and bastard greatnesse that is separate from goodnesse These two are infinitelie and joyntlie in God who is both Optimus Maximus thee Goodest and Greatest There is more true greatnesse in the meanest degree of sauing Grace than in all the humane greatnesse in the world How euer the world count of their owne greatnesse and of the basenesse of the godly yet the Saints are Gods excellent Ones on Earth Psal. 16. 3. 79. The worke of Conscience THE Conscience is the most wonderfull power in our Soule it is both a parte of it and a Partie in it a power created in vs by God set ouer vs with diuine authority An eye looking out on all and most on God and returning againe and reflecting on our selfe it hath in it atonce both a light to see God and to see him looking on vs The worke of it is 1. to direct vs in the right 2. to watch ouer vs in obedience of that direction 3. To witnesse how wee obey 4. To judge our obedience estate with God If wee obey to gladen vs with a sweete testimonie if wee disobey to grieue vs with a fearefull checke These offices are fruitefull but the last is the strength and force of the other There may bee Watching Direction and Witnessing and yet but slow and weake judging in it But when the conscience is brought to some odde exercise in that judging part the other offices are more conscientiouslie discharged After that exercise her watching is more particular her directing more forcible and her witnessing more sincere GOD vseth a great varietie in this exercise For the Measure some are more heauily pressed down in their sense to the lower Hell other more easilie passe that burning fire For Matter some tremble before that fire for supposed or small sinne where other are scarcely touched for grosse offences For Tyme some know it not to their middle or olde Age others are preuented by it in their Youth It is in it selfe a fruite of sin a processe of Gods justice a worke of the Law and a crosse of crosses when the Charter of our peace with God is turned in a bill of diuorcement from him And the ordinar applyer of our comfort applyeth nothing but wrath to vs Yet it bringeth foorth a glorious fruite in the Sainctes and the sooner wee bee schooled in it the greater fruite In our Youth it is a notable preparatioÌ„ for our effectuall Calling And when Grace is weake and corruption strong to breake foorth at euery occasion and Sathan busie to leade vs in all sinne it is then a great blessing to bee bridled by these terrors Thereby sinne is restrained and a way prepared both for obedience and sinceritie in it The Soule that hath beene burnt with that fire will neuer doe that which will kendle it againe Hee who hath seene an angrie God and beareth the markes of his anger dare not bourd with him Thereafter our Reading Hearing Thinking and all occasions are turned to a consciencious knoâ—â—edge and that knowledge is set on worke to keepe the peace and approbation of GOD and GOD in them both The sooner wee finde that Exercise wee are the sooner schooled for keeping our Conscience in walking with God There goeth nothing to oddes in our deedes or wordes or thoughts but all is called to the Touch-stone and tried how it may stand with the will of God and peace of our Conscience It is good for a man to beare the yoke of God from his youth Lament 3. 27. Hee who so judgeth himselfe daylie and keepeth himselfe cleane shall find at the last day a friendly Iudge a fauourable reckoning and the greater and sweeter Glorie by resenting his former terrours Though Heauen bee infinitelie pleasant in it selfe it shall bee the more pleasant to them who haue tasted the sorrowes of Hell in this life Happie is hee who is conscious of his owne Conscience and both setteth it to worke and reporteth the daylie fruite of that worke And more happie is hee who knowing the weaknesse of his Conscience suteth Gods presence to ouerrule his Conscience It is indeed our Watch but that watch hath neede of a better Watch-man and this is Gods Spirit who is that Conscience of consciences WheÌ„ our bodie waiteth on our Soule our Soule on our Conscience and our Conscience dependeth on God Then God by our Conscience will direct our Soule and Bodie in the good way and blesse vs with happie successe therein And in end eternallie sease on our Conscience Soule and Bodie with his full and perfect Ioyes 80. Tendernesse of Body a Blessing to the godly A Tender Body is an heauie burden yet it is profitable to the renewed man Health is Gods blessing in it selfe but sanctified infirmities bringeth health to the Soule Constant health in many is taken for a naturall gift as it is not sought of God so neither is it holden of him as his blessing nor vsed to his Glorie Their mindes doe neither mark the course of it with joy nor turne them to God for it It may seeme grieuous to bee night day perplexed with a weake body but the fruite of it is better than all these paines God giueth not health in a constant tenour but by partes hee tapes it so peece and peece that euerie houre he giueth vs both matter of prayer and praise When I finde daylie the sentence of death I haue dayly recouse to God for life and euerie deliuerie of euerie on-set is a new gift and taker of the life It is not sought for it selfe but for God that it may be imployed to his honour A godlie Soule