Believe then in the Lord you that never did yet and you may be sure certain that your shall be saved Here give me leave again to enlarge my self a little upon this most needful Medium whereby you may gain the assurance of your salvation shewing how you must go to work that you may believe 1. Hear a powerful and faith preaching Ministery as much and as often as you may for Faith cometh by hearing the Word being like water which brings forth fruit and especially the fruit of Faith Isa 55.10 John 8.30 * Calvin Inst l. 3. c. 2. s 6. Rom. 10.17 some Divines do therefore call it the Fountain of Faith 2. Be convinced and labour to be convinced 1. Of your unbelief as he Mark 9.23 for therefore it is partly that so many believe not because they will not believe that they believe not therefore why should they labor to believe seeing they believe already say they Beloved go from house to house and ask ho are there any Believers here and they will be ready to stone you saying What do ye make of us do ye think that we are Devils or Infidels we are Christians we are Christians and believe in Christ as well as you and as difficult a task it is for a Minister to convince men of their unbelief as any thing almost I know of A Drunkard a Fornicator a passionate man a swearer a Sabbath-breaker he may soon convince of his sin for to that they will say it is true we are such it is an infirmity we cannot leave but when he comes to deal with men about unbelief telling them that they have no Faith Oh what a do is there oh how do their colours rise they are even ready to fly in his face none will believe him or be convinced that he doth not believe therefore labour to be convinced of unbelief 2. Of Damnation For he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 which also is a thing that unbelievers will not be convinced of for tell them of it and they will tell you God forbid for God is merciful and we hope to be saved as well as you and not all the Ministers in England can make men believe otherwise till God give them a sight of their unbelief Then O then they can and will cry out saying Oh we shall be damned and we cannot be saved therefore labour to be convinced of damnation also Quest You will say if it be such a hard thing to be so convinced then what shall we do to be convinced I Ans Pray to the Spirit that you may be convinced by the Spirit for it is his work John 16.8.9 as thus O blessed Spirit convince me of mine unbelief for I must confess I am one that would not hitherto believe that I do not believe O open mine eies that I may see my unbelief I humbly pray thee Do the like for convictions about Damnation 2. Take on and begin to be troubled as that poor man in the Gospel Mark 9.23 24. who so cryed and wept and took on and said Lord help mine unbelief and those Acts 2.37 for else you build without a foundation and then how will your building stand There is a notable place for this in Gal. 3.23 Before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed Mark 1. Before Faith comes we are under the Law that is under the lashes and terrors of the Law especially a little before Faith cometh indeed we are whipt and troubled indeed by that grim Schoolmaster whose name is Law And 2. Before the Law comes we are shut up like Prisoners and therefore must suffer as Prisoners O my Brethren if then you mean to have Faith you must not refuse to be under the lashes of the Law you must be content to be in Prison a while and as Scholars which are grievously whipt grievously to weep because of your unbelief and because of the miseries which shall come upon you if ye believe not For he that believeth not shall be damned saith Christ Mar. 16.16 Mark he shall be damned and what is that you will say Oh! it is to be sentenced to Hell and what is that Oh! it is a place called * Hieron in Matth. 10. Gehenna a word first of all used by Christ afterwards by * Sicque usurpatur in lib. Pirkeaboth admodunt antiquo cap. 1. 5. others also for the place of the damned and compounded of Gee and Hinnom which signifieth a Valley of Hinnom which was a Valley nigh to Jerusalem in which the old Idolatrous Jews were wont to burn their children alive to the honour of the Devil at the sounding of Trumpets and Timbrels and other loud sounding instruments that they might not hear the cry of their poor dying children and for that the place was afterwards used for the receipt of all filthiness as dung carrion and the like and probable it is that our Saviour used this word above all other to signify the miserable burning of unbelievers in that place the pittiful cries of the tormented the barbarous and confused noise of the Tormentors together with the most loathsome filthiness of the place it self Go to now ye Unbelievers I say now as St. * Jam. 5. â— James once to rich men and weep for the miseries that shall come upon you in that woful place called Gehenna nay go and howl together O ye Drunkards and Usurers and Adulterers and Adulteresses and Fornicators and Harlots and Swearers and Lyars and covetous Worldlings and riotous Livers as ye were wont to be merry together some of you so now mourn and weep bitterly together because you have no Faith and because you will and must except you get Faith in Christ lie and fry and burn like the little children of the idolatrous Jews in that woful place of torment thus howl together saying Oh that Valley of Hinnom for so Hell is called and Oh that place of torment where there is such screeching and crying of men women and children that receptacle of all filth and filthy livers Oh it will come for us and for our portion for unbelievers such as we are will be damned Rev. 21.8 I have read of one * Rich. Baxter in his Everl Rest Brumo a famous Preacher in his time that when he was dead and to be buried he cryed out 3 times 1. Accusatus sum 2. Judicatus sum 3. Damnatus sum I am 1. Accused 2. Judg'd 3. Damn'd Whereas both others and himself before that verily thought he would surely be saved so let every one of you as dead and condemned by the * John 3.18 words of Christ now say Oh I am Damned I am Damned I am Damned I thought once that I should be saved assoon as any and would not be otherwise perswaded but that my Soul should be heavened as well as others but now I see that unless infinite mercy do save me
have done and ver 24. ' O wretched man that I am Note again I am and not I have been who shall deliver me from the body of this death Mark shall deliver me and not hath delivered me though that be a truth too that he was in a great measure mortified and partly delivered already and therefore be not disheartned O my Soul for though Paul was transcendently more crucified to the world than I yet was he pestred and troubled with a world of sin which he calls the body of death as well as I and his only hope and trust was in Jesus Christ that he would deliver him at last for so he saith I thank God through Jesus Christ as if he should say and would you know what I mean to do in this heavy case then I must tell you that I will collocate and place my sole and whole trust and affiance in the Lord Christ who as he hath delivered me in part so doubtless will deliver me yet more and more therefore as being certain of it that he will do it I thank God for it thorow Christ who will do it as if he had done it already and this same course thou also must take O my soul and therefore hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Soul But why is not that worldliness which I objected but now as discovering it self so by eagerness after and delightfulness in the things of this world with its fashions at least more subdued yet all this while than it is Believ Doest thou wonder at that O my soul then consider 1. What a multitude of enemies do continually assault me I mean Satanical suggestions the worlds enchanting provocations and the fleshes own insurrections most mighty and most frequent which maketh me even wonder how a poor soul can overcome such a world in any measure for who would not rather admire a little Ship if fighting with many great well mann'd Turkish Galleys it should escape though her mast and all the higher part of it should be beaten off down to the water and many men slain in her than enquire why it should be so spoiled debilitated and weakned which is just thy case O my soul for thou hast fought with many great and pestilent enemies like a little Ship and yet didst so far escape as that they could not totally nor finally prevail against thee though it cannot be denied but that they have wasted and spoiled and hurt thee much and killed many good motions and therefore I say that even this is a thing to be wondred at 2. Besides God hath his time for every thing a time for tryal and a time for help and to subdue the world in a greater measure as he will and therefore * Psal 42.11 for the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expecta wait thou upon God 3. Again it may be that the means were not so industriously used whereby the world may be subdued even the vision and application of Faith and therefore let us amend this fault and then I hope all will be well Soul You say well and therefore up and be doing Christ What manner of communications be these which you have being so * Luk. 24 1◠18 19. sad Believ Concerning sin which my soul is troubled for and would be delivered from Christ Art thou willing indeed O Christian Soul to part with any sinful pleasure profit honour and with life it self for my sake Soul * Joh. 21.17 Thou Lord knowest all things thou knowest that I desire it and would not willingly live or lie in the practise of any * Psal 119. one known sin Christ * Luk 24.25 O foolish soul then and slow to believe all that the Prophets have spoken did dest thou never read what is written * Mich. 7.19 20. he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou will cast all their sins in the depth of the sea Mark he will not only have compassion pardoning iniquity and passing by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage but also subdue your iniquities that is he will * For the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjugabit vi ac violentia capiet subjugate and bring under the yoke as it were * all your sins so as that like yoked oxen you shall be able to rule them though in themselves they be never so unruly and he will even offer and infer violence unto your nature so as that your sinful lusts desires and affections shall be even captivated in such a manner as that they shall not be able to range and to rage so freely as they did and therefore trust in God O thou Christian Soul who is the health of thy countenance and thy God who can and will help thee and deliver thee at last most happily out of all thy misery Soul Blessed be thou sweet Jesus dear Saviour who thus art pleased to comfort me and praised be thy holy name in the which I sweetly repose my trust for I know thee what thou art The Holy one of Israel the mighty God the Prince of peace the God of comfort even Immanuel God with us who by this sweet and precious promise art fast bound to perform in me what thou hast here promised unto me and therefore Lord do unto me as thou canst and then I shall be able to forsake sin as I would I humbly beseech thee yea I do even assure my self that as thou canst so thou wilt because thou art the * Joh. 14.6 truth it self and therefore I say * Mich. 7.19 20. thou Lord wilt cast all my sins in the depth of the Sea of thy mercy and suffocate them in thy precious blood as the Egyptians were drowned in the Red-sea and wilt subdue them as they were subdued that they may not rule over me as they did when I lived in Egypt the house of bondage in the state of my unregeneracy I mean O Lord Lord I believe that thou wilt perform thy truth to me as well as to Jacob and thy mercy as to Abraham which thou hast sworn from the daies of old as thou art God from everlasting Christ I see thou wilt hold me to my word like Jacob and the truth is that being the truth I cannot go from them nor deny them and therefore * Mat. 15 2◠be it to thee as thou wilt Believ Amen Lord Jesus The second Conference Wherein Faith makes use of the Promise of Heaven and threatning of Hell against sin BEliev. Seest thou not O my Soul these snares which Satan that cunning fowler hath laid for thee to illaqueate and to catch thee Soul What snares Believ Snares of covetousness in the goods of this world snares of voluptuousness in eating drinking marrying snares of pride in praying preaching discoursing Alms-giving snares in sleeping snares in waking and in every other thing Soul I
am like a dog returning to his vomit in that I have recommitted so many sins which I should have omitted yet let me find but some crumbs of mercy crumbs are not denyed to dogs and that I may not be such a dog returning to my former disobedience help me I pray thee and save me from sin for therefore thou camest into the world that thou mayest save sinners of whom I a poor sinful soul am chief Christ O dear Soul great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Soul Oh the comfort and oh the quietness and tranquility which I find in thee and by thee sweet Saviour for now I am perswaded that neither Satan nor sin shall prevail against me to separate me from my dear love Christ who saves me from evils past fuscitates and raises me from the present and fortifieth me against those which are to come O Lord Jesus if thou didst not thus preserve me there is no sin in the world which I might not commit against thee for I know that there is no evil perpetrated and done by any man which may not also be acted by another man if the Creator be wanting who made man But now thou hast done that for me which hath kept me that I might not do what I would have done against thee and that I might abstain thou didest prohibit me and that I might believe thou didst infuse grace into me unto thee therefore be all honour and glory The seventh Conference Wherein the troubled believing Soul maketh use of Christ's death to work the death of sin and promises to be more thankefull BEliev. How is it with thee now O my soul Soul Not very well Believ Not well Soul No. Believ Why so Soul I am not so well comforted as I have been in times past and sin begins to gather strength and I am not able to master it as I do desire Believ It may be thou hast drawn this misery upon thy self by not being * Tho. à Kemâ— pis de Imit Chr. l. 2. c. 10. thankful enough for mercies comforts formerly distilled upon thee or by some secret pride which if it be so the cause must be first removed then Faith must be rightly used and all will be well Soul You have spoken as right as may be I am such an unthankful creature and so high spirited by nature and therefore it is just with God to bereave me both of comforts and strength to resist the common Adversary who goeth and goeth continually seeking whom he may davour 1 Pet. 5.8 and whom by no other means I shall be able to resist but only by Faith and therefore I promise both to be more grateful for the future by God's help and also more humble and lowly denying my self in all things and aforibing all honour and glory unto him of whom are all things yea * Sileat sibi ipsa anima transeat se mon cogitâ—ndo se sed de te Deus mous â— c. Aug. Man c. 12. passing by my self so in my thoughts as that I may not think of my self but of God who is my only hope and confidence and that I may overcome for the future both sin and Satan who is the Author of sin I 'le by the grace of God set faith a work eye especially the bitter * Nullum tam potens est tam efficax contra ardorem libidinis medicamentum quam mors redemptoris mei Id. cap. 23. death passion of my dear Saviour who loved me and gave himself for me that he might mundify me redeem me from * Tit. 2.14 all iniquity perswading my self that I shall be delivered in his own good time even from these sinful lusts and passions which now do so molest me yea I 'le also call upon him even now forthwith desiring his heavenly highness that he will by the power of his death work the death of my sins and free me from Satans power and tyranny Believ Well said this is the course thou must take O my soul and therefore call thou upon the Lord in this time of need for he hath said Call upon me in the day of trouble I 'le deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 Mark this golden sentence O my soul for here is both a Precept for thee to bind thee and a promise to assure thee the Precept is call upon me yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clama cry unto me and spare not as if thou durst not speak being afraid but rather lift up thy voice and cry aloud as being commanded to be so bold the Promise is and I will deliver thee or I 'le loose thee from thy bonds for so much the original * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports even a solution from bonds for troubles are as bonds and so are sins and thou shalt glorify me note how the Lord doth here promise not only to free thee from troubles but also to cause thee to glorify him being freed out of troubles as which of thy self thou canst not do though but even now thou didst promise and vow to do it Soul Are not these thy words O my Lord my God who must help me didst not thou dictate them into David's pen and leave them recorded in thy book even for me to excite and to secure me Lo I am in trouble O Lord being fast bound and captivated as it were of sin Rom. 7.23 and I cannot unite my self of my self but thou canst who art omnipotency it self and therefore I call even to thee to help me For thou hast said call upon me in the day of trouble and I assure my self that thou wilt not leave me because thou hast promised me that thou wilt deliver me saying I will deliver or loose thee Loose me therefore O thou who art most free and unbounded and yet bound to free me having bound thy self by a promise to succor me O let not sin let not Satan keep me bound whom thou Lord Jesus hast redeemed by thy precious blood but free me O free me by thy power from the power of the one and tyranny of the other that I may freely serve thee being comforted in thee Yea Lord when thou hast enlarged me then enable me also and cause me to glory fie thee For thou hast promised that also unto me saying and thou shalt glory fie me taking that saying to be a promise as well as a precept For else if thou shouldst but command me that I must glory fie thee and shouldst not also cause me to do what thou commandest I should never be able to do what I ought and so consequently thou shouldest never have the glory which is due to thy holy name And therefore blessed be thy holy name O my God and Saviour who in one word hast both injoyned and promised me that I shall glorifie thee O inexhaustible Fountain of all grace and glory cause me therefore to glorifie thee and to
be grateful unto thee for every mercy that I do or shall receive of thee and suffer me not to forget either it or my self and to seek my self and mine own glory in any thing I do or shall do for thee I humbly and ardently beseech thee The eighth Conference Wherein the believing Soul maketh use of Christs overcoming of the world against the world BEliev. O Lord my God who being the eternal Son of the eternal God hast given thy self for me to deliver me a servant and wast made man that I a man might be made a child of God being free from sin which dwells in every man Ro. 7.20 thee God and man exempted who art only without sin Heb. 4.15 Yea didst therefore overcome it in thee who art God and man John 16.33 deliver me I pray thee from sin even from this Luciferian pride feral passion and this Soul-wasting envy and self destroying self-love and from this evil covetousness and from these unruly lusts Christ Dost thou not believe that I am able to do it Mat. 9.28 29. Believ Yea Lord Christ Then according to thy faith be it unto thee Believ O my most sweet and blessed Saviour how great is thy mercy For when I silly wretch did but call thou didst hear me by and by and when I was in fight thou didst corrobrate me and when I was ready to sink thou didst support and sustain me and when I did even despair in my self thou didst lift me up above my self Blessed be thy holy name for thy great and unspeakable mercy The ninth Conference Wherein the believing Soul maketh use of the love of Christ against sin SOul O thou Heavenly fire which alwaies shinest and O my dear love which alwaies burnest shine I pray thee from Heaven into me and inflame me with thy great love so as that nothing in this world may be so dear unto me as thou my dear Saviour yea let the world it self be as dead unto me as it was to thy servant Paul who now liveth and shines with thee in glory Gal. 6.14 and do thou which art life it self live in me as thou livest in him that I also may live in thee with him Gal. 2.20 Christ * Cant. 2.14 O my dove thou art thus in the clefts of the Rock even in me who am thy Rock and desirest nothing more than me be of good cheer for thou shalt both love me more than ever thou didst and I 'le express my love toward thee more than ever I did and I will so stupifie thy senses within thee as that the world shall be as crucified unto thee and I 'le even live in thee and work mightily by thee Col. 1.29 and thou shalt live in me and with me here and hereafter eternally John 6.56 Soul O how sweet how ravishing and how comfortable are these words which I hear sweet Jesus more to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 for by them thy servant is now assured that the world shall be subdued in me that thou also thy self my most glorious Redeemer wilt be my exceeding great and all-sufficient reward living in me and with me now and eternally O that this love and good affection which thou O my Love hast diffused in me might now be like that holy fire which in the time of the Law was to burn alwaies and never to go out upon thine Altar and that no waters of affliction might quench it and that no flouds of Satannical temptations drown it Cant. 8.7 O do thou who art Love it self alwaies preserve it that it may ever burn and never go out I humbly obsecrate and pray thee The tenth Conference Wherein the believing Soul maketh use of Christs intercession BEliev. O my Soul as thou hast done in times past so cease not now to invocate thy dear Saviour that he will save thee more and more foom thy sins For he is thy Lord and therefore worship thou him Psal 45.11 Soul So I will by Gods help O most fair Psal 45.2 Most holy most gracious most merciful Saviour intercede for me that I may be kept from this evil world Rom. 8.34 Christ I have prayed for thee John 17.25 and I even ever live to make intercession for thee Hebr. 7.25 wherefore doubt not but assure thy self for certain that thou shalt be kept from the evil which thou fearest and overcome the world which thou hatest for he that is my Father and my God is also thy Father and thy God John 20.17 and I know that he heareth me alwaies John 11.42 and there fore hath heard me in this thing also that I have prayed for when I desired him to keep thee from the evil John 17.15 Soul I doubt not but God thy Father and my Father hath heard thee interceding for me and me praying for my self for thy sake and will hear me for thou hast said whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it unto you John 16.23 O sweet name how pleasant how delectable how amiable and how prevalent therefore must thou needs be in the mouth of him that prayeth and in the ears of him that heareth such prayers as are so sweetned with thy sweet savour as with ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 O blessed be thy sweet holy name sweet Jesus in the which thou causest me to trust by this thy sweet and precious promise The eleventh Conference Wherein the troubled believing Soul maketh use of Christ's Prophetical Office BEliev. It should seem that thou art not yet nor canst be altogether quiet Soul Quiet No No as long as I have this body of sin about me I do not look for it Believ But yet thou must not be so much disquieted and dejected Soul Dejected how can I chuse seeing that God is still so much by me offended Believ But this is not the way to peace which thou goest Soul Which way then would you have me to go Believ That way which is the best way Soul The best way which is the best way Believ Christ who hath said of himself that he is the way it self John 14.6 Soul You say true and I had almost forgotten my self forgetting the way it self and pleasing my self with grief and sorrow for my sins which though it be good and laudable when it is moderate and seasonable leading the pensive and perplexed sinner to Christ yet is it not sufficient or available when it goeth alone and is separated from Christ for he it is who must perfume sweeten all such tears and sorrows as shall be unto God acceptable he must free us also from sin without which freedom no grief for sins past can be profitable Believ Then go to Christ O my soul having been estranged from him by reason of sin which caused thee to absent thy self from him being so dejected and to count thy self unworthy of him being so polluted Soul So I
will by Gods help only advise me what I shall say unto him when I come before him Believ Urge him upon his prophetical Office by vertue whereof he is bound to turn thee from iniquities Act. 3.26 Soul O thou great Prophet and heavenly Doctor who being come from * Joh. 3.2 God God of God light of light teachest what no other Rabby can teach canst do what no man else can do even turn men from their iniquities O turn me also from mine iniquities and save me from my sins and let not so many lessons thought by thy Servants who are but men be lost in me that look beyond them unto thee who art both God and man ordained by God to turn man from sin which is the greatest folly he being the greatest and wisest Doctor yea Wisdom it self Christ I perceive O Christian soul that needs thou wilt be taught of God without whose teaching the Doctrines and instructions of men are all in vain Cor. 3.7 and I see that thou groundest thy request upon a sure and everlasting Rock even upon the Word of truth * 1 Pet. 1.23 which abideth for ever and cannot be denied and therefore as I have said that he who cometh unto me shall in no wise be cast out John 6.37 So be sure that I will not reject thee neither who so comest unto me to * Mat. 11.29 learn of me who am sent to * Deut. 18.15 turn thee from thine iniquities more and more that they may not have dominion over thee Soul I am perswaded that thou wilt do even as thou hast said Lord Jesus for it 's impossible that God should lie Heb. 6.18 and therefore I will even rest on thee and put my whole trust and affiance in thee for my turning from mine iniquities casting away all self confidence and self-relying on an arm of flesh for in vain is the help of man without thee who madest man and causest me also at this time * Ps 119.49 to trust in thee and to disclaim * Acts 3.26 all power and abilitie in man to save and to Jer. 31 1â— turn himself or any other man The Twelfth Conference Wherein the believing soul makes use of Christ's Kingly Office against sin BEliev. O King of Kings and Lord of Lords I that am most poor come to thee that art most rich 〈◊〉 I being most miserable come to thee that art most merciful being most weak to thee that art most strong and being most sinful to thee that art most holy and good desiring thee that of thine infinite mercie thou wilt deliver me out of my misery and according to thy power subdue the strength and potency of Satans tyranny and according to the vertue of thy Kingly Office wilt debilitate weaken the force and power of sin that it may not reign Christ Dost thou believe that I am such a King indeed and thy King who not only can but also will subdue thy sins Believ I do believe it and therefore O my King and my God Psal 84.4 rule thou in my heart even in the midst of thine and mine enemies Psal 110.2 and so rule as that my Soul may rule my Bodie Reason my Soul Grace Reason and I my whole self may be wholly and solely subject to thy holy will it self both inwardly and outwardly and that eternally O Lord thou hast said Ask and ye shall have Luke 11.9 I ask help let me have it Christ Thou shalt have it must have it for I am so tied by the Promise which I have made as that I cannot denie thee what ever thou dost request me because I have said that every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Luke 11.10 Believ I will extoll thee my God O King and I will bless thy Nâ—â—â—â— for ever and ever Psal 45.1 2. every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation therefore my mouth shall speak the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Psal 145.21 The Thirteenth Conference Wherein the believing soul returns from the vain things of the world to Christ and maketh use of the sacred words precepts to resist sin craving assistance of Christ BEliev. O my Soul why dost thou range so and wanderest here and there whereas here is not thy rest Soul You do well to recall me for I am apt to go astray like a lost sheep and to forget both God and my self and to mind the vain things of this vile world Believ So thou art and therefore seeing thou art thus sensible of it return unto thy rest O my Soul Psal 116.7 and flie thou hence like a Dove even like Noah's dove which finding no rest any where for the sole of her foot returned into the Ark floting upon the waters Gen. 8.6 so do thou return from fleeing abroad unto Jesus Christ typified by that Ark who hath promised thee rest Mat. 11.28 Soul You say right so I ought to do and therefore I will seek no farther abroad nor think so much upon such vain and transitory things as I have done but rather come back again to him who doth so lovingly invite me saying Return return O Shulamite return return and I will say unto him * Luk. 15.18 I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Spouse but thou canst cure me as well as call me and make me as clean as ever was any believing Soul and therefore Take away all mine iniquities and receive me graciously Hos 14.2 Christ I will do it only sin no more Joh. 5.14 and be not so worldly and so vain hereafter as thou hast been in times past Soul I hope I shall never be so overtaken again only do thou * Jer. 31. turn me and I shall be turned and subdue sin in me as thou hast promised me Ezek. 36.26 Mic. 7.19 keep home my thoughts and fix them upon thy self and then I cannot possibly be so wordly Christ I see thou wilt needs hold me fast by my word and I cannot go from it because I cannot deny my self being the truth it self and therefore * Luk. 7.50 go in peace thy faith hath saved thee for lo I whom by thy faith thou didst embrace and urge by the Word of Promise which I have spoken as I am God who cannot lye Heb. 6.18 even I my self will do that for thee which thou canst not do without me that is I will more and more subject this vile world unto thee and abject thy worldly lusts and affections from thee and deject the strong mans holds in thee and reject his Satanical proffers by thee and eject even all his wicked injections and suggestions out of thee that they not be noxious and hurtful unto thee Soul O
Lord Jesus * Rev. 22.20 come and do it yea be thou like a Roe or young Hart upon the mountains of Bether or of * Cant. 2. ult Nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat divisionem division making hast to fulfill thy Word in me for lo I am even divided in two having a will and a will or a will which is against a will a will regenerate warring against the will unregenerate and yet but one will thus divided as it were in two so as that * Gal. 5.17 I cannot as I should overcome this vile world but mine eies are towards thee O Lord who only canst must end this quarrel and therefore I say with David make hast to help me O Lord my salvation Psal 37.22 Christ Surely I come quickly Rev. 22.20 Soul Even so come Lord Jesus The Fourteenth Conference Wherein the believing Soul desires Christs presence that it may be able to overcome the world BEliev. Thou must overcome thy self in many things O my Soul if thou wilt come to enjoy a more perfect peace and tranquility being freed from many doubts fears discomforts and discontents which many times surprize thee Soul Which be those many things wherein I must yet more overcome my self Believ First of all thou art too soon and too much angry and passionate yea and thou lovest pleasure too well yet even fine sights and dainty fare and money and mens applause and vain talk and idle sports and slandrous reports again thou hast not laid aside yet thine envy thy malice and thy revengefulness thy high mindedness and self-conceitedness and thy sloathfulness and evil thoughts yea while the very steps of thy best beloved are yet hot in thee thou dost even intromit adulterous and most ignominous thoughts of pride and revenge and lusts and strife and worldly gain and vain delights and graceless talk and those ears which a little before did drink in the Word spoken by the everliving God himself are pestilently infected and those eies which were even lately baptised with sacred and precious tears are horribly contaminated and that heart which was recently and newly visited of the celestial Bridegroom is wofully soiled and polluted and that tongue which did decant sing and say the praises and songs of God pitifully abused Soul All this is most true I cannot deny it and therefore wo is me that I have so loving and gracious a God and Saviour who may now justly say unto me what could I have done more unto thee that I have not done for thee Isa 5.9 thou wast not and I created thee thou hast sinned and made thy self Satans bondslave and I redeemed thee thou didst go astray in the worlds circumference with the ungodly and I elected thee from among them I gave thee grace whereby thou mightest overcome this vile world * Jer. 3.1 but thou hast played the harlot with the world and neglected that grace and faith which I * Jude v. 3. delivered unto thee Again I would fain have made mine * Joh. 14.23 abode with thee continually and therefore I have often knocked at the door of thy heart saying open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my undefiled for * Cant. 5.2 my head is filled with the dew and my locks with the drops of the night by reason of my long waiting for thee but thou hast not opened unto me and therefore what an unhappy creature am I that have so horribly and detestably abused and offended the Lord my Creator which made me Christ Thy case indeed is grievous O perplexed Soul but yet despair not for * Joel 2 1◠the Lord thy God is gracious and merciful and slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil and therefore he saith Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me Jer. 3.1 Soul Are not these they words O my Lord and my God did not they issue out of thy sacred mouth And are they not writen for my learning that I even I through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Ro. 15.4 Chr. Yes verily for the whole word of God is my word and I am Gods word Rev. 19.13 Yea God himself John 1.1 who spake these words for thine everlasting comfort S. I believe it I believe it sweet Jesus dear Saviour who art * Joh. 20.28 my Lord and my God and therefore though my sins be great yet will I not despair nor be out of hope having so great and loving a Saviour who casts away none but those that will cast away themselves O my dear Love Christ which ever burnest with love and art * Gregor Nazianz more merciful than I can possibly be sinful have mercy upon me therefore and pardon all my grivous offences and hainous transgressions where with I have transgressed and sinned against thee Inflame me also with the inextinguible flame of thy love so as that I may love nothing in this world more than thee O my sweetest Love and most merciful Redeemer Christ Jesus Jesus I see thou wilt needs have a pardon and me too whom thou desirest to love more than all things and so consequently to enjoy above all things and therefore as both the one and the other thou dost desire so both thou shalt have a pardon first which may put away thy guiltiness and me too as by whom thou mayest must overcome thy worldiness being wounded with arrowes of my love and indued with sufficient strength and power from above by me in me and for me that the world may not as it hath in times past overcome thee Soul And wilt thou give thy self unto me indeed sweet Lamb dear Saviour who also hast * Gal. 2.20 given thy self for me Christ Yes verily for I cannot deny my self 2 Tim. 2.13 being * Hos 11.9 God as well as man a meer man may deny himself when a woman will marry him and have him but I cannot do it if the poorest creature that is will have me believing on me I cannot keep my self from such a poor Soul but I must and will give my self unto it because I have bound my self to do it by the word of promise Jo. 6.51 Jo. 14.23 Rev. 2.17 Soul O the joy and O the comfort which these sweet words of thine distill into me sweet Saviour For now I am fully perswaded that thou my beloved art mine that I am thine Cant. 2.16 and that this vile world shal have no such power over me as it had formerly and that nothing in this world shall be dearer unto me than thou my dear Saviour and therefore I am even bold upon that assurance which I ground upon thy word of promise to bespeak thee in the Language and praise of thy dear Spouse saying Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth thy love O my love is better than wine Can. 1.2 Yea my beloved shall even lie all night betwixt