for eyes They that see pitty the blinde Wee have a little Sister that hath no breasts wee have a poor Brother yea a world of them that have no eyes What shall we do for our poor brethren in the day that they shall bee spoken for Oh! bee eyes to thy blinde bee a light to thy dark souls let them that dwell in darkness see thy great light Sinners those whom you persecute do thus pitty do thus pray for you Lord that their eyes might bee opened will you say Amen to their prayers or will you say Lord regard not their word wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Christians bee marvels You that have seen marvellous things bee marvellous persons set the world a wondring for some thing Let your light shine let the light which hath shined into your hearts shine forth in all your paths let the Spirit of Light within you bee a Spirit of Glory resting upon you Once you were darkness but now are yee light in the Lord Walk as Children of the light Bee yee holy harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation amongst whom yee shine as lights in the World Beclouded Christian thou goest on bemoaning and bewailing thy self complaining that thou art still blinde the light hath shined into thy darkness but thy darkness comprehendeth it not thine eye is yet but tender at least and thou canst see but little but little of Christ the Sun is but as a sparke to thee but little of sin that Mountain looks yet but as a Mole hill It is neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day thou hopeedst that long e're this thy scales would have fallen off the vail would have been removed but they abide upon thee thou waitest for light but behold obscurity for brightness but thou walkest in darkness thou goest on adding darkness to darkness the darkness of sorrow to the dimness of sight Thou fearest that the Gospel is hid from thee thou doubtest 't is still night because 't is not yet noon with thee But hearken as little as thou seest of Christ doest thou see so much that thou prizest and lovest and cleavest to him above all as little as thou seest of sin doest thou see so much that thou loathest and shunnest it above all things doest thou walke in that little light thou hast dost thou love long wait cry for the light Send forth thy light and thy truth lift up the light of thy countenance Sun of Righteousness shine upon mee why are the wheels of thy Chariots so long a coming when Lord Make haste my Beloved O might I once see thy face as the Sun looking over the Mountains Is this thy voice are these the breathings of thy soul Bee of good comfort these are the glimmerings and groanings of that Holy Spirit within thee which hath already delivered thee from darkness and will bring thee forth into his marvellous light thou shalt know if thou follow on to know the Lord. Arise shine thy light is come the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Though yet as to thy sense it bee neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day in the evening there shall bee light 2 As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification hee is given as an Holy Spirit and as a Sanctifying Spirit therefore Sanctification is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 he comes to change us into his own nature to make us partakers of his holiness hee is a Refiner's fire and Fullers sope Mal. 3.2 to purge and work and wash off the filth and corruption of our natures What it is said hee shall bee to the Church Isa 4.4 A Spirit of Judgement and a Spirit of Burning to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion and to purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof a Spirit of Judgement that is in the Rulers of Israel stirring them up to do Justice and execute Judgement that so the guilt of blood may bee taken away Isa 32.15,16 and a Spirit of Burning that is in the hearts of the people of Israel to consume and destroying the inward lusts of their hearts that no more such wickedness bee committed amongst them This hee is to every Saint A Spirit of Judgement to give Sentence against their Lusts to condemn them to the fire these must bee cast out to the fire with them away with them get yee hence yee Sons of the Bond-woman you may not bee Heirs with the Sons of the Free-woman The Spirit of the Lord first discovers and convinces of sin judges betwixt light and darkness grace and sin and then gives sentence away with these Lusts they may not bee suffered to live A Spirit of Burning to execute the sentence to consume them in the fire The Spirit of Sanctification is a spirit of Mortification Rom. 8.13 If yee through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body It is the Spirit that kills the Flesh profiteth nothing The Spirit implants the Soul into Christ gives it an Interest in his death brings it under the influence of his death Christus crucifixus est Christus crucifigens 'T is the death of Christ that is the death of sin these Theeves are Crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Our old man is Crucified with Christ that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should no longer serve sin Hell knew not what they did when they Crucified Christ Death with all its Armies were put to death with him The Spirit raises up another party in the soul a party against a party an army against an army brings Grace in to take up arms against sin Grace doth not onely fight against sinne but is in the very nature of it the death of sinne as the Generation of a new is the Corruption of the old form Humility is pride dead meekness is sinful passion and frowardnesse dead patience is impatience slain The Spirit excites and stirs up the soul against sin sets it a praying against it the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Supplication fetches down Hail-stones and Thunder bolts from Heaven to destroy these Amorites sets a watch against it presses the soul to deal wisely with it to keep it low by cutting off all provision from the flesh restraining and keeping it short of all those fleshly objects which would keep it in heart and so it 's starved to death It is true our greatest wisdome watchfulness abstinence self-denial and all external means alone will fall short of killing one lust it is the Spirit that killeth without it the flesh profiteth nothing all external attempts for the mortification of the flesh are but a fleshly mortification but if yee through the Spirit do mortifie pray in the Spirit watch in the Spirit curbe and keep short and keep under this body still taking in the assistance of the Spirit then it shall dye Christian thou livest in a weary Land and thou hast but a weary
deny it g g 2 Cor. 4.17 Mark 10.29 Phil. 1.29 Things to come ours Things to come are yours the Perfecting of your souls the Redemption of your bodies the Consummation of your bliss At death in Glorification Initiate When you have glorified me for a while on Earth and finished the work I have given you to do you shal be caught up into Paradise and rest from your Labours and your works shal follow you h h Rev. 14.13 Luke 23.43 The Convoy of Angels I will send of mine own Life-guard to conduct home your departing souls i i Luk. 16.22 and receive you among the spirits of just men made perfect k k Heb. 12.23 And you shal look back upon Pharaoh and all his Host and see your enemies dead upon the Shore Redemption from all Afflictions and Corruptions Then shal be your Redemption from all your Afflictions and all your Corruptions l l Luk. â—1 28 Eph. 4 30. The thorn in the flesh taken out The thorn in the flesh shal be pulled out and the hour of temptation shal be over and the Tempter for ever out of work The sweat wiped off from our browes The sweat shal be wiped off from your browes and the day of cooling and refreshing shal come and you shal sit you down for ever under my shadow m m Acts 3.19 Heb 4.9 For the Lamb that is in the midst of the Throne shal feed you and lead you to the living Fountains of waters n n Rev. 7.17 The tears wiped away from our eyes The tears shal be wiped away from your eyes and there shal be no more sorrow nor crying neither shal there be any more pain for the former things are passed away and behold I make all things new o o Rev. 21.4,5 I will change Marah into Naomi and the cup of sorrow into the cup of salvation and the bread and water of affliction into the wine of eternal consolation p p Joh 16.20.21,22 Luk. 6.21 You shal take down your Harps from the Willows and I will turn your tears into Pearls and your penitential Psalms into songs of Deliverance You shal change your Ichabods into Hosanna's and your Ejahs of sorrow into Hallelujahs of Joy q q Rev. 19.1,4,6 The Cross taken off from our backs The cross shal be taken off from your backs you shal come out of your great Tribulations and wash your Robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb and you shal be before the Throne of God and serve him night and day in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among you and you shal hunger no more and thirst no more neither shal the sun light upon you nor any heat r r Rev. 7.14,15,16 The load taken off from our consciences The load shal be taken off from your Consciences Sins nor doubts shal no more defile you nor distress you Å¿ Å¿ Rev. 21.27 and Heb. 12.23 I will make an end of sin and knock off the Fetters of your corruptions and you shal be a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but Holy and without blemish t t Eph. 5.27 Rev. 7.9.13,14 The souls admission into the chamber of Presence and Vision of God Thus shal you be brought to the King all glorious in raiment of Needle-work and clothing of Gold with gladness and rejoycing shal you be brought and enter into the Kings Palace u u Psa 45.9,13,14,15 So shal the beloved of the Lord dwel safely by him and you shal stand continually before him and behold the beauty of the Lord. and hear his Wisdom w w 1 Cor. 13,12 Then will I open in you an everlasting spring of joy and you shal break forth into singing and never cease more nor rest day nor night saying Holy holy holy x x Rev. 4.8 Ps 16.11 Thus shal the grand Enemy expire with your breath and the body of death be put off with your dying bodie and the day of your death shall be the birth-day of your glory y y Phi. i. 23 Lu. 23.43 Have faith in God z z Mark 11.22 Wait but a little and sorrow shall cease and sin be no more At the Resurrection in Glorification consummate Redemption compleat And then a little longer and death shall be no more a a Rev. 20 14. and 21.4 but your last enemy shall be destroyed and your victory compleated b b 1 Cor. 15.26 The Return of the Redeemer Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and you also shall appear with him in glory c c Heb. 10 37. Col. 3.4 This same Jesus which is taken from you into Heaven d d Act. 1.11 shall so come as he went up into Heaven and when he cometh he will receive you to himself that where he is there you may be also e e Ioh. 14.3 Behold his sign he cometh in the clouds of Heaven with Power great Glory every eye shal see him and all the Tribes of the Earth shal mourn because of him f f Rev. 1.7 Mat. 24.30 but you shal lift up your heads because the day of your Redemption draweth nigh g g Luke 21.28 The raising of the body Then shal he sound his Trump h h 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 and make you to hear his voice in your dust i i Ioh. 5.28 and shal send his mighty Angels to gather you from the four winds of heaven k k Mat. 24.31 who shal carry you in the triumphant Chariot of the Clouds to meet your Lord l l 1 Thes 4.17 and you shal be prepared for him and presented to him as a Bride adorned for her Husband m m Rev. 2.2 And as you have borne the Image of the Earthly so shal you bear the Image of the Heavenly n n 1 Cor. 15.49 Full conformity both in body and soul to our glorified Saviour and you shal be fully conformed both in body and spirit to your glorious head o o Phil. 3.21 Heb. 12.23 Then shal he confess you before his Angels p p Rev. 3.5 Publick Approbation and Absolution and you shal receive your open Absolution before all flesh and be owned approved and applauded in the Publick audience of the general Assembly q q Mat. 10.32 and 26 32,34,35 c. Solemn Espousals And you shal be with all Royal solemnities espoused unto the King of glory in the presence of all his shining Courtiers r r Rev. 19.7,8 2 Cor. 4.14 Mat. 25.31 to the envy and gnashing and terror of your Adversaries Å¿ Å¿ Luk. 13.28 The Coâ—ovation and Enthronement of the Saints Their sitting in judgment upâ—n the World So shal your Lord with his own
O the unsearchable Riches of Christ that hee that searcheth all things reveals unto the Saints O the hidden treasures they now discover in this deep Mine To you that beleeve hee is pretious a Praise an Honour all Fair all Glorious and you have seen his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Sonne of God full of Grace and Truth Again there are marvellous evils as well as good things that by this light are brought to light Sin with all the hidden things of darkness that lay below in those chambers of death the secrets of the evill heart of man Sin appears a wonder to the savingly enlightened soul Exceeding sinful a world of wickedness There 's Death and Hell and the Devil in every sin unkindness unthankfulness folly enmity rebellion spite and the blackness of darkness What once appeared as a pleasure a delight a beauty or at least if an evill yet but a trifle a matter of nothing is become a plague a terrour a burthen a bondage bitterness shame sorrow and such an high provocation that whereas once hee swell'd and murmur'd and cryed out of rigour feverity cruelty in the least punishment of it now hee wonders at the clemency and patience and forbearance of God that such an affront and provocation had not long since turned the whole earth into an Hell Christian thou complainest thou canst not see thou canst not feel thou canst not mourn thou canst not break under all the guilt that lies upon thee thine heart is hard thine eyes are dry not a tear not a groan scarce a sigh will all this evill fetch out from thee O this blinde and sottish minde O this dead and senseless heart what shall I do what would I not do to get mee a melting mourning broken spirit but I cannot I cannot I cannot see I cannot bleed nor break O beg the light of this Holy Spirit and if the sight that that will present thee with of this wonderfull evill do not rend thy heart and turn thy stomack and open all thy sluces and let out thy soul in sighs and groans in shame and sorrow thou mayest then well be a wonder to thy self But be nor discouraged bee not dismayed do not say this Rock will never break this Iron will never melt I may go sighing for sighs mourning after tears groaning after groans but all in vain it will never bee past feeling past feeling sorrow flies still from mee repentance is hid from mine eyes do not thus discourage thy self wait for this spirit open to it and thou shalt see flowing in such streames of self-shaming self-confounding light as shall flow forth in self-abasing self-abhorring streames of tears 3. These marvellous things are revealed with marvellous clearness That is in comparison of what they are to the purblinde world and in comparison of what they themselves once saw They come to see the glory and the beauty and the reality of the wonderful things of God Wee have seen his glory saith the Apostle Joh. 1. The kindness of God our Saviour appeared But we all with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor 3.18 Out of Zion hath hee appeared in perfect beauty It 's Prophesied Isa 53. of the unbeleeving world that when they should see Christ they should see no beauty in him Strange though hee were all beauty yet they should see him and yet see no beauty That is they shall see him and yet not see him They see not wood for trees What is thy Beloved more than other beloveds VVhat is Christ more than an ordinary man VVhat is the Gospel more than an ordinary Story VVhat is the Spirit What is Truth VVhat is there in this Faith and Love in this Holiness and Righteousness in this Peace of Conscience and Joy of the Holy Ghost VVhat substance is there in them VVhere 's the Glory and wherein is the Excellency of them Which way came the Spirit of the Lord from mee to thee Thou shalt know in that day when thou shalt call to the Mountains to fall on thee and the Rocks to hide thee from the face of God and the Lamb. Wee know whom wee have beleeved Wee know that wee know him Wee speak that which wee know and testify what wee have seen Wee have an Vnction from the Holy one wee know all things God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God Now wee have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God VVee have a clear and certain sight VVee do not see men as Trees walking with our eyes half open wee see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth in its naked lustre and evidence This wee have seen and do testify neither deceiving nor being deceived VVee thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes And as they see Truth and Holiness and Goodness in their wonderful Glory and Beauty so also Folly and Falshood and Sin in its wonderful uglâ—ness and deformiâ—y Sin appears to bee sin to them Rom. 7. Folly to bee folly falshood to bee falshood they see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth Holiness as Holiness and they see beasts as beasts fools as fools sin as sin devils as devils hell as hell They see all things as they are temptations as they are delusions as they are they see what 's under them the hook under the bait the sting in the Locust's tail the warre in the Devils heart carried on under his fawning face Wee are not ignorant of his Devices Sinners cease your wondring at the Saints let them bee no longer for signs and for wonders in Israel cease your wondring at the Saints come and wonder with them Wonder not that they say not as you live not as you run not with you after the same follies and vanities Oh! if ye once come to see what they see you will bee a wonder to your selves Mock not at their blessedness Blessed are their eyes for they see The blinde envy but do not disdain the seeing Say not these men are in a dream or drunken or mad take heed blaspheme not the Holy Spirit call not his light darkneâ—s put not your darkness for light Would you know when these men testifie what they have seen and heard whether they are sober or beside themselves Come and see I say not stand and see you cannot see at that distance you stand come near come in and you shall see see your blindness first if ever you will see the light Oh! bewail your darkness and seek light seek and you shall see it Son of David have Mercy on mee Why what wilt thou man Lord that I may receive my sight Shall that bee thy cry O pitty thy blinde soul O pray
temptations they shut their eyes and stop their ears they wil not see they will not believe Oh what losses do they sustain how many Sabbaths are lost how many Sermons are lost how many reproofs counsels corrections are lost a Gospel lost and souls thereby like to bee lost for ever oh what prodigies are they become under all this sin and misery and yet merry jolly laughing and singing and sporting and feasting and braving it out as if nothing ail'd them Feeling nothing of all that is come upon them and fearing nothing of all that is coming Warn them reprove them beseech them 't is all but preaching to a stone It may bee you have sometimes wondred to see a company of thieves in prison to bee drinking and carousing and milking merry when they know that in a few daies they must bee brought out and hanged When thou wondrest at these wonder at thy self What bitter complaints do wee sometimes hear even from the best of Saints oh this hard heart oh this stubborn spirit I cannot mourn I cannot stoop I cannot submit Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our heart from thy fear Or why hast thou left us or given us up to an hard heart why hast thou not softened and humbled and broken us thou hast humbled us and wee are not humbled broken us and wee are not broken thou hast broken our land broken our peace broken our backs but the stone is not yet broken oh for one breach more Lord our hearts our hearts let these bee once broken our streets mourn the Cities of our solemnities mourn the wayes of Sion mourn oh when wilt thou give us a mourning spirit Oh what sorrow-bitten souls are the Saints for want of sorrow I mourn Lord I lament I weep but 't is because I cannot mourn or lament as I should If I could mourn as I ought I could bee comforted if I could weep I could rejoyce if I could sigh I could sing if I could lament I could live I die I dye mine heart dies within mee because I cannot cry I cry Lord but not for sin but for tears for sin I cry Lord my calamities cry my bowels cry my bones cry my soul cries my sins cry Lord for a broken heart and behold yet I am not broken The Rocks rent the Earth quakes the Heavens drop the Clouds weep the Sun will blush the Moon bee ashamed the foundations of the earth will tremble at the presence of the Lord but this heart will neither break nor tremble O for a broken heart If this were once done might my soul have this wish thenceforth my God might have his Will what would bee hard if my heart were tender Labour would bee easie pains would bee a pleasure burthens would bee light Neither the Command nor the Cross would bee any longer grievous nothing would bee hard but sin Fear where art thou come and plough upon this Rock Love where art thou come and thaw this Ice come and warm this dead lump come and enlarge this straitned spirit then shall I run the way of his Commandements Oh Brethren how little how very little of this tenderness is there to bee found amongst the most of Christians The sacrifice of God is a broken heart Oh how far must the Lord go to finde himself such a Sacrifice wee do but cast stones up to Heaven when wee lift up our hearts 'T is a wonder that such hearts as wee carry do not break themselves that our marble weeps not that if nothing else will do it our hardness doth not make us relent that wee should so labour under and complain of and yet not bee sick of the Stone Broken hearts yeilding and relenting spirits tender consciences Oh where are they afraid of sin tender of transgressing or mourning under it when shall it once bee our lusts no more broken our pride our passion our envy our earthliness no more broken So venturous on temptation so bold on sin such liberty taken to transgress such mincing and palliating and excusing of sin as wee finde Is this our brokenness wee are tender 't is true but of what of dishonouring God of abusing Grace of neglecting Duty of defiling Conscience of vvounding of our Souls No 't is of our flesh that wee are so tender tender of labour tender of trouble tender of our carkasses of our credits of our Names and reputations a tender shoulder a tender hand a tender foot they can bear nothing nor do nothing nothing can touch our flesh nothing can touch our Idols our ease or our estates but wee shrink and smart and are put to pain God may bee smitten and wee feel it not the Gospel may bee smitten the Church may bee smitten conscience may bee smitten and it moves us not Wee can fear an affliction fear a reproach Oh did wee so much fear a temptation or a sin wee cannot want bread but wee feel it wee cannot want cloathes or an house or a friend but wee feel it Wee cannot want our sleep our quiet our pleasure our respects from men but wee feel it any thing that pinches upon our flesh pierces our hearts Wee cannot pine or languish in our bodies but wee feel it a feaver or an ague or a consumption or a dropsie or any bodily sickness Oh it makes us sick at heart a froward yoak-fellow an unthrifty servant an ill neighbour a scoffe a sleight cannot bee born but Oh! how much sin can bee born while our flesh will bear nothing Oh! how can conscience bear and never complain Christians consider when our flesh must be thus tendred what ever come of it must be tenderly fed must have soft rayment soft lodging soft usage deal gently with it though to maintain it Conscience must bee racked and wracked and wasted When our Wills cannot bee crossed our appetites cannot bee denied but a tumult follows the soul is in an uproar and conscience mean while must be denied rated and must go away in silence When the Word works no more when the prints of it are not received the power of it is resisted when the rod works no more when our stripes make no sign when the lashes on our backs fall all besides our hearts when wee remain so vain and so wanton so wilful and so carnal and so earthly after the Lord hath been preaching and whipping of us into a better frame when wee stand upon our terms keep our distances our animosities our heats and heighths of spirit our censurings our quarrellings one with another Christian with Christian Professour with Professour after the Lord hath been beating us together to make us friends and all to learn us more humility and charity Is this our brokenness is this our tenderness when upon any the Lords rougher dealing with us spitting in our faces throwing us on our backs trampling us in the dirt wee are yet no more brought on our knees Is this our brokenness when the Lord hath been awakening us out of sleep putting his
firm belief of Scripture Revelation 3. It 's built on the highest and weightiest Reasons 4. It 's the result of the most mature and deep deliberation 1. A sincere resolution flowes from an inward rooted inclination Psal 119.112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes Our new purpose is from our new nature It is not produced by some sudden fright or sence of danger or meerly by a present force of Argument but by a Divine power working the heart to a suitableness to the will and waies of God and an habituall propension and inclination thereto Resolution for holiness without an holy inclination is a Blade without a Root as fresh and as green as it looks 't will wither and come to nothing no Ropt no Fruit nor lasting The heart is the root of action and grace is the life of the root When our Resolutions are the Blade sprouting forth of this living Root then they will abide and bring forth the Ear and an Harvest 2. A sincere resolution is bottomed on a firm Assent to the truth of Scripture Revelation A Christian resolves for godliness because he believes God that he is as he hath said the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him He is built on the Scriptures as his hopes so his purposes have the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles on which they stand Whatever Resolution hath not this Foundation is but as an house upon the Sands 3. A sincere Resolution is founded on the highest Reason Where we resolve without Reason we will quickly find a Reason to change Where we resolve we know not why we shall change we know not how soon To resolve we know not why and to resolve on we know not what will be alike unstable Though there be Reason for Religion yet Religion may be taken up without Reason Whatever Reason there be for it yet if it be not understood or considered 't is all one as if there were no Reason at all And if there seem some Reason for it yet if it be not the highest Reason when a stronger then it comes we quickly change our purpose The Reasons we have for our serving and following God are the highest of all Reasons and that whether we respect it as our duty or our happiness For 1. There 's none can lay such claim to us as God Whos 's am I Who hath made me Who hath bought me 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are his Psal 100.2,3 Serve the Lord with gladness For the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his Pasture What reason have you to serve men or to serve sin or the world Men think they have reason for it but what reason Are any of these Gods Are men your Gods Is sin or the world God Do you owe your selves to them It is he that hath made us and his we are As the Apostle concerning obedience to Parents much more may it be said here Children obey your God for this is right This is his due and your duty if any one can lay as good a claim to you let him carry you away for servants 2. There 's none can be better to us then God None can require and none can reward our obedience as he Where can you be better then with God Hee l require no more then that you serve him till you can find a better Master He that saith 't is best to serve sin and the world is a fool and hath said in his heart there is no God If God be God he is the chief yea the onely good If any thing in the world upon what account soever be thought better then the Lord that 's set up for a God in his room 3. Whomsoever we serve 't is God must pay us our Wages at last God is Judge he is the Rewarder both of the evill and the good both of those that serve him and those that serve him not If you receive the Lord he will be your reward if you serve him not he will reward you but what reward have you Those mine Enemies which will not have me to reign over them bring them and slay them before me There 's their reward Sin hath its rewards but what are they but vanity and vexation Or if they were better how long will they last But when sin hath paid the most it can Oh what a reward is there behinde that God hath to pay you This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sorrow 4. The Wages which God will give shall certainly be blessed or dreadfull according to our Obedience or Disobedience The reward that God hath to give is an eternal reward Eternal salvation to them that obey him everlasting destruction to him that serveth him not I have a soul this carkass is the least part of me there 's another world a world to come a few years is the most I have to spend in this I must abide eternally eternally in the other world How inconsiderable is it what I have here whether little or more better or worse in a short time that will come all to one But oh my eternity what 's that like to be Why t is God that must determine it and he will certainly reward every man according to his works Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them which by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life But to them that are contentious and obey not the truth tribulation and anguish c. There 's glory and shame mercy and wrath life and death set before me there 's no third state one of the two must be my lot and this is it that doth determine which If I obey I live if I disobey I die for ever Now when my resolution is founded on such Reasons as these then which none can be imagined higher and more weighty till eternity become of less regard then time and an immortall soul be set below a perishing body and when the question being put Shall I follow God or not God or the world God or my lust Speak soul give in thy Answer when this is the Answer it gives Why there 's none can lay such claim to me as God there 's none can be as good to me as God whomsoever I serve its God must be my Rewarder my everlasting blessedness or eternal ruine depends on him and must be infallibly determined according to my obedience or disobedience This is the plain case Obey and Live Obey or die for ever And therefore what can I say less or more but that I am the Lords and will be his Servant Let others chuse whom they will serve as for me O my soul serve thou the Lord. This resolution thus founded is like to stand 4. A sincere Resolution is the fruit of mature deliberation Deliberation gives Reason
be put upon it to finde out Arguments to prove Will to be Reason and to determine that what the Will would have done ought to be done facile credimus quod nimis volumus We easily bring our Opinion to our Affection bring our selves to believe that to be right which we are unreasonably willing to have to be tight But if it cannot prevail thus far to gain Conscience to say that 's right which it would have to be right then it will put hard for it to carry it whether it be right or wrong And this rebellion of the Will and so of the Passions against the Reason is the great reason of the souls rebellion against God When Conscience hath lost its Authority Gods Authority is gone Whilest the Understanding and the Conscience are maintained in their due Authority where the Will and Affections are held in their due subjection there the Lord reigneth While Conscience rightly inform'd hath its due God shall have his due Where the Will and the Passions have no more then their due he shall have his own God shall be will'd the more where nothing else is will'd too much God shall be loved the more and feared the more where nothing else is lov'd and fear'd too much The more Anger the more Hatred the more Grief will be spent upon sin if it be not inordinately spent elsewhere Oh how much service might be done and how much quiet would be enjoyed in the heart were this Authority and Subjection maintained and held up We may say of our Affections as men say of Fire and Water They are the worst Masters but the best Servants How much should the Lord have of us were these onely the Executioners of his will If Conscience be commanded by the word and the Will and Affections would be commanded by Conscience what would there then be wanting We should then not onely be abundantly serviceable but all would be serene and sweet and comfortable within us If nothing were will'd but what should be will'd we should ever have our will If nothing were desired but what should be desired and no more then it should be lov'd or desired we should ever have what we love If we were not angry or grieved or afraid but where we ought and no more then we ought what a calm would there be upon our spirits even in such cases wherein the spirits of others are like a troubled Sea that cannot be at rest whose waters cast forth mire and dirt But where there is such disorder such rebellion of the Inferiour against the Superiour Faculties there we are at a perpetual loss both in point of duty and comfort This therefore is necessary if we will be obedient And those that have prov'd what there is in it do understand that this is hard work 2. I shall instance in some few particular duties that are harder then others He that will be entirely obedient must stick at nothing that God will have There 's scarce any thing that God requires but Lust will be quarrelling at as too hard but there are some duties harder then others It shall suffice onely to name them The denyal of our selves The disobliging our nearest friends The loving our Enemies The disobeying all the world in their unrighteous commands Obeying God rather then men returning good for evill Reproving men for sin especially if they be Sâ—periours or such on whom we have dependency The sacrificing our Isaacs yea parting with all that we have Well this also must be considered ere you resolve you will obey But are you for any thing for every thing the Lord requires 4. Circumspection and care Ephes 5.15 See that ye walk circumspectly A little labour will go far with care but will be nothing without it 'T is not he that is hot and busie and active at all adventures he that keeps to his Line and his Rule hee 's the obedient Christian 'T is not so much Action as regular Action wherein the life of Christianity lies He that lives by rule peace be on him and mercy Activity without care is Extravagancie 'T is care that keeps within compass He that is all Action has the more need of caution A Christian must have his eyes in his head as well as a soul in his body He that resolves well in Generals and comes not off in Particulars does but build Castles in the Air. What we ordinarily are pro hic nunc in Particulars will best prove what we are He that is for any thing but this any time but now is for nothing Circumspection notes two things Taking notice Taking heed He that will be circumspect must eye and observe what 's before him must have his eye upon his End his Rule and his Goings must eye duty and sin opportunities and temptations his times and seasons he must take heed as well as take notice must keep a strict eye on himself and hold a strict hand on himselfe that he leap not over a duty nor turn aside to iniquity must set a guard upon himself upon his tongue upon his eyes upon his appetite upon his company upon his habit upon his thoughts upon his passions upon all the motions of his soul and the actions of his body This will require something What not a word but must be weighed Not a look but must be look'd to Not a thought but must be examined Not a sin to be allowed Not a duty to be abated Not a circumstance to be neglected Must all be in Weight and in Measure by Line and by Rule and this alwais too If something might serve if sometimes might suffice it might be borne but to keep touch in every point and that every day this is an hard saying indeed But thus it must be to live as a Christian and to walk exactly accurately precisely is the same thing Duty and sin though they be as far distant as Heaven and Hell yet there is but an hair betwixt them The least latitude is a transgression either all this that is as to the purpose of the heart either all this or nothing Well all this must be considered You will be Obedient but will you be circumspect 5. Spirituality This Obedience must be the Obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 .. It is the very life of Jesus made manifest in our mortal flesh I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Christians Obedience is their walking in Christ Coloss 2.6 All the Acts of it are exerted and performed in the strength of Christ I will go in the strength of the Lord without him they can do nothing but can do all things through Christ which strengthneth them I live yet not I bur Christ liveth in me I work I wrestle I run yet not I but Christ in me as the Apostle speaks of his sins It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 'T
Hast thou yet such a far deeper sence of the eternal sufferings thou art in danger of such a setled belief of thy absolute necessity of Christ to thy escaping these such an high value of the love of Christ and the everlasting salvation thou expectest by him as does over-ballance and swallow up the sharpest and the quickest sense thou hast or canst have of the greatest things thou shalt suffer by him hast thou cast up all afflictions imaginable and then put thy soul to it now resolve what to do either this or no Christ either this or no Crown either this Cross or the Curse either the wrath of man or the wrath of God Scorpions and Dragons and Devils shriecking and howling and gnashing of teeth for ever and ever Confess Christ and be confessed of him suffer with Christ and reign with him weep with Christ and rejoyce with him die with Christ and live for ever deny Christ forsake Christ and perish for ever hast thou thus put thy self to it and after the most solemn debate thou hast had what is the result Now tell me Christ or no Christ wilt thou have Christ for better for worse how dear soever he cost thee 3. Wilt thou forsake all others Thou hast three Husbands that lay claim to thee Sin the World and the Devil Wilt thou renounce and be divorc'd from all these There 's no compounding betwixt Christ and them he or they must go The renouncing of sin stands In the disengaging of the heart from it In the engaging of the heart against it 1. In the disengaging or loosening of the heart from sin 'T is an hearty willingness to let it go a willingness to part is our parting with sin A breaking the Peace the cutting off the League betwixt sin and the soul when a sinner stands so clearly convinc'd of the worth of Christ of the value of a soul of the enmity of sin against Christ and and the soul of the unworthiness of sin with all its pleasures and so advantages to be laid in the ballance with Christ is willing to be rid of it What is there in it What can it do for me How long will it last me Where will it lead me O the after births of sin O the tail of these Locusts the sting the sting that I see there Can I want a Christ or can I hope that he 'll dwell with such Neighbours Can I bear the loss of my soul or can it escape if these escape I see its vain to think of keeping both Christ and Lusts its vain to think of saving both my sins and my soul t is all one as to be saved and to be damn'd I may as well bring Heaven and Hell together Well let them go henceforth hold thy peace sin plead no more with me for entertainment be a stranger for ever to me henceforth I know thee no more 2. In the engaging the heart against sin When the heart is not onely content to let it depart but gives it a Bill of divorce and sends it away When it can want it and cannot bear it when it deals with it as the Egyptians with Israel at first they have onely leave given them to be gone but at length they thrust them out Exod. 12.33 They were urgent upon them that they might send them out of the Land in hast for they said we be all but dead men Be gone sin I am but a dead man if thou abidest with me and so it will no longer court it as a friend but curse it as an enemy fears it hates it and is resolved to be its mortal enemy and to this end is determined to use all Gods means To discover To destroy it 1. To use all Gods meanes to discover it to bring to light the hidden things of darkness Sin goes under a disguise t is hard to know friends from enemies they had need have their senses about them and well exercised too that can discern betwixt good and evil Heb. 5.14 Who can understand his Errours Psal 19.12 Sinne lies in the dark The heart of man is desperately wicked who can know it There 's too much wickedness and it lies too deep to be discerned by every eye he that means in earnest to cast out must first search out his iniquities Let us search and try our wayes Lam. 3.40 He must search the Scriptures which describe these Enemies and mark them out what they are and how many and how they may be known where ever you finde them and under what disguise soever they appear must search the heart where if they walk no more openly they will hide themselves that they be not discovered or suspected Thou art a fool a self-deceiver Sinner who takest thy self to be an adversary to sin and takest no care to find it out much more who willingly hidest it out of sight He takes part with sin which will not take pains to know it I hate the Devil and all his works I repent I forsake all my sins and though I have done iniquity by the Grace of God I will do so no more Thus vain men talk but dost know what thou sayest What is sin Dost know a friend from an enemy good from evil What are thy sins What hast thou done Wherein hast thou transgressed What are they that have done thee mischief What are their names May be thou wilt say their name is Legion for they are many In many things I have transgressed in many things I have offendied but in what things Dost know thine enemy when thou seest him or wouldst thou know him if thou couldst Dost thou make any search or enquiry after him when thou readest of a proud heart in the Scriptures art able to say there 's one of them that have done me mischief or of a covetous heart there 's another of them or of an envious malitous froward heart there are more of them or of an hard and hypocritical ignorant unbelieving heart this is he This is my great Enemy or if thou canst not tell dost ask Is not this he Are not these they O that I could understand mine errours Lord make me to know my transgressions Sinners never make your selves believe you are enemies to sin till you make narrow and particular enquiry after it after all sin the several kindes of it whether of Omission or Commission whether Outward or Spiritual Open or Secret Greater or Smaller sins of Ignorance or Knowledge of Infirmities or Presumption your beloved your most pleasing sins your most gainful sins whatever they be you never renounce till you resolve to make a diligent search after them 2. To use all Gods means to destroy and overcome them He that hides his enemy and he that will spare him when he hath found him is not an enemy but a friend He that sayes I will destroy and will not use his weapons either knows not what he sayes or sayes what he never means Thou sayest thou wilt renounce and
lie fallow like the field of the Sluggard all overgrown with thorns and nettles when both thine heart and thine house are so much out of order when thy Wife and thy Children and thy Servants are left at randome to do all what 's right in their own eyes when more care is taken for the Asses then for thy Sons and Daughters when thy house is a very hospital of blind and lame and sick Souls ready to die for want of instruction and good discipline where is thy Conscience and if Conscience be not where is thy Covenant and if thy Covenant be not oh where is thy God and thy peace Ah Conscience where art thou become what is become of that good thing committed to thee yea what is become of thee Ah Soul where is thy peace how is the keeper of thy peace laid low and the covenant of thy peace broken what peace whilst no Conscience and what hast thou left whilst no peace Ah Lord thy treacherous dealers how treacherously have they dealt with thee thy Children have forgotten thee thy Servants are run-awayes from thee thou art our Father but where is thine honour thou art our Master but where is thy fear we are thy Servants but where is our faith Ah Lord we have dealt falsly in thy Covenant Return O Lord return repair thy watches recover thine honours reduce thy wanderers restore conscience revive our peace cause us to return and renew our covenant and remember break not thou thy covenant with us Christians let us bewail lost conscience and let it be recovered let us weep over our dead and let their souls return into them Let those of us that have obtained grace to be faithful and watchful and tender rejoyce and take heed let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Go on in the Name of the Lord Remember his counsels keep close by God keep hold on Christ keep touch with the Spirit keep in with Conscience keep thine heart keep thy garments keep up thy watch keep on thy way finish thy course keep the faith and then let the devil do his worst thy peace shall be extended to thee as a River and established as a Rock and thou shalt be able to say in the words and in the faith of the Apostle Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give unto me at that day and not to me onely but to all that love his appearing 3. Adde to your covenant your sacrifice Psa 50.5 Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice God hath made with you and he expects that you make covenant with him by sacrifice Sacrifices were seals of the Covenant As Gods part of the Covenant so our part also must be sealed and sealed with blood his with the blood of his Son ours with the blood of our sins Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God The sacrificing of our selves to the Lord conprehends in it three things Alienation Dedication Oblation 1. Alienation or the passing away of our selves from our selves Ye are not your own you are bought with a price Thus he hath said and he expects that we should say also True Lord I am not mine own 2. Dedication or the passing over our selves to the Lord 2 Chron. 29.35 Ye have consecrated your selves to the Lord. His we are by purchase but he expects that we be his also by donation his we are by conquest but he expects we should be his by consent also Though he may challenge us as his right yet the most acceptable claim is when he hath us by gift When our hearts say I am thine Lord then his heart will answer Soul thou art mine 3. Oblation or the actual surrender or offering up our selves to him In the offering this sacrifice is included the Immolation or slaying of it We must slay our selves in a spiritual sense be mortified be crucified with Christ and so offered up a sacrifice to him You will say How is it then required that we offer up our selves a living sacrifice Answ We are never truly alive till we are dead Col. 3.3 Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When our flesh is dead our spirit is life Rom. 8. As the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. that which thou sowest so that which thou sacrificest is not quickened except it die Mortificatio est mors viva Alapid 'T is onely the mortified Christian that is a living sacrifice Christians come and sacrifice your selves to the Lord. Come and slay your sacrifices and so offer them up Your sacrifice is then slain as before 't is intimaed when your carnal self your old man is crucified with Christ and the body of sin destroyed Rom. 6. when the wisdome of the flesh is crucified and made to vanish before the wisdome of God when the will of the flesh is subdued and swallowed up of the Will of God when the lusts of the flesh are vanquished and made captives by the Law of God Christians It may be you are willing to make your claim to the Covenant of God but have you made covenant with him you have entred into covenant with God but will you confirm your covenant by sacrifice you will give your selves a sacrifice to the Lord but is your sacrifice slain Is the wisdome of the flesh made foolishness How is it with your carnal wills Is the will of the flesh broken and brought into subjection yielding it self up to the Lord O for an exinanition of wills an emptying them into the Will of God! What wilt thou do What wilt thou have nothing but what God will What the Lord will have me do or avoid or suffer I can no longer say him nay Is this the Will of God my sanctification so 't is mine Is this the Will of God my humiliation so 't is mine Is this the Will of God my tribulation so 't is mine Is God for holiness through Grace so am I. Is God for his own Will so am I this is all the Will I have that the Lord may have his Will of me may be all to me have all from me rule all in me and dispose of all that concerns me How is it with your carnal affections and fleshly lusts are these slain Is your covetousness your sensuality your pride and envy are your carnal joyes and fears and worldly sorrows are these destroyed those wild-fires of passion and fury and rage are these quenched Come put the Knife to the throat of all these and then there 's a sacrifice for God Go and offer it up and let it be A Free-will-offering A Thank-offering 1. A Freewil-offering Offer your selves willingly to the Lord Psal 110. Thy people shal be willing in the day of thy Power O may that glorious day dawn upon us God loves a chearful giver offer