righteousness sake happy are ye nay if ye be but reproached foâ—â— the name of Christ happy are ye Pet. 4. 14 And if you hold sast till the Death I 'le give you 〈◊〉 Crown of Life Revel 2. 10. And in Revel 12 11. They loved not their lives to the Death nâ—â— they did not value their lives for Christ so iâ—â— Acts 5. 41 42. They went from the presence oâ—â— the Counsel how rejoycing that they were countâ—ed worthy to suffer shame for his Name Oh soul art thou willing to suffer shame for the name oâ—â— Christ not that it is shame indeed to suffer for Christ but it is an honour and so it may bâ—â— understood art thou willing to suffer foâ—â— Christ then happy art thou For the Spirit oâ—â— God and of Glory resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4. 14 And then for the other thing to joy in tribulation that is a degree that is above bare suffering take that Text in Rom. 5. 3. We rejoyce in â—â—ope of the Glory of God Is that all no not only â—â—o but we glory in tribulation also 'T is a clear sign that if thou canst suffer for Christ thou art happy and 't is a clear or rather more clear when thou canst glory in suffering for Christ see how it is with you XXI Is thy heart born up under any affliction and livest above the troubles of this life and dost not murmur nor repine at the hand of God take a Text for this because I should be â—â—oath thou should ground thy confidence on any opinion of mine Isa 33. 24. The Inhabitants shall not say they are sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity They shall not say they are sick the sence of pardon doth take away the sence of pain the sence of sin being taken away doth carry them above the sence of sickness Oh precious Word worthy to be writtn in Carracters of Gold this is a high and noble degree of grace I do confess XXII Canst thou go on cheerfully in thy way where God hath set thee canst thou go on comfortably in thy Calling and about thy Imployment that God calleth thee too It may be thou lookest on this with a slight eye I know not how it is with thee but I profess I find this as hard as any when the Eununch was brought home to God in Acts 8. 39. 'T is said he went on his way rejoycing It made the poor man so cheerful that he went on his way rejoycing but I 'le not stay on this try how it is with theâ—â— soul if I can but a little help thee I have what I aime at XXIII Art thou willing to do good and to communicate to others thy poor brethren the Saints this they did in the Acts 2. 44. 45. They had all things common they sold their possessions and parted to them that had need Oh what is become of this Spirit in our days where shall a man find an old Church in so glorious a Spirit as this young Church was in oh 't is sad to tell how the bowels both of People and Ministers too are shut up at this day and he is noted to be none of the Lords Children that Hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him 1 Joh. 3. 17. Understand this arightt he doth not say to any one no but seeth his Brother in need Thy Brother in Christ and 't is a right Spirit to be ready to distribute willing to communicate not to be haled to it as a Bear to the Stake but to be ready and forward as Paul speaks of them in 2 Cor. 9. 2. For I know the forwardness of your minds for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year ago To be so ready to give that you rather wait to grive then to be asked this is a good sign of thee XXIV Doth thy heart rise within thee against sin and the filthy conversation of the wicked and the company of the wicked too I put altogether for 't is of the same Impost the soul of that righteous Lot was vexed and was moved within him To see the filthy conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. He see their sin and his heart did rise to see their unlawful deeds and to hear their Ungodly Oaths and speeches and indeed this is the true nature of a child to have his heart risen within him when his Father is wronged thou maist 't is possible rise against sin in thy self as 't is an enemy to thy own wellfare and as 't will ruine thee but this is not so clear a mark thou hatest sin as when thou hatest sin where ever thou seest it the true child will not onely hate that he himself shall wrong his Father but that others should wrong him that he hates too the very affection of a child cannot but stir to see his Father wronged which brings to my mind a story I have heard of a Dumb-son of Cresus that seeing one about to smite his Father the affection in him broke the bars of his speech and made him cry out to the astonishment of others in these words O kill not Cresus thus the genuous childs affections will stir within him if his Father be smit at Oh soul is it thus with thee is thy soul vexed and grieved to see the dead of the wicked and dost thou loath the company of the wicked they that are Gods care not for the company of the wicked in Jer. 15. 17. I sat not in the assembly of Mockers so David Ps 26. 4 5. I have not sat with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the Wicked Note the expression will not sit with them his will is not with them that is his delight is not in them poor man he was fain to be with them and a great while too which put him to complain in Ps 120. 6. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace if I do but speak of peace they are for war I would be quiet but they are all for fighting A poor soul must of necessity be with them sometimes I but I will not I delight not to be among them I do not love their company I care so little for them that I would not be buried with them that seems to be intimated in that Psal 26. quoted even now Ver. 9. saith David there Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men gathering what is that by it is mean't burying 't is a word that was used in Old Testament times Gen. 25. 8. Abraham dyed in a good old age and was gathered to his people So David saith Gather not my life with wicked Men I never loved their company in my life nor do I desire to have it when I dye now soul is it thus with thee 't is
that pâ—rtaineth to thee First I will shew thee a little what thou shalt be delivered from Secondly What thou shalt partake of and be priviledged too very briefly First Thou shalt be delivered from the vengeance threatned against the wicked Ah soul let me tell thee it shall be ill with the wicked Isa 3. 11. 'T is true the Godly man may be afflicted for his sin for God doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of Men Lam. 3. 33. No 't is for some sin he will visit you sometimes the Godly Man shall not go altogether unpunished Jer. 30. 11. But here is their comfort I will not make a full end of you no many at time hath he turned away his anger and did not stir up all his wrath Psal 78. 38. It may be he let out a little of his anger like the leakings of a Floodgate but yet he did not let open the Flood-gates of his wrath that the full stream might sweep all away before it but now he opens the Flood-gate upon the wicked he reserves them for the stroke of wrath he takes away the wicked with his stroak The wicked is reserved till when tell the day of destruction Job 21. 30. Yea he shall be brought forth to the day of wrath or as the Hebrew is the day of wrath's That is more then one wrath upon wrath one upon the neck of another oh wicked man hear and consider and tremble if these lines fall into thy hands that there is wrath upon wrath for thee and whilst ' thou livest in thy lust and thy sin thou dost but Treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. Yea wrath to thy soul man as you may see in Verse 9. I put in that now because I have met with some that have disputed it that only the bodies of men shall be punished and not the soul Oh but here is a word that there is not such another in the whole Book of God to confute thee so emplatically laid down Terribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil upon every soul of man that doth evil Where art thou now that wilt cavil against the souls being punished where is the soul that shall not suffer now if it be of an evil man Oh I am afraid the hearts of many speak this that the soul shall not suffer as doth plainly appear by their lives but 't is clear as the day that the wicked shall suffer Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Oh thou that forget God God will not forget you to turn you into Hell and make you that forget God shall have the same portion with the wicked God's wrath is hot against them that forget him hearken you that forget to pray to God Mark what 's your doom nothing but wrath Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy wrath or fury on whom on the Heathen that know thee not and on the Families that call not on thy Name Oh hearken you prayerless Families you are reckoned with Heathens on Gods account count your selves what you will wrath shall come upon you certainly sinners shall be destroyed if wrath will do it Psal 37. 8. The transgressors shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off You that have transgressed together you that have been unclean together you that have been jovial and carous'd it together profaned my day together why you shall be destroyed together and your end shall be to be cut off and he that hardeneth his neck against this or other reproof shall be destroyed without remedy a Godly man hath Christ for his remedy I but a wicked man hath no remedy he never looks after Christ for his remedy and therefore he shall be destroyed without remedy Prov. 29. 1. Oh Sinner there are hundreds of threat's against thee but I shall stand to give thee but one more Isa 1. 28. They that forsake the Lord shall be consumed Not may be but shall be consumed a Godly man may be afflicted but he shall never be consumed God will not make a full end of him but a wicked man may be shall be consumed but now oh soul thou that art in Christ thou shalt be delivered from all these threatnings much more from the things threatened that will unavoidably come on the wicked and when ever thou readest any threatnings else that would require abundance of time for me to recite thou may'st look on them and say these I am delivered from and is not here comfort soul soul remember I have told thee a Godly man may be afflicted but a wicked man shall be consumed I 'le wind up this head with a Sentence they that hold thee Faith of Christ may suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. But they that cast off the Faith of Christ they have damnation 1 Tim. 5. 12. That 's the first thing for thy comfort Secondly Thou art delivered from sin from the power of sin â—ow and shall be delivered from sin perfectly they for whom Christ is slain have their sin taken away if not out of their conversation yet out of their consciences 1 Cor. 15. 3. For I delivered to you first of all how that Christ dyed for our sins that was it that made Paul triump and say Oh Death where is thy sting now the sting of Death is sin and Christ hath taken away that therefore he is called a Lamb that taketh away the sins of the World and his name is called Jesus For he shall save his People from their sin Mat. 1. 21. Now oh soul is it not a mercy to be saved from thy sins is not this comfort for thee thou dost not save thy self but another loveth thee Mark he shall save his people not save himself by the light within himself but he shall save his people that is those whom the Father giveth him Now if sin doth sometimes overthrow thee yet Christ will help thee up again that it shall not destroy thee thou shalt be the Conquer or at last and therefore though the Devil and Sin doth upon some advantage foil thee yet say to him in the words of the Church Mic. 7. 8. Rejoyce not against me oh mine enemy when I fall I shall arise I have one to help me up When a wicked man falls he cannot rise again he has none to help him up but here is comfort for the Godly man he hath one to help him up Solomon saith Eccl. 4. 9. Two are better then one why so for if they sall one will help up his fellow but wo to him that is alone Wo to that man that falls and hath no strength to rise again and more he hath none to help him up â—o to him that is alone but the Godly man hath another to help him up a now soul hast thou this Christ is he indeed slain for thee here is comfort for thee then thou art delivered from sin that it shall
of Christ least it should like the Flood in the Gospel sweep down thy whole Building together here is comfort for believers but they that do not believe this are condemned already John 3. 18. By this time soul thou seest it plain that Christ is a sacrifice for sin if it be not would God I might speak with thee but I proceed to what 's next Secondly Why doth God Pass-over and aquit believers sins why negatively not for our sakes nor any faith and nepentance in us for there is nothing naturally in us that may be an argument to move him to pitty us unless this be one that there is none but he doth aquit sins first of all to declare his mercy and good pleasure It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell and 't is his pleasure that of that fulness we all shall receive the grace of Pardon we are not his people because we please him but because it pleaseth him to make us his people 1 Sam. 12. 22. God had decreed to call a people to himself God saw his poor people fallen and lost and undone and his bowels yearned over poor man he see poor man in his Blood as 't is Ezek. 16. 6. Then God pittyed him and made a Covenant with his Son that he should break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. When man had broke his Covenant then it was that God in his love and his pity redeemed him then he was pleased to make a New Covenant and by his Mercy Wisdom and Power to consecrate a New and Living Way for the Salvation of poor Souls even by a Covenant that he made with his Son Heb. 10. 20. What infinite Free-grace was here that would save them that would not save themselves and what doth this declare but his atribute of Mercy the good pleasure of his own Heart but I must use brevity and proceed Secondly Believers shall be aquitted for the glory of free-grace you 'l say it may be this is all one nay stay there too I say 't is to declare his great Name or to get himself a great Name this is that Joshua urgeth God with to shew himself Josh 7. 9. And what wilt thou do unto thy great Name so Jer. 14. 7. Though our iniquities testifie against us yet do it for thy Name sake 't is a good plea for poor sinners and so God saith Ezek 36. 22. Be it known to you I do it not for your sakes No for whose sake then why Vers 21. For my Holy Names sake God stands wonderfully upon the honour of his great Name he will get him a name of prayse a name of Grace and a name of Power and a name of Wisdom to declare his grace in the misterious way though these poor shallow empty pated men would bear us in hand that God doth forgive sins in an ordinary way even as men forgive one another but then wherein would God get himself a name of Wisdom in the Salvation of Souls that were only to get a name of Mercy and Power c. I dare say such silly empty Creatures as they would think they had wisdom enough to pardon faults in such a way but herein will God get himself a name of wisdom in saving souls in a very misterious way therefore Christ is called the Wisdom of God Luke 11. 49. and 1 Cor. 2. 7. Alas in an ordinary way poor shallow man could have found out a way to forgive men I but herein doth Gods name of wisdom appear in his Son who is the wisdom of the Father he will declare his name of wisdom by going beyond all mens wisdom to acquit sins that 's another reason Thirdly He will acquit sinners because 't is the nature of his Covenant so to do 't is according to the tenour of Gods Covenant though some times he may aflict them with a Rod for their Pride or Wantonness c. yet saith he my Covenant will I not break with them nor alter the thing that 's gone out of my Mouth Psalm 89. 34. Therefore Jeremiah pleads with God in prayer Jer. 14. 21. Break not thy Covenant with us What 's the Covenant Gen. 17. 7. To be a God to thee and thy Seed after thee who are his Seed but believers for he is the Father of the Faithful Rom. 4. 16. so in Jerius 32. 40. I 'le make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I 'le put my fear in their hearts that they shall never depart from me poor souls 't is possible they may sometimes slip out of the way and go astray I but they shall never depart from me so but they shall again own me for their God it may be I may frown on them sometimes for their iniquities I but my loving kindness will I not utterly take away from them so in Ezek. 36. about the 18. Vers God was furious with them but yet in Ver. 28. he would be their God and they should be his people they are his people still he will perform the Covenant made of old with them Exod. 3. 6. I am the God of Abram Isaac and Jacob who were these why all of them believers and thou art their brother that art a believer and oh the goodness of God that though we fail in performing our part of the Covenant yet he never fails on his part he is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. And the Covenants that he makes abide for ever I 'le make an everlasting Covenant with them to thy Seed too I but how long doth this Covenant stand firm for term of years no no man 't is for ever 't is an everlasting Covenant and established Covenant too Jerem. 32. 40. Gen. 17. 7. To believers is it established they are the Seed of Abra'm though they were born of Abra'm after the flesh yet they are not accounted Abra'ms Seed or Children if they be unbelievers and haters of Christ To Christ tells them Iohn 8. 39 40. If you were Abrahams Children you would do the works of Abraham but now you seek to kill me so did not Abraham it is clear then that they are Abrahams children that are so by Faith or Imitation so that you see 't is the nature of the Covenant that sins should be acquitted that they may be a people in Covenant with him and he a God in Covenant with them these things may be profitable to you but I intend not narration but perpensation or a due search of our state whether we are of that number for whom Christ dyed and for whose sins he was sacrificed and slain It may be some will say I Christ dyed we know but what are the singular advantages to us of his death and if we be of that number of his beloved ones why that might be brought in here to incourage thee to try thy self but I shall give it thee God willing in a word of consolation in
indeed and in truth and is not here comfort oh soul to have all the promises to be thine thou hast a right to them all 3. All things shall work together for good unto thee Rom. 8. 28. All things this is strange language will some say marry it may be will every man say will work for good but affliction will come some times and will that work for good yes David could say It was good for me that I was afflicked Psalm 119. 71. I and God will bring the evil designs of wicked men to work for the good of his Saints I might have gathered this up into particulars but spare me that but to return God will work good out of the evil will of other men to the Saints Gen. 50. 20. Saith Joseph to his brethren that sold him but as for you malicious you envious you you thought evil against me but God meant it unto good God can bring good out of evil to his Saints nay let me say more God can bring good out of the sins of his Saints I speak not this to encourage thee to sin 't is a sign thou art a child of the Devil and not of God if thou sin that grace may abouned But God makes the sins of his people serve to humble his people Oh saith the Church in Miâ— 7. 9. I will hear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Oh it makes a soul silent from complaining yea it humbles him and so it works for good to the Saint now soul is not this a comfort when all things shall work together for good to thee 4. Thou art honourable in the sight of God Isa 43. 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight Precious by vertue of my Sons precious Blood and Covenant applyed by a precious Faith Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable A man in the sight of Men may be honoured I but he that is Christ's is honourable and precious Yea his very Blood shall be precious in Gods sight Psal 72. 14. And is this no priviledge oh foul and doth it not comfort thee but I hasten to the next and as fast as I may towards a close of this 5. The things of this life are blessed to thee therefore David saith Psal 37. 16. A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked The little the righteous man hath is as gold but what the wicked man hath is like dross what compare is there between gold and dross a little gold is much better then a great Mountain of Dross and Dung alas a wicked man when he is fullest is inneed he hath some little crevice that want's filling so Job faith Job 20. 22. In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in strait's not only in his sufficiency but in the fulness of his sufficiency if a wicked man hath much substance yet there is a canker eat 's at the root and therefore as one observes a shilling will go as far with some as five will with some other but the righteous is blessed in this that his store is increased in the spending the little that the righteous man hath is like the handful of Meal in the Barrel and the Oyl in the Cruse that did increase in the pouring forth 1 Kings 17. 12. Oh Sirs there is many a man that hath an estate and never enjoys it he knows not which way it goes but the little â—he Godly man hath increaseth and doth him good when he eat 's and drinks in the strength of his meat and drink like Eliah goes for many days and is not this a mercy but may some say you say that we have is blessed to us but we have but a very small pittance of these things below we are fed 't is true we cannot deny but 't is as we say but from hand to mouth to that let me add 6. The day is hastning that the righteous shall inherit the Earth Much Scripture looks this way I 'le onely hint a few Mark 10. 30. Though a man loose all for Christ sake yet he shall receive an hundred fold I but when mark the next words Now in this time note that this time is meant the time of this life Matth. 5. 5. The meek shall Inherit the Earth and if my Memory fail not no less then six times is the fame thing hinted nay spoken plain in the 37. Psal how this shall be and when I shall not now stand to dispute but they shall enjoy peace in it and none shall vex and trouble them I 'le give you one Text not to trouble you with more I se 32. 17 18. The effect of nighteousne's shall be quietness and mark it this is meant of a time the Saints shall have here and if you observe it it is the time of Christ's Kingdom Verse 18. And my People shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure dwellings I but â—â—ough your dwellings may be sure yet you 〈…〉 y be disturbed no the next words saith in quiet resting places ah soul is not this comfort that thou shalt live in peace but I forbear any further proceeding on these things least they should not be born among the Godly themselves 't would be sad Sirs if any of you should fall short of this for want of faith in it but another priviledge is this 7. All your prayers shall be heard the wicked may pray as long as they live yea tell their hearts ake yet God will not hear them Esek 20. 31. As I live saith the Lord I will not be enquired of by you you what you Verse 30. Them that have been polluted after the manner of your Fathers Hear this you that plead for the Whoredom of your Fathers which whoredom is meant Spiritual whoredom oh how many are there that go on in Idolatrous and in Ceremonious ways and can give no reason for so doing but because their Fore-fathers did so hearken what God saith to you that say thus did our Fathers and shall we be wiser then our Fathers God will not be enquired of by you or hear you when you pray to him for 't is all one but now Godly Mens prayers are heard I 'le give thee Scripture for on my word I desire to urge nothing on thee and if the Word speak it tremble man to doubt it or to contradict it Jer. 29. 12. 13. Then shall ye call upon me and pray to me and I will hearken unto you and ye shall seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart Note that ye and you what you why you that are my people that are in Captivity Verse 14. Poor soul are you in Captivity and in Bondage and in a weary Land do Task-masters impose burdens upon you doth the scorching heat of affliction come upon you why the man Christ will be as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land Isa 32. 2. Nay doth