the Soul a destructive Evil that will undoe and destroy it 2. To be an evil hardly to be escaped It sees the Soul to be in danger of it every day and every hour Evil as Evil is not the Object of Fear but Evil that we are in danger of Evil as Evil is the Object of Hatred not so of Fear there 's no Fear of Sin in Heaven because there 's no danger of it To hear of the Plague or Sword or Famine or Earthquakes or Fire in the Indies or any other remote parts of the World this doth not move Fear it 's far enough off us we are in no danger of it But when the Plague is in the Town when the next House is on Fire then we are startled 3. To be an Evil not to be endured an intolerable Evil Hereupon the Heart shrinks back from it and is in pain till it can be secured against it 5. There is foresight in it Fear is of future Evil apprehended to be coming on Prov. 22.3 A prudent Man foreseeth the Evil. This prudent Man is the very same with this fearing Man as appears by the next words and hideth himself 't is Fear that makes Men hide A bold Sinner is blind and cannot see afar off 2 Pet. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pur-blind that can see things very near but through the weakness of his Eyes cannot see at a distance he is but short-sighted Sinners are Men for the present and they look not to what comes after But sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.18 We look on the things that are not seen as on the Good things so on the Evil not seen He that Fears God sees what 's out of sight to the blear-ey'd World He sees Evils in the beginning of them he sees Midnight in the Evening he sees the Winter in the Autumn He sees Evils in the causes of them he sees the Storms in the Cloud the Birth in the Conception James 1.15 Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death What is there in a Thought What is there in a Lust or an evil Motion Who would fright himself with Fancies saith the Pur-blind World I but what will this Thought or this Lust bring forth Who knows saith the Fearing Soul what a numerous Brood may spring forth out of this pregnant Womb Lust when it hath conceived brings forth Sin any Sin the worst that can be imagined multitudes of Sins all manner of Iniquities Lust will bring forth Sin and what will Sin bring forth Why Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death A prudent Man foreseeth all this sees Sin 's last in its first its Fruits in its Root he sees the product and issues of things that do appear the burning down of the House in the first Spark that kindles in the Thatch in the entrance of the Thief in at the Door he sees all the rifling and bloodshed that afterwards follows Sinner how is it that thou art so secure Friend what seest thou Some it may be will answer as the Prophet's Servant when he first went up to Carmel 1 Kin. 18.43 I see nothing Others will answer as he did at his last going up I see a Cloud but it 's but a little one no bigger than a Man's hand But the Prophet saw a great Rain in that little Cloud Sinner thou that yet seest nothing nothing to trouble thee nothing to make thee afraid look again and again even unto seven times Dost thou yet see a Cloud rising do not say it is a little one take heed if thy foresight do not thy sense will quickly tell thee what a Storm there is in it Christian how is it that thou art so secure where be thine eyes art thou blind also Dost thou not see the Spark in the Thatch Dost thou not see the Thief at the Door Hast thou a Treasure within hast thou a God a Conscience a Soul hast thou Grace hast thou Peace hast thou Hope And dost thou not see the Thief breaking in and the Fire breaking out that Lust that is in thine Heart and the Temptations that are at the Door ready to steal away or burn up every good thing thou hast How is it that there is no Cry heard within thee Fire Fire Thieves Thieves Look to thy self save thy self O my Soul from the mischiefs and miseries that are coming upon thee We may give a Judgment of what Sin is bringing forth by observing what it hath brought forth Fear will conclude that what hath been may be It 's like to be my case which hath been the case of others What hath Sin done upon the World How hath it filled them with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Covetousness Wickedness Maliciousness Envy Murder Debate Deceit Malignity c. Rom. 1.29 What Fools and Bruits and Stocks hath it made them fit for nothing but to be Fuel for the Eternal Fire And what hath it done even upon Christians or the Professors of Christianity How low hath it held many of them so low that they can hardly tell whether they are alive or dead and those that have seem'd to be gotten up a little higher how often hath it pull'd them down again even to Death's Door Some Professors it hath slain out-right The Christianity they seem'd to have is dead and buried O Friends when you see what Sin and the Temptations thereof have done to others is it not to be feared what it may do to you May I not say to you as Peter did to Saphira if you look not the more carefully to it Acts 5.19 The Feet of those that have buried thy Husband are at the Door to carry thee out The same Sins the same Temptations that have slain your Friends and buried them behold their feet are at the Door waiting for your Souls also Open your eyes a little and look who there are round about you Behold the Pleasures of Sin waiting for you behold the Gains of Unrighteousness waiting behold your Carnal Friends and Sinful Companions behold the Persecutions and Scoffs and Scorns the Bonds and Imprisonments that are waiting at the Door and what wait they for but to carry out your Souls also dead to those that you have seen slain before you Hast thou seen what hath become of others and dost not therein foresee what may become of thee and canst thou yet be secure Christians you are Men of like Passions and subject to the same Temptations with other Men there 's the same Pride the same Lust after the World the same love of Carnal Pleasures the same fears of Fleshly Sufferings rooted in your Natures And do you not feel these Evil Roots sometimes budding these Fires kindling And have you not often suffered loss by them Yet you hope you have a little Faith some Love to Christ some Hope towards God some Conscience of Sin some Affection for Things Above let Lust alone a-while venture on upon Temptations a-while and O what leanness of
the Lord that thou hast a standing infallible and uninterrupted evidence of thy Sincerity and an undoubted Security for thy perseverance to the end Is there not room for such a question What if I should fall short Art thou gotten beyond all possibility of miscarrying for ever Friends know that a possibility of falling into the Wrath to come were that Wrath throughly understood would work more fear than a certain expectation of all the Torments and Miseries of this Life O Fear Hast thou Faith Believe and Fear Hast thou Hope Hope and Fear Hast thou Joy Rejoyce with trembling Rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God and tremble and fear his Wrath and Vengeance There will be this double use and advantage besides others of this fear of the Curse 1. 'T will quicken our necessary fear of Sin 2. 'T will quench our sinful fear of the Cross 1. This fear of the Curse will quicken our necessary fear of Sin Yea and of all the temptations to it Sin is the sting of Death and this Death is the sting of Sin How bitter would Sin taste how gastly would it look were this Gall that lies in its Belly this sting it carries in its Tail discovered and heeded Thou wouldst quickly be filled with thine own wayes didst thou but see what stands at their further end That Bed of Scorpions whither Sin is dragging thee would make every Sin as a Snake or Adder And of all Sins 't would strike the Heart with the greatest fear of its beloved Sins These are they especially under which Hell lies in ambush for us these are Hell's strongest Ropes by which it pulls in Souls Hath any Sin cast a Cord of Love about thee That 's it that 's like to be the Rope to draw thee to the Slaughter Thou canst get loose from many Sins at pleasure but take heed that foolish Heart of thine will die for it s Beloved If thou ask What wouldst thou have O my my beloved Sin What comest thou to me so often for Why takest thou up thy dwelling so near mine Heart It will answer O 't is to please thee that I am so often with thee I know thou lovest me I am the delight of thine Heart and the pleasure of thine Eyes thou canst not be content without me I am that Ease or that Wealth or that Credit that thou lovest Is there not a league betwixt me and thee Am not I the nearest Friend thou hast Thy Health and thy Welfare and thy Soul are not so dear as I am to thee thou lovest me and therefore 't is I come that thou mayest have what thou lovest But what hast thou now to say to it No no Traitor 't is my Life thou seekest 't is my Soul thou comest to steal away and devour O I dread thy fawning Face thy smiles are Darts in mine Heart I tremble at thy wooings and embraces Get thee gone Harlot thy kindnesses are deadly kindnesses What means that Dagger in thine Hand whilst thou thus kissest me with the kisses of thy Mouth 'T is my Death thou art designing I must die if I will any longer love thee and what Death must I die Is it a short and easie Death that thou art betraying me to No no 't is a bitter Death and 't is a lingring Death an eternal Death that thou art preparing for me This Heart hath been under-ground in the dark Cavern of Pitch and Brimstone I have been in the Deep and viewed those Chambers of Death where thou lodgest thy Lovers I have sent down my Spies my thoughts have been below in the Belly of Hell I have beheld how they lie in that Pit roaring and yelling and blaspheming raving mad with the anguish of their burning Souls I have seen the very Smoke and Fire that devours them the burning Teeth of that everlasting Worm that gnaws their Hearts and the fury and rage of that Serpent that deceived them in O my Soul quakes my Bones tremble terror and astonishment have taken hold of me at the Description my thoughts have brought me up of that place of torment And thou O my beloved Sin even thou art it that art most like to carry me down and bury me there If I die that Death 't will be by thy hand if I run my self into that Fire 't will be for thy sake Away from me thou proud Heart get thee gone Covetousness or Sensuality or Slothfulness or whatever the Name of my Beloved be I dare not have any more to do with thee I fear thee more than ever I loved thee I fear where thou mayest lay me before tomorrow if I should suffer thee to lodg but one night more with me Such dread of thy beloved Sin would a fear of the Curse work in thee Friends consider Are there yet any Sins that have such power over your Hearts are your Spirits so chained by them that you cannot get loose O look to those Chains of Fire into which by this Chain of Love your Sins are dragging you Are you afraid of the Curse of God Are you afraid to burn Are you afraid to be rack'd and torn and gnawn and groun'd under the Milstones of eternal Vengeance then be afraid of Sin Let Hell be your Fear and Sin will be your Fear let Sin be your Fear and it will be no longer your Love If you will not fear this Fear if you will laugh at Hell you will sport at Sin If you fear not to be Cursed you will less fear to be Wicked if you fear not Hell you will hardly fear to be Devils on Earth O Sinners steep all your pleasant Morsels in that Vinegar and Gall spice all your stollen Waters with that Pitch and Brimstone strow all your pleasant wayes with those Serpents and Adders which will bite and sting your Souls for ever Mingle all your Carnal Delights with some such deep thoughts of what they are betraying you to and then go on after them without fear if you can And as this fear of Wrath will work a fear of Sin so will it also work the same fear of temptations to Sin Sin and Temptation lead the same way though Temptation be one remove farther back Temptation leads to Sin and Sin to Death He that fears the Fowler will fear the snare of the Fowler he that fears the Hunter will fear his Dogs and his Toyls Get a fear of the Land of Darkness and you will fear to be Companions of such as are travelling thitherward fear the Plague and thou wilt be no company for them whose dwelling is in the Pesthouse Afraid of Hell and yet never well but when thou art amongst those Decoys that are enticing thee thither What are the Allurements of Sinners to the Ear of him that hath Death and Wrath in his Eye Let them entice thee Come Let 's be merry let 's to the Alehouse or the Tavern or to a Play Let 's feed to the full let 's cloth our selves with the best let
and in that fear follow on towards perfection Particularly 1. Follow on the work of Mortification in fear lest whatsoever wound sin hath received it should recover and get head again Hast thou gotten it a little under make it as sure as thou canst though thou hast gotten over Jordan and hast set thy foot on the banks of Canaan yet the Canaanite is still in the land and will be a briar and thorn unto thee Thou wilt never have peace thou wilt never prosper in the Grace of God but according as thou prosperest in thy warre against sin Dost thou ever design to come to any thing in Religion and to grow up in the Grace of God Let thine eye and thine hand be upon this adversary which will otherwise certainly keep thee down and it may be bring thee much lower than thou art this day 'T is with Grace in an unmortified heart as with poor Israel in Egypt 't is under Oppression The task-masters were upon Israels backs to keep them in bondage they were not their own men to do as they would they could not go and serve the Lord their tyrants would not suffer them and thus it 's like to be with thee Rom. 7. When I would do good evil is present with me O these Egyptians have me in hold I am so captivated to the Law of sin that I cannot do the thing that I would What an hard servitude am I under wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Onely betwixt oppressed Israel and this oppressed Israelite the new Creature there is this difference Israel by how much the more they were oppressed by so much the more they grew and multiplyed 't was more than all Egypt could do to keep them barren But Grace will never grow and fructifie under the oppression of Sin Grace oppressed by affliction will prosper and grow as Israel did Christians are seldom in such a thriving state as when under trouble and that may comfort us under all the oppressions of men we may be as holy under them all we may serve the Lord as well it may be better we may enjoy the Lord as much it may be more in our afflicted than in our prosperous state But under the tyranny and usurpation of sin Grace cannot thrive 't will hardly be kept alive whiles lust so lords it over it When the poor Soul under this oppression of lust groans and cryes as poor Israel did Let me goe let me go that I may serve the Lord the flesh possibly when in a fright as the Egyptians did when they were smitten with their plagues may say Go go and serve the Lord be as holy as thou wilt get thee up out of Egyt get thee on towards Heaven But then shortly after when the fright is over it falls on again and it may be doubles the bondage Go serve the Lord To your work says the flesh or it may be To your play you shall not go Or if the Soul hath gotten a little more liberty than ordinary these Egyptians will after it again Israel can never get free and be let alone to serve the Lord indeed till the Egyptians be dead 'T is in vain to hold a treaty with our flesh to make terms and to article with it for a larger allowance till this enemy be dead thy Soul will never prosper nor go comfortably on its way Get Egypt into the Red Sea let thy Sin be drown'd in that Sea of Blood the Blood of Christ that 's the only Ocean in which Sin will drown and die when thou hast it there then that oppressed thing within thee will grow and increase mightily when Sin is dead then Grace will thrive Grace in an unmortified heart is as a spark of fire in green wood it will not burn all the blowing it up will hardly keep it alive the sap and moysture of the wood will choak it when the sticks are dryed then 't will burn O what a flame of holy Affections what a flame of Love and holy Desires would break forth what burning and shining Lights should we be if these green Faggots our lusts were dried up and withered when you are dead to sin then you shall be alive unto God Rom. 6.11 Christian art thou nothing concern'd for that little Grace that 's in thee preserve it for it is thy Life and look upon thy lusts as its Oppressors and Murtherers that would strangle the babe in thy womb and never count thy self secure till they be dead which seek this child's life Say within thine heart I go in fear of my life of them there 's no binding them to the Peace or the good Behaviour they are thy mortal Enemies and thou canst have no security but in their death But how shall I doe to get my sins mortified Why first let me ask thee art thou so sensible of the evil of them and the mischiefs thou art like to suffer by them that thou darest not let them live Art thou so heartily afraid of them that nothing less than their death will give thee quiet Art thou more afraid of thy living lusts than of the labour and the smart that their death will cost thee who would bear the cutting off of a limb an arm or a legge that is not sensible that his life is concerned in it This mortifying work is one of the most painfull works of a Christian It is not so difficult to tell you how you should do it as to make you willing to doe it Physicians sometimes have an harder task to perswade to the taking of the Physick than to cure the Disease when once the Patient is willing and when no other Arguments will prevail 't is Fear at last that must do it Art thou in such a fear of thy Disease that this does swallow up thy fear of thy remedy Art thou for the death of sin how painfull soever it may be to thee Why if thou art in good earnest then take these following Directions 1. Lay the axe to the Root of sin 2. Put a Knife to the Throat of sin 3. Put a Bridle on its Jawes 4. Set thy Foot on the Neck of sin 1. Lay the Axe to the root of sin When Christ appeared in the World to cut off impenitent sinners it is expressed thus Matth. 3.10 Now also is the Axe laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down Sure enough the tree must down when it is cut up at the root What was to be done by those sinners do thou by sin lay the Axe to the root There are sometimes some hopefull assaults made against sin which yet prosper not because the blow goes not to the root the branches may be lopp'd the Acts of sin may be cut off the Drunkard may cease from his Wine and the Adulterer from his Harlots swearing and lying and oppression may be all cut down as to what appears but soon after all these branches and evil
doth Lust lead but to Sin and whither doth Sin lead but to Death and to Hell Be not mistaken that 's the Lake that this whole Herd of Swine being driven by the Devil are running headlong into Friends this is the very case that the World is brought into it lyeth in Wickedness and runneth upon Vengeance And yet behold all at quiet all secure no news nor noise nor fear of danger but all in peace Dost thou not find Sinner that none of these things move thee or put thee to any trouble or care And is this sleepy Evil the Disease only of the World Are there none to be found in the Churches of God sick of the same Disease Is there that watchfulness that jealousie that should be upon those that profess themselves Christians and to have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Do these Virgins alwayes stand with their Loins girded and their Lights burning Do not our Souls also lie open to the temptation is not our foot often taken in the snare What means the dimness of our Light the damp that is upon our Love the spots upon our Faces the clouds that we sometimes find upon all our Comforts What means our poverty and leanness our frequent decayes and backsliding How hath this World crowded in with so much of its Cares and Lusts and hath seated it self so near the Throne of God Are there no worldly Professors no covetous greedy Professors Is it a sign thou hast stood upon thy Guard that there are so many Thorns sprung up so many Thieves stollen in before thou wert aware Dost thou not see how thou art surprized daily and met with at every turn Dost thou not often confess this to the Lord and complain against thy self what an uneven unstable Soul thou art and how many and how great thy Falls and Corruptions are and hast thou not still abundant matter of the same Complaints to make Who would think 't were possible that such a soul should yet be secure and careless Hast thou catch'd so many a Fall for want of fear of falling how then canst thou but Fear And yet after all this after this sinning and falling and confessing and complaining how quickly is all forgotten and about the World again we go to our Businesses to our Recreations to this Company to that any whither whither our Hearts or Occasions lead us leaving our selves as open to every Temptation that meets us as if we had never suffered by it This Evil as 't is a common so it is a dreadful Evil there 's a Woe denounced against it Amos 6.1 Wo to them that are at ease in Zion To them that are at ease that is to th m that are secure as you have it in the Margin In Zion in the Church of God Woe to the secure Israelites to secure Professors there 's no Priviledg there 's no Profession that will secure the Secure from the Woe and Wrath of God 'T is a wretched thing to behold a secure Worldling secure Aliens and Strangers from God who know not the Judgments of God but to see a company of secure Israelites of secure Christians to whom it hath been said Awaken thou that sleepest stand up from the Dead save thy self from that misery that is coming upon the World this is indeed a woful and a wonderful thing Thou that hast been warned so often that hast been preached to and prayed over and hast been as a Brand pull'd out of the Burning and yet no more to dread the Fire thou that hast tasted of the bitterness of Sin and felt the smart of it and hast had thine Eyes opened to see what it is preparing for thee thou that canst talk sometimes of tenderness of watchfulness of care and heedfulness and of the constant necessity thereof art thou a secure careless Soul Wo be unto thee Vers 3. We have a particular Instance of one piece of this Security that put far away the evil day which because it hath an influence upon the maintaining of this whole Disease I shall enlarge a little upon it By the Evil Day understand the day of retribution or recompence whether it be the day of tribulation in this World or the day of Death and of Judgment There is a double putting this evil day afar off There is a putting it 1. Far from our Reins 2. Far from our Loyns 1. Far from our Reins That is from our Thoughts and Consideration as Jer. 12.2 Thou art near in their Mouth and far from their Reins Thou art much spoken of but little thought on Thus Men put the Evil Day far off when they do not think of such a day it 's out of sight and out of mind with them 't is the least of all their Thoughts that there is an evil day coming The thoughts of such a day would have the same effect as that cry that was made at the coming of the Bridegroom Matth. 25.6 At midnight there was a Cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh and this cry turn'd Midnight into Morning all the Sleepers awakned and arose and trimmed their Lamps How is it Friends that there is not such a Cry made every Day and every Night How is it that your Hearts do not still cry in your Ears The Day of the Lord is near the Judg is at the Door the Avenger is at the Heels Behold the Bridegroom cometh O this seldom enters into our Hearts this Day of the Lord is far from our Reins If the Evil Day were kept nearer us 't would make Evil Works keep farther off If when Men are jolly and merry and mad after their Lusts and drunken into a dead sleep in their Sins If whilst others are idle and slothful are retchless and supine in their Spirits and Ways laying by all care and circumspection over themselves giving themselves up to the heedlesness of their sluggish hearts and hereby led out into those sins vanities which are the Fruits of such Security if such Thoughts should arise in their Minds and sit close upon their Hearts How shall I answer for this in the Day of the Lord Is not the Day of the Lord coming Is it not near May not the very next day be the Evil Day And if it should prove to be so indeed what a case am I in if my Judg should find me thus How would such Thoughts scatter away Iniquity and scare such drowsie Souls out of all their ease and slothfulness Friend consider thou knowest what a life 't is thou ordinarily livest Art not thou one of those that art at ease in Zion art not thou the Man that dwellest careless that art quiet and secure hast not thou left thy Soul like that City that hath neither Gates nor Bars is not that heart of thine left open Night and Day let the Tempter come when he will he may find easie entrance Is not thine heart open to Temptations yea and open
spared thou wilt not deliver them up God sayes sometimes to thee Not take thou thy Child but let me take him be content that I lay mine hand upon him and smite him with Sickness or Death No thou canst not bear it but takest on and murmurest and art impatient and wilt not be comforted or quieted Some Parents can better bear it that the Devil should take their Children than that God should take them If the Devil takes thy Child and makes a Prodigal Child of him makes a Drunkard of him or a Rioter if evil Company carry him away from thee into the Paths of the Destroyer thou canst bear it with more patience though possibly it be some trouble to thee At least if the Devil take him and only make him a greedy Worldling or Muck-worm though that make him a sure to Hell as Prodigality yet this thou canst bear with ease Though we may sometimes hear Parents say I had rather my Child had been dead it would not have been such an affliction to me to have followed him to his Grave as it is to see him buried alive in Lewdness and Debauchery yet to see him held by the Devil under a blind Mind under an hard and impenitent Heart so he be civil and sober and thirty for this World though he be but a civil Infidel a thrifty Unbeliever this is not so heavily taken But let God lay hands upon him and take him away out of the World and then no other noise is heard in the House but such as was heard in Ramah Matth. 2.18 Lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her Children and would not be comforted because they were not 4. Fear the Cross or Afflictions You 'l say this is strange counsel the Scripture give the quiet contrary Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Rev. 2.10 Fear not them that kill the Body Luk. 12.4 I shall therefore shew 1. How we are not to fear the Cross 2. How we are to fear the Cross 1. How we are not to fear the Cross Now the Cross must not be feared either 1. Out of tenderness to the Flesh or 2. Out of faintness of Spirit 1. The Cross is not to be feared out of tenderness to the Flesh By the Flesh understand both our Bodies of Flesh and out fleshly Lusts 1. Not out of tenderness to our Bodies 'T is this which makes us shrink from and shun the Cross that it is such a trouble to our outward Man that it puts it to so much pain and hardship The Soul suffers not immediately by any thing that Man can do unto us but as it partakes in the sufferings of the Body If our Bodies could bear with Ease their own Infirmities the Soul could not feel them what the Body cannot endure makes the Soul sick because of its tenderness towards it Upon this account 't is that we fear bodily Afflictions but thus it must not be A Christian is a Souldier and Souldier must not fear but endure hardness 2 Tim. 2.3 Endure hardness as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ It is not for tender Persons to be Souldiers hunger and thirst cold and weariness is their ordinary lot and their hardness must be their Armour against all It is not for tender Persons to be Souldiers and therefore it is not for Christians to be tender the most tender of Sin of any Persons in the World but not so of Sufferings There are several kinds of Sufferings we may be exposed to some fall at a greater distance when we are smitten only in our Goods or Estates others come nearer and touch our Flesh and our Bones and these are they that are hardest born The Devil in his tempting Job knew which was the tender part and therefore reserves that for his last trial Job 2.5 Put forth thine hand now and touch his Bone and his Flesh and he will curse thee to thy face And if this tender part once becomes hardy then thou art a Souldier fit to fight the Devil and his Armies Christian be not tender of thy Flesh and then thou wilt not thence fear Sufferings 2. Much less is the Cross to be feared out of tenderness to our fleshly Lusts Here let three things be considered 1. The Intention of the Cross is the Destruction of the Flesh 2. 'T is this corrupt Flesh that makes the Cross to pinch 3. This Flesh is no such Friend to us that for its sake the Cross should be feared 1. The Intention of the Cross is the Destruction of the Flesh Afflictions as ill-favouredly as they look come to us upon no ill intent 't is to save us from that which is worse God delivers his People up to the Cross to the same end for which the Church was to deliver up Offenders to the Devil for the destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus Sin must be put to death and it must be put to the same death which Christ was put to it must be Crucified Rom. 6.6 Our Old Man is Crucified with him Our old Man I that 's the Male-factor that must be executed on the Cross God would have the Souls of his People to live and thrive in warm weather the most hopeful Blades are even chok'd up with Weeds then come the Frosts to kill the Weeds and save the Corn. 2. 'T is this corrupt Flesh that makes the Cross to pinch 'T is the Flesh that 's struck at and 't is that that smarts Afflictions would fall more easie on mortified Hearts Dead Flesh cannot feel And therefore 't is that what-ever complaints and groanings are heard from mortified Christians 't is usually much more for their Sins than for their Sufferings Their Medicine is sharp and puts them hard to it at first to bear it but when it hath a little conquered their Disease much of its tartness is allayed 'T is their Sore or Disease that makes them so full of pain What 's the reason that losses in Mens Estates the spoiling of their Goods that Poverty so vexes their Hearts and puts them into such fits of Impatience O 't is their Covetousness and the Cares of this Life that are the Teeth of Poverty and Want Had we once mortified our earthly Members and learn'd in every Estate to be content how easie would losses be What 's the reason that contempt and disgrace raises such a storm in others 'T is their Pride that cannot be patient He whose Heart is humble can be content to be humbled and laid low The like may be said in all other afflictive cases 't is Lust that makes Affliction tedious 3. The Flesh is no such Friend to us that for its sake we should fear the Cross 'T is near us 't is true and cannot suffer but we our selves suffer and are pained in it But so 't is with an Ulcer in the Body 't is in thine own Flesh and whatever smart is felt 't is thou
any thing thou apprehendest to be praise-worthy this must be meat for thy pride It may be thou prayest against thy covetousness or sensuality but as soon as thou art off thy knees away thou goest to work for the one or to thy play to please the other When some of thy last words are lead us not into temptation it may be thy very next steps may be running into temptation this is but mocking of God and deluding thy self If thou would'st prosper against this enemy whil'st thou stormest it by seeking to God starve it by denying thy self 3. Put a bridle on its Jaws My meaning is restrain it from its actings if thou canst not prevent its conception strangle it in the birth if the fire be kindled within yet give it no vent allow not the lust of thine heart the priviledge of thy mouth or the command of thine hand if thou canst not restrain thy covetous desires yet hold in from covetous practices if thou lovest the wine and the strong drink yet withhold the cup from the lip if thou canst not so easily rule thy spirit yet bridle thy tongue the fire of passion doth not waste by spending but rather increases the ordinary preventing and restraining the acts of sin will weaken its habits I have heard some persons vainly speaking at this rate when I have anger in mine heart out it must and then I am friends and so take it for their vertue rather than their sin that they cast out all their mire and dirt in a storm because then a calm follows Thou fool hast thou conquered thine unruly spirit by suffering thy self to be thus conquered by it what do'st thou think of him that conquers his lust by going to an Harlot when thou hast eas'd thy stomach by thy Bedlam-language then there is a calm but thou neither considerest the sin of letting fly thine angry words nor yet wilt mind that the fire will kindle the sooner for that it finds so easie a vent Damme up the furnace and that 's the best way to quench the coals 4. Set thy foot on the neck of Sin Have any of thy lusts fallen before thee make them sure tread them under thee that they rise not up again do not slight them as conquered enemies which now thou needest no more to fear those which are now under thy foot if thou look not well to them may be Lords over thee again Hath the Lord humbled thy proud heart broken thy unruly spirit and seem'd to turn a Lyon into a Lamb whilest thou sayest I hope I shall never be proud again never be so froward or peevish again whil'st thus thou hopest thou shalt not yet still fear lest thou should'st whil'st sin hath any life in it thou art still in danger as we use to say of dying men whil'st there is life there is hope so may it be said of these dying beasts while there is life there is fear Let that fear be as the foot upon their necks to prevent their rising and return upon thee Well thus set upon sin let it be destroyed reward it as it would serve thee and because it will be long a dying let it be killed all the day long draw not back thine hand whil'st its life is left in it O what an advantage will the death of of sin be to the life of holiness when the body of sin is dead 't will stink dead bodies will do so and all the issues of it will be noisome and loathsome to thee Lust is never deadly but when it lives and is sweet and pleasant when it dies and stinks and is become an annoyance to thee it will be the less thine hindrance it hath now done its worst the more it offends the less it will hurt Do'st thou find sin sweet Is it still a pleasure to thee beware of it 't is a sign 't is still alive it would stink if it were dead thou would'st nauseate it thy stomach would rise against it O this stinking pride this stinking covetousness these stinking pleasures away with them my very soul is sick with the stench they make and when sin stinks then holiness will be pleasant and the work of holiness a delight the very severities of Religion will be sweet when the pleasure of sin ceases The death of sin is all our diseases cured the lean and consumptive Soul will now revive and recover and be strengthened for its work The crucifying of sin is the casting off our weights that hang on to hinder us in our way Heb. 12.1 2. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth easily be set us and run with patience the race that is set before us 't is ill running with weights upon our backs Lust is such a weight upon the Saints as Conscience is upon sinners some sinners Consciences make them drive heavily on in their way of sin when they can once knock off this weight when they can kill Conscience and get themselves rid of its checks and controuls then they rush on upon iniquity as the horse rusheth into the battel let the Saints serve their Lusts as Sinners do their Consciences and then they may run with patience the race which is set before them There is a sore evil that is seen under the Sun Sinners all upon the Tantivie riding post towards Hell O how sprightly O how hot are they upon their chace of sin and vanity and poor creeple-Christians but barely wagging on by a Snail-creeping motion heavenward O 't is a sign that the weights do yet hang on thou art yet heavy loaden thou carriest too many bundles of thorns upon thy back too many burthens of earth and flesh upon thine heart to make any hast heaven-ward lay aside these weights tread down these worldly lusts throw off these worldly cares and carnal desires and delights yea get this carnality which is the body of Sin and the very soul of that body to be slain and crucifyed with Christ and when thou art dead with Christ thou shalt live the better to him He that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and vers 18.22 Being made free from sin ye then become the Servants of Righteousness and so shall have your fruit unto holiness and your end everlasting life O what a visible improvement should we quickly see on the professing world did we prosper more in our mortifying work then would the languid and pale-fac'd Saints have blood in their cheeks and more spirits in all their veins the young man within would be fresh and ruddy were the old man once well laid then would the Plants grow up into Trees and the Shrubs into Cedars then will the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb be loosed then would this vile image of earth and flesh vanish and disappear and the Spirit of Glory and of God would more visibly rest upon us and we should go forth as the Sun out of his Chamber and rejoyce as the
an hopeful crop to see all green and fresh and hearty and strong this is not such a pleasure to the Husbandman as 't is to a Christian to see a spring of Grace in his Soul Now I see 't is not in vain to sow to the spirit to serve and wait on God Where is all thy praying where is all thy labouring God knows where 't is saith the barren Soul I doubt 't is all lost I can see no sign of it remaining that 's a sad Soul But ask thus of the thriving Christian where is all thy praying and thy labouring and he can answer O I thank God 't is here to be seen This field of mine a few years since lay all fallow rough and hard and nothing that was good was to be found upon it but now O how it joyes mine heart to find it so the good seed that hath been buried here is not dead 't is gotten up above ground the Lord hath let me see something of his grace breaking forth and it encreases and grows up daily in me The hard and stubborn is now become a melting and broken heart the proud and froward is now become an humble and quiet spirit It hath cost me something many a sad thought many a sigh many a tear but though I came hardly by it here 't is by the grace of God the barren hath brought forth this dry tree hath blossomed this sluggish heart to which the very thoughts of a laborious fruitful life were once so irksome that I doubted that I should never have come to any thing but should have liv'd and died a drone O what a comfort it is to me to see it thus hopefully come on A diligent Christian will have such successes his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 and when he sees what good success he has then let him speak what a pleasure it is to him Christian Thou hast been at thy work but what fruit hast thou found hast thou prospered hast thou sped well dost thou see of the travail of thy Soul Is thy sin weakened is the world conquered is grace quickened in thee Is it so and is it not a pleasure to thee to find it so Doth it not please thee that thou art not so vain nor so earthly nor so proud as thou hast been Doth it not glad thee at the heart to find that the Lord hath been with thee and blessed thee and helped thee in what thou hast set thine heart unto And how lookest thou now on thy remaining works wilt thou any more drive so heartlessely and so heavily on as thou wast wont to do wilt thou any more cry out Hard service a weary life Sure thou canst not what thou findest coming in will make thy very labour and thy sweat to be sweetness to thee 3. The pleasure of Ease Ease hath a pleasure in it not only ease or rest from our work but ease in our work when we can carry it on with ease by how much the harder our work is in it self by so much the greater pleasures will it be when we can go easily through it Christ tells us Matth. 11.30 that his yoke is easie and his burthen light Christ's yoke is an hard and an heavy yoke to Sinners and such which they are in no wise able to bear but he makes it easie to his Saints A yoke may be made easie three wayes 1. By making the burthen of it lighter 2. By making the neck stronger 3. By accustoming the neck to the yoke 1. By making the burthen of it lighter by paring it or taking off something of it a great yoke may be pared and pared till at length it come to be a little on Thus Christ's yoke will not be made easier he will pare nothing off he will not abate any thing of his work there 's the same Law for Saints and for Sinners there 's the same duty impos'd on the weak as the strong Matth. 5.17 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets till Heaven and Earth pass one jott or title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled The same Law which was from the beginning shall be Law to the end Christ will never make that to be no sin which once was sin nor that to be no duty which once was a duty nor will he ever dispense with duty or sin he says not to any less shall serve for thee than for others he requires all of every one But here by way of caution take notice of two things 1. Christ's yoke is in this sense easier than Moses ' s yoke there is an abatement of the burthen of Ceremonies and legal Rites that Law of the carnal Commandment as 't is call'd Heb. 7.16 is vanished and taken out of the way no more of that chargeable service of Sacrifices no more Bulls or Goats or Lambs out of our flocks or herds the service of Christians is in this respect cheaper Service than that of the Jews of old 't is only our Moralls whereof nothing will be abated 2. Though Christ requires the same duty of all and imposes the same things and as much upon the weak as upon the strong yet he will accept that of the weak which he will not from the strong Nothing less than perfection is due from the weakest but sincerity will be accepted whatever imperfection there be God will take those weak and maimed Services from the weak which he will not from the strong He that hath a Male in his flock and Sacrificeth a corrupt thing Cursed be that deceiver Mal. 1.14 2. By making the neck stronger That 's an easie yoke to a man which a Child is not able to wagge A labouring man that 's weak and sickly will find his ordinary work to be too hard for him when he recovers his strength he can go through it with ease Weak Christians will ever find Christianity to be hard Service as they grow up to be stronger they will find it grow more easie day by day 3. By accustoming the neck to the yoke The yoke at first putting on wrings and galls and wearies those that are unaccustomed to the yoke are impatient of the yoke 't is use that makes it easie An Apprentice to a Trade though at his first entrance he do not half so much work as afterward yet 't is with twice so much pains The first hour is ordinarily with him the burthen and heat of the day his morning is hotter than his noon The tediousness of Religion meets us at the threshold our hardest task is to begin well nature will make the strongest opposition against grace at the the very birth of the new creature our first charge against lust is usually the hottest charge the travail of the birth hath more pain in it than all the after care of bringing up the child A Christian at his first setting out after Christ feels all his motions