The Faithful and Diligent Christian described and exemplified OR A SERMON With some Additions Preached at the Funeral of the Lady ELIZABETH BROOKE the Relict of Sir Robert Brooke Kt. of Cockfield-Hall in Yoxford Suffolk Who departed this Life July 22. And was interred in the Parish-Church of Yoxford July 26. 1683. And in the 82d Year of her Age. To which is annexed including the Character then given of Her an Account of the Life and Death of that Eminent LADY With an APPENDIX containing some Observations Experiences and Rules for Practice found written with her Ladiship 's own Hand By NATH PARKHVRST M. A. Vicar of Yoxford and Chaplain to her Ladiship Prov. 31.29 Many Daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all London Printed for Samuel Sprint at the Bell in Little-Britain and John Harding at the Bible and Anchor in Newport Street near Leicester-Fields 1684. To the much honoured Truly Vertuous and Religious Mrs. MARY BROOKE MADAM THE shortness of the Time which was allowed me for the delivering of the Sermon preach'd at the Funeral of your Excellent Mother would not permit that fuller Account of Her which I now humbly offer to you with that Sermon enlarged Notwithstanding which Additions I am sensible there remains much unsaid equal to the things I have remarked though assisted by some very consideble Memorials sent to me by a most worthy Friend to your Family who hath been acquainted with her four and forty Years and passed many of them in her House But there being a necessity of omitting some things unless I would have exceeded the usual Bounds of such Narratives I only beg your Pardon if I have not made the best choice among those Treasures of Excellencies and Christian Accomplishments that were found in Her These which I have collected I hope may be useful to them who have any Inclination to Piety as serving to excite to a great degree of Holiness This being the natural Tendency of great Examples recorded even to move others to Imitation Which Effect I am much assured it will produce in your Self and You of all others are most obliged to endeavour it having been constantly conversant with the Patern when living It is a great Honour to have descended from such a Parent but it will be much more to tread with that Exactness in her Steps that all that behold your Conversation may see Her living in You. It was Her earnest desire you might survive and God hath fulfilled it She hath left You in her Province clothed with her Mantle And may a double Portion of her Spirit rest upon You that You may honour God as She did And that You may enjoy a long and prosperous Life here and then ascend to Heaven and partake together with Her in equal Glory is the earnest Prayer of Madam Your much obliged and most humble Servant NATH PARKHURST ERRATA PAge 17. line 17. for and his read and in his P. 19. l. 11. f. is before us r. is set before us P. 56. in the Margin f. Sussex r. Suffolk P. 106. l. 9 10. f. Heaven makes r. it makes P. 108. l. 10. f. rational r. notional P. 114. l. 1. f. the End r. his End P. 151. l. ult f. in the State r. in this State Some few other lesser Mistakes of a Letter or two in a word may be easily taken notice of and mended in the reading A SERMON PREACHED At the FUNERAL of the Lady Elizabeth Brooke c. 1 COR. XV. 58. Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. THE Gospel of our Blessed Saviour hath many Excellencies in it inviting us to accept and obey it For First The matter of it is Grace in the most kind and condescending Offers thereof And Holiness described in the exactest Rules for the management of our Hearts and Lives no Ethicks being comparable to the Precepts of it Secondly The Author of it is The Prince of Peace and King of Kings The Eternal Son of God The Brightness of his Father's Glory and express Image of has Person Thirdly The end of it is The most eminent Display of all the Perfections and Attributes of God For His Power is most admirably manifested in the Miracles that have confirmed it and in the success of it upon the Minds of many who have been changed by it into the Divine Image His Wisdom also shines most illustriously in that Contrivance in it of the Harmony between His offended Justice and his Mercy in being Just and yet the Justifier of him that believes in Jesus Moreover his Holiness is greatly declared in it in the satisfaction and sufferings of his only Son And above all his Mercy and Goodness is most eminently exprest in it by his free Acceptance of them that repent of their Sins believe in his Son and sincerely obey him notwithstanding their many Infirmities entertaining them with the greatest Kindness and Love beyond expression beyond conception And Fourthly As one of its most glorious Excellencies The Encouragement to receive and obey it is no less than the Promise of an unspeakable Future Happiness in our Souls immediatly after Death and of a most glorious Resurrection of our Bodies in the last day unto a Life Eternal and Enjoyments no less excellent than durable Of which the Apostle discourseth largely in this Chapter with abundant Demonstration of the truth of it concluding with this practical Inference in the Text Therefore my Beloved c. In which Words besides many things which I omit we have observable First The Duty of Christians proposed Be ye stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord. Secondly The Reward of accomplishing the Duty Your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. Thirdly The Rational Inference or Conclusion from the certainty of the Reward Therefore my Beloved be ye stedfast c. forasmuch c. Of which Things I shall discourse in this Method shewing I. It is our Duty to be employed in the Work of the Lord. II. That we ought to attend it with steadiness III. That we should be perpetually progressive in it IV. That the Recompence will answer the Labour For it shall not be in vain I. It is our Duty to be employed in the Work of the Lord. It is called His Work because it is enjoyn'd by His Laws encouraged by His Promises and performed by His Aids For otherwise it might have been termed Our Work it being the whole Christian Exercise which is intended by it In this therefore is comprehended 1. The Labours and Industry required of us towards the attaining necessary sound and sufficient knowledge of the Great Principles of Faith and of the Rules For conducting our Conversation and the encouragements to Holiness contained in the gracious Promises and the Cautions against Sin which we have in the severe Threatnings dispersed through the Scriptures of the Old and New
eject it It is not easy to bring the Soul back again into the State in which it was before it contracted Guilt XXXV Anger is seldom innocent I have no reason to trust my Anger it is not so just and righteous as it sometimes seems to be Anger is apt to blind my Mind and then Tyrannize over it There is in it something of Rage and Violence It stirs me up to act but takes away my Rule by which I should act I find an Aptness to credit my Passion and that foments it And when I am under the Power of Passion I have cause to suspect my own Apprehensions For Passion is blind and cannot judg it is furious and hath no leisure to debate and consider Giving way to it makes me unfit to act or receive Grace Though Anger should serve the Interest of Religion and so be good yet it being a strong and fierce Motion of the Spirit it must be used with great Advice and Caution XXXVI It is very hard and difficult to give God his due Glory under cross Providences XXXVII There is a Chain of Graces It is most certain there is a Chain of Graces inseparably link'd together and they who have one have all in some good measure They who have a lively Hope have fervent Love to God and they who love God love their Neighbours and they who love God and their Neighbours hate Sin and they who hate Sin sorrow for it and they who sorrow for Sin will avoid the Occasions of it and they that are thus watchful will pray fervently and they who pray will meditate and they who pray and meditate at home will joyn seriously in the Publick Worship of God Thus Graces are combined and holy Duties link'd together and no Grace is alone It is not with Graces as with Gifts to one is given this and to another that XXXVIII To be impartial in Piety and Mortification is very difficult It is a most difficult thing to withdraw Love from every Sin To proceed a little way in Religion is not hard But it is really so to go to the Extent of Mortification and Piety something of Religion may be embraced and our own Hearts Satan and the World not offended Some Morality and an outside-Devotion is not tedious to Flesh and Blood neither doth it shake Satan's Kingdom nor trouble the most of them we converse with But when we come once to engage in a close walking with God and to live by Rule in every part of Life resolving seriously to indulge no Sin whatever we pull the Kingdom of Darkness upon our Heads Then Corruption will strive Satan will rage the World will scoff watch for our halting and glory in our Miscarriages and we shall find it difficult to run against the course of Nature oppose Satan and go contrary to Men But of necessity this all this must be for any Sin indulged will divorce us from Christ XXXIX To trust in God is a Christian 's necessary Duty I find trusting in God my most necessary Duty My Condition is such that I cannot see before me I know not what a day may bring forth I find my self weak and impotent unable to do or suffer as I ought I cannot preserve my Soul Life Health or any thing dear to me And without trusting in God I cannot expect God should fulfil any Promise it being the Condition of the Promise XL. Trusting in God produces real Comfort I find it comfortable to trust in God it raises my Hope and gives me present Rest and Quiet and holy Contentation Trusting in God like many other Duties is my Work and my Ways XLI To trust in God is one of our most difficult Duties I find it difficult to trust in God at all times When Providences cross my Expectation they discourage me and prove a Temptation through my Weakness I have but feeble Apprehensions of the Power and Goodnese of God when I come to make use of them for my particular Security and Benefit I think I may say it is easier to obey and act for God than to trust in him XLII Faith is the Root of other Graces Faith is the Principle of Spiritual Life and Motion every true good Work and Exercise of Grace take their Rise and Vigor from Faith A Christian prays reads and meditates hears hopes loves is zealous for God and doth good to others Why because he believes What is Repentance and godly Sorrow but the Soul acted by Faith upon the Belief of the Sinfulness of Sin its Opposition and Contradiction to God and of the high Obligations we are under to avoid it and of the Misery we run into by venturing upon it and of the Madness and Folly of ruining our selves by it I find Faith most necessary and that I cannot be without it Where can I go or what can I undertake wherein Faith will not be necessary If I pray or meditate it will be a strange Exercise if Faith be wanting If I read or hear the Word it will not profit me unless I mix it with Faith would I hope in any Promise I must call forth my Faith Would I be heavenly-minded it is Faith must raise me above the World Would I be zealous for God Zeal will not gather Heat unless Faith blows the Fire Would I have Peace and Joy they must be had by believing Nay I can do nothing in my more ordinary Affairs without Faith I must know and believe my Design is good and centers in my great Design which is the Glory of God And the means I employ must be known and believed to be regular and holy or I dare not make use of them And then I must be able to cast my Care upon God and to commit the Event and Issue to him or else my Business becomes burdensom to me and I have no Rest in my self XLIII The Devil is a mighty but not an invincible Enemy I have a powerfull subtile watchful and malicious Enemy to encounter with But he is a known Enemy the Word hath discovered him and his Power is limited God hath promised me Victory over him nay my Lord hath already conquered him And I am not alone in this Warfare against Satan I fight not against him singly there is a whole Army engaged in the Quarrel The whole Church prayes and fights against him the Saints collectively make War upon him All the Prayers of the Church go up to Heaven for my Assistance so that I have help against Temptation from every Corner all strike this Dart into his Side Lord lead us not into Temptation And we all fight under our Victorious Captain Christ Jesus The Honour of God and of Christ my Head is bound up in my Safety and therefore I shall conquer nay his very Temptations shall turn to my good All these Considerations are my Encouragement XLIV The Things which the Holy Ghost teacheth The Holy Spirit teacheth every gracious Soul to regard the Immortal Spirit above the Body
Testament without which Knowledg the Heart cannot be good nor the Life purified or suitable to the Christian Profession wherefore we are directed to search the Scriptures S. John 5.39 To incline our Ears to Wisdom to apply our Hearts to Understanding to cry after Knowledg and lift up our Voice for Understanding to seek hit as Silver and search for her as for hid Treasures Prov. 2.2 3 4. And certainly the Wickedness of the most of Men among us is greatly imputable to their utter Ignorance of these things or a very slight and inconsiderable Knowledg of them For Ignorance of God Christ and his holy Spirit and of his Attributes and providence prevents all Inclination to Piety Ignorance of the Rules for managing our Lives prevents all that Regularity in Conversation that is required Ignorance of the Promises suppresses all the Incourgement to it and Ignorance of the Threatnings hides all that which should move that Fear that is necessary to engage us in it And all this Ignorance proceeds from Slothfulness and Unwillingness to use Diligence in scearching and understanding the Scriptures in which are the Treasures of all needful Knowledg And therefore the first thing in this Work of the Lord enjoyn'd us is an industrious Endeavour after Knowledg by being conversant in the Scriptures by reading or at least diligently hearing them 2. There is included in it all that belongs to Repentance towards God consisting in a deep Sense of our many Sins against God Christ his Holy Spirit our Neighbours and our own Souls by which God hath been dishonoured Christ slighted his Holy Spirit grieved our Neighbours injured and our own Souls polluted debased and exposed to the Wrath of God as also in confessing them with Shame and Grief offering the Sacrifice of a broken and contrite Heart and in an hatred of them all attended with sincere forsaking them denying Ungodlinss and worldly Lusts and suffering no Sin to reign in our mortal Bodies being able to attest that upon making a diligent search there is no known Sin of Omission or Commission allowed loved or favoured by us But that every such Sin is opposed by our Purposes Prayers and true Endeavours 3. To this must also be refer'd all that is included in Faith And that comprehends a settled Belief of the Being and All-Governing Providence of God and of the Truth or Divine Authority of the Scriptures A continual depending on the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God and the receiving his Son Jesus Christ in all his Offices as a Prophet Priest and King And as the Lord our Righteousness our Advocate with the Father the Propitiation for our Sins the End of the Law for Righteousness to them that believe and as made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And this we do when designing Salvation by Him we search the Scriptures considered as the Word of Christ with dependance on the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Son that we may understand the way of Salvation and know the things of our Peace and when apprehending our Guilt and Danger by Sin we seek the Pacification of our Consciences and the appeasing of God by believing meditating upon and applying his Death and Blood as a Sacrifice and Satisfaction for Sin and when we commend all our Requests to God with Dependance on his Intercession and when apprehending his Exaltation we become earnestly obedient to him and depend upon him for Grace and Strength against all our spiritual Enemies and hope to receive from him the Crown of a blessed Immortality and a miraculous glorious Resurrection 4. To this pertains all that the Scriptures intend by Holiness consisting in the Imitation of the Divine Imitable Perfection viz. the Wisdom Righteousness Purity Faithfulness Goodness and Mercy of our Creator in cleansing our Hands and purifying our Hearts in sincerely attending the Duties of both Tables of the Law with respect to God and our Neighbour and in mortifying all those Lusts that war against the Soul as the Lusts of the Flesh including Intemperance and Uncleanness The Lusts of the Eye which are Avarice and Covetousness and the Pride of Life i.e. The ambitious pursuit of Honour and Applause and the affecting the Pomp and Bravery of the World and in filling our Minds with all the Divine Graces and holy Affections of Fear Love Trust and Hope towards God and of Love Meekness Humility and Kindness towards Men And in obeying the Laws of Christ and following his Example in being in a great measure holy harmless undefiled and separated from Sinners In doing Good reproving Sin delighting to do our Father's Will and submitting to his holy Pleasure in all things willingly drinking the Cup he putteth into our hands and in glorifying him on Earth that he may glorify us in Heaven 5. To this belongs all that the Scripture chargeth upon us in those full and comprehensive Precepts of fearing God departing from Evil loving Him with all the Heart Mind and Might keeping his Charge doing his Will walking in his Counsel chusing the narrow Way and exceeding the Righteousness of Scribes and Pharises by being impartial in our Obedience and chiefly attending the weightier matters of the Law and by being sincere and humble not glorying in our pious Attainments and Actions but rather hiding them excepting those things which for Example's sake must be publick and such as the concealing them proceeds from Cowardise and fear of Reproach 6. There is included in it the faithful managing of our particular Callings as the Magistrates being just and ruling over Men in the Fear of God the Ministers Care of Souls praying for the People and shewing them the right way endeavouring to turn many to Righteousness The Peoples revering cheerfully attending and obeying them that watch for their Souls The Parents care and bringing up Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord the Child's Obedience the Master's Justice and Kindness the Servant's Diligence and Faithfulness and the Subjects unspotted Allegiance and Obedience for Conscience sake And all other our Duties in our several Places Stations Employments and Relations 7. There must be added as pertaining to it all the most serious part of the Christian Life employed in fervent Prayers and Thanksgiving Self-Examination serious and Divine Meditations and solemn and fruitful attending the Publick Worship of God consisting chiefly in the Word preached and in Prayer and Sacraments Lastly To this must be joyned the most refined and spiritual part of Religion consisting in suppressing the most inward Motions of Vanity Pride Envy Malice Unbelief worldly inordinate Love carnal Affections and Desires in keeping the Mind as much as may be intent and without Wandrings in Prayer and other devout Exercises of Religion and in attending in them to more than a natural Fervour and Devotion in the Imagination only moved by well composed and fit Words even to a Devotion consisting in the real Exercise of Faith Humility holy Love and Fear and other Graces and in
rebuilt with much more Glory Magnificence and Splendor returns into it with more Pleasure than ever he had in it before so the Soul will rejoyce much more in it s repaired Fabrick than ever before during the time of this mortal Life especially upon finding it purged entirely from Sin the fretting Leprosy in the Walls of it which could never be cleansed but by the breaking of it down And probably there will be a mighty Addition to this Pleasure by the Soul 's sensible uniting with it or joyning to the Body with a Perception of doing so The first Union that was made between them was to the Soul insensibly performed by the meer Hand and Power of God in the first Formation of the Body and so the Felicity of that Uniting was never understood But at the Resurrection the Body being raised again and most gloriously formed and the Soul coming down from Heaven and knowing to what end it descends will with a strange Pleasure sensibly enter again into its old Habitation repaired and made glorious And being raised from our Graves with this Pleasure of the Reunion of Soul and Body we shall be conducted to Christ's Right-hand and hear such Words as these spoken to us by Him the Judg and Lord of all Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World And Well done good and faithful Servant enter you into the Joy of your Lord. When the Ungodly shall hear the Words of the Curse more terrible than the Thunder on Mount Sinai Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And then together with all the Church of God and the holy Angels we shall Souls and Bodies united together never more to be separated ascend into the highest Heaven and enjoy throughout an Eternity the fullest most refined and most agreeable Happiness that our Natures are capable of which if we can believe depending upon the Verity of the Scriptures we must acknowledg our Labour is not in vain And why should we make any doubt of it Have we not all the Evidence we can have of this matter The Scriptures have the Attestation of multitudes of Miracles performed and Prophecies fulfilled They have the Signature of God also upon them in the Holiness of the Matter and the Majesty of the Stile in many places never Book spake like this Book The Matters of Faith in it are so high the Mysteries so grave and sublime the Precepts so holy and pious the Promises so agreeable and refreshing to Minds that are mortified and purged from Vice the Threatnings so solemn severe and just the Examples so glorious and the whole so admirable that if we consider it we cannot imagine the Author to be other than God who is most holy just and good There being then no doubt but that the holy Scriptures will be in all Points verified and in particular in the Promise of future Happiness consisting in a glorious Resurrection and a blessed Immortality as the Reward of true Holiness Let us be perswaded to comply with God in the things he requireth of us And let us manage our Lives according to our Christian Profession and our Vowes in Baptism and since And let us hearken no more to the Charms of Sense the Voice of a tempting World and the Whispers of the Devil our great Enemy enticing us to Sin and to abide in evil and unholy Ways and Practices But let us deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present World putting on the Armour of Light and Righteousness on the Right-hand and on the Left And let us in earnest make Religion the great Business of our Lives believing God's Promises and expecting this most glorious Reward But some may possible object in this manner We have heard the manifold Duties of Religion and have sometimes considered of the great Reward proposed But we find to our Discouragement that Religion is a Wisdom too high for us and the Practice of it a Province too difficult It is a way too strait and a Gate too narrow a Yoke too pressing a Burden too heavy a severe Warfare a tedious Travel It is impossible to comply with it and if we would endeavour the Practice of it we cannot effect it It were more easy to us to dig in the Mines or serve in the Gallies then to break off our Sins and live a holy Life And therefore urge us not to attempt Impossibilities My Answer to this Objection is That it is a Mistake and that what is required is through Divine Assistance and Grace very possible and certainly practicable The Difficulties are great but there is a Grace given to Believers that surmounts them all that levels the Mountains fills up the Valleys makes the crooked places streight and the rough places even that opens the blind Eyes of Mens Minds and softneth hard Hearts and subdues rebellious Wills and regulates disordered Affections that enlightens and enables to will and to do and out of Weakness makes strong and calls things that are not as if they were and raises dead Souls to Life Therefore let it not be said It is impossible to be Religious But let Men beg the Grace that will make it possible And never let it be said it is impracticable when Multitudes though few in Comparison of greater Multitudes have lived in the practice and exercise of Holiness A Cloud of Witnesses as they are called Heb. 12.1 have gone before us in the practice of these things though Men of like passions with us The Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and many others have given us the Pattern and Proof of all this Piety and Godliness Some of all sorts have sincerely effectually and successfully engaged in it viz. some Kings Princes and Emperours as David Jehosaphat Hezekiah c. some Generals of Armies as Joshua and Gideon c. some Officers of State as Joseph Obediah c. some Learned Rich and Honourable and some Poor Mean Illiterate and Despifed Perfons so that none of us of what quality or condition soever can say Religion and Godliness is Impracticable by Persons of our Condition and Circumstances in the World Having then Patterns of Piety in all Ranks and Conditions of Men let us set these Examples before us and asking Grace and imploring Aids from God through the Mediator Christ Jesus let us imitate them and be holy as They were in all manner of Conversation And besides these Ancient Examples we have some in this present Age by whom it is evident that Godliness in the Life and Power and Exactness of it is really practicable We have now before us That which is sufficient utterly to silence the Objection I mean The Remains and Memory of this Eminent LADY and Excellent CHRISTIAN whose great Piety was the Glory of this Place And whose Recess from amongst us though She died full of dayes hath filled many Hearts with a passionate Grief
I glorify him by desiring and endeavouring to partake of his Grace and Happiness XVIII God's Being and Providence and Covenant are most agreeable things to purified Minds The Notion of God is most agreeable to my Mind I knew not how to live in the World if there were not a God to govern it His Being delights me his Providence supports me his Covenant and Love rejoyce me without these things I should not value my own Being and Life XIX Peace and Hope generally attend Sincerity I have Peace though not always Great Assurance my Hopes are such as keep me in the Way that leads to Heaven The Word delights me A proof of Sincerity God's Commands are not grievous to me I rejoice in the Promises his Ordinances are to me a Spiritual Feast The knowledge I have of God the notice I take of his Providence and meditation on his Word afford me no little pleasure XX. The Method of attaining Spiritual and Great Comfort Could I exercise Grace with greater strength and more fully mortifie Sin Could I believe more stedfastly pray more fervently walk more evenly and be more spiritual heavenly and humble I should have more strong and abiding Comforts But especially my Faith is weak and there is nothing I am more liable to than to distrust God and to be jealous of him and not to think my self secure without such Demonstrations of his Love as are not to be had and would take away Faith XXI A good Name is a great Blessing which God only can preserve to us A good Name ought to be valued It is better than precious Ointment a real and a promised Blessing is valuable next to Life if not equal to it It is an Honour to God and our Profession Heaven makes us capable of doing good and gives Strength to our Instructions and Reproofs and without it we become useless in the World But it is hard to keep a Good Name it requireth much Innocence Prudence and Watchfulness And when all is done unless God restrain the Spirits of Men every lying Tongue or malicious or unkind Spirit may blot our Name It is hard to preserve a good Name considering our own liableness to Miscarriages and the Enmity of the World against Holiness XXII The Certainty of a Future Glorious Life It is most certain there is a Life of Glory Not only the Scriptures assert it but it is also one of the Principles of Natural Divinity We have these things in the Heathens Creed That there is a God That the Soul of Man is Immortal and that there will be Rewards and Punishments in a Life to come But notwithstanding the Certainty of it it doth too little affect my Soul partly because there is some vail yet upon the great things of Heaven And as my Knowledge is little so my Faith is weak XXIII God must not only be known but also acknowledged God may in some sort be known and not acknowledged The one is rational and the other practical This is fruit and substance the other leaves and shadows To acknowledge God is to converse with him to have a lively sense of his Being All-governing Providence and of his Presence every-where to consider his Majesty Greatness and Glory with due Reverence his Wisdom with Esteem and Admiration his Power with Fear lest it should be improved against us and with Trust Pleasure and hope that it shall be imploy'd for us his Holiness with deep Reflection on our own Sinfulness and with desire to imitate such an excellent Patern XXIV Death is a Christian's Passage to Heaven To consider Death as a Passage to Heaven and the way to the Father will help a Christian chearfully to pass through the World and willingly to leave it XXV The necessity of having the Assistance of the Holy Ghost I find it hard to preserve entire my Communion with the Holy Spirit though I perceive my dependance upon him is very great He is the Original and Printiple of all Spiritual Life and Motion and without his continual breathing I am as a disjoynted weak Member which hath neither Consistency nor Uniformity in its Motions or Actions XXVI Conscience must not be offended by allowing any Sin I find it better to offend a World of Men than to offend my own Conscience Conscience is quickly offended but not so soon pacified Conscience hath a good Memory and will keep the Remembrance of Offences along time and give many a secret Wound and make Faith and Confidence in God weak and hinder the Vigor of Prayer and Freedom hi our Converse with him XXVII It is not good to pass immediately from much Business to Prayer I find it best to go from no kind of Employment that busieth my Head and scattereth my Thoughts immediately to Prayer it I may avoid it XXXVIII Christian Watchfulness is very necessary It is sadly experienced how Freedom from the Power of Sin may be impaired for want of Care and Watchfulness XXIX They that know God's Law and will consider and reflect will discern much Sin in themselves If we are not sensible of Sin in our Souls it proceeds either from Ignorance of what is Sin or from not reflecting on our selves They who know the strictness of God's Law and the degrees of Sin and are Observers of themselves will find many workings and motions of Pride vain Glory Love of the World Selfishness Envy and other evil Affections and that they cannot keep themselves clean without a continual Care of their Hearts XXX It is the spiritual part of Religion that is hard the outward part is easie XXXI The Remain of Sin with us is very active Sin within always works and labours to bring forth the deeds of the Flesh It is alway either enclining to Evil or hindring from Good or disframing the Soul and making it less meet for converse with God It deceives seduces and tempts and in some measure corrupts and pollutes all that we perform to God or do for him XXXII Sin cannot be mortified by our own Strength I find an Aptness when Sin afflicts me presently to promise to my self and God that I will do so no more and do resolve by Watchfulness and Prayer to prevent it And this will do something for a season till my Heat abates and my Sense of Sin wears off and then my Mortification vanishes also Therefore I resolve never to think of mortifying Sin by my own Strength but humbly to look up to God for the help of his Holy Spirit XXXIII There arises a great Pleasure from having resisted Temptations There will never be found so much Satisfaction in gratifying a Temptation as in a noble generous refusing of it The more I resist the more I find of Peace and the most pleasing Temptation denied brings with it the sweetest Consolation XXXIV It is better to prevent Sin than to admit it and then mortify it If Sin enters it must be dislodged again And it is far easier to prevent than to