works good out of it David got good by his fall it made him the more humble and broken in heart drew out his heart in stronger cries after grace made him more watchful for the future against the occasions of sin Psal 51. 7 8. to the 12. Psal 39. 1. Psal 141. 3. Peter got good from his fall by keeping an after-sense of the evil of it on his heart Israel by their departure from God came to loath themselves the more in their own eyes Ezek. 36. 31. And Ephesus by a sense of their evil got this advantage they could not bear evils in others Rev. 2. 2. As sin abounds so grace abounds much more Rom. 5. 20. Object If souls may get good from sin and where sin abounds grace abounds much more Then why should we be troubled for sin and watching against it Why may we not rather sin that grace may abound and do evil that good may come thereof Sol. The Apostle answers this objection Rom. 6. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid and proves by several Arguments First That it cannot be that souls interested in Christ can live or allow themselves in sin Because First They are dead to sin and therefore cannot live any longer in sin v. 2. dead men while so cannot live but Believers are dead to sin no longer to live therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amplius never more to live in it they may fall into it be overcome by it but to allow it to design it to make provision for it and to take up encouragements upon choice in judgment to continue in it this cannot consist with men dead to sin as all souls in Christ are for they are baptized into the likeness of Christ's death yea into his death v. 3. That as Christ died for sin once to die no more but was raised by the glory of the Father v. 4. so they being really dead with Christ should live no more in sin but be perpetually dead to it for this is the very end of Christ's death to destroy the old man the body of sin the whole power and Being of sin in Believers to be accomplished in its time and waies v. 6. And Christ died in vain and hath lost the great end of his death if they that are in him can live any longer in sin for he that is dead is freed from sin c Jure facto absoluti manumassi a peccato cujus prius premebamur imperio Paraeus v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Synecdoche Piscat that is absolved from the obligation servitude dominion and guilt of sin as an Apprentice is by Law declar'd free or set free from his Master's rule and power Secondly They that are in Christ are not only partakers of his death and therein brought into a state of death to sin but they are partakers of his resurrection and by it instated in a life of holiness v. 4 5. that now they should live to God which cannot consist with a life of sin v. 11 12. Thirdly They that are Christ's are brought under grace under a Covenant of Grace opposed to the Law as a Covenant of Works and therefore cannot be any longer under the dominion and service of sin v. 14. These two Covenants being in that respect contrary they that are under the Law as a Covenant of Works are in the flesh and bring forth fruit unto death Rom. 7. 5. and for that end are Believers set free from the Law and brought under Grace that they might serve God in newness of spirit v. 6. and no longer serve sin Fourthly They are become the servants of righteousness set free from the service of sin Rom. 6. 18. Your time under sin is out and you have now no more to do with sin you are anothers servant and therefore cannot return to the service of sin any more for you are now servants to God not for a time but for ever you have deliver'd over your selves sworn over your selves to be the servants of God for ever and therefore cannot now serve sin That 's his first answer You cannot if in Christ serve sin any longer nor continue in sin that grace may abound for if you can consent to live in sin you are not under grace Secondly You ought not to do it if you are rational 't is not your concernment to sin because sin is an evil thing First Sin is the greatest slavery in the world v. 16. You are servants to sin and to Devils sins are the works of the Devil 1 John 3. 8. which Christ came to destroy sin is evil in its state 't is drudgery and in its nature 't is filthy abominable and shameful Secondly It is attended with sad issues here it brings forth bitter fruit v. 21. It makes the soul ashamed when awakened to see what he hath done and it fills the soul with grief horrour and torment it breaks your loins makes you go halting to your grave it makes you weary of your life and fearful to die it sets your teeth on edge and fills your bowels with wormwood and gravel O the dreadful effects of sin here which makes it no way a souls interest to sin 2 Cor. 7. 11. Psal 51. 8. Psal 38. 4. Psal 119. 120. Psal 55. 4. Lam. 3. 19. Thirdly As the work is bad and fruits are evil here so the wages of sin is death v. 23. As soon as the work is done they shall have their wages which is alwaies paying and never paid they shall be alwaies dying and never dead whose worm never dieth and whose fire is never quenched Mark 9. 44. This will be the certain end of them that can chuse sin and live in sin if God be holy and his Word true And can you then continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid O Christians get good from your sins to be ashamed of them to grieve and mourn over them to hate and loathe them to pray and cry against them to watch and strive against them to fly to Christ for pardon over them and freedom from them to shun and avoid the occasions of them to have no more to do with them to seek and further the death and total ruine of them to prize graces and love Christ the more to be more attentive to his instructions and obedient to his commands to bless God and rejoyce in Christ when God doth in any measure keep you or set you free from sin to long for Heaven and Glory that you may never sin more to keep close to Christ and abide in his waies that you might be the more secur'd from sin and fitted for glory Ezra 9. 6. Zach. 12. 10. Ezek. 36. 31. Rom. 7. 24. Prov. 4. 14 15. 1 Thes 5. 22. Ephes 5. 11. Ephes 2. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Acts 11. 23. This is to get good from sin and to drive on the
eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness Jer. 22. 17. He maketh haste to be rich Prov. 28. 20. drives furiously after the world his heart is reconciled to all the means and waies that lead to it be they never so clashing with soul-advantages that man be he who he will is a friend to the world and an enemy to God let him make the highest profession possible So did Judas get into the Church of God so did Demas pray preach and so may hypocrites for a time yea make many prayers Isa 1. 15. Doth he profess love to God so did the Jews and yet their hearts went after their covetousness Ezek. 33. 31. Is he of a lovely spirit and unblameable conversation so was the young man in the Gospel his great desire was to inherit eternal life Mark 10. 17. that was his business to Christ he desired to know how he might be saved he seemed to be all for Heaven his life also was unblameable All these have I observed from my youth up verse 20. He was of a sweet lovely spirit 'T is said Jesus beholding him loved him verse 21. and yet could not part with the world for Christ had his heart knit to earthly things all the while and went away sorrowful he could not consent to sell all and give to the poor ver 22. no marks will serve that Soul's turn whose heart is glued to the World and cannot give up all to Christ's dispose God and the World cannot dwell in that Soul godliness and gain cannot keep house together where the grace of God comes in truth it teacheth men to deny worldly lusts Tit. 2. 11 12. He that hath no power to deny the cravings of a worldly heart never yet received the grace of God in truth Grace saith one may stand with some transient acts of naughtiness but never with covetousness Adams on the 2 Epist of Pet. p. 9. 16. Noah was once drunk with Wine but never with the World Lot twice Incestuous never Covetous Peter denied his Master thrice it was not the love of the World but the fear of the World brought him to it for he had denied the World before he denied his Master Once David was overcome with the Flesh never with the World Why did not these purge themselves from Adultery Anger Contention and the like because into these sins the infirmity of a Saint may fall but if once into Covetousness there is nothing of a Saint left not the very name Luther acknowledges there was scarce a sin to which he had not been tempted save to the sin of Covetousness The Lord Jesus tells us that his Disciples are not of this World some derive the word Holy from Earth and a privative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particle in that redemption from the earth is the great work of holiness All they that partake of the Cross of Christ are crucified to the World and the World to them Gal. 6. 14. Not a jot of the benefits of Christ are treasur'd up in that Soul where the God of this World dwells and if without Christ without hope thy case is desperate if thy heart be earthly under the ruling power of this World thou art yet in a graceless state and no grace no glory if thou mindest earthly things destruction is thy end Phil. 3. 19. If thou art one of this World whose heart is after thy covetousness thy portion is in this World Psal 17. 14. All thy Heaven is on this side the Grave For this ye know that no Whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Eph. 5. 5. 'T is joyned with the most abominable sins Thievery Drunkenness Adultery Idolatry Extortion for which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Col. 3. 5. 6. The Scripture calls covetous men cursed children 2 Pet. 2. 14. An heart they have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exercised as Wrestlers are who contend for victory with all their Might being train'd up to it by long exercise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exercised with covetous practices cursed children really cursed with a detestation such whom God abhorreth Psal 10. 3. And the wicked blesseth the covetous whom God abhorreth A woe is pronounced against them Hab. 2. 9. Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evil One would think this a duty or at least very commendable to provide for our Family and get what we can for our children and to endeavour to secure our houses from any suffering and calamity but if this be mens end to set their nest on high to get great things for themselves and so to manage their affairs as to avoid all b Malum hic notatis quod homines vulgo pro malo habent quod fugit horret caro nimirum crucem humilitatem ac persequutionem sufferings for God there 's a dreadful woe hangs over their heads and disappointment of all their design in the issue for instead of honour they are brought to shame in the end Thou hast consulted shame to thy own house and sinned against thy own soul vers 10. They are unworthy of any society with men I have written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one no not to eat 1 Cor. 5. 11. and shall be cut off from communion with God to all eternity Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither Fornicator nor Idolater nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Secondly as thy state is dangerous if thou art one who lovest this present World so thy folly is great to set thy heart upon the World After thou hast been convinced of the evil of such a spirit and practice and hast felt the smart of it in thy own soul After thou hast been arraigned at the bar of thy Conscience and condemned in thy own heart for this Sin as every truly convinced Soul is if ever the spirit of bondage hath been at work in thy heart as thou hast confessed then hast thou found this sin more bitter than death to thee and now to return again to such courses as will break thy bones again and put thy soul to greater torture than ever as all relapses do this is folly indeed After thou hast chosen God for thy portion Christ for thy treasure Godliness for thy gain the inheritance with the Saints for thy Land a mansion in Heaven for thy house Christ's tried Gold for thy Money a conversation in Heaven for thy Trade the Father Son and Spirit for thy All here and for ever
to the Lord Jesus A flock of Sheep whereof every one beareth twins and not one is barren Cant. 4. 12 13 14 16. Ch. 4. 2. 'T is compared to the Palm-tree the Cedar the Vine the Fig-tree a green Olive plants famous for flourishing growth clusters of fruit constant fruitfulness 't is said of the Fig-tree it bears fruit all the year long and in many places they shall always find green figs on it Such is the Spouse of Christ compared with the world and hypocrites fruitful and flourishing A good tree bringeth forth good fruit Mat. 7. 17. The root of the righteous yieldeth fruit Prov. 12. 12. Where-ever the grace of God is received in truth there it brings forth fruit Col. 1. 6. As sin brings forth fruit unto death so doth grace unto life Rom. 6. 22. No sooner doth the Lord Jesus espouse a Soul but he heals it of its barrenness He maketh the barren Woman to keep house Psal 113. 9. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away Joh. 15. 2. A barren Christian is a monster in Religion no living member of Christ's body indeed there are Winter-seasons when fruit may not appear but even then 't is in the seed and sap and there is a preparative for fruit which appears in the season but to be always without the fruits of the Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Gal. 5. 22 23. is a sign of one that never had marriage-union and intimate communion with Jesus Christ but is the certain mark of a fruitless Fig-tree in danger of cutting down and the character of that ground which is cursed and nigh to burning Luke 13. 7. 9. Heb. 6. 8. Souls try your state 't is for your lives your All depends upon your marriage-union with Christ Had you never any special acquaintance with Christ Have you no conjugal love to Christ Cannot you consent to leave all for Christ Do you usually live and stay on other things for life and salvation and not on Christ Have you been ever barren souls that never brought forth the fruits of the Spirit unto God then were you never married to Christ nor have any true title to heavenly treasures Mark 2. Secondly your interest in heavenly things is known by the naturalness and supremacy of your love to them Where the treasure is there will the heart be Mat. 6. 21. If heavenly things be yours your heart is there worldly men have the World set in their hearts Eccl. 3. 11. Their heart is but the World copied out so heavenly souls have Heaven set in their hearts which are but the counterpane of Heaven every thing hath a natural love to his own the World will love his own Joh. 15. 19. No man ever hated his own flesh Eph. 5. 29. What affections have brute beasts for their young and will venture their lives to defend and maintain them 'T is storied of the Storks when the Town of Delph in the low Countreys was on fire and the Storks perceived the fire to come near their nests they endeavoured to carry away their young but when they could not remove them they flutter'd over them with their wings covering them from the flames till they all perished together Belg. Com. wealth So strong is natural affection to its interest and the natural issues of it self much stronger should gracious affections be to their interests O how I love thy Law saith David 't is my meditation all the day long Psal 119. 97. Whence came this affection it was from his interest in those great and lovely truths Psal 119. 111. Thy testimonies have I chosen as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Souls risen with Christ and born to the inheritance above will set their affections on things above Col. 3. 1 2. Where is thy heart Christian in Heaven or Earth what things are dearest to thee and sweetest to thy taste canst thou prize the light of God's countenance better than life had'st thou rather be a door-keeper in God's House than dwell in the Pavilions of this World Is a little of Heaven better than a great deal of Earth and can thy heart consent to be at any loss in the World to enjoy God in his Ordinances and to be enriched with spiritual blessings in heavenly places Then heavenly things are thine Mark 3. Thirdly if heavenly things be yours it will appear by your heart-cares for them and vigorous pursuits of them how careful are men of their interests to secure and enlarge them Phil. 2. 21. All men seek their own If the things of Heaven be yours your greatest care will be to get and keep them when Kish thought his Son Saul was lost he left caring for the Asses sorrowing for him saying What shall I do for my Son 1 Sam. 10. 2 Christians if heavenly things be yours they will lie nearer your hearts than all the World besides the sense or fear of losing them will more trouble you than all losses besides the world relations creature-comforts will be forgotten when you apprehend a death on your heavenly interests you will do more and part with more to get Heaven than the World and dearest comforts of it Many will pretend desires for Heaven as the young man in the Gospel but Christ will say to them as to his Hearers Mat. 5. 47. What do you more than others Souls you would have Christ here and Heaven hereafter but what do you for it what do you more than hypocrites and common professors whose portion is in this life can you leave the world for God can you deny your self for the pleasing of Christ and part with your right eye and right hand throw away your Idols of gold and silver the world and fleshly lusts and honour God with your time strength and substance Can you let your Plough stand still to follow God's and stick at no pains and hardships to enjoy the least spiritual good Then are heavenly things yours Mark 4. Fourthly Then are you interested in Heavenly Treasures when your hearts and spirits are suited to them when the Lord hath let in a heavenly tincture on your hearts and inlaid your spirits with heavenliness and a mind that answers to heavenly things as face answers face in the water When God intends men for Heaven he doth in time fit them for it and where he gives a title to mercy he gives a capacity also where he makes over the riches of glory he makes that soul a vessel fit for glory Men do not purchase Pearls for Swine and build Schools for brute beasts God did not make the Heavens for fishes and the Sea for beasts but suited every creature to its element They that are his Adoption are his new Creation also Ephes 2. 10. and when they are designed to a blessed end they are principled for it and have a disposition put into them to move towards it They that are set apart for Heaven hereafter do
sparks to come near to gun-powder as opportunity to corruption Eighthly Impenitency in sin strengthens the habit of sin Jer. 8. 6. No man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel They run on furiously in sin as the horse doth into the battel who runs till he sweats saith Theodoret. So they have no end or satiety of sin and b Talis cogitatio causa fuit pertinacis nequitiae Idem this impenitency in sin was the cause of all their pertinacy in sin Impenitency hardens the heart and heaps up sin on sin unto the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. Take heed then of all those things that may in the least maintain and keep up sin in your souls as ever you think to bring it down That 's the first Advice Direct 2. Secondly Not onely shun whatever might strengthen sin but take heed you go not out in your own strength against sin if ever you think to mortifie it He that would mortifie sin must be able to master Devils Ephes 6. v. 12. But humane strength is no match for Devils If man in his pure estate were too weak for such an adversary then much more impotent is impure and imperfect man 'T is not the woman but the womans seed must bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. The Saints victory is through him that hath loved them and given himself a sacrifice to God for them Rom. 16. 20. Rom. 8. 37. Ephes 5. 2. It must be his armour and arm too must bring salvation from spiritual enemies Without me you can do nothing John 15. 5. 'T is this makes souls to fail in their attempts against sin that they set about it in a strength inferiour to sin When Augustine after all his strivings vows and duties to bring down his corruptions found them still too hard for him he heard a voice saying to him c In te stas non stas Thou standest in thy self and therefore thou dost not stand Whereupon he betook himself to prayer and faith in the blood of Christ and so got some victory over them When the Exorcists Act. 19. v. 15 16. went to cast out Devils by the bare Name of Christ without the Power of Christ both they and their attempts soon miscarried Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye and the man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them and overcame them and prevailed over them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded Creature-strength is too weak to master that enemy which hath the power of Hell to guard it O go not out against sin In the strength of your purposes and promises Peter to his own cost found that too weak to secure him in an hour of temptation Go not out in the strength of your frames and affections How easily can Satan beat the Saints from these posts and cast in a flood to drown their warmest affections The Galatians that were high in frames and affections and could talk of a blessedness while spiritual soon felt an alteration when they became carnal Gal. 4. 15. chap. 3. 3. Go not out in the strength of your duties and performances these are too weak without faith and the arm of Christ to charm these Serpents and disarm spiritual adversaries Go not out in the strength of your graces these are not Christ nor have an Almightiness in them to bring down sin and Satan 'T is not grace in Believers but grace in Christ that is sufficient to guard the soul from Satan's buffetings and to rescue it from his temptations 2 Cor. 12. 9. Direct 3. Thirdly Get the union between thy heart and sin broken The life of sin lies in that union it hath with the heart if that be broken sin dies as a man then ceaseth to live when the union between the soul and body is dissolved Sin hath too great a part even in a Believer's heart which moves for some respect and indulgence towards it When the enlightened mind saies Crucifie it the carnal affections cry Spare it is it not a little one And the heart like the City of Iconium about Paul and Barnabas is divided Act. 14. 4. And the multitude of the City was divided and part held with the Jews and part with the Apostles So 't is with the gracious soul sin hath too great a potency in the carnal mind which must be broken or sin will never die Get the Spirit 's interest in thy heart strengthened and sins party weakened every day There are seven things that have a great tendency to weaken the heart's union with sin and withdraw its affections from it First An abiding sense of the great Love of Christ towards it that he should pity him when pitied of none left of all love him when wallowing in his blood and altogether unlovely in himself love him while an enemy to God yea to his own soul love him so as to give himself for him to leave his Father's glory and take up shame yea taste of death for him love him and pass by others call him and leave others the serious consideration of this hath a great constraint on the gracious heart to hate sin which Christ so hates and in love to the soul came to destroy Secondly A due apprehension of the unconceivable sufferings of the Lord Jesus and all procur'd by sin He was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities he was oppressed and afflicted and that which gave an extremity to all these sorrows it pleased the Lord to bruise him to put him to grief and to make his soul an offering for sin This made the blows the heavier that they came from a Father's hand Had an enemy done it it might have been easier born though his torments were unimaginable but mine equal mine acquaintance my familiar friend Psal 55. 12 13. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matt. 27. 46 and all this the fruit of sin This makes a gracious soul to hate sin that hath been so cruel to his best and only friend Thirdly A believing sight of the excellency and holiness of Christ hath a mighty power to draw off the heart from sin when the Prophet had got a view of the Lord in his holiness he hath presently unlovely and troublesome thoughts of sin Isa 6. ver 1. to 7. Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the mid'st of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts A sight of Christ's holiness will make sin seem exceeding vile and loathsome and the soul restless till delivered from it 'T is unacquaintedness with the holiness and beautiful perfections of Christ that makes men fall in love with that deformed monster
still running in They that will cure a disease must get the cause removed Original sin is the source and fountain of all actual sins as that is weakened so will the irruption of actual sins be abated The way to prevent the inroads and stranglings of a garrison is to begirt the Fort and not onely keep them in but scale and attach the strong hold that secures them This is the wisdom of a Christian saith Mr. Burroughs that when he comes to labour against any corruption he doth not spend his time so much against this or that particular corruption but strike at the body of corruption And hence is the reason that Christians in a little time grow so much and get so much power against their corruptions whereas others are a long time before they get any power at all 'T is with a Believers heart as with a garden overgrown with weeds though the tops be often plucked off while the mores and strings abide under-ground all they do to cleanse it is labour in vain they still spring up afresh So is it with mens corruptions till the root be more withered and weakened Now to further this work First Be deeply sensible of your sinful natures as well as sinful actions This the faithful complain mostly of even their sinful natures Isa 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing and our righteousnesses as filthy rags Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Secondly Apply the Death of Christ by faith to the whole body of sin in you Faith fetches virtue from a crucified Christ to dry up the bloody issue of sin Luke 8. 44. chap. 6. 19. This being the appointed way of God to bring down sin The foundation of a soul's redemption from sin is laid in the Death of Christ 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who bare our sins for us in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness This death to sin is the effect of Christ's dying for sin this being the end of his Death to redeem his people from all iniquity Titus 2. v. 14. Christ's Death for sin was not onely a pattern to Believers but a medicine and appointed means to destroy their sin Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 'T was by the Cross of Christ that Paul was crucified to the world and the world to him Gal. 6. 14. Carry over thy old man to the Cross of Christ and bury thy strong lusts by faith in the grave of Christ deriving virtue thence to kill thy sin Faith brings the soul into a fellowship with the Death of Christ to receive the benefits and energy thereof one of which benefits is a killing power on sin Thirdly Improve Faith in the Promises The death of sin in Believers is part of the New Covenant and as sure as pardon Micah 7. 19. He will turn again he will have compassion he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea Mat. 1. 21. He shall save his people from their sins Rom. 6. v. 14. Deut. 30. 6. which promises are sure to all the seed The Lord Jesus came on purpose to perform the promises to and in his people Rom. 15. 8. To redeem them from all iniquity Titus 2. 14. And to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. And saith in these Promises is soul-cleansing and sin-subduing Carry over thy unruly corruptions to Christ in the Promises and sue for justice upon them Fourthly Implore the constant help of the Spirit of Grace both to discover oppose and destroy thy corruptions This work is too hard for flesh and blood nothing short of the Eternal Spirit can get a full conquest over sin and the power and wiles of Satan in thy soul 'T is through the Spirit Believers come to mortifie the deeds of the body Rom. 8. 13. And by the spirit of judgment and burning the Lord purges away the blood of Jerusalem Isa 4. 4. And by the Law of the Spirit of Life we are made free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8. 2. Take heed of grieving and impeding the Spirit of Holiness by which his gracious sanctifying influences are suspended and thou be left to the weaknesses of thy own spirit Be much in prayer and fervent cries for the Spirit 's daily assistance in this great work Fifthly Give no place to the least motions of sin but maintain a constant war against the whole powers and body of sin The want of preventing care timely opposition and constant warfare against all the corruptions of flesh and spirit is one thing that lays gracious souls under the entanglements and prevalency of their lusts James 4. 17. 1 Thes 5. 2. Rom. 12. 9. We embrace saith one the desires of our temptations upon implicit faith not examining and withstanding the first entrance of temptation nor crushing the first motions of sin 'T is easie to crush the Serpent's Egge but dangerous conflicting with it when it becomes a Cockatrice A rebellion may be with less strength dissipated at its first appearance than suppressed when it hath gathered head Isa 14. 29. The Devil 's first assault saith Chrysostome is violent resist that and his second will be weaker and that being resisted also he proves a coward A Christian's wisdom and interest lies much in these two things First To take the start of sin to strike the first blow to be in the field before it yea to baracado up its way and to fall in upon its quarters to lay in provision against its very rising to fortifie the heart against the least consent to sin by applying threatnings and promises betimes and furnishing the heart with soveraign and scriptural antidotes against it The neglect of this preventing care deprives the soul of needful helps against its surprisal and so renders it weak against its first assaults Arius at first saith Hierom was but a spark but being not supprest betimes he prov'd the incendiary of the whole Church Secondly To prosecute the soul's victory over sin Sometimes the Lord gives his people power over a lust by a sanctified affliction or blessed ordinance which victory if pursued might tend to the total subduing of it but usually we grow secure after such successes and do not follow the victory but give over too soon as Joash in his-smiting on the ground 2 Kings 13. 18 19. The Prophet bid him shoot the arrows of the Lord's deliverance and smite upon the ground and 't is said He smote thrice and stayed and the man of God was wroth with him and said Thou should'st have smitten five or six times then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it O what advantage might a
to see their own vileness were it not for temptation they could not see the greatness of their corruption David Solomon Hezekiah Peter did not think their hearts were so abominable till left to temptation which stirs the mud and brings up the bottom to the top and this helps to abase them and make them more vile in their own eyes By this also they see their own weakness and their need of Christ and are more effectually brought out of themselves to the Lord Jesus for succour and victory And by temptations from Satan they come to be acquainted with his devices 2 Cor. 2. 11. and more skill'd in his wiles and stratagems no small advantage to one that is in a state of warfare with him This way also doth the Lord winnow his Saints and by these high winds fan and cleanse them Luke 22. 31. Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat and brings them to more conformity to their head and to greater establishment in grace which are glorious advantages to Believers promised in the New Covenant and this way accomplish'd which makes temptations necessary to Wisdom's Merchants and renders it their great concern to lay in provision against them Secondly As temptations are certain and will come so they are shaking when they come they are part of that rain flood and wind which did beat vehemently on the sandy building that it fell Mat. 7. 27. Luke 6. 49. Temptations are part of the Devil's Artillery his fiery darts and cruel buffettings which none can bear without the whole Armour of God upon him and then too all they can do is but to stand Ephes 6. v. 13 16. They are so potent and prevailing as that none but such as are in Christ can stand their ground under them And in time of temptation fall away Luke 8. 13. Receive the Word with joy seem to love God and delight in his waies for a season till temptations come to the purpose and then fall away There are some temptations are more easie to be born but when Satan sets on a soul with all his might there 's no standing without divine succour and the Lord 's opening a way to escape Temptation is reckoned amongst the sorest afflictions that the Saints do undergo 1 Cor. 10. 13. Heb. 2. 18. Heb 11. 37. They were stoned they were sawn asunder they were tempted they were slain with the sword No suffering like temptations for they draw the soul to sin which is more cruel than death to a soul that loves Christ O Christians what need have you then to be laying in for an hour of temptation seeing it will surely come and seeing it will be so terrible when it comes Get your selves well furnish'd with wisdom that you may know Satan's devices that you may be able to distinguish between temptation and corruption and able to answer the Objections and subtle reasonings of Satan you must have experience also to encourage your hope and strengthen your patience that instances of former relief in the like cases may lift up your head and strengthen your expectations in new Tryals also You must lay in store of faith to guard your hearts and shield your heads from the fiery darts of Satan you must get your integrity cleared and the uprightness of your heart and way evidenced that 's of great use also to bear up your Spirit under all his charges against you Make much of every breathing of his Spirit in you and take care you quench not any of his motions God saith one doth often leave us to own Satan's suggestions for our own because we do not own God in his holy motions and breathings And have good evidences of your interest in Christ and assurance of his love to you and assured help in the time of need taking special care to have corruptions weakened and a growing mortification in your souls that so when Satan comes he may find nothing in you to fasten his temptations on This calls for your provident care to store your souls against times of Tryal Secondly Times of desertion are spending-times which will need a full stock when the Lord doth hide his face and withdraw the sense of his love and influence of his quickening presence This the Lord may do and hath done he hath left the dearly beloved of his soul gone from his habitation compass himself about with a cloud left his children in darkness as those that have been long dead 'T is just with God saith Mr. Cooper to deny us the comfort of our graces when we deny him the glory of them Isa 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour Job 23. 8 9. Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him Isa 49. 14. But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me This was one of the greatest sufferings on Christ his apprehensions of his Father's forsaking him O God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. Here was a total and final desertion that our Lord Jesus came under as to his sense and the effects of it he saw nothing of the comforts of the Divine presence to the last breath of life but died in this darkness Verse 50. Jesus when he had cryed again with a loud voice that is as he had done verse 46. he gave up the Ghost and had no comfort to the last minute of life And if God hath done so to the green tree how much more may he to the dry if he forsake his natural and onely beloved Son he may surely hide himself from his Adopted Sons even to their dying hour And this is a condition full of consternation and terrour The poena damni the loss of God and all good is thought to be a far greater punishment to the damned than all the punishment of sense and torment O the dreadful apprehensions that good souls have had about God's forsaking them 'T is a Hell on Earth and the beginning of the second death to be under a real sense of God's removal from the soul O the amazing dread and consuming rerrour that Job Asaph Heman and others were fill'd with by such apprehensions of God's withdrawment from them and his wrath lying hard upon them Soul though now it be a time of light with thee the Candle of the Lord shines upon thee thou walkest in the light of his countenance lyest in his bosom and art dandled on his knee yet may the days of darkness be many and thy soul lie in the shadow of death and under real apprehensions of the Lord's departure from thee and displeasure against thee and then thou wilt find need of all the cordials light and hope imaginable O lay in sure and unquestionable satisfaction about this great case that God is
shall see clearly things it never knew As 't is said of the Mole that it is blind all its time till it comes to die and then it sees So they that would not see shall then see and be ashamed then shall souls see things as they are and find that to be evil which they thought good and that to be good which they thought to be evil Death is the greatest informer and makes the largest discovery of things that ever was it brings to light the hidden things of darkness sins the world never knew and sins it may be the soul it self never saw or thought it self guilty of then will the least flaw error unsoundness neglect failing be fully seen then the things that now seem to be small will then appear to be great and those things that were taken for mountains will be less than one single grain of dust Death is a time also when conscience hath its quickest senses and liveliest acts when it sees hears feels fears all things as they are and without any other witness becomes both Accuser and Judge then Judas needed no Accuser to charge him or Judge to condemn him but his own conscience nor Executioner to dispatch him but his own hand What 's the matter man said Mr. Perkins to a Malefactor going up the ladder and his countenance shewing the inward terrors of his soul art thou afraid to die O no Sir said he but of a worse matter So another upon her death-bed and under a terrible sight of her wicked life when one that was by offered something to comfort her against the fear of death replied Were it but to die it were nothing A world said another upon the border of eternity and under conscienceaffrightings for one inch of time O give me one inch of time Luther speaks of an Eremite who a little before his death stood very sad never stirring out of his place for three days having his eyes fixt towards Heaven and being ask'd the reason of this posture answered he was afraid to die His Scholars began to comfort him telling him he need not to fear death who had been so holy in his life but he replies 't is true I have lived well and been obedient but God's judgments are otherwise than Man's judgment Tom. 4. fol. 50. The time of death is a time of great temptation also then Satan usually brings forth his chiefest strength to weaken the soul's faith 't is his last onset and that is the hottest as men that storm a Garrison in their last assault they usually put forth their utmost strength Then he opposeth us with most armed force In this last assault Å¿ Instructissimis copiis nos impugnat ipsam resistentiam aggreditur de certamine certamen est bellum alio bello defendendum hic pugnandum ut pugnare liceat resistendum ei qui resistere dissuadet Luth. saith Luther 't is not as in other temptations where faith and hope doth fight for here he sets upon the very resistance and the strife is about striving and the war is maintain'd by another war Here the fight is that it may be lawful to fight and to resist him whose greatest policy is then to disswade from resisting laughing at our hope as if it were already vanquished and it were to no purpose to resist This is a critical time and hard to stand the last enemy is death when the soul must have the whole armour of God and be found not in his own righteousness but take sanctuary in the grace of God the righteousness and faithfulness of Christ Death is somewhat driery saith Mr. Cooper and the streams of that Jordan between us and our Canaan run furiously but they stand still when the Ark comes let your anchor be cast within the veil and fastned on the rock Jesus let the end of the threefold cord be buckled to the heart so shall ye go through t Claude oculos nihil responde commenda causam Deo Idem When thou art tempted saith Luther and seest no way to escape shut thine eye answer nothing and commit the cause to God This saith he is the chiefest wisdom we should attend to in the hour of death This was Bernard's course and comfort when on the point of death I have lived wickedly saith he but thou Lord Jesus Christ enjoyest Heaven by a double right first because thou art the Son of God then because by thy death and passion thou hast obtained it u Hoc servas pro te jure nativitatis illud largiris mihi non jure operum sed gratiae thou keepest the first thy self by thy birth-right the last thou bestowest on me not for my works but of thy grace Christians you had need be well furnish'd for the hour of death your greatest and most difficult hour laying in all the provisions you can for a sure and comfortable passage to glory Thus you see Wisdom's Merchants have more to do than keep up present life and comfort they must lay in for times to come for times of temptation desertion affliction and the hour of death Advice 4. Fourthly If you have good trading with God then lay out for God This is reasonable work pleasing work honourable work profitable work First 'T is reasonable work to lay out for God he deserves it 't is his due all your mercies are his interest I will return and take away my corn in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof I will recover my wooll and my flax given to cover her nakedness Hos 2. 9. Though God gives his people the use of mercy yet he keeps the propriety in his own hand God is the Alpha and should be the Omega the Authour and 't is reasonable he should be the end of all our mercies James 1. 17. Every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights And as beams from the Sun is derived from his bounty as his peculiar off-spring w Bona mea dona tua Omne bonum nostrum vel ipse vel ab ipso Aug. My goods are thy gifts saith Augustine All our good is either himself or what comes from him Both trading and thriving are from him and should also be for him both principle and interest are God's own Mat. 25. 27. If you lay not out your mercies for God you rob him of his due Your mercies are the Lords not onely by that interest he reserves in them but by your resignation of them unto him Christians when you gave up your selves to the Lord you gave up all your interests and capacities also 2 Cor. 5. 8. To keep back any part of your All from God is to lye to the Holy Ghost Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the Land No lower terms will pass in reconcillation with God than what Ahab yielded to Benhadad 1 Kings 20. 4. My Lord
and willing to be search'd and to know their own state many that think well of themselves might find that notwithstanding all their shews and seeming hopes they are in a woful and dangerous case in that their hearts are not right with God but are set on other things on earthly things more than on God Six things discover this that the heart is set too much upon this World First When the desires are inordinately let out after it this is one symptom the Prophet gives of an unsound covetous heart such a one hath greedy unsatisfied desires after the World Who enlargeth his desire as Hell and is as Death and cannot be satisfied Hab. 2. 5. In the former verse he tells us a carnal unbelieving heart is a rotten unsound heart His soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by Faith A carnal heart is all for himself and his own carnal interest and not for God he lives by sight and not by Faith and this was an evidence of it all his desires were for carnal things Desires are the breathings and outgoings of the heart and as the heart is such are they where the desires are earthly the heart is earthly such a one is never satisfied with any portion of earthly things as a person in a Fever always thirsty so is an earthly heart always coveting more and more They joyn house to house and lay field to field till there be no place Isa 5. 8. As long as there is any place left they covet it A Field a House a Living is but a morsel that stays a hungry stomach for the present as soon as that is digested they long for more this is a certain sign that heart is on the World whose desires have never enough of it and alas where 's the person that will say with Jacob I have enough Where the heart is set on God and things above a little of the World will content that Soul food and rayment with godliness is enough but it is never satisfied with its measure of Grace and enjoyment of God the more it enjoys of God the more it longs for further fellowship with him one duty doth but edge the stomach for another the more he hath the more he desires of God and spiritual things and so 't is with a heart that is altogether earthly the desires are earthly also never satisfied with what he hath but still longing for more Secondly A worldly heart hath worldly thoughts there the mind is wholly taken up about earthly things thoughts are to the heart as the beams are to the Sun the streams to the Fountain which are homogeneous of the same nature with them our Lord Jesus tells us that 't is out of the heart that evil thoughts proceed Mark 7. 21. They come immediately from the heart says Mr. Fenner nothing comes between the heart and them other sins says he come from the heart but it is at the second third and fourth hand but thoughts come immediately from it And nothing doth more discover the heart than the usual habitual delightful thoughts of a man do They are the univocal acts of the heart which shew what the heart is as shining does the light Mr. Fenner of the misery of earthly thoughts Where are thy thoughts mostly thy pleasing and delightful thoughts there is thy Heart They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. As soon as they awake thoughts of their business as friends come to visit them they drive out other thoughts of God and heavenly things they vanish and disappear at the presence of earthly thoughts as Clouds do at the rising-Sun as when a Master comes in to take his seat Servants rise up and go their way no sooner doth thoughts of God come in but earthly thoughts drive them away as the Shepherds did Jethro's Daughters and there is no Moses to stand up and help them Exod. 2. 16 17. An earthly man from morning to night his thoughts are upon the World as the Dog follows his Master all the day long In company alone at home abroad in journeys in duties his thoughts are usually about his Trade Interest House Field Work and the like it may be sometimes good thoughts may be cast into the mind and these make amends for all other thoughts feeding the deceived heart with conceits that all is well because good thoughts come in now and then whereas the main bent of their thoughts have been about earthly things these thoughts grow out of the heart they are in-dwellers but good thoughts are only guests and strangers that don't stay long they give a visit and then are gone and must give way to earthly thoughts again which are home-born houshold-servants and inhabitants thy thoughts of God are but occasional now and then extraordinary when some special mercy or affliction is upon thee but thy earthly thoughts are fixed stated and continued thy good thoughts are like rain-water that fall upon thee or as pump-water that must be drawn out but thy carnal thoughts are as well-water that runs freely and springs up from within thee thy good thoughts are but thy recreation when thy mind is tired with other things but thy earthly thoughts are thy work and employment when men have done their work they sometimes walk abroad such are thy seldom thoughts of God and divine things when thou hast drudg'd away the strength of thy mind on the World and thy own things then to quiet conscience and recreate thy mind thou givest thy thoughts leave to walk abroad and give a visit to better things thy heavenly thoughts are gentle easy weak and sickly and carry out little of the strength and vigour of thy heart with them but thy thoughts of the World are strong and lively the first-born and strength of thy heart they are spending thoughts working plotting carking studying thoughts Ah souls deceive not your selves with fancies of your good estate from some fits and good moods in you which hypocrites may have and all the while the strength and bent of your hearts the constant lively prevailing thoughts of your souls are carnal selfish and earthly Thirdly Persons restless labours after the world plainly shew their hearts are upon it Where the heart is set upon a thing a person is restless till he hath it he leaves no stone unturned sets wit hands friends and all on work to get it When Shechem's heart was set on Dinah Jacob's daughter he sticks at no proposals so he might but obtain her Let me find grace in your eyes and what ye shall say unto me I will give the Land shall be before you dwell and trade therein and get you possession therein Gen. 34. 10 11. No terms were counted too hard take up profession undergo painful duties punishing circumcision part with any thing so he might but have the desire of his heart What hardships did Jacob undergo for his beloved Rachel twice
ties and yet have never yielded any right subjection to it all your days but have violated all its righteous commands every day and moment of your life both in thought word and deed For he that keepeth the whole Law and yet offendeth in one point or iota is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. Debtors to Conscience whose Law is in force against you and by which you shall be judged Rom. 2. 14 15. These having not the Law are a Law to themselves which shew the works of the Law written in their hearts their Consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another and yet you have broken these Conscience-bonds casting its cords from you how many ties hath Conscience laid upon you which you have broken going against the light and dictates thereof Debtors to all the World to whom in some respect or other you are obliged There are duties you owe to all men to love them and pray for them to all your neighbours and acquaintance to do them good as you have opportunity and to seek and endeavour their Salvation to your power which you have not done to this day There are duties you owe to your relations friends and family which you have neglected and have been encreasing your Original debt by running on new scores every day which can never be cancell'd or a power obtained to discharge your duties acceptably till you come to Christ and enter your souls into his new and everlasting Covenant setting upon those great and Evangelical duties of it Your slavery is also great till you come over to this blessed work You are in bondage unto Satan Know ye not that to whom ye yeild your selves servants to obey his servants ye are whom ye obey Rom. 6. 16. You serve incomparably the worst Lord a cruel Lord who hath no mercy but delights in the misery of fal'n man A roaring Lion that goes about seeking to devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. A cursed one cast out from God cursed above all creatures reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgment of the great day Gen. 3. 14. Jude verse 6. Thine implacable enemy that hates thee with a perfect hatred An Accuser that never speaks well of any A Murderer he was from the beginning Rev. 12. v. 10. and the original cause of all the destruction in Earth and Hell A false and deceitful creature that never kept his word with any A Lyar and the Father of Lies Joh. 8. 44. one that will be too hard for you and cheat your souls into destruction A miserable poor creature one that hath lost all his glory and excellency and hath nothing to give you for all your service but some of the same flames in which he must fry for ever This sinners is your Lord whom you have chosen and served all your daies And as you serve the worst Lord so you do the worst work base filthy shameful cursed work Such are all thy actions whiles in an unchanged state you do hard work no service like it you work and have no food to refresh you which is the cruellest bondage Israel in Egypt wrought hard and yet had flesh-pots Onions and Garlick to relieve them but you have nothing to feed your hopes and affections but lies and vanity you work and have no rayment to cover you all your employment makes you naked you labour and have no rest weary and heavy laden and yet feel it not Gen. 3. 7. Other Labourers have their successive quietudes but you have none the hireling hath his shadow the labourer hath his evening to give over his work his bed to sleep on but your work admits of no rest 't is never done you do the Devil's work day and night waking and sleeping nay while you eat and drink your work still goes on O sad servitude You work and have no wages All earthly Labourers have their penny something or other to compensate their pains money or maintenance but you have nothing in hand or hope here or hereafter but death and damnation the fruit of your labours here is more bitter than death and the wages at the end of your day wrath and vengeance worm and There can be no mirth saith Latimer where weeping is served in for the first course and gnashing of teeth for the second fire Mark 9. 44. And is not this bad employment and is it not time sinners to change your calling and to accept this offer made you of this excellent Trade Arg. 2. Secondly The danger that attends your present state should put you on a timely relinquishment of it You are poor and that exposes you to scorn and contempt to oppression treading down and crushing to devouring and destruction you are not safe from ruine one moment the next knock at thy door may be a call to Judgment Prov. 17. 5. Amos 4. 1. Hab. 3. 14. Prov. 10. 15. When thou liest down thou mayest make thy bed in Hell when thou awakest thou mayest see God on the Throne thy Soul at the Bar thy Accusers at thy right hand the Evidence in thy own breast the Sentence written in capital letters Go ye cursed Under thy feet a bottomless lake of fire and brimstone round about thee cruel Devils ready to seize upon thee and lodge thy guilty condemned soul in thine eternal home Matth. 24. 51. You have been Prodigals wasting what is not your own and are in danger every day of a charge against you You are deeply in debt and in danger of an arrest every hour when you go forth death may be at your heels when you return destruction may enter with you O the uncertainty of thy time sinner the danger of thy eternity the absolute ruine of thy immortal soul if thy reckoning begin before thy work and hast thou not reason then to hasten about thy great concern and to burn no more day-light in works of darkness Arg. 3. Thirdly Thy duty should quicken thy undertaking in this great employment Religion is not your Liberty but your manifold debt The Law of Creation binds you unto God you will confess you were made by him and God will profess you were made for him Isa 43. 21. This people have I formed for my self that they should shew forth my praise Your fall from the Covenant of Works is not your liberty from the essential duties of it neither is your incapacity to perform it a dispensation of your obedience 't is still your duty to return from whence you fell to take the Lord to be your God to love him with all your heart and with all your might to trust in him to fear and obey him A draught of these Covenant-duties did God place in your conscience by which you shall be judged Rom. 2. 12. 15. though the counterpane you have defaced yet the Original Deed is with God and will be brought forth in the day of Christ against such as have not taken the Lord for their
daily search and when we know there is something still beyond our Hooker on 17 of John knowledg as men that travel in the main Ocean they see nothing but water and yet see neither side nor shore brim nor bottom and there is more water to be seen All the treasures of wisdom and knowledg are hid in Christ and he keeps the keys in his own hand and bosome Be often looking unto Jesus for clearer sights of him and the things freely given of God with the way to them Knock often at the treasury-door till he answer and open and send you away enriched with the knowledg of him this is part of your Trade to know Goods and the worth of them and how to buy and sell to best advantage Alas to what purpose is it to deal in Commodities that men know not and heavenly things are hidden things beyond the search of Men and Angels 1 Pet. 1. 12. Which things the Angels desire to look into * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 limis oculis vel in transitu quasi per transennam aspicere Bud. They bowed and stooped down to pry into those hidden secrets and as it were to peep into the mysteries of the Gospel as the word signifies to look a-squint with cross eyes every way and with quickest observance as through a Casement at one that passeth by and this they did with an earnest and restless y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire The Apostle alludes to the Cherubims placed over the Mercy-seat with their faces looking towards the Mercy-seat and through it to the Ark a type of Christ and Gospel-mysteries Exod. 25. 20. as things worthy and yet hard to be known which call for an inward and spiritual eye under fresh anointings every day Christians this is your daily work to follow on to know the Lord to be much with the Sun of Righteousness for healings and beamings on the eve of your mind that you may be more capable to understand the whole counsel of God concerning you This is a Heavenly Spirit or Mind enlightened with Heavenly Wisdom to eye and understand heavenly spiritual things Another property of a Heavenly Spirit is this 'T is a Spirit that savours as well as sees heavenly things it tasts a sweetness in divine things there is nothing in all the world that so pleases a spiritual mind as spiritual things so much is included in that word Rom. 8. 5. Do z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mind the things of the flesh that is do savour and rellish them so 't is rendred Matth. 16. 23. For thou savourest not the things that be of God it includes the affections as well as understanding A heavenly spirit takes delight in heavenly things and is an active principle that carries out the soul after God and things eternal And that 's your work too to get and maintain a delight in God and divine things to cherish breathings after heavenly things and preserve your spiritual senses in exercise that your souls may be ever quick in seeing hearing tasting smelling and feeling the joyes and pleasures that are in things above By this means Religion will be desirable Christ's yoke easie and his waies pleasant and his commands not grievous This is one of the most difficult pieces of Christianity to maintain the inward principle and spring of holy actions pure and lively 'T is far easier to set on any external duty than to keep the heart in a fit active frame for God which is apt to languish and grow out of order every moment if not kept and maintained by continued supplies from above Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of Life Now if you would keep up a heavenly spirit First Beware of those things that weaken it A Heavenly Spirit is a very tender thing and must be charily kept or will soon suffer loss 't is like the apple of the eye that is liable to injury from every dust or stroak that comes nigh it or like a Venice-glass that is down and broken with every little touch You cannot be too choice and tender in watching and guarding this Spirit from every thing that is contrary to it Take heed of carnal lusts these stand between God and the soul and these resist the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. and fight against the soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. Dearly Beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul Water is as consistent with fire sickness with health death with life as unmortified lusts with a heavenly spirit and you may as safely dwell with thieves and bloody murderers as suffer fleshly lusts to harbour near your hearts These suffered to hover in the soul will devour your sacrifice and like water quench this sacred fire and with the Ivy eat out the nourishment of this heaven-born spirit When Alexander asked Diogenes what he would desire of him that you saith he would stand aside a little from between me and the warm Sun so a soul that knows what the views of God are will desire nothing more than the remove of what stands between him and the warming sight of this heavenly Sun Carnal lusts are as venemous breath that soon seize on and weaken the vitals of godliness Never expect peace or welfare to the spiritual seed till the bond-woman and her Son be cast out How soon have excellent frames been all lost and the candle of the Lord well-nigh put out by these filthy damps that ascend from the deeps of unclean and unmortified affections This wrought such changes in Israel now they sang his praises and then presently forgat his works Psal 106. 12. Those divine raptures could not abide and what was the cause why 't was unmortified lusts that had dominion over them V. 14. They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the Desart and he gave them their requests but sent leanness into their souls This soon brought the Jews from being conquerours to captives that they did not pursue their victories and drive out the Canaanites out of the valleys as well as the mountains Judg. 1. 19. ch 2 3. This want of mortification in Believers is the cause that their corruptions do so often give check to their graces and make their choice heavenly frames so short-liv'd and mutable O cursed pleasures O damnable ease bought with the loss of God! Rutherford O Christians guard your spirit from those filthy and fleshly lusts as Physicians do fortifie the spirits against malignant vapours if ever you will maintain a gracious and heavenly spirit Earthly things also admitted too near the heart prove the bane of a heavenly spirit these like a stone at the bird's leg pluck it down when it attempts to be upon the wing Worldly affections when they exceed their bounds are like waters that overflow the banks they carry down all heavenly motions before them Earthly things are the Devils lure to
promised viz. heavenly things of which Canaan was a type So a Tria participia refero ad promissionis rem significatam Patriam Coelestem quam unice desiderabant Paraeus refers the participles here to the things signified of the promise that heavenly Country which they onely desired Things nearest Heaven saith one take least care of the Earth The Fowls of the Air neither plow nor sow The glory of the world seems little to one that dwells much on the believing views of Heaven 'T is said of Fulgentius That when he beheld the splendour and joy of Rome the glory of the Roman Nobility the triumphant pomp of King Theodorick he was so far from being taken with it that it raised up his desires after heavenly joys the more saying How beautiful may the Coelestial Jerusalem be when terrestrial Rome so glittereth If such honour be given to lovers of vanity what glory shall be imparted to the Saints who are lovers and followers of truth Serious thoughts of Heaven will inflame the desires after it Our Conversation is in Heaven saith Paul whence also we look for the Saviour who shall change our vile bodies into the likeness of his glorious body Phil. 3. 20. We wait hope for and expect Heaven to be where this blessed Countrey is the breadth and length of which we now look into by faith If your thoughts be much on Heaven your longings will be much for Heaven I have read of one being in his journey towards Jerusalem thought he saw famous Cities in his way and met with many friendly entertainments yet would often say I must not stay here this is not Jerusalem So will thy heart say if thou conversest much in Heaven now when thou meetest with the most desirable comforts of this life yet this is not Heaven my affections must not stay here Allow time every day to take some turns in the upper world and to get thy heart held in the galleries above where are the sweetest delicacies and most delighting views to take thy heart and sublimate thy affections to these pure and eternal things Sixthly If you would keep up a Heavenly Spirit be much exercised in heavenly actions As is mens employments they are mostly versed about so usually is their spirit Actions strengthen habits Men that are much taken up about earthly things are earthly-minded their spirits being tinctured with the things they have much to do with Such are heavenly actions to gracious souls they draw forth and exercise their graces use makes men ready and adapts their spirits to their work The Apostle makes this an evidence of strength in grace that such are much in the exercise of it Heb. 5. 14. Strong meat belongeth to them who are of full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil The more you are conversant about holy things the stronger will be the bent of your spirit to them the more facile and pleasant will Religion be and the indisposition of your spirit to it more abated Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright The more you walk in it the less weary will you be the more pleasure will you find in it and the more propense will your spirit be to it This is the first work in Wisdom's Merchandise to get and keep up a Heavenly Spirit Secondly Another piece of your Heavenly Trade is to secure your interest in heavenly things This is part of mens business in the world to secure their interest in the things they have they mark their goods and brand their cattel and set their names on the things they have that their interest in them might be known And this is the great concern of Wisdom's Merchants also to make good their claim to and prove their propriety in the things of Heaven and Glory These are worth the securing being things of infinite moment and eternal duration other things are not O what folly is it to strive for shadows and lose the substance to get and secure Houses Lands and Reputation for your Children and to lose your souls As he that complained when he was to dye That he must burn in Hell for ever for geting an estate for his Son and neglecting his own soul What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Matth. 16. 24. To make all things else sure and leave God Grace and Glory to an uncertainty As Caesar Borgia bewail'd when too late saying when he was near death I have endeavoured to secure me against every danger but death and having never thought of death must now dye Things eternal will then appear the greatest when men come to dye then an interest in God pardon and salvation will be valued beyond ten thousand worlds And is it not worth the looking after now And what can compensate the loss of that soul who miscarries in his All and hath nothing left but the tormenting sense of what he hath lost and the intolerable burden of what he hath found as the fruit of his often cautioned folly 'T is a dreadful thing to be disappointed of salvation-hopes What if thou should'st miss of glory at last and thy end should be to be cut off and to have thy portion with Hypocrites in that Lake which burns with fire and brimstone where the worm never dieth and the fire is never quenched Mark 9. 44. How could'st thou bear if when thou thinkest to enter into the joy of the Lord then in a moment to be thrust into the place of torment and when thou dreamest of carrying up into Abraham's bosome where is eternal pleasures to fall into the hands of God who is a consuming fire this is fearful And yet this may be thy case Think how possible nay how easy 't is for men to be deceiv'd in lesser matters and that they who have had the highest confidences of a future blessedness have been mistaken at last and all their hopes have expir'd as a falling Meteor and come to nothing Job 27. 8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained much when God taketh away his soul Men may think themselves to be something and yet be nothing Gal. 6. 2. Come with confidence to the Bridegroom's doors and demand an entrance as the foolish Virgins did and yet rejected Mat. 25. 11 12. Afterward came also the other Virgins that is when the door was shut saying Lord Lord open to us but he answered and said verily I say unto you I know you not They may seem to have some reason for their claim and produce evidences of their hope and yet be turned away as workers of iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. Lord have we not prophesied in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works And then will I profess to them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity The heart is deep and deceitful
sin the transcendent glory of Christ is his grace and the glory of the Saints is to be like him Joh. 1. 14. which is obtained through the immediate views of him 1 Joh. 3. 2. When he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The hope of which sight and glory is soul-purifying now ver 3. And every man that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure No sooner had the Apostles a sight of Christ's glorious grace but the next thing was a receiving from his fulness grace for grace Joh. 1. 14. 16. Fourthly A sensible sight of the exceeding sinfulness and evil of sin will help to loosen this conjunction between the heart and sin when once Paul came to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin and felt the killing fruits of it in his soul his heart presently came to be loosened from the ruling power of it Rom. 7. 11. 13. That which I do I allow not what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. The sense of the shameful fruits of sin was influential on the believing Romans towards their freedom from sin Rom. 6. 21. 22. Christians get your eye more intently fix'd on the cursed nature of sin how contrary to God how like to Devils how filthy loathsome and abominable look upon the certain dreadful effects of sin here and to all eternity if not removed it hath brought death on the Son of God and destruction on the Sons of Men bondage on the creatures a curse on every thing men do and enjoy enmity against God alienation from God robbing him of his glory crossing his will spoiling his works grieving his spirit hindering the soul in duty depriving it of mercy exposing it to judgment necessitating it to evil weakning his hopes breaking his peace opposing his grace and endangering either the loss or lessening of his glory with other innumerable mischiefs injuries cruelty and miseries that follow the heels of it with the great difficulty in its removal I say be more in the heart-affecting consideration of these things and you cannot choose but with Paul be weary of sin loath it and long for a separation from it Rom. 7. 24. How can ye love that knife that hath stabb'd your dearest Friend Father Husband yea your own soul How can you like that cloud and veil which stands between you and the Son of righteousness and keeps these quickning warming beams from you which would have cleared and strengthned your heart How can you hug the fetters kiss the walls and doors that imprison your souls in bondage and keep you from your beloved and from the glorious liberty of the Sons of God what pleasure can you take in that Thief which stole your richest Jewels and hath brought you to a morsel of bread 5ly Apprehension of that high dignity and honorable state to which grace hath advanc'd you those peculiar glorious priviledges which you are now invested with hath a mighty influence on a gracious heart towards the abhorring of sin 1 Joh. 3. 1 2 3. Oh how unsutable are works of darkness to the children of light how unbecoming is vile rayment to them that dwell in Kings Houses A Swine's snout to a Saint's eye thick clay and defiling dirt on the hands face and heart of the heirs of glory and children of the Kingdom what an unlovely sight is it to see Kings wallow in the mire as Swine and such who enjoy the priviledges of Angels to do the work of Devils Remember that thou art Son to a King said one to Antigonus and that will keep thee from base courses O Christians work in these thoughts upon the heart and see whether there can be any room left for the works of the flesh or affections thereof Sixthly Expectations of future glory will help you to despise that abominable thing sin Can you rationally look for a Throne with your Beloved hereafter and lodge in the bosome of your Idols and adulterous Lovers now How can you think that head shall wear a Crown of glory with Christ who is always plotting to put Crowns of Thorns on Christ's head now To reap life everlasting then who sow to the flesh now Do you hope for that time when you shall be uncloath'd of sin and can you make it your present work to put on sin hold fast sin how inconsistent are desires of sin with hopes of freedom Christians don't deceive your souls you cannot have sure grounds of fellowship with God hereafter and allow the least communion between your hearts and sin now Seventhly Maintained union and communion with Christ will break heart-union and fellowship with sin As heart-union with sin will not admit of union and communion with God Hos 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone I will have no more to do with him I 'll leave and remove from him So union and communion with God in Christ will not bear union with sin Hos 2. 2. The Lord would not say Israel was his Wife until her Whoredoms were put out of her sight and her Adulteries from between her breasts and no sooner did she return to a believing sight of and affectionate union with him but she presently cries out What have I to do with Idols any more Hos 14. 8 Contraries oppose and weaken each other Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two Masters either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon Union with God is of an incorporating nature 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit and cannot subsist without heart-separation from sin 2 Cor 6. 16 17. I will dwell in them and walk in them wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord. Cleaving to Christ by Faith is the best way to the relinquishment of sin The soul that hath constant fellowship with Christ will not care for other Lovers Phil. 3. 8. That 's the third Direction Get the union between thy heart and sin broken Direct 4. Fourthly If you would mortifie sin strike at the root of it and get the body of this death destroyed The life of the tree lies in the root lop off all the branches yet if the root be sound the tree lives and the branches will sprout out again Job 14. 7 8 9. But if once the root be cut off the whole tree dies and ceases from bringing forth fruit So 't is with sin if you set against this or that particular corruption and let the body of death alone not using means to weaken that you will make but little of all your endeavours when you have quieted one lust another rises 'T is but to little purpose to lade away waters out of a ship unless you stop the leak that feeds them while there is water in the Sea it will be
that strive with him shall perish there is no contending with God bow we must or break return or be ruined Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings Isa 1. 16. Get washt away your blood by sound Repentance get into Christ's blood by saving Faith set upon a thorough reformation personal family publick each one in his place help to carry out the uncleanness of thy heart hand house and land to the Brook Kidron 2 Chron. 29. 16. Get tradingsins removed if you would have trading mercies enjoy'd Take every man his Censer and stand in the gap pour out strong cries for returning-mercy that the Lord would cease from his fierce wrath and turn again and heal our Land and bless our substance accept the work of our hand and dwell in our Land Counsel 5. Fifthly Get advantage from decaies in your Earthly Trade to further your Heavenly Trade gather materials from your earthly ruines for your heavenly building Christians there 's a great deal of good you may get from these evil things in the world to quicken your pursuit after the things of Heaven First By your earthly losses you may be convinced of the vanity and uncertainty of all things below God Men are apt to take up too much pleasure in their booths till God sends a devouring worm and consumes them and to sit down under their shadows with great delight and therefore doth God make them like shadows to fly away what expectations do men raise from their swelling-comforts thinking their mountains are made so strong they shall not be moved till the Lord by some levelling providence soon corrects their fond opinion and what dependencies do we usually take up on those uncertainties leaning so hard on our reeds till they break under us and send splinters into the arm which staies upon them O the contentment pleasure profit men fancy to be in creatures friends relations honours estates before by some killing stroak they see themselves to be deceived What mercy is it then to meet with disappointments in these groundless hopes that we may come to see before it be too late what poor empty perishing things all the wares of this lower world are This way David came to have his errour seasonably corrected And Solomon by a serious review of past enjoyments comes to see that all was vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 2. 1. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew they are disquieted in vain he heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them Psal 39. 6. Secondly Divine rebukes on mens earthly interests help them to a discovery of those sins that procure them Deut. 31. 17. Afflictions are Christ's clay and spittle to open his peoples eyes and to bring them to see those evils that have brought those deaths upon their comforts and breed those worms that have destroyed their substance Times of correction are times of instruction Job 36. 8 9. When Jacob's Sons were cut short of their provisions reduced to great distress and plunged in sore dangers then they thought upon their sin and wrong done to their brother Joseph Gen. 42. 21. Then they said one to another verily we are guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us Whence one hath this note Affliction is a dark condition yet it brings much light into the soul Men come to read their miscarriages best by the fire-light of affliction then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God 2 Chron. 33. 13. Now the soul comes to see his abuse of these mercies he hath lost his inordinate love to them and wandrings from God and this helps to after-wisdom and greater freedom from these entanglements for the time to come which is no small advantage to future godliness Thirdly By this loss of earthly things the soul comes to see a necessity of looking after and ensuring better treasures Heb. 13. 14. Here have we no continuing City but we seek one that is to come Uncertainties on Earth should put souls the more to look after Heaven The Prodigal never thought of returning till all was gone Luke 15. 14. to verse 18. The Steward never considered how to secure his future state till goods were wasted and Stewardship in danger of removal Luke 16. 1 2 3 4. Think of swiming ashore said Mr. Rutherford after a shipwrack 'T is a mercy in this stormy Sea to get a second wind for none of the Saints get a first This is advantage indeed when having nothing you seek to enjoy all things and when the world flies from you to pursue Heaven the faster Could a Heathen say I never gain'd mere than when I lost all because his shipwrack became the occasion of obtaining knowledge and will not you Christians by your earthly losses be provoked to make after heavenly interests Fourthly Losses in the world have an advantage through grace to loosen the heart from the world Afflictions on mens estates are like wormwood on the breast that tends to wean the hearts of God's children from them Love of the world hath been the sin of this Age and the shipwrack of worldly things is the likeliest way to cure it this disease is best conquered by fasting Absence of Lovers is sometimes the way to starve affections and poverty with distress is God's usual method to chastise mens wanton affections to this world Afflictions when sanctified are Sanctuary-fire to purge away the dross of our affections Mal. 3. 3. 5ly Soul-enlargement is another fruit of sanctified straits and so a help to the heavenly trade Christians are never fit to make any speed in the way to Heaven until their hearts be enlarged Psal 119. 32. Enlargements in the world are oft-times bonds to the soul He that hath most of the Earth hath usually least liberty for Heaven When the Lord cuts short the interest of his people he doth but knock off golden fetters from their feet that he may bring their soul out of prison Afflicting Providences are God's dieting his racers that they may be more long-breath'd and swift in their run towards glory O how imprison'd are redeemed souls in the many things of this world they cannot have time to pray read hear confer for the entangling-affairs of this life till God by some deaths upon their employments sets them at liberty Removes of worldly treasures are but the taking off of a heavy cloak-bag from the shoulders of Sion's Travellers that they may the more comfortably travel to their journeys end Good souls whiles crouded with earthly businesses are like persons in the midst of a thicket and thorny grove when they would be going forward one briar hangs in their skirts and another thorn stops their way so that when God takes off their interests he doth but cut out a way for his children to pass the more comfortably and swiftly through the brakes of this world and lighten the vessel that it
such a pitch of light grace and comfort as will secure their salvation and present welfare they sit down and go no further this makes formalists and starvelings in Religion Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward Exod. 14. 15. is God's charge on his people in their passage to the heavenly Canaan Be adding to your faith vertue c 1 Pet. 1. 5. The greatest skill in this holy Arithmetick lies in Addition and Multiplication Be still enlarging your store get in more choice of heavenly wares greater quantities and more costly goods and be putting off more and more goods as you have opportunity seeing great is not only your present advantage but your reward in Heaven also Mat. 5. 12. Advice 3. Thirdly You that have good times for trading now make provision for bad times Lay in for changes be not like the Grashopper that spends her All in Summer and when the Winter comes starves Every Summer hath its Winter North-winds have their season to blow on Christ's Garden as well as the South Cant. 4. 16. Good and evil have their turns with Christians in this life 'T is only the Diveses that have their good things in this life here have the Saints no continuing City Heb. 13. 4. Created comforts whether spiritual or carnal have their shakings and removes Heb. 12. 27. And this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain The life of Believers is made up of vicissitudes with Naomi now full then empty Ruth 1. 21. like Ships in their passage to their Port now they have calms then storms none but wicked and they not always neither are exempted from their changes in this life Psal 55. 19. 'T was an error in David's apprehensions which he soon saw to his cost that his mountain was made so strong it should not be moved Psal 30. 6. I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou did'st hide thy face and I was troubled Prosperity and affliction have their different saies and thoughts think of thy most promising state here though this be a beautiful structure yet 't is but a tabernacle Sin puts wheels on every condition below and makes them moveable What that Ambassador said to the Romans who boasted of the heighth and strength of their Walls they were not so high but sin could bring them down may be said of the most flourishing condition of Saints in this World Is thy store full now a spending time may come Dionysius the second had four hundred Ships an Army of one hundred thousand foot nine thousand horse and the richest Magazine of any Prince and yet lived to lose all Christians have their spending as well as getting times and should lay in for times of need There are four special seasons when gracious souls will have need of all their store to relieve them Times of Temptation Times of Desertion Times of Affliction And The time of Death First Times of Temptation are spending times and call for great succours to be laid in against such seasons First Because such times are certain to Believers they will come Psal 11. 5. The Lord tryeth the righteous There 's never a gracious soul but some time or other the Lord trieth it either immediately by his Spirit or mediately by afflictions or temptations from men or devils The Apostle tells us every man is tempted James 1. 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed The best of men saith one are tempted and that when they are at the best Capell of Temptation Adam in Paradise Gen. 3. 6. Solomon after God had twice appeared to him 1 King 11. 9. Job after the evidences of his uprightness before God and religious duties Job 1. 1 5. Peter after he had made a confession of Christ and entered into covenant never to be offended at him Mat. 26. 33. Yea Christ himself after his Baptism and the Spirit 's resting on him as a Dove and the Father's owning of him by an audible voice from Heaven Matth. 3. 17. chap. 4. 1. He saith the former Author that thinks he is so good that he ought not to be tempted and so strong that he need not fear to be tempted hath need of a temptation that by experience in himself he might prove what he ought to have found in the Word that of our selves we have no strength Capell Four things make temptations unavoidable to gracious souls 1 God's good Pleasure 2 Satan's Rage 3 The Saints Corruptions 4 And their Profit First 'T is God's good Pleasure to have them tryed The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is 1 Cor. 3. 13. whether it will bear the fire or no hereby the excellency of his work the greatness of his power appears in the enduring graces of the Saints and their standing after all By this the Lord will confute the slanders of men and devils who are still charging his people with hypocrisie and falling away when tryal comes Doth Job fear God for naught Job 1. 9. Put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and flesh and he will curse thee to thy face Job 2. 5. This is the usual calumny of the Saints enemies to confute which and prove them lyars doth the Lord suffer his people to be tempted 'T is his will and purpose that all his people should be tryed and therefore 't is unavoidable Secondly Such is Satan's Rage he cannot alwaies keep his fingers from them if he lets them alone 't is but for a season Luke 4. 13. When the Devil had ended all the temptations he departed from him for a season Is Satan busie then his work is not done hast thou any rest 't is because his tempting-time is not come he is a roaring Lion and cannot rest from seeking to devour though he forbears attempting to devour for a season when it makes to his greater advantage Never expect freedom from temptation till Satan's chain be shortened or thy remove without his reach obtained Rev. 20. 2 3. Thirdly The Saints corruptions expose them to temptations Where the carkass is there the Eagles resort Mat. 24. 28. While the Saints have gall'd backs they can expect no freedom from flies If Sampson be bound the Philistines will be upon him The cause of those sins is in us whereof the occasion is from Satan Capell Till the fire of Hell be out in the Saints the Devil will not lay down his bellows where there is no sin there is no matter for temptation to work on as where there is no morbid matter there contagion cannot so easily fasten corruption keeps open the door for Satan never look for silence from Satan till you find cessation from sin Fourthly The profit and good of gracious souls do necessitate it By this means they come
really and inseparably yours and under all your clouds fears and guilt think well of God 'T is hard saith one to think ill of our selves and well of God at the same time Store your selves with promises and experiences with faith hope patience and every grace that may bear you up in such a Tryal and cordial your fainting heart under such dangerous deliquiums If God should damne me saith one I have two arms the one of faith and the other of love with which I would embrace him and carry him with me and his presence would make Hell it self a Heaven to me Thirdly Times of sore affliction and distressing calamities are spending-times and will try your store of grace and strength to bear it and to get through it and such you may live to see The Cross is the usual way to the Crown and affliction the lot of them that will live godly in Christ Jesus And we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14. 22. The fining-pot is for silver and the furnace for gold Prov. 17. 3. And the fan for the wheat the condition of Believers in this world cannot long bear prosperity without loss to their spiritual part Christians under settled comforts in this world are like standing pools which soon gather mud and as 't is said of Moab so 't is with the people of God Jer. 48. 11. Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath settled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity therefore his taste remained in him and his scent is not changed The sweetest nights that ever Jacob spent were in the field so with Peter in prison and David had those large affections to rise at midnight and God's Word was sweet to him when his trouble was bitter saith Dr. Harris But by afflictions the Lord refines his people from their dross Though the wisdom of the world saith Mr. Bradford think of the cross according to sense and therefore flieth from it as from a most great ignominy and shame yet God's scholars have learned to think otherwise of the Cross as the framehouse wherein God frameth his children like to his Son Christ the furnace that fineth God's gold the high way to Heaven the suit and livery of God's servants the earnest and beginning of all consolation and glory Acts Mon. 3. Vol. page 322. If you will be Christ's Disciple you must expect tribulation If need be you are in heaviness for a season God's fire is in Sion and his furnace in Jerusalem Prepare for afflictions by which God prepares his people for himself He is not fit for the reward in glory saith Bernard r Non est idoneus ad praemium qui nondum paratus est ad patibulum who is not ready to ascend the Gibbet as the way to it We are fallen on the last times which are times of abounding iniquity Mat. 24. 12. sinning and therefore like to be suffering-times called perilous times cruel times 2 Tim. 3. 1. Beza renders it troublesome times Tremelius hard times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring damage or to overturn they will be overturning times times of desolation as Christ prophesies of them Mat. 24. 15. daies of vengeance Luke 21. 22. These be the daies of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled Great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no nor ever shall be Mat. 24. 21. called the great and terrible day of the Lord when the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood Joel 2. 31. The Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come Cocceius thinks this time to fall under the sixth seal Rev. 6. 12. under which 't is said These are they which come out of great tribulation I rather think that the sixth seal reckons with the enemies of God's people and brings redemption to the Saints under great tribulation That which we may clearly gather hence is that those last times will be times of sore calamities both personal and publick to Nations and to the Church of God and what a portion of those amazing troubles may fall upon the people of this age we know not this is certain God seems to give his call from Heaven as well as out of his Sanctuary to prepare to meet with him Amos 4. 12. to gird up the loins of our mind Rev. 16. 15. to keep our garments on to watch lest he come as a thief Luke 12. 35 36. to have our vessels stor'd with Oil and our lamps burning and to reckon on midnight sitting up and be as men that look for the coming of their Lord Matth. 25. 6. To watch and pray always that we may be counted worthy to escape the things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man Luke 21. 36. Fourthly The time of Death is a spending time and calls for great provisions for that long journey and great change the Soul is then passing into Death is the King of Terrors O how amazing is the sight of it to a natural eye and an awakened conscience the work that death comes to do is frightful work to flesh and blood to pluck a soul out of its ancient dwellings to take it from all its acquaintance friends relations and earthly All from the comforts of the whole World never to see or enjoy them more as they have done nay to pull down this earthly tabernacle not to leave a stone upon a stone but quite to demolish it to the ground is a great change to lay a writ on the soul's back and in a moment to bring it to judgment from all its acquaintance friends and dearest relations to the vision of an infinite holy God there to receive its eternal doom and to enter into a new estate out of which he shall never depart either of blessedness or misery To take the soul off from all the means of salvation and possibility of change out of that estate into which by death he enters that if the soul should die in his sins there 's no future repentance or any thing can be done to mend his ill condition this will be terrible to a guilty conscience sensible of many sins unrepented of many duties neglected much time lost great hypocrisies uncur'd many fears unremoved and doubts unanswered Now for such a soul in a moment to come to judgment and to have no time allowed him to set things in order for so great a compearance and to state his account for that final Audit is an amazing providence The time of death is also a time of the greatest light when the soul's eye shall be opened to see things as they are no more in a glass but face to face then the soul that hath been dark all its days
God the more shall you receive from him 2 Cor. 9. 6. who will certainly repay it The greater your sufferings are for God the greater will your rejoycings be with him They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Ps 126. 5. Look what disproportion there is between the Seed-time and Harvest far greater is there between the Saints sufferings sorrows and triumphing joy Their sorrow lies within the compass of a short night their joy begins with that morning which hath no evening to follow it Psal 30. 5. Their tears will scarcely fill a bottel but their pleasures are so vast an Ocean as that they cannot be received but must be entred into Mat. 25. 21. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. Yea the present consolations of the Saints oft-times abound in their sufferings The ringing of my chains hath been sweet musick in my ears said Guy de Bres all my former discourses were but as a blind man's of colours in respect of my present feeling O what a precious comforter is a good conscience How unspeakable then are those rejoycings when all tears shall be wiped off when sorrow and mourning shall fly away Mat. 5. 10 11 12. The more your losses are for Christ on earth the greater will be your gain in Heaven Heb. 10. 34. And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Men can never bring their goods to a better Market than to have them spoil'd for the sake of Christ your goods you lose for Christ are capable of being spoil'd your goods you shall receive in Heaven are above all injury the very bags wax not old much less the treasure time will mar your best interests here Alas what is a little old goods moth-eaten garments rusty silver subject to change compared with that substance whose duration is as long as eternity and whose extension is as large as immensity and such is God in Christ the Saints eternal treasure Mat. 19. 29. And in the World to come life eternal Carnal reason judges them the greatest fools that dare to be undone for their profession whereas divine truth reckons such the mad men who to escape them that can but kill the body durst encounter him who can damn both soul and body in Hell Mat. 10. 28. And to lay a foundation of a few days safety upon the ruines of themselves and others How dangerous said Mr. Cooper is their estate who cannot rise but with the fall of many Et quantulum sit illud propter quod nos reliquisti How poor are those things saith he for which you have left us whereas the Saints losses for Christ are their greatest gain while the things they part with are but temporal but those they gain are eternal 2 Cor. 4. 18. Lastly The more souls you help to Heaven the more treasure you prepare for Heaven Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise the margin hath it they that be teachers shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever As nothing doth sink a person deeper into Hell than to have the blood of souls upon its head and to become the occasion of others perishing Jer. 2. 34. So it wonderfully greatens a persons own blessedness in Heaven to be the means of getting others to be blessed also 1 Thes 2. 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming for ye are our glory and joy Lastly Lay up preparations for glory Glory is a great thing O what a change doth Heaven make upon a Believer's state We shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15. 51. from corruption to incorruption from sin to spotless purity from imperfection to pefection from darkness to knowledg from faith to fight from espousals to a marriage-day and what preparations do such a change call for What if death should surprise you and take you in your old clothes 't is not your daily garments no not your best rayments are good enough for your marriage-day your attire must be all new when you solemnize your eternal nuptials to the King of Glory O what manner of persons should you be who look for new Heavens and a new Earth If a Paul be not sufficient to carry a love-token to Christ's Spouse here on earth 2 Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things Who then are fit to lie in the Bridegroom's arms to all eternity Few think what a change must be before the Saints can get to Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 50. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven neither doth corruption inherit incorruption If so much preparation-work must be dispatch'd before an Esther could be fit for the embraces of an earthly King Esth 2. 12. six months for purifying with oyl of Myrrh and six months with sweet Odors and with other things How much sanctification-work is needful to meeten a soul for the immediate enjoyment of God in glory and how unready are the most of souls for such a change O Believers hasten about your preparations for Heaven seeing you have no fixation on earth and know not what hour your Lord will come In order to which take these six directions First Get your hearts more loose from this present world men that change places knock up and take abroad things they must carry with them Your hearts Christians are the principal things you must take with you to Heaven it may be you have gone to God in duties many a time and left your hearts behind you but you cannot go to God in glory except your hearts be with you And O what a difficult work is it to go the heart upon choice loose from every thing below God! and till this be done there 's no getting to Heaven Things fastened to the free-hold they say cannot be removed how then can that heart get to glory that is nailed down to the world and things below Be daily loosening your hearts from the world estates houses lands trades friends relations and every thing below for you may not have time to get them off without loss when death comes you must leave them all shortly and you know not how soon to go to better friends and interests these have been snares and spears to your souls and have given you many a wound and still hinder your speeding to glory and why should you be loth to part with them O Christians if you are willing to be with Christ you will give your hearts warning to be gone from these tabernacles and to take their leave of this world daily Secondly Press after more maturity in your graces the more ripe the more fit for gathering Joel 3. 13. Tamar must tarry a Widow till Selah be grown Gen. 38. 11. and your