us look back on the patience of Christ it may be it may raise our hearts a little he is not like furious man that will be gone if they will not hear at the first or second knock he will in a spleen be gone but Christ waits tell his head is wet with the Dew c. methinks this should make us willing to wait on him it may be he doth not presently answer all our requests It may be with Paul thou and I have some thorn in the Flesh that we have sought God for the taking of it away and we begin to be impatient and to say we have waited and prayed and looked long and yet 't is not taken away we looked for peace and behold no good we looked for healing and behold trouble and we begin to fret and say as Jehoram King of Israel did when trouble began to arise and the Famine increase 2 Kings 6. 33. Behold this evil is of the Lord what should we wait for the Lord any longer Ah poor soul whoever thou art I pitty thee that hast been at any time in this sad temper but stay thy self soul with this that Christ waited tell his head was wet with the Dew c. And to what end did he and doth he wait but to be gracious so he saith Is. 30 18 And therefore doth the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you Note the force of that word therefore for that very end that he may be gracious Oh! how long hath he waited for you it may for some ten twenty thirty fourty years and yet he saith he will wait Therefore will the Lord wait not onely hath but will wait Oh why then should not we wait then for him I but dost thou find after all this waiting that Jesus Christ is come in thou wilt say it may be I would have Christ for my Saviour First Hast thou received him for thy Priest the Priest's under the Law were changed by reason of mortallity but this man because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood but art thou able to say thou art willing to cast thy self on him to bear away thy iniquities I tell thee he is able to bear them there is help laid on one that is mighty and he is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. And he is not one that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was tempted as we are that he might the better succour them that are tempted and because of this Priest-hood We may come boldly to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 15. Heb. 2. 8. Alas we durst not have looked God in the Face had not Christ been our Priest and undertaken this but now we may come boldly and plead Christ with him Oh who shall condemn 't is Christ that dyed Rom. 8. 34. Yea when he let Angels go those noble Creatures yet he condescended to take on him the Seed of Abra'm he would be a Priest for poor lost man Heb. 2. 16. Yea he by this bare our iniquities into the Wilderness of forgetfulness Lev. 16. 21. And truly we had need of one to bear away not only the iniquity of our transgression but to bear the iniquities of our services he is the Antitipe of Aaron the Priest to bear away the iniquity of our Holy things Exod. 28. 38. When poor Believers are troubled with vain thoughts and their Spirits are wandring in Prayer or Hearing or Meditation or Reading These Worm eaten services the worms of evil thoughts will be creeping in and eating out the heart of our prayers yet Christ will bear away the iniquity of these Holy things yea when not only vain but wicked thoughts come in as in Prov. 5. 14. I was almost in all evil in the midst of the Congregation Yea thy very secret sins which made David cry out Cleanse me from my secret sins Psal 19. 12. Yet he is a Priest to bear away all sorts of sins The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sins Now Soul try thy self art thou willing to have Christ for thy Priest do not deceive thy self 't is not so easie to take Christ for thy Priest 't is no small matter to come of from thy self Secondly Hast thou received Christ for thy Prophet to teach thee All Gods Children shall be taught of the Lord Isa 54. 13. And a Prophet shall the Lord thy God raise up unto thee of thy brethren him shall ye hear in all things Acts 3. 22. And this was of old Prophesied by Jacob Gen. 49. 13. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and to him shall the gathering of the people be this Shiloh was Christ and this gathering of the people to hear him begun to be fulfilled Luke 19. 48. For all the people were very attentive to hear him or as some margins have it they hanged on him Now art thou willing to hear him and to hang on his lip to be taught by him and none other and to hear no other Doctrine then what he Teaches dost thou indeed take him for thy Prophet and with the Apostle Gal. 1. 9. Dost account him accursed that brings any other news of Salvation This is a second way we should receive Christ But I proceed to the next Thirdly Dost thou receive Christ for thy King to Rule and give thee Laws as well as teach thee Isa 33. 22. The Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King not only King to save us but our Law-giver to rule us He is our King and he will save us we must not think to be Kings our selves Alas what can we do but he will save us save us from sins Matth. 1. 21. And he will save us from our enemies too the people of Israel did not save themselves by their own arm but by the Lords arm and by the Lords right hand Psal 44. 3. so in Hos 1. 7. I will have mercy on the House of Israel and will save them How by themselves by their own arm not so the Text tells you by the Lord their God and 't is Christ that is that horn of Salvation in Luke 1. 69 71. That will save us from our enemies and from the hand of them that hate us and it is he in Isa 63. 1. That is Mighty to save and as he will rule in the Salvation of his people so he will rule secondly in the destruction of his enemies Jam. 4. 12. As he is able to save so likewise to destroy He shall Rule his enemies with a Rod of Iron Psal 2. 9. Psal 110. 2. God will send the Rod of his strength out of Zion and he shall rule in the midst of his enemies and Vers 6. He shall wound the heads of many Countries Though the proud ones of the World say this man shall not Reign over us yet he will bring them into subjection whether they will or no have but
look upon such a glorious bright and splended object as yonder brazen Serpent is Numb 21. 9. That stands upon the pole where Purity it self doth hold it up But then a step more Fifthly When Christ is presented and held out to a poor soul then when the soul begins to see it 's own unworthiness then it will be much fearing that it shall not be accepted will he think you entertain me then Christ shews not only his beauty but his willingness too to embrace thee and saith do you think I am unwilling Alas that is the great complaint I have to make of you You will not come to me that you may have life John 5. 40. Alas man there is no want of will in me but in thy self I have done all that I can to make thee willing which is a clear proof of my willingness I have shewed thee that there is a necessity of coming to me lie that 's stung cannot be healed unless he look unto me I have shewed thee that there is no cure any where else no acceptance no duty pleasing to God unless you come to me no no man thou canst do nothing without me John 15. 5. And that there is neither name nor thing under Heaven by which you can be saved but by me Acts 4. 12. If I had told you there had been any cure by your own Faith or your own Repentance or any thing else then indeed you might have said I was not willing because I told you you might seek remedy else where but I tell you I am very willing yea and I do wait for your acceptance of the love that I have declared to you Oh that you would not be unkind to me nor so cruel to your selves as to keep me out of your hearts any longer I profess I am not willing of your ruine but rather that you would be healed I have life for dead souls I have light for dark souls I have strength for weak souls I have holiness for pulluted souls I have ease for pained souls I have health saving health for sick souls I have bread for the hungry and drink for the thirsty clothing for the naked I have Salvation for lost souls nay what have I not that good is and this I have revealed and declared I have brought life yea and eternal life immortallity to light through the Gospel and yet notwithstanding all that I have shewed to manifest their necessity and my own willingness yet I am forced after all to complain that there is none or hardly any that stirreth up himself to take hold on me me and my light me and my life me and my righteousness though they see all their own righteousness to be as filthy Dung-hill rags yet they will not stir up themselves to take hold on me with my all Isa 64 7. Come poor trembling sinner come take hold of my strength come thou that sin is ready to burn up thy spirit I have water that shall allay that heat come buy of me Wine to pour into thy wounds come man without money of thy own righteousness or thy own merit come without thine own worthiness and when a poor soul is brought to see this indeed why then in the next place Sixthly The Soul even leans on it's Beloved then Lord I am thine and will be thine then it runs hastens to this strong Tower wherein it shall be safe Prov. 18. 10. Now the soul is lodged safely in the bosom of it 's beloved Oh soul who ever thou be that stand'st trembling and art afraid thou art not worthy I tell thee he want's not thy worth but thy willingness to accept his worth therefore prethee give thy consent this day this present hour before thou stir one foot out of the place never talk of asking counsel of friends nor biding them farewel that are at home as he in the Gospel now saith God I never told thee another time nor too morrow But now is the time the accepted time 2 Cor. 6. 2. And too day if thou wilt hear my voice Heb. 3. 7. Oh now say as his children that had back-sliden from him when he bid them return Jer. 3. 22. Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God If it hath not been done before let this be the Marriage-day let the knot be knit this day do not put him off tell to morrow he may leave thee to morrow to the hardness of thy heart and thou mayst dye in thy sins and be damned It may be some poor soul may now say but I have not observed this all along in my soul therefore I doubt 't is not well with me it may be so soul yet there may be some that have and some can remember the manner how the place where the time when God did call them to himself and yet notwithstanding thou hast not taken such special notice of Gods way yet Christ may be as truly thine as his I this would rejoyce my heart indeed would'st thou say if I knew it but how shall I know it truly this leads me to the thing I promised you to try my self and you according to the measure and rule of the Law of liberty and here I would perswade thee to fall to the work of examination and bring thy self to the Touch-stone of the Word and if I speak not according to the rule say that 's mine but if it be according to the Word take heed thou reject it not for by that Word thou must and I must stand or fall I and presently too do not put it off If thou wouldst have present comfort to thy soul or if thou would know thy danger to it presently Oh I am afraid they that are so loath to come to the Sanctuary weights and measure will at last when they are brought to it be found with that motto on their foreheads as is left on Record touching the tryal of Belishazar that wicked man Dan. 5. 27. Tekel thou art weighed in the Ballances and art found wanting Prethee Soul come to the Sanctuary-scale betimes that if thou should be found to light thou might have time to get weight before the Market time be over and done and here in this tryal I shall not confine my self to that one only distinguishing Carracter that I find some Learned faithful men in the Church of Christ do give out as the only distinguishing Carracter for souls to Judge their state by and that is whether God the Father God the Son God the Spirit or else some inferior thing be it what it will or can be be a mans or souls chief good and the onely object of his delight and happiness In plain English whether or no upon due search as we say in cold blood that is when a man on the one hand is not lifted up in any way from the Earth from the consideration of trouble that sometimes are met withall among terrene things nor on the other hand when a man
lyes pressed hard with some violent temptation that he seems to take little delight in God as Job Jeremiah and David when Gods hand pressed them sore these are not times for a man to pass a right Judgement of his state and he that thus and then judges himself judges only according to appearance and not a righteous Judgement John 7. 24. And the Scripture doth plainly lay down a rule thus to judge a mans state by namely whether or no a man love God so as to leave all not by constraint but willingly out of the love to God and so is a clear and distinct Carracter of a mans state what it is as may be easily cleared from Matt. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26. And though it be of absolute necessity that we know this else we can never have any sollid and true joy in our hearts or else as the Apostle saith to the Gallations we shall never rejoyce in our selves alone yet I am perswaded that not one of many is able thus to judge of his state though as I said even now it is that that is our chief concernment as we value a well grounded peace But with subordination to this great and grand Carracters I hope to hold out from the Word of Truth many simptomes of a Heaven born soul or of a soul for whom Christ is Sacrificed as the Phrase in the Text is First 'T is a good sign Christ is thine if thou hast heard the voice of Christ My Sheep saith Christ hear my voice he doth not say the Goats or the Flocks of the World or the Devil hear his voice but my Sheep hear my voice thou wilt say this was hinted at before when it was said that one of the first things that Christ doth is to open blind eyes and to unstop deaf ears but I am not speaking of that now but of hearing Christ voice so as to know it from a stranger for so saith Christ a stranger they will not follow John 10. 5. Now if thou hast that skill to know thy Lords voice 't is a good sign thou hast had some intimacy with him I mean so know it as not to be deceived by a conterfeit voice but I 'le be brief Secondly Hast thou been made willing to follow Christ They that follow me in the regeneration ye shall sit upon Thrones Judging the Tribes of Israel Try whether you are willing to follow Christ in duty in ordinances in afflictions If any man take not up his Cross and follow me he cannot be my Disciple Why so because none is a Disciple but such as follow Christ Luke 14. 27. Matth. 10. 38. He that taketh not his Cross that is take it willingly readily for he doth not say take it when 't is not laid on him for Luke saith bear the Cross in that prequoted Text which doth intimate that he must have it put upon him try now man as thou goest art thou willing to suffer shame for his Name art thou willing to follow Christ not only to his exaltation but to his persecution not to the Crown but to the Cross 't is a sign thou art a Virgin then if thou art willing to follow Christ wheresoever he goes Rev. 4. 14. Into a Prison as well as a Palace I put in this here because it follows the hearing of Christ's voice My Sheep hear my voice and they follow me If I do set down things disorderly not arising higher step by step for indeed when a Christian can follow Christ he is come to a good degree excuse me in this for two reasons First In that my time is but borrowed or redeemed if thou knewest how hardly thou wouldst not say I offered thee that which cost me nought Secondly Because I would now rather find out consolation then windy ostentation which is but to savour after the flesh I can but hint at things pray you enlarge them in your own Meditations Thirdly Hast thou a Holy fear of God upon thee David crys out Psal 34. 10. Oh fear the Lord all ye his Saints intimating that none but Saints know how to fear him he doth not say be afraid but fear him there are two sorts of fear 1. There is a slavish fear arising from the apprehension of wrath of punishment such a fear as arises from guilt thus it was with Adam when he had sinned Gen. 3. 10. I heard thy voice in the Garden and I was afraid he did not fear the Lord before he offended him but he was afraid of his wrath when he had offended by the way take notice sinner if thou shouldst cast thy eyes on this thou that darest sin boldly without fear thou wilt afterward be afraid yea and tremble at the sight of wrath 2. There is a fillial and childlike fear or if you please a conjugal fear and this arises from the goodness of God They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days Hos 3. 5. From the consideration of forgiveness God should be feared There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Psalm 130. 4. 'T is a fear of the right stamp to fear him as one would fear to displeases ones onely friend that one loved as it is with those that are in Love they will rather run the hazard of any thing then displease them if their love be true oh this is the fear that God calls for and gives a blessing to Blessed is the Man that thus feareth the Lord Psal 112. 1. Therefore pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1. 17. Why must it be in fear why it follows Forasmuch or because ye know you were not redeemed with corruptible things but with the precious Blood of Christ Oh Sirs ye are they that know you were redeemed Pass you the time of your sojourning here in fear 'T is true a fear of the loss of Heaven should quicken us to diligence as Heb. 4. 1. Let us fear least a promise being left us any of us should fall short of it I but the fear off ending God is the truest Gospel fear and is surely the product of the Spirit of God and so is a good sign in them that have it that they are them for whom Christ is Sacrificed Fourthly Hast thou received Christ is he come in it may be thou dost not remember the opening of thy heart to him so punctually as some may do but doth thy soul find that all his enemies are made to stoop and give way before him when Lydia's heart was opened how sweetly did she embrace Christ in his Apostles and constrain him to come in all other her lodgers were made to give place I 'le warrant you canst thou say Christ in me the hope of glory if thou canst 'tis well time was he was without and stood and called as Cant. 5. 2. Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my head is filled with Dew and my locks with the drops of the night By the way let
a little patience believer and it will come to pass but besides this Christ will be King in thy Soul to tread down Sin and Satan and art thou willing to have Christ King in thee to this end art thou willing he shall tread on the neck of every lust and corruption then dost thou receive him as King aright art thou willing he shall bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of himself 2 Cor. 10. 5. Dost thou receive him to give Laws too and art thou willing to follow the Laws of none other Lord alas when he hath given thee Laws there is no other Law for any other to make after him an excellent place to this purpose is that in Eccl. 2. 12. For what can the man do that comes after the King he saith before I turned my self to behold Wisdom Madness and Folly what was that why in the latter end of the Verse even that which is already done I turned my self to behold Wisdom Wisdom in the King to act Laws for his people and when I saw the wisdom of that King I thought it was both madness and folly to think to act with more wisdom for what can the man do that comes after the King it is an interogation implying anogation what can the man do that comes after the King truly nothing who hath either wisdom or power to act after the King if it should be of the Laws of the Church why that 's already done now soul hast thou received Christ to be thy Priest Prophet and King thy Priest to offer for thee thy Prophet to Teach thee and thy King to give Laws too and Rule over thee and to deliver thee from thine enemies Spiritual and Temporal yea from Wrath to come why if so â—hou hast some ground to hope Jesus was Sacriâ—â—ced for thee Fifthly Hast thou Faith precious Faith as â—eter calls it 2 Pet. 1. 1. 'T is a good sign thou â—elongest to the Lord for that 's it I drive at in â—he main to give thee a little hope that thou art â—recious in the sight of God and art within the â—ompass of electing love or one for whom Christ â—yed faith now is a precious grace and it may â—e precious upon a double account 1. In respect of the giver 2. In respect of the Vertue of the Grace it â—elf Oh what a precious God is the Giver of this â—ift he gives perfect gifts and what a precious grace is this when given by God 't is of an inâ—stimable value 't is that that doth make the Saints rich rich in Faith Abrahams faith was â—ounted to him for righteousness Rom. 4. 5. And he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life John 3. last Not he may have it but he hath it already 't is made sure to him this faith â—s of a large extent and will do mighty things it will remove Mountains of sin and corruptions into the Sea of forgetfulness Yea what ever we ask in Faith it shall be given us Mark 11. 24. And as Faith is the greatest and powerfullest grace so unbelief is the greatest sin Christ saith he will send the Spirit to reprove the World of sin and what is that sin you may be in Johnâ— 16. 9. Of sin because they believe not on me so they could not enter in because of unbelief Heb. 3. 19. And without Faith 't is unpossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. So that you see unbelief is our greatest evil but in a few words Faith will help us do these things 1. It will help us to give up our selves to God for to follow him this was that which made Abraham go up out of his own Countrey Gen. 12. 4. Though he knew not whether he went as 't is repeated Heb. 11. 8. Faith will do more then we can express it will carry a soul forth above fear and above reproach above good and bad report through Fire and Water how did it elevate the Spirits of those Champions for Christ in that little Book of Martyrs Heb. 11. 2. Faith will enable us to receive Christ and good things from him that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith how by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And good things from him too it was by faith that Sara'h had strength to conceive Seed and to bring forth a Child and by Faith Elizabeth and Mary bare the two greatest that ever were on Earth Heb. 11. 11. and the first of Luke many more of this kind might be urged but I hasten Ah soul to thee that believest all things are possible therefore if thou findest this Spirit of Faith in thee 't is a good sign Christ is Sacrificed for thee Sixthly It is a good sign thy sins are aquitted if Christ be of an inestimable value to thee he that had found this Pearl of Price sold all that he had to buy it Matth. 14. 46. There are many precious in the World many precious Friends and Relations yea more then these there is that good name so much gazed after among men That is more precious then fine Gold and all other precious things Prov. 22. 1. Eccl. 7. 1. Yet all these and all he hath doth he not value at the rate that he value's the Pearl of Price Oh unto you that believe to you that Christ hath been Sacrificed for Christ is very precious Ah soul is Christ more precious to thee then all things hath he the highest room in thy heart higher then thy Teacher I speak to thee that dost as 't were deisie thy Minister And thou Minister if it should fall into thy hand to peruse this hath Christ a room in thy heart higher then they that sit in the highest seat in the Meeting I speak to you that are partial and have such respect to persons you that the great ones do so seat themselves about in their attendancises on the Word I tell you a man may love Christ more then sinners and yet not love him more then Saints especially them that bring you in your greatest revenues you 'l say is there any such as these If you should I would answer you by another question what meaneth your bearing with great ones great faults when you 'l rebuke the poor of the Flock sharply for a smaller faults but you will it may be say I am out of my way well to return how dost thou prize Jesus Christ above all things then 't is a good sign Christ is thine and thou art his try as thou goest along for this is indeed the only distinguishing Carracter of a Believer Enlarge it in thy Meditation Seventhly They that have Christ slain for them will not do as the multitude do neither as the multitude of oppressors nor as the very multitude of professors do Exod. 23. 2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil alas there be many very many too too many professors go on in an evil way in the neglect of many duties and in many evil ways and
righteousness sake happy are ye nay if ye be but reproached foâ—â— the name of Christ happy are ye Pet. 4. 14 And if you hold sast till the Death I 'le give you 〈◊〉 Crown of Life Revel 2. 10. And in Revel 12 11. They loved not their lives to the Death nâ—â— they did not value their lives for Christ so iâ—â— Acts 5. 41 42. They went from the presence oâ—â— the Counsel how rejoycing that they were countâ—ed worthy to suffer shame for his Name Oh soul art thou willing to suffer shame for the name oâ—â— Christ not that it is shame indeed to suffer for Christ but it is an honour and so it may bâ—â— understood art thou willing to suffer foâ—â— Christ then happy art thou For the Spirit oâ—â— God and of Glory resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4. 14 And then for the other thing to joy in tribulation that is a degree that is above bare suffering take that Text in Rom. 5. 3. We rejoyce in â—â—ope of the Glory of God Is that all no not only â—â—o but we glory in tribulation also 'T is a clear sign that if thou canst suffer for Christ thou art happy and 't is a clear or rather more clear when thou canst glory in suffering for Christ see how it is with you XXI Is thy heart born up under any affliction and livest above the troubles of this life and dost not murmur nor repine at the hand of God take a Text for this because I should be â—â—oath thou should ground thy confidence on any opinion of mine Isa 33. 24. The Inhabitants shall not say they are sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity They shall not say they are sick the sence of pardon doth take away the sence of pain the sence of sin being taken away doth carry them above the sence of sickness Oh precious Word worthy to be writtn in Carracters of Gold this is a high and noble degree of grace I do confess XXII Canst thou go on cheerfully in thy way where God hath set thee canst thou go on comfortably in thy Calling and about thy Imployment that God calleth thee too It may be thou lookest on this with a slight eye I know not how it is with thee but I profess I find this as hard as any when the Eununch was brought home to God in Acts 8. 39. 'T is said he went on his way rejoycing It made the poor man so cheerful that he went on his way rejoycing but I 'le not stay on this try how it is with theâ—â— soul if I can but a little help thee I have what I aime at XXIII Art thou willing to do good and to communicate to others thy poor brethren the Saints this they did in the Acts 2. 44. 45. They had all things common they sold their possessions and parted to them that had need Oh what is become of this Spirit in our days where shall a man find an old Church in so glorious a Spirit as this young Church was in oh 't is sad to tell how the bowels both of People and Ministers too are shut up at this day and he is noted to be none of the Lords Children that Hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him 1 Joh. 3. 17. Understand this arightt he doth not say to any one no but seeth his Brother in need Thy Brother in Christ and 't is a right Spirit to be ready to distribute willing to communicate not to be haled to it as a Bear to the Stake but to be ready and forward as Paul speaks of them in 2 Cor. 9. 2. For I know the forwardness of your minds for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year ago To be so ready to give that you rather wait to grive then to be asked this is a good sign of thee XXIV Doth thy heart rise within thee against sin and the filthy conversation of the wicked and the company of the wicked too I put altogether for 't is of the same Impost the soul of that righteous Lot was vexed and was moved within him To see the filthy conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. He see their sin and his heart did rise to see their unlawful deeds and to hear their Ungodly Oaths and speeches and indeed this is the true nature of a child to have his heart risen within him when his Father is wronged thou maist 't is possible rise against sin in thy self as 't is an enemy to thy own wellfare and as 't will ruine thee but this is not so clear a mark thou hatest sin as when thou hatest sin where ever thou seest it the true child will not onely hate that he himself shall wrong his Father but that others should wrong him that he hates too the very affection of a child cannot but stir to see his Father wronged which brings to my mind a story I have heard of a Dumb-son of Cresus that seeing one about to smite his Father the affection in him broke the bars of his speech and made him cry out to the astonishment of others in these words O kill not Cresus thus the genuous childs affections will stir within him if his Father be smit at Oh soul is it thus with thee is thy soul vexed and grieved to see the dead of the wicked and dost thou loath the company of the wicked they that are Gods care not for the company of the wicked in Jer. 15. 17. I sat not in the assembly of Mockers so David Ps 26. 4 5. I have not sat with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the Wicked Note the expression will not sit with them his will is not with them that is his delight is not in them poor man he was fain to be with them and a great while too which put him to complain in Ps 120. 6. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace if I do but speak of peace they are for war I would be quiet but they are all for fighting A poor soul must of necessity be with them sometimes I but I will not I delight not to be among them I do not love their company I care so little for them that I would not be buried with them that seems to be intimated in that Psal 26. quoted even now Ver. 9. saith David there Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men gathering what is that by it is mean't burying 't is a word that was used in Old Testament times Gen. 25. 8. Abraham dyed in a good old age and was gathered to his people So David saith Gather not my life with wicked Men I never loved their company in my life nor do I desire to have it when I dye now soul is it thus with thee 't is
Holy Ghost Jude 20. So that men cannot pray but by the Holy Ghost Men may as I said mumble over a form of words it may be I but a man cannot pray but by the Holy Ghost 't is the Spirit of God that will help souls to pray to confess sin and to plead promises the Spirit helpeth our infirmities with groans that cannot be uttered he that hath the Spirit can come to God as a Friend and say Father I have need of such and such mercies I have need of strength against sin and such and such corruptions are like to overcome me he that hath the Spirit of God is the Friend of God as Abraham wa called the friend of God often times take one place for the rest that comes next to my hand 2 Jam. 23. Now a friend of God can go and plead with God and say Lord such and such sins and corruptions are to hard for me but Lord thou hast said Micab 7. 19 20. Thou wilt subdue our iniquities and cast our sins into the depth's of the Sea Oh Lord perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham that thou hast promised yea sworn to our Fathers in the days of old Now soul if thou dost find in thee a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication that thou canst plead with God in his promises as I have instanced here in one why then 't is a good sign thou art thy self called of God and precious in his sight but I would hasten toward an end of these things XXIX 'T is a good sign thou thy self art in Christ if thou art willing to bring others into Christ grace is of a diffusive nature it will spread it self Peter saith Christ when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren Luke 22. 23. It may be this is of a second conversion and you know Paul speaks of travelling in Birth again till Christ be found in the Gallatians Gal. 4. 19. It seems to intimate they were born before but were turned aside to crooked pathes for saith Paul Verse 20. I stand in doubt of you but I will not dispute it here but leave it to the sober wise but however When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren that is do what thou canst to convert and confirm others in their most Holy Faith Wherefore Brethren edisie one another as also ye do 1 Thess 5. 11. Grace will beget and strengthen as many as it can it will draw others what may be to the good ways of God Come saith David and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul His spirit was full it was ready to break before it had vent and thus it was with the Woman of Samaria when she had once heard Christ She run into the City and saith Come oh come and see a man that told me all that ever I did She was willing they should know all that ever she knew of Christ and so saith Paul I would thou wer 't such as I am except these hods Acts 26. 29. Oh how did his soul long for the conversion of others in Rom. 10. 1. My hearts desire and prayer for Israel is that they may be saved Soul is it thus with thee dost thou know thy friends and relations to be in an unconverted estate and dost thou long and pray they may be converted Is thy fellowship with the Father And dost thou desire their fellowship may be with you with the Father and the Son Jesus Christ and dost thou declare to others what thou hast seen and heard of Jesus Christ that thou mayest draw them into fellowship with Jesus 1 John 1. 3. If so 't is a good sign thou art one in Christ XXX And lastly If thou art in Christ thou lovest the Saints of Christ not love them barely as they are men but as they are Saints a man may love another but not upon the account as he is a Christian man he may love him as he is of a sweet behaviour and carriage or as he is a relation or as an aquaintance or as a friend that may be profitable to a man in the World I but I speak of love to a Saint as he is a Saint and therefore Christ saith He that giveth to a Prophet not as he is a man or a friend But as in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward Matt. 10. 41. 42. Now I say if thou lovest Christ's Disciples thus thou art in Christ and Christ saith by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples how so why If you love one another John 13. 35. This Spirir was in Moses which made him say If thou wilt not forgive their sin blot me out of thy Book Exod. 32. 32. Which Book we would with submission say 't is the Book of his Temporary Life and truly this was great love that he would lay down his life for Israel in this he was a Type of our Lord so David had a great love to the Saints and a delight in the Saints Psal 16. 3. To the Saints and to the excellent in the Earth in whom is all my delight Had David nothing else to set a little of his delight upon yes David was a King he had a Crown and many things else to have delighted in but to the Saints and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Davids delight was all on the Saints and that with good reason because they were most excellent Why had not David many mighty Men of Valour that were excellent ones you may see a whole Catalogue of Davids Worthies in the 1 Chron. 11. 10. to the end and were none of these Noble Princes of valor that were in his Court his delight no saith David to the Saints in whom is all my delight and it will appear by the delight he had in the company of them that fear the Lord Psal 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that fear thee Not of Nobles and great Men of whom then Of all that fear thee why David there be some poor Men that fear God dost not thou think scorn David being a King to company with poor Men no saith David I am a companion of all that fear thee and 't is so with others too saith David Vers 74. They that fear thee will be glad to see me or when they see me the Saints be glad to see one another therefore David saith again Verse 79. Let those that fear thee turn unto me be they poor or rich be they those that fear thee Oh let them turn unto me be they Servants or any I 'le keep them company that fear the Lord I but David would it not credit thy Court to keep Ranters and Swearers for the World saith he is no Gentleman that cannot swear no saith David I 'le keep no such as they are My eye shall be on the Faithful in the Land they shall dwell with me Psal 101. 6 7. But for those that work deceit they shall not dwell in