though to your familiar Friend Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envyeth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up Keep your Vertues secret rather than your Vices and be ever ready to hear another man praised rather than discommended Let your Discourse be of few words and those compounded of Truth and Piety If any person discoursing with you proposeth impertinent Questions cut off his discourse as soon as you can and divert your speech to other matters Shun prophane and vain Bablings for they will increase unto more ungodliness Whatsoever doth happen to your friend or to your self be neither grieved nor over-joyed but praise God and be content for godliness with contentment is great gain When you see any thing in another which misliketh you mark whether the same be in your self and amend it But if you observe any thing which pleaseth you mark whether that be in you if so retain it if not assume it By this means you shall make all things as a mirrour or a looking-glass to your self Prove all things hold fast that which is good Never affirm or deny any thing with over-much eagerness but let your assertions and denials be always seasoned with the salt of doubtfulness Abstain from immoderate laughter Sorrow is better than laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better When sloath or idleness doth surprize you stir up your Spirits with reading some part of Scripture or some other book of Devotions When you are in Tribulation consider that they that are in Heaven feel no such things for there are pleasures for evermore Choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season When you are merry and joyful remember those which are in Hell feel no comfort at all Consider the words of Solomon I said in my heart Go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanity I said of laughter It is mad and of mirth What doth it Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgment Death doth daily threaten us the Devil waits to seize our Souls as soon as they depart our bodies but the Lord is above them both He is faithful to those that hope in him neither doth he forsake them unless they forsake him O love the Lord all his ye Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Be faithful unto death saith the Lord and I will give you a Crown of Life Have God often in your mouth but more often in your heart and manners Lest the Lord should say of you as of the Jews For as much as this people draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their hearts far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men Therefore behold I will do a marvellous thing among this people for the wisdome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid If with your Tongue you speak and with your Heart you meditate on the Law of God all the day long and your works do contrary to the same your zeal is counterfeit and blind The days of man are as a shadow upon the earth and there is no abiding and when he seemeth to be most firm then he is properly nothing Why then doth man heap up Treasures upon earth since that which is gathered and he that gathereth passeth away and perisheth Therefore labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life What profit hath man in his labour whose fruit is Ruine and whose end is death O that men were wise and that they understood this and would prudently provide for their latter end Know ye not that to day you are at the brink of danger then let not your Repentance be deferred that you may be preserved by the hand of your Mediator To day you are in the way to Hell Repent that you may finde the way to Heaven Repentance and Conversion are the Fabricks of Salvation Bring forth therefore fruits meet for Repentance But what do these admonitions avail unless you blot out of your Conscience the spots of sin and iniquity Apply your heart therefore to an inward reading of your Conscience that so you may come to understand your self Study the practice of that great Apostle of the Gentiles Paul To exercise your self to have a Conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards man Study to say as Simon Peter said to Jesus Behold we have left all things and followed thee So shall you eat and drink at the Table of the Lord Iesus and sit on a Throne of Glory judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Obedience certainly is a most faithful and familiar help to Salvation To obey is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams It is a Vertue which our Saviour himself preferred before his life choosing rather to yield that than not to fulfil his obedience The great opposer of Obedience is Pride and that is not onely the Original of all Vices but the Ruine of all Vertues It is the worst of sins for it captivateth the minde of man Other Vices assault those Vertues only by which they are destroyed as Lasciviousness Chastity Anger Patience c. but Pride like a contagious Plague corrupts every Vertue of the mind Pride goeth before Destruction and an haughty Spirit before a Fall He that feareth the Lord must hate Pride and Arrogancy And those that walk in Pride he is able to abase Pride is never found in a noble nature nor Humility in an unworthy mind It is a sin that our Saviour abhor'd for in his Birth Life Death he was all Humility nothing of Pride The fear of the Lord is the instruction of Wisdome and before honour is Humility Wherefore O Lord teach us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom LONDONS LOSS OR An ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF THAT Reverend Servant of God AND Minister of Christ's Gospel Mr. IOSEPH CARYL Late Minister at Magnes London-bridge ROom for our Tears for here are thousands come To vent our Founts at his commanding Tomb. But oh what Mortals Genius can devise A decent Flood for such a Sacrifice His Pious worth must in our Hearts be writ For 't is above the reach of Head or Wit Happy 's that earthly Closet keeps in trust The Reliques of a Saint now turn'd to dust 'T is one whom flatt'ry knows not how to paint Londons Divine and Londons Magnes Saint
the neglect of that Soul-saving duty will rise up in Judgment against you The Righteous and the Wicked will be tried by their Consciences and that will discover the whole truth Study that Lesson which the Apostle Paul hath set before you To have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man The powers that are are of God therefore be subject for Conscience sake Let your rejoycing be in the Testimony of a good Conscience Put on Charity out of a pure Heart a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Justice hath leaden feet but iron hands and it is but just that they that encourage one another to sin should at last condemn each other It will be but cold comfort at the great Tribunal for sinners to remember their past follies Satan that now spreads abroad his temptations will then witness to their neglect of wholesom exhortations The holy Quire of Angels will point to the sinners Conscience and that will answer I am acquainted with all your sins The Spirit of Christ will testifie how often that hath moved the ungodly to repent The abused creatures that have been forced to promote sin will continue in the hearts of sinners the Beast of the field will rise up against the Glutton and the Wine against the Drunkard Pray often for Prayer is a sheild to the Soul a sacrifice to God and a scourge to Satan Shun all appearances of evil resist the Devil and he will flie Seek not after Riches they have wings and flie away but study for Wisdome it 's price is above Rubies To seek after the Riches of this World is vanity But the fear of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from evil is understanding The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdome and instruction What can be more pretious than Wisdome for it is the gift of God Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding What can be stronger than Wisdome that buildeth houses and heweth out its pillars Who can be more pious than the wise man He that getteth Wisdom loveth his own Soul What can be more clear than Wisdome for that excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness The wicked mans fate is to be wise too late The Veil of Hypocrisie cannot hide our sins from God he will make us know that it is his Christ that we resist What is gotten by resisting our Saviour Or what shall a man gain if he get the whole World and lose his own Soul What are the Riches of this life to the Joys of heaven And who is a better Guide to that happy place than the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World And why should not we love God since he so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Was one Guest found out that had not a Wedding-garment and will not God then find out every unholy Soul The Righteous themselves are pardoned sinners but the wicked are impenitent Each Soul that labours in the Lords Vineyard shall receive his reward according to his merit Let your acquaintance be few and good Cousins Country-men and School-fellows are spenders of money and time Let your study be furnished not with many but with choice books Let wisdom direct your actions the wise man takes care for necessaries not for superfluities Wisdom is Riches indeed it teacheth a man the Art of contentment in all conditions It makes a man not onely Master over others but Conquerour of his own passions Premeditation is commonly accompanied with Wisdom The wise man sees his own faults by the follies of others He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a Citie Wisdome is more useful in a City than the strength of mighty men So true is that of Solomon This Wisdom have I seen under the Sun and it seemed great unto me 14. There was a little City and few men within it and there came a great King against it and besieged it and built Bulwarks against it 15. Now there was in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the City yet no man remembered that same poor man 16. Wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor mans wisdom is despised and his words are not heard However he that getteth wisdom loveth his own Soul and he that keepeth understanding shall find good 18. For Wisdom is better than Weapons of war but one sinner destroyeth much good Ingratitude is the Epitomy of Impiety To render a good deed for a good deed becomes a man to give evil for good is diabolical to repay evil for evil becomes a sinner but to return good for evil is the Quality of a Saint Injuries should be wrote in dust but Kindnesses in marble Nothing more spurs a man on to be ungrateful than the sin of covetousness Set not your heart upon wealth For the love of money is the root of all evil The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercie and giveth To be always begging or borrowing and never paying is the disposition of a covetous and ingrateful man and doth oftentimes set the dearest friends at variance Nature excuseth the follies of a fool but the ungrateful man hath no Apology To be courteous to one that is ungrateful is like ones hiding his treasure in the Sea Neer Relations that are strongly bound by the bonds of Affinity and Consanguinity are oftentimes divided by this black sin of ingratitude He that will forget a kindness is ungrateful but he that renders a discourtesie for a courtesie is impious And blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble Wo be unto the covetous rich man that hath his heart fixt upon his heaps the poor man is happier than he For the Lord heareth the poor The needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever There is an evil under the Sun saith Solomon and it is common among men A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanteth nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power eat thereof but a stranger eateth it this is vanity and an evil disease He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase 12. When goods increase they are increased that eat them and what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes The poor mans labour rocketh him to sleep but the cares of the rich man keepeth him awake 13. There is a sore evil under the Sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt 14. Those riches perish by evil
of Gospel-worship I confess it is a sad sight to see a bad man do that which is bad or a wicked man do that which is wicked yet I say it is a sadder sight to see a bad man continuing in his state having no spiritual principles to go on doing good God often declares himself very highly against such as do good themselves continuing evil The good that you do will not profit you 't will not advantage you 't will be no plea at the Great Day You may have Iehu's Penny a deliverance from an outward Judgment but there is no deliverance from Wrath and Eternal Judgment Thus those that are not far from Heaven shall never come there yet I would exhort the worst of men to do good though they please not God in doing it yet they displease him in not doing it And thus faln man if he neglect to do good sins If he doth good he spoils it in the doing of it Hence we see the necessity of regeneration we are not born with a pure Heart A pure Heart a good Conscience Faith unfeigned are the Issues of the new birth Education cannot make the Heart pure it must be Revelation which makes the Heart pure Education may change a mans Course but it cannot change his Nature that 's only done by Regeneration He must be good before he can do good spiritually God works us before we can work for him he makes us good before we can do good We by Union to Jesus Christ come to have a spiritual Principle to carry us out in the doing of all good works Here 's your way you must be Gods workmanship before you can do Gods works As we are grafted into Christ he changes the Branch Then all your Fruits are sweet Fruits and pleasant Fruits they are well-tasted Why It is done first from a Principle of life in Christ. And secondly It is done from a Principle of love unto Christ. The Heart of man is the greatest cheat in the world The Heart of man received such a crack in the fall that there is no mending of it It must be new made The Heart is made wholly new by the power of God Meritoriously by the Blood of Christ that cleansing Blood it is made pure by the Spirit of Christ the Spirit is a purifier The Word of God is a purifier Instrumentally Applicatorily the Heart is made pure by Faith When the command of every sin When the custom and practice of every sin And when the love of every sin is gone such a Heart is free from these powers that Soul is Evangelically pure He that indeed hath this pure Heart is really sensible that once his Heart was very impure And also is as sensible that to this day there remains much impurity in his Heart He also that hath a pure Heart loves every thing that is pure and the more pure it is the more he loves it A pure Heart will be full of pure thoughts a pure Heart converses with God in purity of thoughts Whereas the wicked they have not the Pure God nor the Holy God in all their thoughts A pure Heart is full of pure desires he desires to be more good to be better he desires to know more of God and to honour God more he desires to enjoy God more he hungers and thirsts after God A pure Heart hath pure purposes and pure resolves and by resolves the Heart is more settled and fixt Resolution is the establishment of the Soul He resolves let the Winds blow high or low to cleave to Christ. There is a purpose in a pure Heart against all that 's evil He will neither defile his Heart nor his Life and these purposes he carries quite thorough all unto the end A pure Heart hath pure ends in all it doth a holy aim a single eye not self-profit not self-applause not pleasure but he purposes the profit of many that they may be saved Weigh it well whether you have this pure Heart The hardest thing that we have to do and the greatest kindness which God can do to us is to cleanse our Hearts Our hearts are the filthiest part of us If there be impurity in the hand there 's much more in the Heart Till the Heart be made pure nothing can be pure God is a friend indeed to those who have a pure Heart Keep pure Hearts with all diligence for the Devil comes a Heart-stealing continually unless you wash it weed it sweep it Cobwebs will grow Spiders will creep in they will be weaving their Webs To the impure Heart there is nothing pure Holy Ordinances honest Callings great Possessions all these to an impure Heart are not pure The pure in Heart are onely fit for Communion with God they onely are fit to call upon God who have a pure Heart Onely the pure in Heart shall see and enjoy God Impure eyes cannot behold God they cannot bear the Glory the excellence of his Presence THE HEART ANATOMIZED THe wicked search out Iniquities they accomplish a diligent search the inward thoughts of their Hearts are deep The Heart is commonly hard Harden not your Hearts as in the provocation in the day of Temptation in the Wilderness The heart of a godly man may be said to be perfect for David saith of himself I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way Oh when wilt thou come unto me I will walk within my house with a perfect heart The heart is said to be sound A sound heart is the life of the flesh but envy the rottenness of the bones The heart is sometimes merry sometimes melancholy A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken The heart hath many devices Nevertheless the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand The heart of an Holy man may be said to be pure He that loveth pureness of heart or hath grace in his lips the King shall be his friend The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Who can know it The heart is said to be stony I will give them one heart saith the Lord and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh The heart is the chiefest Jewel which the Lord requires of a Christian My Son give me thine heart and let thine eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Laws He that keepeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord shall be 〈…〉 Law of his God is in his 〈…〉 none of his steps shall side Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart Mr. Caryl's DIVINE SENTENCES OR A GUIDE TO An HOLY LIFE HE prepareth a fit Habitation for the Lord whose Reason is neither deceived nor Will perverted nor Memory defiled Happy is that Soul
let Religion be your business for he is most capable of rejoycing in the evening that watcheth his words thoughts and deeds in the day To despise the world is the way to enjoy heaven and blessed are they who delight to converse with God by Prayer What folly can be greater than to labour for the meat that perisheth and to neglect the food of Eternal Life God or the World must be neglected at the parting-time for then is the time of Tryal then shall the Righteous continue Righteous and be Blessed To seek your self in this world is to be lost and to be humble is to be exalted First study to believe there is a life of Blessedness hereafter then will you be the better strengthned to hunger and thirst after Righteousness If you would have the Lord receive you into Heaven you must give your self unto Prayer Prayer is defined by Gregory Nyssen to be a Discourse between the Soul and God it is of two sorts Vocal and Mental that is outward expressions of the Voice and an inward lifting up of the Mind to the Throne of Grace Before you enter into Prayer ask your Conscience these Questions with a resolution to return an Answer 1. To what end O my Soul art thou retired into this place 2. Art thou not come to discourse with the Lord in Prayer 3. Is he present will he hear thee 4. Is he merciful will he help thee 5. Is thy business slight is it not concerning the welfare of thy Soul 6. What words and reverence wilt thou use to move him to Compassion Let these Interrogatories be considered Discoursing with thy self will prepare thee the better to discourse with God To make thy preparation compleat consider thy condition thou art but dust and ashes and he the great God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that cloatheth himself with Light as with a Garment Remember these or such like devout expressions O let my Prayer enter into thy presence Let my Prayer be set before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the Evening Sacrifice As the clay is in the Potters hand to fashion it at his pleasure so man is in the hand of him that made him to render to them as liketh him best I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth thy marvellous works The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. If your hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things Such Expressions as these from a devout Soul open the windows of Heaven and prevail with God to hear its Prayers In your Prayers or Meditations beware of Satan's devices of which these are some He endeavours to intice sinners to presumption by lessening a sin and making it seem to be slight On the other side he studies to betray some to the sin of despair insinuating such a crime is Haynous and beyond pardon But thus saith the Lord Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow Though they be red as Crimson they shall be as Wooll He shewed to our Parents a golden Cup but discovered not the Poyson hid therein when he said God doth know in the day that ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Thus he attempted to betray Christ when he tempted him with the glories of the World saying All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He hath likewise the art to put false glosses on particular sins as Pride that he pretends is Neatness Covetousness is good husbandry Drunkenness he calls good fellowship and Extravagancies the effects of a liberal Spirit He extenuates sins by whispering to the credulous wretch To be Drunk to Swear c. are but little sins and repentance is no hard task it is but to ask pardon and cry Lord have mercie upon me He insinuates these delusions into the sinner You may walk by the Harlots yet not enter you may drink with the Drunkard yet not be drunk you may handle a bag of Gold yet not steal it He assures the Soul that the wicked man is happier than the devout Soul for the former enjoys all the delights of the world whilst the others are Persecuted Imprisoned and oftentimes undone One chief designe of Satan to delude the Soul is to conduct him into evil company Beware of false Teachers that lead your Judgment astray They reproach the Embassadors of Christ so did Korah Dathan and Abiram to Moses and Aaron Good Michaiah was likewise aspersed by Ahabs false Prophets They are devisers of false Prophesies The Lord said The Prophets prophesie lies in my name I sent them not neither have I commanded them neither spake I unto them they prophesie unto you a false Vision and Divination a thing of nought and the deceit of the heart They are stiled blind guides That strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel They are counterfeit and unclean Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites that make clean the outside of the cup and platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness They endeavour to delude men to their opinions rather to carry on their own Interests than to better their Conversations Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the Child of Hell than your selves Wo unto you blind guides which say Whosoever shall swear by the Temple it is nothing but whosoever shall swear by the Gold of the Temple he is a debtor Ye fools and blind whether is better the Gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the Gold He that sweareth by the Temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein False Prophets privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction Since then Satan is so busie what remains but that we Arm our selves with spiritual Weapons Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day For the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds David said to the Philistin Thou comest to me with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Sheild but I come unto thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defied Let a Christian keep his Faith firm for that will carry his Heart through many difficulties Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God prepareth for them that love him The
he hath sent empty away When God sends mercie we should not onely thank the donor but welcome the messenger for they both come from God How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tidings of good things The proud man exalts himself against all that is good therefore the Lord thinks good to take down his pride Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. The world cannot exalt a proud man so high but God will bring him low neither can all the world so debase an humble man but God will exalt him The world may strive to pull him down But God will raise him to a Crown In the seed-time of your life let your Holiness be sown that so you may reap Blessedness in the Harvest of Eternity He that will put Piety in practice must set his heart to practice Piety The Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart My Son give me thine heart and let thine eyes observe my ways Ungodly men grow rich yet godliness with contentment is great gain There is a kind of Divine husbandry saving grace is a heavenly thirft and doth so improve that it makes us Burgesses of the Holy City Wherefore Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. A friend may commit an errour in love but he is an enemy that loves his errour The covetous man cannot enjoy what he hath got through the greediness of his desire to get more He coveteth greedily all the day long but the righteous giveth and spareth not To have faith in Christ is well-pleasing to the faithful God for he is the Father of the Faithful The Lord is God the faithful God which keepeth covenant and mercie with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a thousand generations The Righteous man hath grace beyond expression the Hypocrite hath expression beyond grace The tongue of the just is as choice silver the heart of the wicked is of little worth God doth sometimes deliver men up to Satan that they may be delivered from Satan Deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus Can a man be an empty Vine and yet bring forth Fruit Israel is an empty vine bringing forth fruit unto himself Christ is the Son of God and yet he is called the Son of man The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth The Almighty's permission of sin is no warrant for the sinners commission of sin Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin Our Saviour had a Father and a Mother and yet he was from the beginning In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God This is Solomon's advice Be not righteous overmuch However it is the duty of a Christian to cloath him with Righteousness as with a Garment The Saints have no greater joy than to enjoy God and to rejoyce in him He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. As it is hard to bend a well-grown Stick so is it difficult to work upon the heart of a desperate season'd sinner for he runs on in his wickedness and is deaf to all good instructions They have ears to hear and hear not for they are a rebellious house Onwards they run a ready pace Plainer's the way than that to grace A Saint will not sin though he knows that sin may work for his advantage All things work together for the good of them that love God We are commanded to love Peace and follow after Righteousness and yet the Saints themselves are in continual War fighting the good fight of Faith Above all things take the sheild of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked The Salvation of a Saint may be sure yet may not he be sure of his Salvation Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall Blessings if abused may be turned into curses and curses are oftentimes turned into blessings Saith the Lord of hosts I will even send a curse upon you I will curse your blessings If any man would be rich he must be diligent but notwithstanding that let him remember Paul may Plant and Apollo may Water but it is God that giveth the blessing He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich The blessing of the Lord that maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it The Righteous man makes godliness his gain the Wicked man makes gain his godliness He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house but he that hateth gifts shall live The Soul is above the reach of any weapon but sin and that pierces like a sting Sin is a raging torment in the Conscience A wounded Spirit who can bear Let not the best of men think they were ever good lest their Conscience shall tell them they were never good Be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil Some men will pretend to abhor such a sin yet hug it in their bosom such sinners sting their Consciences to magnifie their Credits If by suffering for Christ we loose all that we have in this world we are sufficient gainers when we save our own Souls Paul that Pious Apostle saith Doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ my Lord for which I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. A repenting Penitent though formerly as bad as the worst of men may by grace become as good as the best God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith he loved us Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved The Devil is indifferent whether we go to Hell in the frequented road of Profaness or in the smooth way of Hypocrisie It is the power of godliness not the form that directs the way to Heaven as the power of ungodliness leads to Hell Lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away Beware of impenitence and of late repentance true repentance cannot be too late but a late repentance is rarely true Wherefore the real Christian should say betimes with holy Iob I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes It is one thing to hold the truth and another thing to hold it in sincerity we
must be just as well as orthodox Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath go not to bed in anger lest you have a tempter to your bedfellow Wrath is cruel and anger is outragious but who is able to stand before envy One of the blessings of the Old Testament was Prosperity and one of the blessings of the new Testament is Affliction Let not sin intice you to forsake God lest it urge God to forsake you It is Solomon's advice My Son if sinners intice thee consent thou not Conversion is a fit application for the wounds of a wicked man and strengthening likewise is very apt for the converted Saith David In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul A devout Soul should not think himself secure when he is safe nor should he fear when in the greatest danger but distrust himself and always trust in God Say with Iob Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Act not against the light of Conscience lest your Light be darkned and your Conscience shipwrack't Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Vertue and Vice that is Charity and Lust divide the whole life of man they are the two Trees of the Gospel that produceth fruits good and evil Study not to live long but to live well for an hour mis-spent is not liv'd but lost No man is perfect for there is none so good but he may mend Iesus said unto the young man If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt receive treasure in heaven and come and follow me The sins of a mans life are innumerable Who can understand his errours saith David cleanse thou me from secret faults The changes of a Saints condition are but so many exchanges of mercie if he thrives God is bountiful to him if he hath troubles in this world God is careful of him and provides him a portion in a better world When David was in the Cave all his comfort was in Prayer unto God I cryed unto thee O Lord I said Thou art my refuge and portion in the land of the living Troubles or Sickness when sanctified is much better than unsanctified Prosperity It is not talking of God but walking with God that makes a Christian compleat See that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil Beware of superstition for that will not teach a man to fear God but to be afraid of him Study to have Christ rather in your heart than your house for with such Habitations he is best pleased Rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness The being of the Soul is rather where it loves than where it lives Let us study to love God though we do not see him rather than to see him and not love him All the pleasure of our days is grief when there is not an inward peace in the Conscience and with that all the griefs imaginable are turn'd into delight for a good Conscience is a continual feast It is good to be Learned but it is better to be Religious for Learning is but an Ornament to Religion but Religion is a Blessing to Learning One may be ever learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth A man may have knowledge and no grace but he cannot have grace and no knowledge Jesus answered the Sadduces saying Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God He that is truly Religious delights in the service of God and had rather be shortned in the comforts of his life than neglect the performance of his duty towards him Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart To profess Religion is good but to practice Religion is better to profess and not to practice is to dissemble with God and Man and a cunning course it is for man to destroy his own Soul The godly man may apply the promises to himself but the wicked man may apply himself to the promises Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God If we would have God hear our Prayers we must have the sence of feeling them our selves Sin brought death into the world and death carried sin out of the world He that would not have Time pass swiftly away should not use much Pastime The way to understand the sweetness of God's mercie is to get a sence of the bitterness of our own misery In all concerns let God be concerned the work will be the better done and the blessing will be the larger No man can do an evil action well but a good action may be spoiled in the management The tongue is an evil member for he that hath no reputation himself is master of another man's Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile The delight which a gracious Soul hath in mercies is not in the hearing of them or talking of them but in the possessing and enjoying of them God is a God that pardoneth Iniquity and retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercie The delight of a gracious Soul is to long to be dissolved and to go to his long'd-for home that he may be with Christ. A day in thy Courts O God is better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tent of wickedness It is God's appearing gracious to our Souls that makes him appeaâ— so glorious to our eyes To the praise of the glory of hiâ— Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved It is not in our power to imagine the power of God it converteth Souls and raiseth dead Bodies The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Iesus cryed with a loud voice Lazarus come forth And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave-cloaths and his face was bound about with a napkin Iesus saith unto them Loose him and let him go The Soul cannot be converted by the word that man speaks nor by the man that speaks the word For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God By the Scriptures we learn what God hath done for us and what we are to do for God All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness When a gracious Soul desireth a mercie of
wallâ— after the heart of sin Sin is contrary to God's Image wherein man was made sin is as unlike God's Image as Darkness is to Light as Hell to heaven yea and more too sin is the Devil's Image Such as the Devil and his Angels are who once knew good but now know evil both by doing it and suffering the sad effects of it Thus he that runs may read the Picture Image and likeness of the Devil in sin sinners are as like the Devil as any thing Sin is contrary to the Children of God they are near and dear to God God's heart is set upon them for good and sin sets its heart against them for evil Sin is always warring against the Seed of God in them By sins ill will God's people should neither enjoy nor do any good in the world Sin like the Devil hath not such an evil eye or aking tooth at all the sinners of the world as it hath at the Saints in the world The Devil is a Man-hater but more a Saint-hater Sin is contrary to and set against the Glory of God Faith would give Glory to God now that men may not believe sin imploys the Devil to blinde their eyes Good men would do all they do sin will let them do nothing at all to the Glory of God Sin is contrary to and opposite against the being and existence of God It makes the sinner wish and endeavour that there might be no God for sinners are haters of God And as he that hates his Brother is a murtherer so as much as in him lies he that hates God is a murtherer of God What 's said of sin is to be considered by the sinner and is meant of thine and my sin Poor Soul canst thou finde in thine heart to hug and imbrace such a Monster as this is Wilt thou love that which hates God and which God hates Wilt thou joyn thy self to that which is nothing but contrariety to God and all that 's good Oh say to this Idol yea to this Devil Get hence what have I to do with thee thou Childe yea Father of the Devil Thou that art the founder of Hell an enemy to all Righteousness that ceasest not to pervert the right ways of the Lord. Sin is contrary to the good of man it is a separation betwixt God and man The Commandment of which sin is a transgression was given not onely for God's sake that he might have glory from man's Obedience but for man's sake that man might enjoy the good and benefit of his Obedience These two were twisted together and no sooner is the Law transgrest but God and Man are joynt-sufferers God in his Glory and Man in his Good Man's suffering follows at the heels of sin yea as he suffers by so in sinning suffering and sinning involve each other No sooner did sin enter into the world but Death which is a privation of good did enter by it with it and in it For 't is the sting of Death so that sin saith Here is Death and death faith Here is Sin No sooner did Angels sin but they fell from their first State and Habitation which they had with God in Glory not a moment between their sin and misery And as soon as man had sinned his Conscience told him that he was naked and destitute of Righteousness and Protection Sin crosseth Glory and is cross to man's Happiness Sin is against the good of man's body it hath corrupted his blood and made his body mortal and thereby rendered it a vile body Our bodies though made of dust were yet more pretious than fine Gold but when we sinned they became vile bodies Before sin our bodies were immortal For death and mortality came in by sin But now alas they must return to dust and it 's appointed to all men once to dye and 't is well but once and the second death have no power over them they must see corruption or a change Sin is against the good of man's Soul 'T is not very ill with a man if it be well with his Soul but it can never be well with a man if it be ill with his Soul So that we can more easily and cheaply dye than be damned and may better venture our bodies to suffering than our souls to sinning Nothing but sin doth wrong a man's Soul and there is no sin but doth it Sin is against man's well-being in this life Well-being is the life of life and sin bears us so much ill will that it deprives us of our livelyhood Man came into the world as into an house ready furnished he had all things ready and prepared to his hands All the Creatures came to wait on him and payd him Homage but when man sinned God turn'd him out of house and home like a Pilgrim a Begger Ever since it hath been every man's lot to come into and go out of this world naked When Christ came into the world for the recovery of man and stood as in the sinner's stead he had not where to lay his head Though Christ were Lord of all yet if he will come in the likeness of sinful flesh he must speed not like the Son of God but Son of man Sin is against that good which God left us and fills it with vanity and vexation with bitterness and a curse God left Adam many Acres of land to till and husband but he hath it with a curse sweat and sorrow many a grieving Bryer and pricking Thorn stick fast to him God left him ground enough but 't is curst ground sin is so envious it would leave man nothing And if God be so good as to leave man any thing sins eye is evil because God is good and puts a sting in it Sin is against man's rest 't is a sore Travel which the Sons of men have under the Sun Man's ground is overgrown with Thorns that he hath many an aking head and heart Many a sore hand and foot before the year come about to get a little livelyhood out of this sincursed ground Sin curse and toil keep company Sin is against man's comfort and joy In sorrow shalt thou eat all the days of they life not one whole merry day The woman hath a peculiar sort and share of sorrow for the time of conception breeding bearing and birth are tedious Sin is against man's health hence come all diseases and sicknesses till sin there were no such things Let a man take the best Air he can and eat the best food he can let him eat and drink by rule let him take never so many Antidotes Preservatives and Cordials yet man is but a crazie sickly thing for all this Sin is against the quiet of a man's natural Conscience for it wounds the spirit and makes it intolerable A merry heart doth good like a Medicine no Cordial like it but a broken spirit drieth the bones and sucks away the marrow A good Conscience is a continual Feast but sin mars
sin are said to walk after the Heart of sin Sin is contrary to God's Image wherein man was made viz. in Righteousness and true Holiness but sin is as deformity and ugliness sin is the Devil's Image never was a Childe more like the Father than a sinner is like the Devil Sin is contrary to the People and Children of God Though sin cannot hate them so much as God loves them yet the more God loves them the more sin sets its hatred against them The Serpentine Race will not suffer the little Flock and Remnant of the holy Seed to have one quiet day The Devil is a man-hater but more a Saint-hater Sin is contrary to God's Glory Good men would do all they do to the Glory of God but sin will let them do nothing at all to God's Glory Might sins desires take place there should not be a person or thing by whom and whereby God should be pleased or glorified Sin is contrary to God's being sinners are God-haters and as much as in them lies they are God-murtherers And if its power were as great as its will is wicked it would not suffer God to be God is a troublesome thing to sinners and therefore they say Depart from us Sinners they would break Christ's bonds and make war with the Spirit of Peace Whoever thou art pause a little and consider what is said of sin it is to be considered by the sinner and is meant of thine and my sin Canst thou finde in thine heart to plead for such a Monster Wilt thou love that which God hates God forbid Oh say to this Idol yea to this Devil Get thee hence thou Childe yea Father of the Devil thou that art the founder of Hell an enemy to all Righteousness Oh think on 't what hast thou no value no regard for thy Soul Wilt thou neglect and despise it as if 't were good for nothing but to be damned and go to Hell Sin is contrary to the good of man and nothing is properly and absolutely so but sin and this results evidently from sins contrariety to God as there is nothing contrary to God but sin For Devils are not so but sin Sin being a separation between God and man an interruption of his Communion and Conformity it must needs be prejudicial and hurtful to him Man's sufferings follow at the heels of sin suffering and sin involve each other no sooner did sin enter into the world but death which is a privation of good did enter by it with it and in it for 't is the sting of death so that sin saith Here is death and death saith Here is sin Sin is against man's good here in time and hereafter in Eternity in this world which now is and in that to come Particularly Against man's body it hath corrupted man's blood and made his body mortal and thereby rendered it a vile body our bodies though made of dust were yet more pretious than fine Gold but when we sinned they became vile bodies Before sin our bodies were Immortal for Death and Mortality came in by sin but now alas they must return to dust and it 's appointed to all men once to dye and 't is well if they dye but once Sin is against the good of man's Soul too and this is much more to man's hurt 't is well with his Soul so that we can more easily and cheaply dye than be damn'd Nothing but sin doth wrong a man's Soul and there is no sin but doth that Sin is against man's well-being in this life man was born to a great estate but by sin which was and is Treason against God he forfeited all Man came into the world as into an house ready furnish'd but when man sinned God turn'd him out of all Thus by sin man that was the Emperour of Eden is banisht from his native Country and must never see it more but in a new and living way for the old is stop'd up all we have our Food and raiment is but lent us we are only Tenants at will The sin of man had left the Son of man nothing when he came into the world for the recovery of man If he will come in the likeness of sinful flesh he must speed not like the Son of God but Son of man Nay the venimous Nature of sin is such that it fills that good which God left us with vanity and vexation with bitterness and a curse sweat and sorrow many a grieving Bryer and pricking Thorn stick fast to him More particularly Sin is against man's rest 't is a sore Travail which the Sons of men have under the Sun yea he hath not rest in the night but is haunted if not frighted with extravagant and frightful dreams Man's ground is over-grown with thorns he hath many an aking head and heart many a sore hand and foot before the year come about to get a little livelihood out of this sin-curst ground The old world was very sensible of this Sin Curse and Toyl keep company Sin is against man's comfort and joy if man laugh sin turns it to madness all our sweet meats have sower sawce In sorrow shalt thou eat his bread is the bread of Affliction The Woman hath her share of sorrow for the time of conception breeding bearing and birth are tedious Sin is against man's health till sin there were no Diseases and Sicknesses let a man take the best Air he can and eat the best Food he can let him eat and drink by rule let him take never so many Antidotes Preservatives and Cordials yet man is but a crazie sickly thing for all this Sin is against the quiet of a man's natural Conscience for it wounds the Spirit and makes it intolerable A wounded Spirit who can bear This broken Spirit drieth the bones it sucks away the marrow and radical moisture A good Conscience is a continual Feast but sin mars all the mirth When Cain had killed his Brother and his Conscience felt the stroak of his Curse he was like a distracted man and mad When Iudas had betrayed his Master he was weary of his life Sin is against the beauty of man it takes away the loveliness of their Complexions and alters the very air of their Countenance it makes man vanity and his beauty vain Sin is against the loving and conjugal Cohabitation of Soul and Body Sin sowed discord between them and made them jar many a falling out there is now betwixt Body and Soul between Sense and Reason they draw several ways there 's a self-civil War The Soul is become a Prisoner to the Body Rather than a free man Too too often the beast is too hard for the man and the horse rides the Rider Sense lords it and domineers over Reason Sin is against man's relative good in the world man's weal or woe lies much in relations by sin that which was made for an help proves an hindrance Sin hath spoil'd society one man is a Woolf nay a Devil