is as when we have him alone what grace is what a good Conscience is as when we have nothing else left us Our Religion never shews so much what is in it as when it 's most put to it When the Adversary hath gotten the greatest advantage of us of the Sun of the Wind of the Ground when he presseth with most violence with most fury upon us then we best know what the weapons of our Warfare are The comforts and supports of Religion are not known either of what strength or of what sweetness they are till they are thus proved Hezekiah had never such a taste of his integrity as when he received the Message of death Stephen had never such a sight of Heaven as through a storm of stones Christ is never so sweet in a Prison When God meets his Saints in a Wilderness then he speaks comfortably to them A patient Christian hath more or less experience of all this and hence is he supported keps quiet under all his sufferings and carried with courage on his way Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. You have need of patience and no excuse for your impatience The sufferings of the Gospel call for patience and the supports of the Gospel will condemn your impatience If you will be godly count upon it that you have a great fight of afflictions to endure Venture not into the fight without your armour An impatient Creature is a naked Souldier How easily will Sathan destroy whom he hath once disarmed The more you can the less you shall suffer Secure your spirit and you save your self from harm There 's no Dart shall hurt you that does not hit your heart Keep your heart whole and the Devil loses all his shot Be patient and you possess your Souls keep your Souls and the Enemy loses the day Christians 't is of great consequence to you to be of a patient spirit and 't is a great Duty there 's much more in it than every eye observes When I perswade you to Patience know that 't is no smal thing that I am perswading you to 'T is no less than 1. To the whole of Christianity 2. To the height of Christianity 1. To the whole of Christianity To be truly Patient hath as much in it as to be a Christian To be hoâ—y humble meek mortified self-denying crucified to the World heavenly minded all this you must be or you cannot be patient Patient and proud patient and peevish patient and unmortified earthly-minded a self-seeker This is as great a contradiction as to be proud and humble fleshly and spiritual earthly and heavenly a Christian and no Christian If ever you will be possessours of this grace you must be partakers of all grace Get a believing broken self-denying heart get your spirits furnished with the love of Christ the hope of the Gospel the contempt of the World live above in the other World Let Christ Glory Honour Immortality be the portion of your Souls and the pleasure of your lives if ever you would be truly patient 2. To Christianity in the height of it In pressing you to Patience I am herein pressing you to get Assurance Without assurance though patience be possible yet you 'l find it both difficult and very impeâ—fect What Patience when I question whether my sins be forgiven whether God be reconciled and be not dealing with me as an enemy What Patience when I doubt whether my afflictions be not the pension of a bastard rather than the portion of a son when I am not sure but my present sufferings are sent to carry me down to eternal sufferings I am in misery and perpetual torments never a day without its evils I can see no end of it nor it may be never shall this or worse may last for ever Oh if I were sure it would be well at last I could be quiet but for ought I know the Furnace I am in may be the very mouth of Hell The diseases the wounds I am under may be sent to let out my Soul into everlâ—sting burnings how can I be patient under such doubts and fears Make God sure Christian make Heaven sure once and then thou may'st set thine Heart at rest then thou may'st almost as easily exercise as thine Enemies find thee Exercise of thy patience Christians if you will be patient you must be painful give diligence be diligent in making your Calling and Election sure be diligent in duty be vigilant against iniquity If you will be patient be impatient of sin and you will be patient of sorrow make sin sure get it slain by the cross and buried in the grave of your Lord sealing the stone and setting a watch have nothing to conflict with in the day of your affliction but your affliction beware of carrying guilt with you up upon the Cross Let not the gall of guilt be mingled with the vinegar of affliction A mortified spirit will deaden all our pain and a pure Conscience will bear all our burthens Till this be done I must tell you you will find suffering to be hard service 'T is an easie matter to talk of the sufferings of the Gospel and to boast great things afore-hand as you know who did once and what came of it Though I die with thee I will never deny thee But when it comes to the pinch when Troubles come upon us when the hand of the Lord touches us and touches where it 's most tender brings those calamities on us which are most contrary to us strips us of those comforts which are most dear to us takes away all from us and leaves us naked when we feel the smart of the rod when every stroke fetches blood when the feet are hurt in the Stocks and the Iron enters into the Soul when the vinegar and the gall comes when the thorns and the nails of the Cross are struck in when shame and reproach when scorn and contempt when hunger and thirst when cold and nakedness when bodily torment and pain are all measured to you for your portion and mingled in your cup If ever God should call you out to take your part with that Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. who were tortured had trialls of cruell mockings and scourgings of bonds and imprisonment who were stoned were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword wandring about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destiture afflicted and tormented wandring in deserts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth If ever this should be your case then you will know how much there is in Christian Patience and how necessary self-denyall mortification living in the faith and fellowship of God and the power of his spirit and assurance of his love are to your patient possessing of your Souls Believe iâ— Christians the Gospel hath not furnished us with such large provision of Graces Comforts Promises Hopes for nothing you will find need enough of them all Such amazing astonishing trialls you
may be called out to as nothing less than the richest stock of Promises the greatest treasure of Experiences the highest pitch of spiritual Graces your greatest conquest over Lust and the World your living under the fullest influences of Divine Power and the clearest Sense of Divine Love will furnish you with an enduring spirit nothing less will but this will do it Get Sin and the World under make God sure make the Promises sure live in a daily conflict with Sin contempt of the World and exercise of all Graces Live in the obedience vision and fruition of your God and then you are ready for the Enemy Let your Sufferings be what they will come when they will your Souls are at Anchor and shall have a continual Calm within how Tempestuous soever the Weather be As a farther Encouragement and Help to this great Duty consider that your patient suffering will be 1. Your witness to the Gospel 2. Gods witness to your Adoption 3. The cure of your Corruption 4. Your triumph over Temptation 5. The improvement of your Sanctification 6. The advance of your Glory 1. Your patient suffering will be your witnesse to the Gospel Who were that cloud of Witnesses mentioned Heb. 12. 1. but the suffering Saints that Army of Martyrs recorded Chap. 11. whose patience is set forth as a Pattern to those that should come after These are the Witnesses What was it by which they bare Witness but by their patient suffering To what did they bear Witness but to God and his Gospel What Witness did they bear Why That the Gospel is true The sufferings of the Saints are their Seal to the Gospel As he that believeth so much more he that suffereth in Faith hath set to his Seal that God is true In the Faith and patience of the Saints may be seen as the Seal in the Wax the prints and impressions of the Truth and Faithfulness of God God hath said He will uphold he will not forsake them and their patience shews he doth uphold he hath not forsaken them 2. That the Gospel is a Glorious Gospel That God is a good Master that it 's good being with Christ any where That they are no Losers by their Religion but that it's Wages are above it's Work and its pay above its pain It were not possible when they prove how much the Gospel costs them but they should be weary of it and repent of their Faith and renounce their profession if they did not find the Lord a good pay-master The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 3. 3. that Christians are the Epistles of Christ or his Letters of Commendation to the World in whom may be read his Excellencies and Glory and the incomparable advantages of his Service And as all Christians so especially suffering Christians The Character of Christ is never so visible and legible as when 't is written in Bloud The Bowels and Bounty and Kindness of God our Saviour never appear'd in more Glory than upon his Cross and there 's no such lively Transcript of them as upon our Cross On his Cross his Bloud on our Cross his Spirit and the precious grace and comforts of it are most plentifully shed forth 1 Pet. 4. 14. If ye be reproached that is and endure it the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you The Spirit and influences of a Crucified Jesus do never shine forth to such advantage as in his Crucified Saints Upon the patience of a Saint under the sufferings of Christ he that runs may read this written I serve a good Master Our patient suffering is our witness to Christ and his Gospel Christian when God sends thee to Calvary he sends thee thither as a chosen vessel that thou should'st there bear his Name before the World Art thou impatient at this What canst thou not bear this honour thy God hath laid upon thee Hath God chosen thee thee amongst all they Brethren to do him this honour and wilt thou be angry that he did not raâ—her choose some other 'T was an unworthy Answer of a good Man Mâ—ses when God sent him to Egypt to appear for him before Pharaoh and to be the Deliverer of his People Exod. 4. 13. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send Send whom thou wilt any body but me By our sinful shifting our selves of Trouble or our Murmurings under them we say the like Send whom thou wilt to witness for thee but let me go free Let me have my ease and my quiet and my liberty and take this honour who will for me Unworthy Spirits Oh me thinks Christians we should rather step one before another and when our Lord demands Who will go with me Who will bear my Cross Me thinks we should readily answer I will go let me bear it Lord and not grudge as we do that he puts us to it Our Impatience bears false witness against God and his Gospel what 's the voice or the meaning of Impatience less than this Whatever is said in honour of the Gospel what a blessedness what an ineffable advantage 't is to all that heartily own it yet having prov'd it I find it even as much as nothing by that all the costs and charges of it are cast up The Comforts of it will never ballance them set one against any other the bad against the good the bitter against the sweet Set one against another and I have made but a bad Bargain by becoming a Christian This is the Voice of Impatience Christian Thou passest over thy Murmuring as a light Evil as if thy pain might excuse they pettishness As if it were because 't is so common a very small thing But is it nothing to bely God to bear false Witness against his Gospel Thy Repining at the Sufferings of Christ is next to Repenting that ever thou wert a Christian Brethren Let us do the Lord this Right by the patience of our Spirits to confess before the World That all the sufferings of this Life are not worthy to be compared to the Glory that shall be revealed And looking unto Jesus the Author and Fiâ—â—sher of our Faith Let us learn of him for the Joy that is set before us to indure the Cross and despise the Shame That we may sit down at his as he is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God Secondly Your patient suffering will be God's Witness to your Adoption Heb. 12. 7. If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons The LORD doth not use to deal so with strangers Afflictions are Gods Family Discipline Yet mark 't is not if the suffering alone will not prove our Son-ship the Rod is for the fools back as well as the childs but patient suffering will for 1. Patient suffering is it self an evidence of our adoption it is the mark of the Lord Jesus upon us If thou hast both the same lot and the same spirit that was upon Christ there 's thy Lords mark
the Creatures 9. Hath the Law of the Lord been much in my mouth 10. Have I not sent Christ away without an Alms when I had it by me 11. Have I not lost an opportunity of doing or receiving good 12. Have I not neglected nor done any thing against my duty to my Relations 13. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 14. Have I been diligent and watchful Christians here is a course prescribed which by the ordinary assistance which the Lord doth not deny you may take up if you will and which if you conscientiously observe will be without doubt through the blessing of God attended with great sucâ—ess And those that do not take up this course or some other equivalent to it let them never think to ease their hearts by idle complaints I can't attain to such a holy even fruitful heavenly life as I desire I would but I cannot God will abhorr such lazy Complaints and look upon them as they are a meer device to keep you quiet under a sloathful heart Set your whole Duty daily before your eyes charge it upon your hearts take an account of your selves how you discharge it set upon it as that which is no other than you have vowed to thâ— Lord commit your selves and your waies to him for success and if this doth not mightily conduce to advance you in point of holiness and establish you in point of peace then say that both the Precepts and Promises of the Gospel have deceived you And thus I have set before you that holy Conversation which becometh the Gospel Take up this holy Course let this be your Life you mean to lead and let it be carried on In an holy Union In an United Contention In an Holy Boldness 1. In an holy Union So the Apostle there adds Stand fast in one sâ—irit with one mind Never look to thrive in Grace if you do not live in Peace The decayes of Christianity lye much upon the score of the divisions of Christian The Devil hath also taken up that Maxim Divide et Impera Rent them and Ruine them The reason why our love is so cold is because our differences are so hot The reason of so little zeal against sin hath been the great strife among Brethren The Combinations of Sinners have not so much prejudiced the power of holiness as the Contentions of Saints There are not a few who go under the name of Saints that have maintained disputes about Religion so long till they have disputed themselves out of all Religion their searching for Truth hath been the loss of both love and life Christians if ever you would be any thing be one be of one heart of one mind holding the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace It were greatly to be desired that the people of God were both of one heart and of one way But if this may not yet be if there cannot be Vniformity yet let there be Vnity betwixt all that fear the Lord in truth A few words I shall leave with you for your direction herein 1. Divide not from the Head to unite with any pretended Members hold not with them that hold not with the Head Sell not Truth clear fundamental Truth to buy Peace 2. Divide not from real Members lest you hereby prove your division from the Head Christ hath but one body if you be not in union with the body you are divided from the head 3. See the head in every member see Christ in every Saint 4. Prize Christ where ever you see him Love Christ and love his Image if you will not slight Christ slight not any Saint See'st thou an humble meek patient broken-hearted self-denying mortified Christian in whatsoever unpleasing form as to matters circumstantiall he appears despise him noâ— reject him not 5. Prize Peace and Union as the strength and honour of the Body 6. Pursue Peace and Union with the utmost strength of thy Soul And that you may obtain it 1. Let all parties that are named of Christ be humbled under former Divisions What Peace so long as God is angry Oh how have we provoked the Lord by provoking one another Let him only who hath been without sin in this matter be without sorrow and shame Sure they are hard hearts who are not broken under such breaches Let us not mistake our selves nor mis-call that Zeal for God which God will call Pride and peevishness I speak not against our being offended either with errour or iniquity we may not call evil good or darkness light for peace sake but at our unreasonable passions against whom we suppose erring Brethren If the Reproach of the Gospel the hardning of the perverse the stumbling of the weak if the hindring of Ediâ—ication the promoting of Confusion and every evil work which have been the sad Effects of our Divisions if Pride and Haughtiness if Vanity and Wantonness if Envy and Uncharitableness which have been the Womb from which our Contentions have sprung be matter of Humiliation then sure we had need be brought upon our knees We must be melted e're we can be moulded up into one 2. Let all parties unite sincerely in their ends Let the honour of Christ the advancement of practical Godliness the destruction of the interest of the flesh the edification of the whole body in Faith and Holiness be look'd at with a single Eye and pursued with a plain and honest heart Let not the interest of a party the affection of Superiority and Dominion the carrying on of selfish or fleshly Designs let the God or the Christ you are driving for unbyass your Spirits take the right mark and let your motions be sincerely level'd at it If we were once set right in our endsâ— an accommodation of all our differences about the means would be more facile and feisable Prov. 11. 3 5. The integrity of the upright shall guide him the Righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way Humble single honest hearts are most like to hiâ— upon the good and honest way if we had nothing 〈◊〉 do but to please the Lord we should not have much to do to please one another 3. Let all parties unite in this Rule Do as you would be done by that is as being well informed and advised and freed from evil and discomposed Affections for so the Rule is to be understood you would that Men should do unto you Allow to others what you challenge to your selves or would if you were in their Circumstances Deny not what you would demand The same Liberty the same Charity that you would expect from other Christians allow to them 4. No longer tie up Christ to a party Say not Loe here is Christ and not there Say of all Believers though of different Forms As we are Christs so they are Christs Of all the Subdivisions of Protestants that are considerable amongst us there 's no party the union with which makes us
or the seperation from which únmakes us Christians We had need to have more to shew for our Christianity than that we are Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Episcopal or Erastians and the Devil must have more to prove us no Christians than this that we are in union with either of these or in separation from them 5. In matters circumstantial be not over-hasty in stamping a Jus Divinum on Things disputable and doubtful Put no more weight nor a greater necessity on any thing than God hath evidently put on it and spend no more of your zeal about it than is proportionable to its weight and evidence 6. Allow for the imperfect state the Church is in we know but in part and till that which is perfect is come and that which is imperfect is done away we must bear with one another if in any things we be otherwise minded 7. Stretch not your Authority beyond your Line take not too much upon you Think not to bring all others in every thing to your Standard impose not your Consciences as a Law upon others 8. Put not Conscience to the ill office of being a meer Make-bate catch not up every Notion and presently charge it upon Conscience as that which must be maintained though to the greatest prejudice of the whole Interest of Religion and so rent and run away from all those that agree not with you Be not rash be not heady be tender but be wary be well instructed if you will be truly tender first carefully inform thy Conscience and then peaceably follow it Of what is that Conscience tender that is not tender of making Wounds and Rents in the Body of Christ 9. Beware of Censurings and Judgings of biting and devouring one another If ye bite and devour one another ye shall be consumed one of another Let him that is without fault cast the first stone at his Erring Brother Be not bitter against the bitterness of others if others sowerness offend thee yet let it not leaven thee Be not reviled into a Reviler scoffed into a Scoffer overcome Evil with Goodness 'T is not seldom that our Invectives against others Bitterness are more keen and cutting than what we complain of Justifie not what thou judgest Practise not thy self what in the same Breath thou condemnest in thy Brethren Throw not back thy Brother's Fire-balls in his face leâ—t in censuring him thou be also thine own Judge Pursue not matters in difference over hotly but learn modestly and meekly to differ where you cannot agree 10. Let your Conversation be so holy humble and heavenly carry your selves in such simplicity and godly sincerity towards God towards one another and towards all men that you may command each other to believe that however you agree not about your Mother yet you are all the Children of the same Father that you are of God and that the Spirit of the Living God dwelleth in you 11. Hold Communion in the Things wherein you agree and Charity where you differ May you not pray and fast and hear and hold Christian Conferences together Sure there is not overmuch of Gospel Spirit where this will not be granted 12. Impose not on each other any hard and unnecessity Conditions of your communion Suppose upon your differing Judgments there be in some things different practices which some of you iudge less warrantable whil'st the Consciences of others allow and use press not the relinquishing such questionable practices as the condition of your communion especially if they be not mingled with the Daties wherein you joyn but are used by any of you at other times or in other Assemblies Excommunicate not them from you excommunicate not your selves from them with whom Christ holds Communion Judge not that Christ withdraws from all those who are not in every thing of your Mind and Way Destroy not all communion by seeking after a purer than in this out imperfect state we shall ever attain According to this principle No Communion at all if not in all where shall we rest In all Societies something will offend 13. And lastly in your communion receive not one another to doubtful Disputations Let your Prayers Conferences and all Holy Exercises be studiously so managed that there may be a sweet Accord of your Spirits therein Come not together to strengthen Parties or propagate Opinions Let all matters of Controversie be waved and hereof let there be such mutual Assurance given aforehand that you may be together without fear of becoming Thorns or Snares one to another Which if it be not unanimously consented to and inviolably observed your communion will be impossible or dangerous Christians Are the clear and fundamental Truths of the Gospel and the more necessary and weighty Duties of Religion sufficiently understood and practised Are your Souls safe Is your Calling and Election sure Is the Love and Life and Zeal of God grown up to that maturity that you need not mutual help this way Have you any spare time from these things to spend in perplexing Controversies Build up one another in your most Holy Faith provoke one another to Love and to good Works encourage establish and strengthen one another in the known ways of Holiness and if you find not this both better work and work enough for you then take your Liberty These things do live in peace and love and the God of Peace shall be with you Hear oh all ye Friends of Christ by what oblique Names soever unhappily distinguished will you come and be Friends one with another Are you for peace Your God is the God of Peace Your Jesus is the Prince of Peace Your Gospel is the Gospel of Peace and will you not be perswaded to be Sons of Peace Your God is one your Mediator is one your Faith one your Baptism one your Hope one you are one Body one Spirit and will you not yet be one Soul Oh how hopeful would our Condition be were our Hearts generally set upon peace We should certainly obtain did we more resolvedly pursue it and what should hinder Have you not yet enough of your Contentions and Quarrellings Have not your Souls been sufficiently neglected your Lusts strengthned your Faith weakned your Love withered your Comforts wasted your Names blemish'd your Holy Profession blamed Hath not your God been sufficiently provoked and the Devil sufficiently gratified Are your Bellies so filled with Gall and your Mouths with Gravel and have you not yet enough of your Contentions Christians Slight not these Counsells and Warnings As you would prove your selves the Friends of Christ be ye followers of peace Study oh study these things that make for peace Follow peace with all men as much as in you is but especially with the houshold of Faith Let there be no longer strife betwixt us for we are brethren Yet alwaies remember I am pressing you to an holy Union whil'st I perswade you to follow peace I must still add and holiness I perswade you not to pursue peace
your God and his Gospel Read over your Priviledges Promises and Hopes feed more on that Bread of Life drink more freely of those Living Springs which are broken forth to you Prove more what Godliness hath in it Get out the sweetness and the pleasure of it none in the World live such a voluptuous Life as he that lives most with God get out the pleasure of Godliness lie more at the Breasts suck harder press the Clusters and the Wine and Milk will come make the most of Religion and you will have enough never blame it for empty or unsatisfactory while there is more to be hâ—d Gad not into other Pastures â—un not from Flower to Flower keep you Home Let not your God find you in another Field If you keep with God the less you have of Creature-vanities the more full will your Contentment be Christian Honour thy God and his Gospel let his Breasts satisfie thee and erre thou always in his Love Let the World read the Gospel-sufficiency in thy Souls pleasure and satisfaction with it alone 5. Let your Conversations answer the supports of the Gospel and its succours Live a patient life Jam. 5. 7. Be patient brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Patience is a Grace suited to our present Gospel state I may call it a Friend that 's born for the day of adversity If you are Christians you have need of Patience and if you have Patience you need no more Jam. 1. 4. Let Patience have her perfect work that you may be entire lacking nothing Patience is a submitting sedate and calm frame of spirit whereby a Christian from Gospel grounds is born up under all his Troubles and born througâ— all his Duties Betwixt Patience and Contentedness there is this difference Contentedness is the quiet of the heart and its satisfaction with its smallest portion of good things Patience is the quiet of the heart under the greatest pressure of evill things A patient spirit is a submitting spirit It 's heartily content that God should have his Will With whatsoever God is pleased it will not be displeased It 's the Lord let him do whatsoever seems good in his Eyes What seems good in God's eyes shall not seem evil in mine It is a Calm and quiet spirit It will not strive nor cry nor lift up its voice in the street it can mourn but it does not murmur it can feel but it will not fret at the hand of God A patient person is ever composmentis has the command and government of his spirit keeps it sober and in due order doth not rave and rage Impatience is a kind of frenzy such persons are besides themselves In our patience we possess and by our impatience we lose our Souls we lose the rule and government of them the peace and the use of them An impatient man is besides himself both as a Man and as a Christian 1. He is besides himself as a Man Impatience turns Reason out of doors and for the Affections they are all in an uproar and will know no command or government 2. He is besides himself as a Christian turned quite out of course Duties Comforts Experiences Hopes all are laid aside Keep you quiet keep the peace in your heart and you keep your heart In this calmness and quietness it bears up under troubles Patience hath Fortitude in it it neither frets nor faints under all its â—urâ—hens Christians must bear and patient Christians can bear any thing that comes on them The proper exercise of patience is enduring he endures not that suffers only but that can bear what he suffers It bears through its Duties The passion of a patient person doth not hinder his action He holds his course keeps on his way whatever load he hath in his back He runs with patience the race which is set before him he is not discouraged nor diverted from his holy course by any suffering it costs him And indeed Christian Patience stands not in a bare forced quiet in a biting in or keeping down our fretting aestuations from venting themselves in word or carriage or in a sullen silence or stupidity but in the maintaining such a tranquillity of spirit under all we suffer as that we can still both enjoy and serve the Lord. He is a patient Christian that is as much a Christian in a storm as in a calm that can pray believe love bless God follow God and keep his way when he smites as when he smiles Lastly in all this a Christian is upheld and carried on from Gospel grounds 'T is not a naturall hardiness apathy 't is not the spirit of a man that does sustain his infirmities 't is upon the everlasting Gospel that he stands There are three Things especially that bear him through His viewing The Hand of the Lord. The End of the Lord. The Help of the Lord. 1. He sees the Hand of the Lord in all that befalls him Whence was Davids patience Psal 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it Whence was Elie's patience 1 Sam. 3. It is the Lord let him do what seems him good Whence was Job's patience Job 1. 21. The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. By the way Note That a godly man is not only patient under his afflictions but thankful He is not only thankful for Mercies but for Chastisements 'T is not only the Lord hath given blessed be his Name the Lord hath built me up the Lord hath filled me the Lord hath hedged me blessed be his Name but also the Lord hath taken away the Lord hath humbled me broken me undone me left me naked left me nothing blessed be the Name of the Lord. This by the way 2. He sees the End of the Lord that God intends his good by all that comes upon him He knowes that all things and therefore this which is upon him whatever it be shall work to him for good 3. He feels the Help of the Lord. When the hand of the Lord is upon him he feels also the hand of the Lord under him underneath the everlasting arms Deut. 32. 27. The Gospel as it hath allotted him many Tribulations so it hath allowed him mighty Supports A mighty God who is the rock of ages Isa 26. a merciful high Priest who being tempted himself is able also to succour those that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. pretious Promises 2 Pet. 1. gracious experiences Rom. 5. 4. patience worketh experience This last support experience hath all the rest in it Experience is the whole Gospel proved A patient experienced Christian hath proved all things what they are hath proved the World and what it is and the worst it can do hath proved the Word and what there is in it hath proved what God is what Christ is what grace and peace and a good Conscience are Tribulation often takes away God and his Gospel and we never so well prove what God
or a quickning Word let them have or lift up a prayer and drop down a blessing upon them Something or oâ—her of the Dew of Heaven let them feel flowing from our Lips Let your Lips drop as the Honey Comb and your Hands drop sweet smelling Myrrhe Let your Holy Practices your Holy Examples second and set on your wholesom Counsels and Instructions Let your words be savoury and your works be gracious Let Lip and Life speak the same things and lead on the same way Christians By your nursing up the Souls and Fruits of others you will ripen and increase your own If you should look on all the Fruit as little which your selves have brought forth to God you will have this to comfort you That you have born more upon your Brethren's knees The Fruits of those Fields which you have planted or water'd will abound to your account Bring forth much Fruit unto God and be much in immediate converse with God Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven Be more elevated and raised in your Spirits daily above Things Sensual and Carnal Above Carnal Delights Above Carnal Discouragements 1. Above Carnal Delights Live more purely in the Spirit let your Hearts be wrought up to such a Spiritual Frame That all the Joys Pleasures and Comforts of your Lives may be Spiritual Let the Lord be all your delight Psal 37. 5. Let it be with you as much as may be as it is with the Saints already in Glory to whom God is all who being changed into his Image and dwelling in his presence are satisfied in him Let God alone be as much to you as God and all the World Let the Fashions and Pleasures and Delights of this World be so much beneath your Spirits that it may neither be an abatement of your Joy to want nor an Addition to your Content to possess them Let the Light of all these lower Sparks be swallow'd up in God when the Sun shines all the Stars disappear and are not needed Lift up thine Eyes Christian and see what pleasures there are within the Veil Come drink thy fill of this new Wine let thy Faith draw the Curtains of Eternity and take a view of those heights depths â—nd lengths and breadths of that Glory and Joy which there it may discover Look on him that sits on the Throne and those everlasting Treasures of Light Holiness Goodness and Mercy which are â—treaming from his Face on those overflowing Bowels of Kindness and Compassion on those Rivers of pure and Eteâ—nal Pleasures Rest and Peace that rise from that Glorious Throne and run through the City of God Behold the Tree of Life and feed thy Soul on its pretious Fruit whose very Leaves are for the healing of Nations Hearken to and fill thine Ears and Heart with those Triumphs and Exultations those Reptures and Extasies of unspeakable and glorious Joys those Blessings and Praisings those Hallelujahs that are tuned upon the Hearts and Tongues of the Heavenly Chore the glorious Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect by the vision and fruition of thy God the God of Glory Look on and possess this Joy and Glory Say to thy Soul as God 〈◊〉 Abraham Gen. 13. 14. Lift up thine Eyes and look from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward though all the Coasts and all the Dimensions of the Blested Land of Promise and Holy City and then say Come Soul take up thy rest here all this is thine Look and love love and long long and hope hope and rejoyce in hope of this glory of God Look on thy God and never leave looking till thou art changed into his Image and satisfied with his Image And here let thy delight and thy dwelling be 2. Above all carnal discouragements from any adversaries or dangers wherewith you are baited and affrighted as you walk in the Lord let the joy of the Lord be your strength let your Sun be your shield let your hope be your confidence and fear not your duâ—y nor danger Look to your hope and you will laugh at fear Dwell in your Reward and you will not be afraid to dwell in your Duty But of this a word more by and by Thus much for general Directions 2. I shall next give you some special Directions for your daily walk Generalls necessarily depend on and subsist in Particulars As there can be no Religion in a Kingdome unless it be first in particular Families nor none in Families unless it be in particular persons so a general course of Christianity there cannot be unless it be supported in our particular daily walk The Advice I am giving you I have in part borrowed for your use which some of you may possibly have received elsewhere Before I give you the particular Directions I shall first premise these things 1. Count upon this That the Directions I am now giving you if you ever mean to bring it to any thing will cost you pains and labour and how can you count your selves Christians if you refuse to be at the necessary cost of Christianity If you think to be Christians without labour or if you wilâ— stand out from Christianity to save your labour you are alike wise in both Either come to a Resolution to fall upon an industrious painful life or 't will be in vain to give you counsel 2. Practice the Directions I shall give you in pursuance of your Covenant with God wherein you have engaged to take the strictest severest Laws of Christ for the Rule of your Life What I am pressing on you for the matter of it is no more than you have bound your selves to as Christians Remember your Bonds and let this holy practice be followed on by you as the paying your Vows Remember daily the Vows of God are upon you and there is not any material thing here prescribed to you which falls not under your vows Your Covenant if your eye be much upon it will be a cord to hold you to your work 3. Press hard for sensible Communion with God in all your Duties 4. Keep up a spiritual and holy Frame from Duty to Duty Remember what I have elsewhere spoken to you more at large on these two Particulars See that there be Religion in your Duties and confine not your Religion to your Duties 5. Be Watchful The Life of all Religion lies much here whatever you resolve upon will come to nothing without it Watchfulness is the Executioner of your Will Let your eye be upon your Rule and your Work Especially watch against your prevailing sins There 's no Christian that observes himself but may find some one sin or more that in regard of their power over him are taller by the head and shoulders than all the rest In some Pride in others Worldliness in others Passion in others Slothfulness It may be if thou searchest some one of these four or possibly some other may be it that by a Specialty