for eyes They that see pitty the blinde Wee have a little Sister that hath no breasts wee have a poor Brother yea a world of them that have no eyes What shall we do for our poor brethren in the day that they shall bee spoken for Oh! bee eyes to thy blinde bee a light to thy dark souls let them that dwell in darkness see thy great light Sinners those whom you persecute do thus pitty do thus pray for you Lord that their eyes might bee opened will you say Amen to their prayers or will you say Lord regard not their word wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Christians bee marvels You that have seen marvellous things bee marvellous persons set the world a wondring for some thing Let your light shine let the light which hath shined into your hearts shine forth in all your paths let the Spirit of Light within you bee a Spirit of Glory resting upon you Once you were darkness but now are yee light in the Lord Walk as Children of the light Bee yee holy harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation amongst whom yee shine as lights in the World Beclouded Christian thou goest on bemoaning and bewailing thy self complaining that thou art still blinde the light hath shined into thy darkness but thy darkness comprehendeth it not thine eye is yet but tender at least and thou canst see but little but little of Christ the Sun is but as a sparke to thee but little of sin that Mountain looks yet but as a Mole hill It is neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day thou hopeedst that long e're this thy scales would have fallen off the vail would have been removed but they abide upon thee thou waitest for light but behold obscurity for brightness but thou walkest in darkness thou goest on adding darkness to darkness the darkness of sorrow to the dimness of sight Thou fearest that the Gospel is hid from thee thou doubtest 't is still night because 't is not yet noon with thee But hearken as little as thou seest of Christ doest thou see so much that thou prizest and lovest and cleavest to him above all as little as thou seest of sin doest thou see so much that thou loathest and shunnest it above all things doest thou walke in that little light thou hast dost thou love long wait cry for the light Send forth thy light and thy truth lift up the light of thy countenance Sun of Righteousness shine upon mee why are the wheels of thy Chariots so long a coming when Lord Make haste my Beloved O might I once see thy face as the Sun looking over the Mountains Is this thy voice are these the breathings of thy soul Bee of good comfort these are the glimmerings and groanings of that Holy Spirit within thee which hath already delivered thee from darkness and will bring thee forth into his marvellous light thou shalt know if thou follow on to know the Lord. Arise shine thy light is come the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Though yet as to thy sense it bee neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day in the evening there shall bee light 2 As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification hee is given as an Holy Spirit and as a Sanctifying Spirit therefore Sanctification is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 he comes to change us into his own nature to make us partakers of his holiness hee is a Refiner's fire and Fullers sope Mal. 3.2 to purge and work and wash off the filth and corruption of our natures What it is said hee shall bee to the Church Isa 4.4 A Spirit of Judgement and a Spirit of Burning to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion and to purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof a Spirit of Judgement that is in the Rulers of Israel stirring them up to do Justice and execute Judgement that so the guilt of blood may bee taken away Isa 32.15,16 and a Spirit of Burning that is in the hearts of the people of Israel to consume and destroying the inward lusts of their hearts that no more such wickedness bee committed amongst them This hee is to every Saint A Spirit of Judgement to give Sentence against their Lusts to condemn them to the fire these must bee cast out to the fire with them away with them get yee hence yee Sons of the Bond-woman you may not bee Heirs with the Sons of the Free-woman The Spirit of the Lord first discovers and convinces of sin judges betwixt light and darkness grace and sin and then gives sentence away with these Lusts they may not bee suffered to live A Spirit of Burning to execute the sentence to consume them in the fire The Spirit of Sanctification is a spirit of Mortification Rom. 8.13 If yee through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body It is the Spirit that kills the Flesh profiteth nothing The Spirit implants the Soul into Christ gives it an Interest in his death brings it under the influence of his death Christus crucifixus est Christus crucifigens 'T is the death of Christ that is the death of sin these Theeves are Crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Our old man is Crucified with Christ that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should no longer serve sin Hell knew not what they did when they Crucified Christ Death with all its Armies were put to death with him The Spirit raises up another party in the soul a party against a party an army against an army brings Grace in to take up arms against sin Grace doth not onely fight against sinne but is in the very nature of it the death of sinne as the Generation of a new is the Corruption of the old form Humility is pride dead meekness is sinful passion and frowardnesse dead patience is impatience slain The Spirit excites and stirs up the soul against sin sets it a praying against it the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Supplication fetches down Hail-stones and Thunder bolts from Heaven to destroy these Amorites sets a watch against it presses the soul to deal wisely with it to keep it low by cutting off all provision from the flesh restraining and keeping it short of all those fleshly objects which would keep it in heart and so it 's starved to death It is true our greatest wisdome watchfulness abstinence self-denial and all external means alone will fall short of killing one lust it is the Spirit that killeth without it the flesh profiteth nothing all external attempts for the mortification of the flesh are but a fleshly mortification but if yee through the Spirit do mortifie pray in the Spirit watch in the Spirit curbe and keep short and keep under this body still taking in the assistance of the Spirit then it shall dye Christian thou livest in a weary Land and thou hast but a weary
spurres and goads in our sides to quicken us on our way calling to us arise sleepers put on sluggards stirre up your spirits mend your pace I will not bee put off as I have been no more such loitering and idling and trifling and halting as hath been I must have other manner of service other manner of praying and hearing and walking and working than hath been be zealous and amend more labour more care more watchfulness more activity more of the Spirit and Soul of what you professe When the Lord hath been thus goading and spurring us on and though our flesh feels yet our hearts will not feel nor answer the Goad or Spur Is this an argument of tenderness When great duties are little and lesser are none when great sins are infirmities and little ones are nothing when lying and defrauding when false weights and false wares and false dealings when defaming back-biting tale-bearing railing reviling do stand for little more than cyphers when fellowship and familiarity with evil men in their sins when compliance with or connivance at their wickedness when sinful courtings and complementings of such to the fleshing them and hardning them in their waies do pass for virtues and civilities when frothy vvanton discourse and communication vvhen scoffing and making a sport at the sins or infirmities of others vvhen sinful vain jesting vvherein rather Conscience than wit must bee deny'd when all these pass for our ornaments rather than our evils Where 's our tenderness When upon the auditing of our accounts the examining our books and reckoning up our scores where a talent is owing wee bid conscience take thy bill and write down a shekel where twenty or an hundred sins to be reckoned for take thy bill and write down ten or but one and that a little one when wee are so free in multiplying and so false in numbring our iniquities where 's our tenderness Well Christians the Lord hath promised a tender heart to make these stones flesh and something possibly is done already upon you towards it O let this sad sight now laid before you this view of what 's wanting have some influence upon the making it up let the sense of no more done work what is yet undone as is said before let your unbrokenness break your hearts let the stone that yet remains make your flesh to bleed If you yet feel no more may you at least feel this that you feel not CHAP. XIII An Heart to love the Lord. 4. AN heart to love the Lord. Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul Love is the soul of the new creature the closure of the soul with God He that hath most of God is most a Christian and hee that hath most of love hath most of God God is love In the opening of this love to God wee shall consider its Object Act. 1. It s Object The Object of divine love is God God is good and good is amiable God is all good There is none good but one that is God God is essentially good goodness in the abstract hee is infinitely excellent hee is all perfection In this one Attribute all the rest of the Attributes of God are included and this in each of them However the Scriptures speaking to our capacities describe God and his glorious Attributes in several and distinct notions yet in each one all are included each one is infinite and infinite perfection is essentially all perfection God is originally good the fountain and pattern of all that moral good that is in the creatures hee is bountifull and gracious ready to do them good and hee is the felicitating end or the blessedness of the soul The goodness of God to his creatures according to its different respects to them hath its different and various appellations As it is freely bestow'd 't is Grace As it respect them as needy so 't is Bounty as in misery so 't is mercy and compassion as Provoking so 't is Patience as it intends their good so 't is love as it answers both their necessities and capacities so 't is Al-sufficiency All these his bounty mercy compassion patience love al-sufficiency all these are in one word his goodness and goodness calls for love The Object of this love is God Particularly 1. God in himself 2. God in Christ 3. God in all the things of God 1. God in himself as hee is infinitely excellent as before and so worthy of all love God is to bee loved in himself and for himself for his own worthiness God is good in himself and therefore to bee loved for himself 2. God in Christ In whom alone considering us as sinners hee can bee said to be good to us There is a four-fold incentive of love Perception Proportion Propriety Possession 1. Perception or the apprehension or understanding of the Object to bee loved wee must know before we can love now God cannot immediately be seen by mortals hee dwelleth in light but that light is to us invisible Christ is the glass in which this glory may bee seen We cannot see God but through a vail of flesh in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten of the Father who is in the bosome of the Father hee hath revealed him 2. Proportion And there is a double proportion requisite 1. In respect of quantity there must bee sufficiency 2. In respect of quality there must bee suitableness God himself is proportioned to us consider us as rational creatures and in our state of innocency is both a sufficient and a suitable good but God in Christ onely being considered as lapsed creatures in a state of sin God in Christ is a God of pitty and compassion to us a God of patience a God of mercy with whom is plentious redemption A God pardoning iniquity and passing by transgression loving us in our low estate loving us and pittying us loving us and pardoning us loving us and washing us loving us and saving us from our sins and from the wrath to come And such love is the great flame that kindles love love breaking forth out of a cloud of wrath and fury and displeasure abused love provoked love and yet forgiving love to whom much is forgiven they will love much 3. Propriety What 's good good for us and our own good that carries our hearts Wee most love our own good because wee most love our selves Our love to God is heightened from our due self-love there is a sinful self-love when either wee love that for a self which is not our self when wee love our flesh and fleshly interest or when wee love our selves inordinately more than God and God only for our selves and there is a lawful self-love when wee love our selves in the Lord and for the Lord. And the more wee thus love our selves the
iniquity to bring in everlasting righteousness and so to bring us to God What-ever difficulties there appear in thy way what-ever doubts arise in thine heart from thy sins from thy guilt from thy poverty from thy impotence what-ever objections thy fears may hence put in there 's the blood of the Lamb that will answer all Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 2. As a merciful and faithful high Priest Heb. 2.17 who hath made an attonement for us in the earth and appears for us in heaven who hath made reconciliation for us and makes intercession for us Heb. 9.24 to appear in the presence of God for us we read Exod. 28.12.29 That Aaron as the type of Christ was to bear the names of the children of Israel engraven in stones upon his shoulders and upon his breast-plate when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Our Lord is entred into the Heavens to appear in the presence of God with our names upon his shoulders and upon his heart for a memorial before the Lord there is not the least of Saints but there his name is engraven Here 's my ransome Lord and behold my ransomed ones Here 's my price and my purchase my redemption and my redeemed What-ever accusers there be what-ever charge be laid against them what-ever guilt lies upon them here are the shoulders that have born all that was their due and payd all that they owe and upon these shoulders and in this heart thou mayest read all their names and when thou readest remember what I have done for them and acquit absolve and let them be accepted before thee for ever Remember the tears of these eyes the stripes on this back the shame of this face the groans of this body the anguish of this soul the blood of this heart and when thou remembrest what-ever name thou findest engraven upon this heart and upon these shoulders they are the persons whose all these are and what-ever these are what-ever acceptance they have found with thee what-ever satisfaction thou hast found in them put it upon their account never let me be accounted the accepted if they be rejected never let me be accounted righteous if they lye under the imputation of wicked If they be not righteous in my righteousness I must be guilty under their guilt What-ever I am what-ever my satisfaction is all is theirs for them they plead for them they pray my tears stripes wounds groans anguish soul blood they all cry and say Father forgive them Father accept them Of all cryes there are no such strong cries as the cry of blood and that whether it be against or for the guilty its voice shall be heard on high Thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4. and what followed Wo to those persons against whom blood cryeth but where blood such blood cries for them for pardon for mercy blessed are those souls Christian this blood is for thee it speaks better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12. it pleads sues presses for thy discharge from all that is upon thee Thou hast many cries against thee Sathan cries thy sins cry thine own heart thy conscience cries against thee and thou art amazed at the dreadful noise they make but behold the blood of the Lamb the blood of God cries for thee Thou hast an accuser but thou hast an acquitter thou hast adversaries but thou hast an advocate An Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for thy sins 1 John 2. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.33,34 Nay farâ—her thou hast not onely a righteous but a merciful high Priest that is provided of a Sacrifice and hath an heart to offer it for thee thy name is in his heart as well as on his shoulders in his bowels as well as on his back He hath blood for thee precious blood and he hath bowels for thee pitiful bowels He can have pity and compassion on the miserable Heb. 5.2 if he can finde no other he can finde arguments enough from thy wo and thy misery to draw forth his soul towards thee He is merciful and his mercies are tender mercies he is pittiful and his compassions are tender compassions thou art not so tender of the wife of thy bosome of the childe of thy bowels thou art not so tender of thine own flesh of the apple of thine eye of thine own soul as thy Lord is of thee His spirit is moved for thee his soul melts over thee he bleeds in thy wounds he suffers in thy sorrows his eye weeps his heart breaks over thy broken and undone state fear not his forgetting thee his bowels will remember him of thee He is a merciful and a faithful high Priest No dignity to which he is exalted above thee no distance to which he is removed from thee can make him forget his friends He is gone into the heavens and there exalted far above all Principalities and Powers and set down at the right hand of God He is gone but he hath carried thy name with him as a perpetual memorial for thee Thou art unfaithful shame to thee thou forgettest thy Lord at every turn every business that comes every trouble that comes every pleasure that comes every companion that comes in makes thee forget thy Lord forget his love forget thy duty Oh how small a matter will steal thy heart from him yea stir up tumults and rebellions against him Thy comforts thy hopes thy needs thou hast daily of him will not all prevail to hold him in remembrance with thee Thou forgettest thy Lord but he will not forget thee though thou hast been unfaithful in many things yet he is in nothing 2 Tim. 2.13 Yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself he should not be true to himself if he be not faithful to thee his interest lies in thee thou art his his possession a member of his body fear not if he should be unfaithful to thy soul he is therein unfaithful to his own body If thy case be such that he can help thee if there be any thing wherein he can stead thee if all that he hath his blood his righteousness his interest with the Father will be sufficient for thy help he hath undertaken to procure it for thee and secure it to thee Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it This now is that Jesus that is given unto us as our propitiatory Sacrifice as our merciful and faithful high Priest who suffered on the earth and is gone into the heavens for us standing in his red robes garments rolled in blood with those glorious whites upon the red pardon peace absolution acceptance with the names of his ransomed ones engraven
O the unsearchable Riches of Christ that hee that searcheth all things reveals unto the Saints O the hidden treasures they now discover in this deep Mine To you that beleeve hee is pretious a Praise an Honour all Fair all Glorious and you have seen his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Sonne of God full of Grace and Truth Again there are marvellous evils as well as good things that by this light are brought to light Sin with all the hidden things of darkness that lay below in those chambers of death the secrets of the evill heart of man Sin appears a wonder to the savingly enlightened soul Exceeding sinful a world of wickedness There 's Death and Hell and the Devil in every sin unkindness unthankfulness folly enmity rebellion spite and the blackness of darkness What once appeared as a pleasure a delight a beauty or at least if an evill yet but a trifle a matter of nothing is become a plague a terrour a burthen a bondage bitterness shame sorrow and such an high provocation that whereas once hee swell'd and murmur'd and cryed out of rigour feverity cruelty in the least punishment of it now hee wonders at the clemency and patience and forbearance of God that such an affront and provocation had not long since turned the whole earth into an Hell Christian thou complainest thou canst not see thou canst not feel thou canst not mourn thou canst not break under all the guilt that lies upon thee thine heart is hard thine eyes are dry not a tear not a groan scarce a sigh will all this evill fetch out from thee O this blinde and sottish minde O this dead and senseless heart what shall I do what would I not do to get mee a melting mourning broken spirit but I cannot I cannot I cannot see I cannot bleed nor break O beg the light of this Holy Spirit and if the sight that that will present thee with of this wonderfull evill do not rend thy heart and turn thy stomack and open all thy sluces and let out thy soul in sighs and groans in shame and sorrow thou mayest then well be a wonder to thy self But be nor discouraged bee not dismayed do not say this Rock will never break this Iron will never melt I may go sighing for sighs mourning after tears groaning after groans but all in vain it will never bee past feeling past feeling sorrow flies still from mee repentance is hid from mine eyes do not thus discourage thy self wait for this spirit open to it and thou shalt see flowing in such streames of self-shaming self-confounding light as shall flow forth in self-abasing self-abhorring streames of tears 3. These marvellous things are revealed with marvellous clearness That is in comparison of what they are to the purblinde world and in comparison of what they themselves once saw They come to see the glory and the beauty and the reality of the wonderful things of God Wee have seen his glory saith the Apostle Joh. 1. The kindness of God our Saviour appeared But we all with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor 3.18 Out of Zion hath hee appeared in perfect beauty It 's Prophesied Isa 53. of the unbeleeving world that when they should see Christ they should see no beauty in him Strange though hee were all beauty yet they should see him and yet see no beauty That is they shall see him and yet not see him They see not wood for trees What is thy Beloved more than other beloveds VVhat is Christ more than an ordinary man VVhat is the Gospel more than an ordinary Story VVhat is the Spirit What is Truth VVhat is there in this Faith and Love in this Holiness and Righteousness in this Peace of Conscience and Joy of the Holy Ghost VVhat substance is there in them VVhere 's the Glory and wherein is the Excellency of them Which way came the Spirit of the Lord from mee to thee Thou shalt know in that day when thou shalt call to the Mountains to fall on thee and the Rocks to hide thee from the face of God and the Lamb. Wee know whom wee have beleeved Wee know that wee know him Wee speak that which wee know and testify what wee have seen Wee have an Vnction from the Holy one wee know all things God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God Now wee have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God VVee have a clear and certain sight VVee do not see men as Trees walking with our eyes half open wee see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth in its naked lustre and evidence This wee have seen and do testify neither deceiving nor being deceived VVee thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes And as they see Truth and Holiness and Goodness in their wonderful Glory and Beauty so also Folly and Falshood and Sin in its wonderful uglâ—ness and deformiâ—y Sin appears to bee sin to them Rom. 7. Folly to bee folly falshood to bee falshood they see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth Holiness as Holiness and they see beasts as beasts fools as fools sin as sin devils as devils hell as hell They see all things as they are temptations as they are delusions as they are they see what 's under them the hook under the bait the sting in the Locust's tail the warre in the Devils heart carried on under his fawning face Wee are not ignorant of his Devices Sinners cease your wondring at the Saints let them bee no longer for signs and for wonders in Israel cease your wondring at the Saints come and wonder with them Wonder not that they say not as you live not as you run not with you after the same follies and vanities Oh! if ye once come to see what they see you will bee a wonder to your selves Mock not at their blessedness Blessed are their eyes for they see The blinde envy but do not disdain the seeing Say not these men are in a dream or drunken or mad take heed blaspheme not the Holy Spirit call not his light darkneâ—s put not your darkness for light Would you know when these men testifie what they have seen and heard whether they are sober or beside themselves Come and see I say not stand and see you cannot see at that distance you stand come near come in and you shall see see your blindness first if ever you will see the light Oh! bewail your darkness and seek light seek and you shall see it Son of David have Mercy on mee Why what wilt thou man Lord that I may receive my sight Shall that bee thy cry O pitty thy blinde soul O pray
life of it bryers and thorns are with thee the Canaanite is yet in the Land thou sojournest in Mesech and hast thine habitation in the Tents of Kedar and thou hast a Mesech and Kedar within thee thou hast Armies within thee of fleshly lusts which fight against thy soul thou goest mourning daily because of the oppressour those spiritual wickednesses which lie in thine heart and warre in thy members thou often groanest and cryest out to thy God libertie libertie redemption redemption Oh this proud heart oh this vain heart oh this earthliness oh this fleshliness this sloathfulness this enmity and rebellion against the law of my minde and my God when I would do good evil is present with mee I cannot I cannot do the things that I would I can with no peace serve or enjoy my God and my soul my duties are either prevented or polluted my comforts are either wasted or made quite to vanish and disappear when I would serve my God I must away to serving my belly or my back or my friends when my soul is a little gotten upon the wing and soaring in the upper Region it is presently checked pulled down again to the earth O my pinioned imprisoned soul woe is mee wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the body of this death Why yet comfort thine heart the enemy flyes upon thee as a flood but the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him thou complainest thy Gold is become drosse thy wine is mixed with water yea with mudd and dirt yet hee will turne his hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne Though these bryers and thornes bee set in battel against thee yea and against him also yet hee will go through go through them hee will burn them together Isa 27.4 Thou complainest that thy garments are defiled thy glory is stained thy beauty is marred the Image of thy God is so defaced that there 's but here and there a spot of it left upon thee thou art black but not comely whilst thy Lord sayes thou art all fair O my Love thou cryest out I am all foul O my Lord thou wouldest be holiness to thy Lord but thou art an offence to him holiness is still thy love and thy desire and thy longing but it flies from thee it is rather thy wish then thy hope thou canst weep over but thou canst not weep out thy deformity thine Iniquity is still marked before the Lord. If there bee a little Grace in thee yet there is such a weakness in its sinews such a paleness in its face that it is not like to live or if it live Oh! how little hope that ever it should thrive or flourish Thus thou complainest thus thou goest mourning and sighing and sinking and fainting in thy minde and now and then venturest out a desponding Prayer Lord pitty Lord look upon my sorrow and my sin Lord wash mee Lord help mee Why the Lord God hath sent thee his help out of his Sanctuary and his strength out of Zion The eternal spirit is come down on purpose to give battel to the flesh to subdue thine inquities and bring all those that rise up within thee under thy feet Thou mistakest thy self and thine enemies if thou thinkest they will bee conquered by one blow of thine arme this kinde goeth not out so not by might nor by power much less by weakness and by flesh by any weak attempts of thine own but by my spirit saith the Lord. 'T is work for a God to relieve and cleanse such an heart to turn such an Hell into an Heaven what thou canst not do being weak through the flesh behold hee comes down to do it for thee thou hast proved thine own weakness now try everlasting strength he stands at the door and knocks hear his voice at the door wilt thou bee made clean wilt thou bee made whole wilt thou bee delivered open to him and with him deliverance comes in he stands at the poole stirring the waâ—ers for thee put in thy Cripple soul and bee healed of all thy diseases say to him Lord if thou wilt thou canst make mee clean and thou shalt soon have this answer I will bee thou clean 3. As a Spirit of Truth and Direction John 16.13 hee shall guide them by his Counsel he shall lead them in the way that they shall go Isa 30.21 They shall hear a word behinde them saying this is the way walk yee in it when they are turning to the right hand or to the left He shall lead them into all truth to prevent mistakes and into all righteousness to prevent miscarriages nay more hee shall not bee onely their Starre but their Strength too hee shall guide them on and help them on they shall bee led by the Spirit bound in the Spirit pressed in Spirit they shall bee excited assisted carried on in the power of the Spirit in the way that they should go he will cause them to walk in the Statutes of the Lord. Whatsoever thy way wardness and thy wandrings have been whatever thy feebleness and fickleness bee whatever false lights and false-waies are before thee whatever temptations thou meetest with to turn thee aside out of the right way whatever doubts hence arise in thine heart I shall one day or other perish from the way and bee a lost sheep at last yet his conduct shall bee prosperous and the event shall bee sure hee shall so guide thee by his Counsel that he shall bring thee to Glory Hee shall gather his Lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and gently lead those that are with young 4. As a Spirit of Comfort and Consolation hee is so called John 16.7 The Comforter If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you He shall come unto them and abide with them to supply the absence of their Redeemer to support them under their affliction to witness their Adoption to seal them up unto the day of Redemption and to bee the earnest of their Inheritance Ephes 1.13,14 John 16.14 Hee shall take of mine and shew it unto you Hee shall take of mine that is not only of the Truths those treasures of Wisdome that are in mee though that bee specially intended but of my Love my Righteousness my Holiness and all those treasures of Grace and Mercy that are laid up in mee whatever there is in mee that may stand you in any stead yeild you any relief or support the Comforter which I will send you shall bring it down to you hee shall take my Blood and the Pardons it hath purchased for you my Bowels and the Compassions that are working in mee towards you my Prayers and Intercessions I am offering up for you hee shall take of all those treasures of Grace and everlasting Consolations which are laid up for you with mee hee shall take of
mine and shew it unto you As much as you have in the world to afflict and amaze you as little as you have of your own to comfort you either in your hearts or in your houses or among your friends hee shall shew what I have for you to refresh you O Christians a sight of Christ in our sorrows in our fears in our thickest darkness what day-light would it bring in When thou lookest into thine heart and art astonished and confounded at what thou findest there at the blindness and the hardness the poverty and the emptiness the guilt and the guile the pride and the peevishness the evil thoughts the vile affections the filthy lusts that are swarming and working in thee when thou lookest into the world and tremblest at what thou beholdest there the malice the craft the power that is engaged against thee the furious spirits the fiery tongues the fierce looks the violent hands that are flying upon thee and the little relief the earth will afford thee when thy heart faints and dies within thee at the sense of this thy woeful and forlorn state A sight of what thou hast in thy Lord presented to thee by his Spirit look thee here soul what thy Jesus hath sent thee down a glance from his eye a drop from his heart a messe from his table and all to tell thee yet I do not forget thee behold the care I take of thee the treasures I have for thee to encourage thy love and reward thy faithfulness Oh! how will this make all thy darkness to depart and turn the shadow of death into the morning Thus is the Holy Spirit given to the Saints to bee the light of their eyes the death of their sins the guide of their waies the stay of their hearts to up-hold their grace and to maintain their peace to subdue their enemies or their fears to secure them from temptations or succour them when tempted to wipe off their reproach or make it their crown to heal their diseases or make them their cure to help their infirmities to work their works to make their yoke easie and their burthens light to turn their sighs into songs to form their groans into prayers to send them up to their Lord and bring down their returns to comfort their hearts to establish strengthen settle them that they be neither offended at the chain nor moved from the hope of the Gospel CHAP. IV. The Earth in the Covenant 4. GOd hath put the earth into the Covenant Though the Saints have not their reward in this life their portion in this world yet this world also is theirs Mat. 5.5 The meek shall inherit the earth 1 Cor 3.22 Things present and things to come all are yours 1. The good things present 2. The evil things present 1. The good things present Mark 10.30 Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands now in this time Prov. 3.16 Length of daies are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Houses and Lands and Riches and Honours where are they who are the poor of this World the houseless harbourless and friendless who have wo and want and shame and sorrow who are Strangers and Pilgrims dwelling in tents driven into corners into dens and caves hunted up and down upon the mountains of the earth to whom is hunger and thirst cold and nakedness but to the meek of the earth Is this to inherit the earth All theirs when nothing theirs yet they do inherit the earth For 1. They shall ever have as much as will suffice them and that 's as much as all They shall not want any thing but what they may want Your Father knoweth that you have need of these things and he knows how much they need More than needs is more then enough and more then enough is a prejudice Many men have too much too much money too much esteem too many friends more than they can bear so much as to sink them and drown them in perdition and destruction Christians shall have enough they shall never be in such a needy state but whatever is necessary for them in all the earth they shall have it The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and he hath said That those that seek him shall not want any thing that is good Psal 34.10 if the whole world can supply them out of all its store they shall be supply'd 2. What they have they have a better and farther title to then any others in the world Though the dominion be not founded in grace yet by grace it is established What they have descends upon them not barely by providence but by promise Heb. 1.2 Christ is heir of all things and they are fellow-heirs with Christ A little coming from the promise hath more in it than the greatest abundance that 's only handed down by common providence that which comes in from the promise comes in with a blessing if thou hast but an handful thou hast a blessing in thy hand if thou hast but a corner thou hast a blessing in thy corner A little from love is a great blessing Thou hast God in every morsel thou eatest and in every drop that thou drinkest a drop from heaven will turn thy bran into the finest flower and thy Water into Wine O what serene and quiet lives how void of care distracting care might the Saints live in the world what are the burthens that do gall our backs what are the briars that tear our flesh what are the thorns that pierce through our hearts ordinarily but the cares of this life what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewith shall I be clothed where shall I dwell how little have I for to day what for to morrow what for hereafter how shall I secure what I have when this is gone whence shall I be supplyed thus do we go on piercing our selves through with many sorrows Our cares for supply eat up what we have our thoughts cut deeper than our wants we cannot at so cheap a rate fear as we often bear the want of all things And why take ye thought the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and he hath said All this is yours you shall want nothing You have not only your Deus providebit providence to live upon you have also your Deus promisit the promise before you and this hath all things in it all is yours What for to morrow what for hereafter why what saith the promise Thou shalt want nothing neither thou nor thine Never saw I the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread Hast thou two worlds made sure to thee and canst thou want thou mayst as well whine and make a pittiful cry at a full table Oh where shall I have my next morsel as under such a full promise Oh where shall I have my next meal O how much beneath the spirit of Christianity are the carking anxious lives of too many
wise Physician hath respect both to the need and to the strength of the Patient Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth lest the Spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made The Apostle tells the Saints Heb. 10. that they have need of patience and their experience tells them they have need of something to exercise their patience And their needs are different some are knotty pieces and need more others are tender and upon them less will serve The stubborn Childe must have more stripes the shaking of the rod will do more on some spirits then the smart of it on others but all need something Let him onely that is without sin say I have no need of shame and sorrow The Lord will neither over nor under do every one shall have his load and no more No more than they can bear and no less than their need requires The Lord delights not in his childrens tears he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men but yet he had rather they cry then perish Wonder not Christians that your tender Lord puts you to pain and that your pains are so sharp and so many Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things It 's a mercy that he will chastise you may put your corrections among your mercies His breakings of you are his blessings his woundings are your cures and by your own as by your Lords stripes you are healed And when you shall review and read over all his darker providences and behold the wisdome tenderness which is attempered with his severities evidenced in his laying on so much and yet no more than was needful you will then write down with the Psalmist Thou in very faithfulness hast afflicted me O my Lord let me not want thy staff nor thy rod neither a friend nor an enemy neither a calm nor a storm neither food nor medicine if my disease be too strong for my Physick let me have yet a stronger potion if my wanton heart will not yet be tamed put on more fetters an heavier load load upon load weight upon weight and till thou seest let me never say it is enough Let me never be sick of my remedy till I be cured of my disease Let me rather suffer by the hand of a Devil than perish by the hand of a lust Spare not Lord cease not Lord to smite thy servant till thou hast thereby smitten down all mine enemies Peace plenty ease what that I may have to spend upon my lusts to wax wanton against my God hanc pacem nolo Pain trouble want any thing rather than peace upon such terms Correct me O Lord yet in judgment but not in thy fury lest I be consumed and brought to nothing 4. The Cross hath its special comforts 2 Cor. 1.3,4,5,6,7 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation and our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings so shall ye be also of the consolation The comforts of the Cross are often the sweetest and the fullest that the Saints ever taste on this side the crown The first draught is often bitter the green cross is heavy and 't is necessary it should be so As 't is with some medicinal waters it works by its weight it must be an heavy yoke that will tame an unruly neck if it gall not it will not heal 't is the smart of the rod that stills the Childe Think not your burthens will lie easie when first laid on and think not much if they do not The first conflict with temptations may put you to an harder brunt then you are aware It must be so that it may be for your good afterward So my Physick will work I am content it make me sick Tribulation worketh patience that it cannot do unless it pains It is observable that 't is not said the cross worketh patience but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tribulation the pinching of the cross or the pain the cross puts us to this is patience a quiet bearing that pain which the flesh when touched puts us to When we feel the thorns and the nails when the iron enters into our souls when it pricks and smarts then 't will work The green cross is heavy a prison or a wilderness will look uncouth at the first but when your Lord comes in and visits you then the sweet the pleasure comes and the more frowns at the threshold the more kisses you may expect afterwards Christ doth not always meet his Saints in the Porch the Devils Parlour the inner prison is his banquetting house the Dungeon his Wine-cellar there they drink and are satisfied The Stocks and the Rack are the organs that make them the sweetest Musick Many a Saint hath been sadly disappointed at the first hoping to meet with Christ at the door but behold a dreadful fight behold sin lieth at the door all his sins all that ever he did against Christ all his unthankfulness unfaithfulness unkindness rebellion against his Lord stand forth and stare him in the face Christians beware of sin now it will meet you in the day of adversity the cross will tell you all that ever you did I remember my faults this day now I remember all my pleasant things my Sabbaths my Ordinances my Liberty the dear society I once enjoy'd but trifled and wasted away O my pride and my wantonness my idleness my earthliness my hypocrisie wherefore are you come thus to affright and torment me Lord whether am I come O how dreadful is this place Is this my prison-entertainment Are these my prison-consorts O what an hard lodging am I like to have with such companions O the wormwood and the gall a dark habitation a bitter cup indeed is now given unto me Is this the comfort of the cross are these the sweets so much talked of Yet be not dismayed as roughly as thou art handled at the door 't is better within the Devil is going out in this storm thy sins meet thee now but 't is only to shake hands and part after this agony expect the Angels to come and minister to thee Complain not if thou yet find no sweet thou hast not drank deep enough the next draught the sugar may come in the next room thou maist meet thy Lord and then tell me if it be short of all that hath been told
Lord hath rebounded on his own head Though hee be as Gad a serpent in the way yet you may now tread upon this serpent and it shall not hurt you The strong man is now bound if hee be a god still hee 's a God in chains a prince in fetters he must ask leave of your father ere he can touch one hair of your heads Hee cannot tempt you nor cast a bank against you nor shoot an arrow at you without a commission from heaven The devils are subject to you He is cast out and in your Lords name you may cast him out In my name shall ye cast out devils out of possessed bodies out of possessed souls you may be instruments to bring many a soul to repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are held captive by him at his will Every sinner that is converted by you you have cast out a devil out of that soul Though he be an adversary still yet such an adversary as may be resisted whom resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 And if you will resist hee shall flee from you James 4.17 Stand and your enemy runs Nay more hee is not only a conquer'd enemy but made your servant This viper shall yield you medicine against his own poyson His smitings shall be an excellent oyl his messengers he sends to buffet you his thorns he sticks in your flesh shall be a prevention of greater evils The very destruction he intends to bring upon you shall promote your salvation 1 Cor. 5.5 Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Behold the devil is the Churches servant and such a servant as in their present state they cannot well want The executioner of their censures A Common-wealth may as well want a Jaylour or an Hang-man as the Church a Devil Behold Sathan divided against Sathan the devil without against the devil within the destroyer of souls become the destroyer of sin Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh Though much against his mind his hand is against his own party Hee 's made to kill his own friends which otherwise would kill the soul Whether he will or no the very tormentour is made a saviour that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christians as much as you feel of the devils malice you could ill want his service there 's many a soul lost and undone by a sleeping that might have been recovered and rouzed by a raging devil His winds shall blow off your chaff his floods shall wash away your filth his earth-quakes shall open your prison-doors his tempests shall drive you to harbour Some men want a tempest to save them from a wrack Nay once more he is not low enough yet he shall be yet brought lower You have assurance of his total and final overthrow Rom. 16.20 The god of peace shall tread Sathan under your feet shortly Rev. 20.10 The devil shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone 'T is but a little while and when he hath done his work he shall be sent to his place where he shall be shut up and a seal set upon him whence he shall come out no more for ever He shall tempt no more vex no more deceive no more destroy no more torment you no more he shall be thrust out he shall be chain'd up the tormentour shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Stand Christians stand your ground a little while follow your work hold up your holy profession hold on your holy course keep your hearts keep your garments keep on your armour keep under corruption resist temptation bear your affliction hold out faith and patience fight against your adversaries watch with your Lord this one hour and behold hee that shall come will come he cometh quickly and hee that is in the world shall bee consumed with the breath of his mouth and destroyed with the brightness of his appearing Hee shall bee cast out hee shall bee cast down and rise no more for ever CHAP. VII Death in the Covenant 7. GOd hath put Death into the Covenant 1 Cor. 3.21 Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or DEATH all are yours Death there is a great purchase you 'l say what advantage is that yes death is advantage To dye is gain For 1. The Commission of Death is changed 'T was once take him Jaylour away with him carry him down to Prison with him there to bee reserved to the Judgement of the great day It is now take him Janitour take him Porter take him in give him an entrance into his Master's joy Death doth but take the Bride when shee is ready and lodges her in the Chamber of the Bride-groom this made death the Apostles desire Philip. 1.23 I desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is far better 2. Death is conquered What does this mean Your enemie is yours other than this your enemy is conquered to you a conquered enemy is made a Tributary death is dis-armed it hath lost its sting when a Serpent hath lost its sting you may take it into your bosome Hee that can say Death where is thy sting may go on and add Thankes bee to God which hath given me the victory A Signet sent from Heaven with a Death's head is a precious token Come Christians bee of good courage set your feet on the neck of this King of terrours 3. Death is at once The destruction of all their enemies when once death hath done its office upon them then farewel Edom and Ammon and Amaleck and Aegypt fare-well the pricking bryer and the grieving thorne then farewel sin and sorrow for ever the Egyptians they have seen and fear'd and felt to day they shall never see again for ever It destroys it self their last enemy by destroying them it hath its welcome and farewell the same moment it is but welcome death and farewel death for ever Death dies with them once dead they dye no more for ever mortality is swallowed up of life death is cast into the lake of fire that is its Region there there they die and dye and dye again over and over for ever and ever but for the Saints it doth but set them on the banks of that good Land whether it cannot follow them our Lord by death by ours as well as his own hath delivered those who for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Christians you may now not onely with patience but with desire expect the assault of this King of terrours What shall tribulation and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword shall sorrows and fears and mortality dye with mee yea shall sin dye with mee then welcome death Lord strengthen me this once let mee dye with the Philistines Would it bee good for
get it Why have recourse to the Covenant there it lies for thee But how shall I get it thence why hath the Lord promised to give it thee take the word from his mouth and put it into thine own turn the word of promise into a prayer Doth he say I will give let thy soul answer give Lord give me this new heart I am weary Lord and thou art weary also of this wicked heart at once ease thy self and me Take away this and give me a better heart Turn the word of promise into a prayer and then turn the word of Prayer into a word of Faith He says I will give let thy Faith say thou wilt give I shall have it since thou hast said thy servant also may boldly say Thou wilt do it Thou wilt give me a better heart Farewell my old sins lusts and companions farewell mine old pleasures and ways now for heaven in earnest now welcome the strait gate the new and living way Old things are past away all things shall become new Turn the word of promise into a prayer turn thy prayer into a word of Faith and God will turn the word of Faith into a word of Command Bee it according to thy word Let there be a new light let there bee a new law let there bee a new power let there no more bee a spirit of fear in this heart but a spirit of power of love and of a sound mind And as when he said in the creation of the great world Let there bee light let there bee a Firmament let there bee a Sun and Moon It was so so when he shall say in the new creation of this little world let there bee light let there bee love let there bee power let us again make man in our image after our own likeness It shall be so The Lord hath said I will let thy Prayer say Do it Lord let thy Faith say thou wilt do it and God will say Amen so be it CHAP. X. An heart to know the Lord. 2. AN heart to know the Lord Jer. 24.7 I will give them an heart to know me The knowledge of God is the first excellency of the new heart As in the old so in the new creation as was said before the first word is let there bee light There is not so glorious a preheminence of day above night as of the knowledge above the ignorance of God As the Firmament without a Sun as the body without an eye so is the soul without knowledge What this knowledge of God here promised is will appear if wee consider It s Object Act. 1. The Object of this Knowledge is God not only the Nature or being of God manifested in his Essential Perfections his Glorious Attributes his Infiniteness Eternity Omnipotency c. In his Personal Relations the Subsistences in the Godhead but God in Christ God in Covenant yea the whole Minde and Will of God all that which God hath revealed to us as our Duty or Happinesse God known in the heart is the whole Bible opened The Law opened the Gospel opened Duties Comforts Priviledges made manifest Christ opened in his Sufferings in his Satisfaction in his Spirit in all the Riches of his Glory the whole mystery of Godliness revealed The Heart opened man made known to himself all the depths of the heart all the deceits of the heart all the faculties and powers of the heart with their motions operations inclinations the rectitude or obliquities of them Heaven opened the Crown the Kingdome known everlasting rest glory honour immortality brought to light Hell opened sin known the devil known wrath temptations the curse eternal fire known All this even all that God is and all that hee hath revealed in his Word and Works are the object of this Knowledge of God 2. The Act. To know is to apprehend or understand God and the things of God Jer. 9.24 Let him that glorieth glory in this that hee understandeth and knoweth mee Ephes 3.18,19 That yee may comprehend with all Saints what is the heighth and length and breadth and depth that yee may know the love of Christ This apprehension of God doth not barely note our having received some natural or metaphysical Notions of God and the Truths that are in him But farther it notes 1. An Approbation of him an approving or liking the things that are excellent Phil. 1.9,10 That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all Judgement that yee may approve the things that are excellent 2. Appropriation The knowing of God as a reconciled God a God and a God to mee good and good to mee wise and wise for mee My Lord and my God To know God in Christ reconciled through Christ propitious through Christ this is saving knowledge To know and not possess to see and not eat to know an angry God a wrathful God a God lost to know goodness mercy loving-kindness compassion alsufficiency and to have the heart recurre what is this to thee this is none of thine the damned thus know and dye 3 Affection As Psal 9.10 Those that know thy Name shall trust in thee So those that know thy Name will love thee and fear thee and rejoyce in thee and bless thy Name to know and hate God to know and contemn God to know and fly from God to know and Blaspheme and curse God the Devils thus know and tremble But especially that which distinguishes this saving from common knowledge is Its Power Savour 1. It s Power the Knowledge of God is mighty my preaching was not weak but mighty in you 2 Cor. 13. It hath A Transforming A Fructifying Power 1. A Transforming Power 2 Cor. 3.18 Wee all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image Rom. 12.2 Bee yee not conformed to this present world but bee yee transformed by the renewing of your mindes by the renewing of your mindes the renovation of the minde both is this change and works it farther upon the whole soul this new light is the new creature old things pass away all things become new where the minde is savingly enlightned God known in the soul is God united to the soul Christ revealed in the heart is Christ formed upon the heart there 's life in this light it is no other than the light of life The Knowledge of God comprehends in it and is involved in and Spirits and animates every grace and duty as the same soul in the eye sees in the ear hears in the palate tastes as the same juyce which is in the Olive fatness in the Fig-Tree sweetness in the Oake strength in the Rose fragrancy in the Lillie beauty So the same grace which in the minde is light in the heart is love holy desire holy fear holy joy and one says that as feeling is inseparable to all the Organs of sense the eye feels and sees the ear feels and hears the palate feels and tastes
heart 2. The power of the end the end hath a four-fold power it draws directs governs rewards 1. It draws the heart to it God who is a Christians end is also his beginning Our first step heaven-ward wee owe to the influence of heaven upon us Draw mee wee will run after thee Cant. 1. No man can come unto mee unless the Father which hath sent mee draw him Nothing but God will do it as nothing will draw the soul another way the pleasures of sin the wages of unrighteousness are poor and low baits to entice a soul away from God that is so far as 't is renewed so 't is nothing but God that draws the soul on its way and he will do it God draws the soul not by an act of power onely but by moral swasion that 's the proper casuality of the end Not by efficiency onely but by sympathy as by the water the thirsty soul is drawn to the water-brooks It is God that draws hearts after him there are instruments as his Word and Ministers and and there are arguments by which God draws but whatever the instruments or arguments are 't is God that does it What is the work of either Word or Ministers but to set God before them and this draws Instruments can do nothing unless God bee the Preacher by them arguments can do nothing unless hee bee the medium of them as 't was said concerning the peoples following Saul so much more concerning those that follow the Lord. Those onely follow him whose hearts God hath touched 'T is not mans teaching but Gods touching the heart that draws it heaven-ward The tongue of man may touch the ear 't is God onely that touches the heart And when he touches then the heart will follow As you know the needle when it s touched with a Loadstone then it turns after it The Loadstone is not more naturall attractive of the needle than God is of that heart which he hath touched Cant. 5.4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved in mee He did but touch the door and her heart felt him and moved tovvards him O Christians when you have been waiting upon God in prayer hearing or any other spiritual duty or ordinance consider hath mine heart been touched this day my tongue hath been touched mine ear hath been touched mine heart hath been treated with but hath the Lord touched it hath there vertue come forth from him which hath enticed and drawn my soul after him Sometimes by a message or visit from heaven the Lord hath drawn a good word from the lip a tear from the eye but O for touches upon souls for turning of bowels for the flowings out of hearts after the Lord Hee is the only load-stone that prevails on gracious souls Others that have many hearts have many attractives every heart hath its peculiar god twenty gods it may be in one man because so many hearts Their pleasures are their Gods their profits their gods their belly their god their wives or their children their gods and so many gods so many ends And every end is a loadstone to draw them after them Every heart will after its God A Christian that hath but one heart hath but one God and this is he that draws it on its way Thou sayest the Lord is thy God thou acknowledgest thou ownest thou hast chosen him for thine but what doth thy God whom thou hast chosen do upon thine heart what will the sight of God or thy love to God or thy hope in God do upon thee how far will it carry thee which way runs thy heart which way dost bend thy course dost feel thy God drawing thee and is thy heart running after him running notes motion and a swift or violent motion I shall lay before you these six or seven expressions the Scripture uses to note the running of those hearts after God whom he hath drawn 1. The desiring of the soul after God Isa 26.8.9 The desire of our soul is to thy name with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek theee early Desire is the soul in motion God-wards Towards him are their desires and they come deep ab intimis ab imo pectore from their inwards from the bottom of the heart With my soul have I desired thee with my spirit within mee will I seek thee Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee 't is not all my desires but my desire thou seest all and 't is all but one desire Hee desires pardon hee desires peace hee desires help and the heealing of his wounds but all this is but one desire God is all One thing have I desired Psal 27.4 2. The thirsting of the sout Psal 42.2 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God Thirsting is the extremity of desire hunger and thirst are the appetite or desire heightened violent and painful appetites my soul thirsteth and is in pain till it be satisfied 3. The longing of the soul Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is Longing causeth languishing and abortions if it be not satisfied Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing desire it hath to thy judgments My heart panteth my flesh faileth the light of mine eyes is gone from me Psal 38.10 4. Calling after God Psal 4.1 Hear mee when I call O God of my righteousness Calling upon God is the voice of desires The desiring soul will not keep silence the tongue the eye the ears the hands the knees must all be oratours when the flame is once kindled within 5 Crying after the Lord. This is an expression answering the thirsting of the soul Crying is a passionate and importunate praying I cryed unto the Lord with my whole heart Psal 119.145 6. Crying out after God This is the manner of the longing soul Crying out notes more than bare crying loud cryes strong cryes forced out by a paroxisme of love or an agony the soul is in Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living Lord. 7. Following hard after the Lord Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee This expression is more comprehensive it notes both all the workings and breakings and breathings of the soul within and its diligent pursuing in the use of all outward means and pressing on after the Lord. All those labourings and watchings and runnings all that holy violence wherewith a Saint presses into the Kingdome of God Put all this together and you will see the power and influence the Lord hath on holy Souls to the drawing of them after him they are in motion Heaven-vvard desiring thirsting longing calling crying crying out follovving hard after him What aileth these souls vvhat 's the matter vvith them
nothing but love to restrain us from sin and constrain and quicken us to duty Christians have wee but one thing to do in all wee do sometimes wee are busie in doing nothing Though there bee a Prayer in our mouths the praises of God in our mouths Christ heaven holiness glory a new heart a new life upon our tongues there 's nothing within no prayer no praise no Christ nor heaven what have we been often doing in the closet in the family in the congregation when wee seemed to have been praying nothing nothing but sowing wind and good words Sometimes we have too many things in our hearts what a world of carnal devices and fleshly projects have wee wrapt up in the garment of our Religion Peter's sheet had not a more heterogeneous miscellany of creatures four-footed beasts wilde beasts creeping things and fowls of the air than our religious duties have of designes and ends Wee have men to please our pride our bellies to offer sacrifice to wee bring our farms and our oxen and our trades before the Lord are not our hearts which should bee the houses of prayer the houses of merchandise are wee not talking or pursuing or in a journey or a sleep or driving bargains O Christians if wee were privy to one anothers hearts as God is privy to them what abominations should wee see brought into the holy places What monsters would our most sacred services appear VVhich whilst the out-side is onely viewed are applauded and admired Is this our singleness of heart Oh! for shame and blushing and confusion of face Oh! for a Vail to hide such hearts from the jealous eyes of the holy God a varnish a fair out-side hides all from men but nothing but a dark Vail of shame and sorrow and tears and repentance a Vail dipt in Blood in the blood of Christ will hide them from the eyes of the Lord. Oh how little plainness and singleness of heart is there in our ordinary course in our dealings and conversings in the VVorld how little faith or truth is there in us how little trust is there to us what doubling what deceitful dealing defrauding over-reaching undermining are wee guilty of how false are wee in our promises how insignificant are our words what an uncertain sound do they give our yea may often stand for nay and our nay for yea Psal 12.2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and a double heart do they speak trust yee not in a friend put not confidence in a guide Blessed bee God the Lord hath a Generation on whom this cannot bee charged Children that will not lye nor deceive though Satan and this evil world binde up all in a bundle they are all naught they are all false vain boasters and deceitful workers there 's none up-right no not one but thanks bee to God Satan is a lyer the accuser of the Brethren is a false accuser God hath his children that will not lye But woe bee to those professours by reason of whom the offence cometh Christians hath God promised to give you one heart Let it bee once said this day is this Scripture fulfilled O may you bee the accomplishment of this good word Hath God promised to give you one heart Do not you say but I will not take it two are better than one I have found so much the sweet of deceit that there 's no life like it Hath God said I will give one heart let not any one among you say But I fear he will not Make not the promise of God of none effect either by your impiety or unbelief Doth God promise to give this one heart hee that promised it doth also require it Bee thy self Christian Let it bee said thou art what thou art bee true bee but one have but one heart and let thy one heart have but one tongue but one face and but one thing to do Beware of hypocrisie beware of carnal policy make not thy God to serve thy flesh call not the serving of thy flesh a serving of God and make not thy serving of God to bee a serving of the flesh Bee not divided betwixt God and the World O how easie would our lives bee did we finde our whole souls running one way taking up w th God as the adequate object of all our powers the marke of all our motions and the reward of all our labours did all our streams empty themselves into this Ocean and all our lines meet in this one center Did God onely draw and allure our hearts and the sincerity of our hearts give motion to all our wheels Guide our eyes govern our tongues order our steps animate our duties direct and quicken us in all our goings Oh how sweet oh how beautiful were such a life the Sympathy betwixt our hearts and end there 's sweetness the harmony of our hearts and waies there 's beauty O how sweet are the drawings of love the free and full closure of our Spirits with God dissolving themselves into his Will acquiessing resting satisfyed in his goodness is a sweetness which no man knows but hee that tastes it the harmony of the power of the soul within its self of its motions and actions in the life there 's the beauty which will eclipse the glory of the world Christian bee it thus with thee and thou hast the blessing that covenant blessing which the Lord hath promised in saying I will give them one heart CHAP. XII An Heart of Flesh 4. AN Heart of Flesh Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh The old heart is a stone cold as a stone dead as a stone hard as a stone but I will take away the stone and give an heart of flesh An heart of flesh is a soft and tender heart Flesh can feel any thing that 's contrary to it puts it to pain Sin makes it smart it cannot kick but it is against the pricks by its rebellion and resistance against the Lord it receives a wound it cannot hit but it hurts it self A soft hand gets nothing by laying on on an hedge of thorns A soft heart when it hath been medling with sin is sure to smart for it It can neither escape the pain nor yet endure it and what it cannot bear 't will take warning to avoid it Flesh will bleed A soft heart will mourn and melt and grieve when hard hearts are moved at nothing Flesh will yield It s apt to receive impressions The power of God will awe it his justice fear it his mercy melt it his holiness humble it and leave the stamp and image of it upon it And as the Attributes so the Word and Works of God will make sign upon it Who sets a seal upon a stone or what print will it receive upon the wax the print will abide God speaks once and twice but man hardned man will not regard it Neither his
temptations they shut their eyes and stop their ears they wil not see they will not believe Oh what losses do they sustain how many Sabbaths are lost how many Sermons are lost how many reproofs counsels corrections are lost a Gospel lost and souls thereby like to bee lost for ever oh what prodigies are they become under all this sin and misery and yet merry jolly laughing and singing and sporting and feasting and braving it out as if nothing ail'd them Feeling nothing of all that is come upon them and fearing nothing of all that is coming Warn them reprove them beseech them 't is all but preaching to a stone It may bee you have sometimes wondred to see a company of thieves in prison to bee drinking and carousing and milking merry when they know that in a few daies they must bee brought out and hanged When thou wondrest at these wonder at thy self What bitter complaints do wee sometimes hear even from the best of Saints oh this hard heart oh this stubborn spirit I cannot mourn I cannot stoop I cannot submit Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our heart from thy fear Or why hast thou left us or given us up to an hard heart why hast thou not softened and humbled and broken us thou hast humbled us and wee are not humbled broken us and wee are not broken thou hast broken our land broken our peace broken our backs but the stone is not yet broken oh for one breach more Lord our hearts our hearts let these bee once broken our streets mourn the Cities of our solemnities mourn the wayes of Sion mourn oh when wilt thou give us a mourning spirit Oh what sorrow-bitten souls are the Saints for want of sorrow I mourn Lord I lament I weep but 't is because I cannot mourn or lament as I should If I could mourn as I ought I could bee comforted if I could weep I could rejoyce if I could sigh I could sing if I could lament I could live I die I dye mine heart dies within mee because I cannot cry I cry Lord but not for sin but for tears for sin I cry Lord my calamities cry my bowels cry my bones cry my soul cries my sins cry Lord for a broken heart and behold yet I am not broken The Rocks rent the Earth quakes the Heavens drop the Clouds weep the Sun will blush the Moon bee ashamed the foundations of the earth will tremble at the presence of the Lord but this heart will neither break nor tremble O for a broken heart If this were once done might my soul have this wish thenceforth my God might have his Will what would bee hard if my heart were tender Labour would bee easie pains would bee a pleasure burthens would bee light Neither the Command nor the Cross would bee any longer grievous nothing would bee hard but sin Fear where art thou come and plough upon this Rock Love where art thou come and thaw this Ice come and warm this dead lump come and enlarge this straitned spirit then shall I run the way of his Commandements Oh Brethren how little how very little of this tenderness is there to bee found amongst the most of Christians The sacrifice of God is a broken heart Oh how far must the Lord go to finde himself such a Sacrifice wee do but cast stones up to Heaven when wee lift up our hearts 'T is a wonder that such hearts as wee carry do not break themselves that our marble weeps not that if nothing else will do it our hardness doth not make us relent that wee should so labour under and complain of and yet not bee sick of the Stone Broken hearts yeilding and relenting spirits tender consciences Oh where are they afraid of sin tender of transgressing or mourning under it when shall it once bee our lusts no more broken our pride our passion our envy our earthliness no more broken So venturous on temptation so bold on sin such liberty taken to transgress such mincing and palliating and excusing of sin as wee finde Is this our brokenness wee are tender 't is true but of what of dishonouring God of abusing Grace of neglecting Duty of defiling Conscience of vvounding of our Souls No 't is of our flesh that wee are so tender tender of labour tender of trouble tender of our carkasses of our credits of our Names and reputations a tender shoulder a tender hand a tender foot they can bear nothing nor do nothing nothing can touch our flesh nothing can touch our Idols our ease or our estates but wee shrink and smart and are put to pain God may bee smitten and wee feel it not the Gospel may bee smitten the Church may bee smitten conscience may bee smitten and it moves us not Wee can fear an affliction fear a reproach Oh did wee so much fear a temptation or a sin wee cannot want bread but wee feel it wee cannot want cloathes or an house or a friend but wee feel it Wee cannot want our sleep our quiet our pleasure our respects from men but wee feel it any thing that pinches upon our flesh pierces our hearts Wee cannot pine or languish in our bodies but wee feel it a feaver or an ague or a consumption or a dropsie or any bodily sickness Oh it makes us sick at heart a froward yoak-fellow an unthrifty servant an ill neighbour a scoffe a sleight cannot bee born but Oh! how much sin can bee born while our flesh will bear nothing Oh! how can conscience bear and never complain Christians consider when our flesh must be thus tendred what ever come of it must be tenderly fed must have soft rayment soft lodging soft usage deal gently with it though to maintain it Conscience must bee racked and wracked and wasted When our Wills cannot bee crossed our appetites cannot bee denied but a tumult follows the soul is in an uproar and conscience mean while must be denied rated and must go away in silence When the Word works no more when the prints of it are not received the power of it is resisted when the rod works no more when our stripes make no sign when the lashes on our backs fall all besides our hearts when wee remain so vain and so wanton so wilful and so carnal and so earthly after the Lord hath been preaching and whipping of us into a better frame when wee stand upon our terms keep our distances our animosities our heats and heighths of spirit our censurings our quarrellings one with another Christian with Christian Professour with Professour after the Lord hath been beating us together to make us friends and all to learn us more humility and charity Is this our brokenness is this our tenderness when upon any the Lords rougher dealing with us spitting in our faces throwing us on our backs trampling us in the dirt wee are yet no more brought on our knees Is this our brokenness when the Lord hath been awakening us out of sleep putting his
firm belief of Scripture Revelation 3. It 's built on the highest and weightiest Reasons 4. It 's the result of the most mature and deep deliberation 1. A sincere resolution flowes from an inward rooted inclination Psal 119.112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes Our new purpose is from our new nature It is not produced by some sudden fright or sence of danger or meerly by a present force of Argument but by a Divine power working the heart to a suitableness to the will and waies of God and an habituall propension and inclination thereto Resolution for holiness without an holy inclination is a Blade without a Root as fresh and as green as it looks 't will wither and come to nothing no Ropt no Fruit nor lasting The heart is the root of action and grace is the life of the root When our Resolutions are the Blade sprouting forth of this living Root then they will abide and bring forth the Ear and an Harvest 2. A sincere resolution is bottomed on a firm Assent to the truth of Scripture Revelation A Christian resolves for godliness because he believes God that he is as he hath said the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him He is built on the Scriptures as his hopes so his purposes have the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles on which they stand Whatever Resolution hath not this Foundation is but as an house upon the Sands 3. A sincere Resolution is founded on the highest Reason Where we resolve without Reason we will quickly find a Reason to change Where we resolve we know not why we shall change we know not how soon To resolve we know not why and to resolve on we know not what will be alike unstable Though there be Reason for Religion yet Religion may be taken up without Reason Whatever Reason there be for it yet if it be not understood or considered 't is all one as if there were no Reason at all And if there seem some Reason for it yet if it be not the highest Reason when a stronger then it comes we quickly change our purpose The Reasons we have for our serving and following God are the highest of all Reasons and that whether we respect it as our duty or our happiness For 1. There 's none can lay such claim to us as God Whos 's am I Who hath made me Who hath bought me 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are his Psal 100.2,3 Serve the Lord with gladness For the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his Pasture What reason have you to serve men or to serve sin or the world Men think they have reason for it but what reason Are any of these Gods Are men your Gods Is sin or the world God Do you owe your selves to them It is he that hath made us and his we are As the Apostle concerning obedience to Parents much more may it be said here Children obey your God for this is right This is his due and your duty if any one can lay as good a claim to you let him carry you away for servants 2. There 's none can be better to us then God None can require and none can reward our obedience as he Where can you be better then with God Hee l require no more then that you serve him till you can find a better Master He that saith 't is best to serve sin and the world is a fool and hath said in his heart there is no God If God be God he is the chief yea the onely good If any thing in the world upon what account soever be thought better then the Lord that 's set up for a God in his room 3. Whomsoever we serve 't is God must pay us our Wages at last God is Judge he is the Rewarder both of the evill and the good both of those that serve him and those that serve him not If you receive the Lord he will be your reward if you serve him not he will reward you but what reward have you Those mine Enemies which will not have me to reign over them bring them and slay them before me There 's their reward Sin hath its rewards but what are they but vanity and vexation Or if they were better how long will they last But when sin hath paid the most it can Oh what a reward is there behinde that God hath to pay you This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sorrow 4. The Wages which God will give shall certainly be blessed or dreadfull according to our Obedience or Disobedience The reward that God hath to give is an eternal reward Eternal salvation to them that obey him everlasting destruction to him that serveth him not I have a soul this carkass is the least part of me there 's another world a world to come a few years is the most I have to spend in this I must abide eternally eternally in the other world How inconsiderable is it what I have here whether little or more better or worse in a short time that will come all to one But oh my eternity what 's that like to be Why t is God that must determine it and he will certainly reward every man according to his works Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them which by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life But to them that are contentious and obey not the truth tribulation and anguish c. There 's glory and shame mercy and wrath life and death set before me there 's no third state one of the two must be my lot and this is it that doth determine which If I obey I live if I disobey I die for ever Now when my resolution is founded on such Reasons as these then which none can be imagined higher and more weighty till eternity become of less regard then time and an immortall soul be set below a perishing body and when the question being put Shall I follow God or not God or the world God or my lust Speak soul give in thy Answer when this is the Answer it gives Why there 's none can lay such claim to me as God there 's none can be as good to me as God whomsoever I serve its God must be my Rewarder my everlasting blessedness or eternal ruine depends on him and must be infallibly determined according to my obedience or disobedience This is the plain case Obey and Live Obey or die for ever And therefore what can I say less or more but that I am the Lords and will be his Servant Let others chuse whom they will serve as for me O my soul serve thou the Lord. This resolution thus founded is like to stand 4. A sincere Resolution is the fruit of mature deliberation Deliberation gives Reason
is sin that sins so may it be said of duty It is no more I that do it but Christ that dwelleth in me Though both be the act of the Person both the sin and the duty yet the Principle of the one is Lust the Power of the other is of Christ Christians cannot go through and they dare not set upon a duty without looking up to Christ and leaning upon him for assistance They cannot go through and therefore they will not set forth but it the strength of the Lord. All tâ—eir Acts of Obedience are exhibited and offered up in the name of Christ Their services are their sacrifices to God and Christ is their Altar What is a sacrifice without an Altar Christ is our Altar which sanctifies our gift God looks on all and so do they as nothing worth without Christ God will not accept and therefore they will not offer other then the Lamb for their sacrifice All their acts of Obedience are acknowledged to the praise of Christ It is no more I that do it but the grace of God which was with me Grace does the work and Grace shall carry away the praise Christ is all in the race and therefore on his head the Crown is set Not unto us Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the pra se Not of us and therefore not unto us of him and therefore unto him If I am any thing what others are not if I have done any thing more then others no thank to me and therefore no praise To him be all who is All in all to me Christians Obedience is their walking in Christ Christians Obedience is their walking in the Spirit They have received the Spirit and they walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 they have not received the spirit of this world their spirit is not flesh but the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 They are dead to things carnal the spirit of the world is departed they have given up this ghost 'T is the Spirit of the living God that lives in them and in this they live and walk They walk in the Light of the Spirit in the Power of the Spirit the Spirit of the Lord steets their Course and fills their Sails is their Pilot and their Star and their Wind that carries them on When they pray they pray in the Spirit when they hear they hear in the Spirit through the Spirit they mortifie the flesh are crucified to the world they obey they suffer they fight they overcome through the Spirit of the living God that is in them They live in fellowship with the Spirit and by him with the Father and the Son They dwell in the invisible world their acquaintance and converse is in Heaven thither they have access and there they have acceptance thither they have their recourse and thence they have their returns Duties and comforts are the tokens that are passing betwixt Heaven and Earth Their life is Love and Joy and Praise these are the most noble acts of their Obedience and these give Wings to their hearts carry them on more swiftly and more sweetly through all their course Oh how heavily do we drive on how slowly do our Wheels move when the Spirit of the living God is not in the Wheels Oh how dead are our Duties how lame are our walkings what low and poor spirited creatures are we How weak are our hearts how unripe our fruits we do but half do what we do there is no heart in our life we are as bodies without souls whilest our soul is without a Spirit Oh how sad is it with many of us upon this account By our estrangement from God we have even lost our selves we are not what we are because we are no more where he is By our distances from Heaven we are even choaked with the damps of the Earth We are fit for little we prosper in nothing God takes no pleasure and we take no comfort in any thing we do our spirits are so chil'd and benummed within as that we neither make sign in our work not ridance of our way And what are we in our Societies To how little profit do we meet How little heat do we get yea how much do we lose at our brethrens fires We serve often but to damp and cool each others spirits as if it might be no longer said Wo to him that is alone but wo be to him that is in company alone hee 's more warm Christians I solemnly profess I am ashamed of my self and my heart is pained within me to observe how insipid how spiritless how carnal our converses are how often may we meet How long may we sit Christian with Christian ere any thing that savours of the spirit of a Christian comes from us Oh how hard must we strain for a few gracious words How little does come How heartless when it comes How very few of us are there whose ordinary converse speaks us to be men of another world whose business and whose delight lyes above and are in good earnest pressing on towards Heaven How seldom and how short-breath'd are our spiritual discourses How little must suffice How quickly are we diverted to things carnal and sensual Sure 't is our little communion with God that hath thus incarnated and communion of Saints Oh let us live more in the fellowship of the Spirit and we shall have fellowship one with another to better purpose Le ts warm our selves at the Sun le ts dwell more in his Beams and we shall get and give more Light and Heat Thus must it be considered ere we resolve what there is in this Obedience 2. It must be considered What it is like to be attended withall from without What suffering it may cost us what scorn and contempt and reproaches and persecutions of all sorts it 's like to set Earth and Hell upon our backs if carnal counsels and fleshly policies if all the powers of darkness if might and malice can do it this way will be made too hot and too hard for thee Tribulation great tribulation thou must expect and canst not escape and the more strict and circumspect the hotter must thou look thine Assaults will be Professors of Religion that are of the largest size that are not so strict to their Rule but they can dispence with Duty nor so forward in point of Zeal and Activity but they can remit and abate as occasion serves may escape this persecuting world the better but he that will be faithful who ever escape is sure to be made a Prey This also must be well considered I will follow Christ but can I drink of the Cup that he drank of Can I be baptized with the Baptisme the Baptisme of Blood that he was baptized with There are persons who sometimes take up the profession of Religion and resolve all on a sudden they will follow Christ not understanding what there is in it or what Christianity may stand them in who by
deny it g g 2 Cor. 4.17 Mark 10.29 Phil. 1.29 Things to come ours Things to come are yours the Perfecting of your souls the Redemption of your bodies the Consummation of your bliss At death in Glorification Initiate When you have glorified me for a while on Earth and finished the work I have given you to do you shal be caught up into Paradise and rest from your Labours and your works shal follow you h h Rev. 14.13 Luke 23.43 The Convoy of Angels I will send of mine own Life-guard to conduct home your departing souls i i Luk. 16.22 and receive you among the spirits of just men made perfect k k Heb. 12.23 And you shal look back upon Pharaoh and all his Host and see your enemies dead upon the Shore Redemption from all Afflictions and Corruptions Then shal be your Redemption from all your Afflictions and all your Corruptions l l Luk. â—1 28 Eph. 4 30. The thorn in the flesh taken out The thorn in the flesh shal be pulled out and the hour of temptation shal be over and the Tempter for ever out of work The sweat wiped off from our browes The sweat shal be wiped off from your browes and the day of cooling and refreshing shal come and you shal sit you down for ever under my shadow m m Acts 3.19 Heb 4.9 For the Lamb that is in the midst of the Throne shal feed you and lead you to the living Fountains of waters n n Rev. 7.17 The tears wiped away from our eyes The tears shal be wiped away from your eyes and there shal be no more sorrow nor crying neither shal there be any more pain for the former things are passed away and behold I make all things new o o Rev. 21.4,5 I will change Marah into Naomi and the cup of sorrow into the cup of salvation and the bread and water of affliction into the wine of eternal consolation p p Joh 16.20.21,22 Luk. 6.21 You shal take down your Harps from the Willows and I will turn your tears into Pearls and your penitential Psalms into songs of Deliverance You shal change your Ichabods into Hosanna's and your Ejahs of sorrow into Hallelujahs of Joy q q Rev. 19.1,4,6 The Cross taken off from our backs The cross shal be taken off from your backs you shal come out of your great Tribulations and wash your Robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb and you shal be before the Throne of God and serve him night and day in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among you and you shal hunger no more and thirst no more neither shal the sun light upon you nor any heat r r Rev. 7.14,15,16 The load taken off from our consciences The load shal be taken off from your Consciences Sins nor doubts shal no more defile you nor distress you Å¿ Å¿ Rev. 21.27 and Heb. 12.23 I will make an end of sin and knock off the Fetters of your corruptions and you shal be a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but Holy and without blemish t t Eph. 5.27 Rev. 7.9.13,14 The souls admission into the chamber of Presence and Vision of God Thus shal you be brought to the King all glorious in raiment of Needle-work and clothing of Gold with gladness and rejoycing shal you be brought and enter into the Kings Palace u u Psa 45.9,13,14,15 So shal the beloved of the Lord dwel safely by him and you shal stand continually before him and behold the beauty of the Lord. and hear his Wisdom w w 1 Cor. 13,12 Then will I open in you an everlasting spring of joy and you shal break forth into singing and never cease more nor rest day nor night saying Holy holy holy x x Rev. 4.8 Ps 16.11 Thus shal the grand Enemy expire with your breath and the body of death be put off with your dying bodie and the day of your death shall be the birth-day of your glory y y Phi. i. 23 Lu. 23.43 Have faith in God z z Mark 11.22 Wait but a little and sorrow shall cease and sin be no more At the Resurrection in Glorification consummate Redemption compleat And then a little longer and death shall be no more a a Rev. 20 14. and 21.4 but your last enemy shall be destroyed and your victory compleated b b 1 Cor. 15.26 The Return of the Redeemer Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and you also shall appear with him in glory c c Heb. 10 37. Col. 3.4 This same Jesus which is taken from you into Heaven d d Act. 1.11 shall so come as he went up into Heaven and when he cometh he will receive you to himself that where he is there you may be also e e Ioh. 14.3 Behold his sign he cometh in the clouds of Heaven with Power great Glory every eye shal see him and all the Tribes of the Earth shal mourn because of him f f Rev. 1.7 Mat. 24.30 but you shal lift up your heads because the day of your Redemption draweth nigh g g Luke 21.28 The raising of the body Then shal he sound his Trump h h 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 and make you to hear his voice in your dust i i Ioh. 5.28 and shal send his mighty Angels to gather you from the four winds of heaven k k Mat. 24.31 who shal carry you in the triumphant Chariot of the Clouds to meet your Lord l l 1 Thes 4.17 and you shal be prepared for him and presented to him as a Bride adorned for her Husband m m Rev. 2.2 And as you have borne the Image of the Earthly so shal you bear the Image of the Heavenly n n 1 Cor. 15.49 Full conformity both in body and soul to our glorified Saviour and you shal be fully conformed both in body and spirit to your glorious head o o Phil. 3.21 Heb. 12.23 Then shal he confess you before his Angels p p Rev. 3.5 Publick Approbation and Absolution and you shal receive your open Absolution before all flesh and be owned approved and applauded in the Publick audience of the general Assembly q q Mat. 10.32 and 26 32,34,35 c. Solemn Espousals And you shal be with all Royal solemnities espoused unto the King of glory in the presence of all his shining Courtiers r r Rev. 19.7,8 2 Cor. 4.14 Mat. 25.31 to the envy and gnashing and terror of your Adversaries Å¿ Å¿ Luk. 13.28 The Coâ—ovation and Enthronement of the Saints Their sitting in judgment upâ—n the World So shal your Lord with his own
conscience into thy Closet let it watch thee how thou behavest thy self there carry conscience into thy shop let it eye thee what thou dost there carry conscience into the fields into the market amongst thy friends amongst thine enemies let it observe how thou behavest thy self amongst them carry conscience with thee to thy recreation to thy bed to thy table whither ever thou goest there 's like to be but sad work if conscience be not with thee Commit the keeping of thy Covenant to conscience let it be the Ark in which the Tables of the Testimony are kept and preserved let it be the Executor of thy Testament Conscience is bound by thy Covenant the Covenant layes hold on it let it lay hold on thee Is thy conscience bound seek not to be loosed is thy conscience bound give it leave to bind thine whole man let it bind thy thoughts and bind thy will and bind thy affections and hind thy tongue and thy whole practice thou never livest as a man in Covenant longer then thou livest as a man of Conscience VVhat becomes of the Covenant when a breach is made upon Conscience Oh what is there in the world when conscience is not what faith or truth or peace is there left alive what are Vowes and Covenants and Promises what are our duties to the Lord our dealings with men when there is no conscience towards God Keep thy conscience and thou keepest thy soul keep thy Conscience and thou keepest thy Covenant keep thy Covenant and thou keepest thy Peace let that go and all 's lost Let conscience govern what God hath put under its power and let it resist all adverse Power Let it resist temptations When ever Satan and thy flesh fall upon thee and tempt thee Pity thy self spare thy self take thy liberty take thine ease take thy pleasure provide for thy safety what need is there of so much adoe Why canst not take the same liberty and allow thy self the same latitude as others do they have souls as well as thou and they have dangers as well as thou and they have hopes as well as thou and they have reasons and understandings to know what they do as well as thou and why canst thou not he content to do as they Why let this be thy answer But what conscience is there for it With what conscience can I be idle when I have said I will be doing With what conscience can I take mine ease when I have said I will take pains With what conscience can I serve my flesh when I have said I will crucifie it With what conscience can I love this world when I have said I will renounce it With what conscience can I walk at liberty when I have said I will walk circumspectly If all this were more then needs far be it from me to have such a thought till the serving my God and the saving my soul be more then needs But if it were more then needs yet is it any more then I am bound to Are there any such liberties put into my Indentures Was there any exception made of this duty or that duty was there any limitation made to this measure or that measure hitherto I will go and no further this little I will do and no more Was there any such proviso put in I will serve the Lord Provided I may with ease or with safety Have I not solemnly engaged to the Lord to obey him in all things to follow him fully to love him and serve him with all my heart with all my soul with all my strength and this to the death And Oh shal I lye unto God Is it more then needs to be righteous and to keep my faith Come O my soul come on thou hast opened thy mouth to the Lord and thou must not go back Be true be honest be honest though thou must swear for it be honest though thou suffer for it Remember what thy mouth hath spoken and see that thou fulfil it with thine hand Keep conscience pure It s the book in which all thy Records are written let no blot be upon thy Book Beware of sinning against conscience Every sin against conscience is a blot upon conscience and blots upon conscience are blots upon thy Covenant-evidence thou wilt not be able to read whether there be any thing written there for thee or not Ah foolish soul what art thou doing Dashing out all thy hopes with thine own hand Beware thou content not thy self with blotted evidences Christians forget not this counsel keep your Evidences clear He who hath his whole estate in bonds or writings how charily will he keep them If these be torn or lost or so blured that they cannot be read hee 's undone What ever else be lost if his money be gone if his goods be lost if his house be burnt yet if his writings be safe hee 's well enough Oh take heed and keep your writings safe and fair keep your Title to your God clear and you can never be poor or miserable Whatever earth or hell can do against you till they can tear the Covennnt of your God or make you blot out your own names they have left you abundantly enough even when they have left you nothing O how highly are we concern'd to be tender of conscience and yet how little care is there taken of it What 's become of the authority of conscience when thy thoughts and thy passions when thines eyes and thine ears and thine appetite and thy tongue are left unbridled and unconquered when every Servant is set up to be Master and bears rule in thee where is thy Conscience what 's become of its authority When thy s ul hath been no better kept what poverty and leanness is there grown upon it what a starveling is it become both in grace and peace eaten out with lust evaporated into vanity sunk into sensuality thy spirit even transubstantiated into flesh ready to perish and die away for want of good looking to When thy Soul hath been no better kept where is thy Conscience when thy covenant hath been no better kept when thy duties thou hast vowed to perform are so hastily and heedlesly shuffled over if not totally thrust aside when thy hours of prayer are such short hours thy Sabbaths such Winter dayes so short and so cold too when thy God is so shamefully neglected can never hear of thee but when thou hast nothing else to do no nor it may be then neither when thy spare hours are hardly spared for God when this earth thy corn and thy cattel and thy pleasures and thy friends which thou hast vowed to renounce are let in again upon thine heart and have stollen it away from Heaven where is thy Conscience When thou sleepest so and hast let the enemy come in and sowe his tares in thy field when thou art such a busie-body in other mens matters and thine own vineyard thou hast not kept but hast let it
Christians you do not believe you do not believe you talk of your Covenant-right of your part in the promise of living by faith but where is any such thing can you trust God for your souls and can you not trust him for your bodies for your children believe and you 'l make as much and bee satisfied as well with a penny in the promise with a meal in the promise with an house in the promise as with a penny in your purse or a meal in your cupboard What dost thou get by all thy cares Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature one farthing to his store If thou lose nothing by them thou mayst sure put all thy gains into thine eyes tears and trouble are all they will add to thee Bee quiet and nothing will ail thee let not any straits sting thee before they are want not before thou wantest let not the Winters frosts nip thee whilest it is yet Summer Know when thou art well and be content All is thine if thou inheritest thy God thou inheritest the earth nothing of all its store shall be kept back from thee that 's necessary for thee only thou must not look to be thine own carver thy God will carve out what thou needest Let enough suffice thee and thou shalt never have too little Thou shalt never have so little but thou mayest say this little is enough What if what thou wantest in Water bee made up in Wine if thou hast but little in bran but the more in flower a short meal with a smile from heaven thou mayst count no fast but a feast a little oyl in the cruse how far will it go with a smile the blessing of the Covenant If the upper Springs run freely thou mayst abate a nether Spring Let my beloved comfort me with his apples and stay me with his flagons and let the rest be as little and as course as it will Let the promise be my portion let the pipes be kept open to my soul and then the least pittance for this carkass shall suffice me O my Lord let me feed with thee and I will not quarrel what-ever my fare bee Let my portion bee from thy table and then be it much or little Let me hear thy voice I am thine and with me all things and I am content to be at thy allowance Let thy deed of gift stand sure to me put in my childrens names there and I ask no more for my self or them Hold thy peace keep silence O my anxious soul know when thou art well bee in nothing careful the Lord is at hand 2. The evil things of this earth are theirs the Cross is in the Covenant Psal 89.34 If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my commandments then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes 1. The Covenant hath its cross The Doctrine of the Gospel is the Doctrine of the Cross the preaching of the Gospel is the preaching of the Cross 1 Cor. 1. The Mysteries of a crucified Jesus and of his crucified Saints do fill up the whole New Testament The Cross is not only imposed upon the Saints as their burthen but bequeathed unto them as a Legacy It 's given unto them as an honour and priviledge Philip. 1.29 Vnto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake It s joyned with the most glorious gift the gift of faith Yea and it is a greater gift then this To suffer in Faith is more than barely to believe 2. By vertue of the Covenant the Cross is a Blessing The word is now changed 't is no longer Cursed but Blessed is every one that hangeth on this Tree Mat. 5.10,11 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake Why where is the blessedness or wherein stands it It stands in these things 1. In the separation of the Cross from the Curse 2. In the sanctification of the Cross to its ends 3. In the proportioning of the Cross to their needs and strength 4. In the special comforts of the Cross 1. The Cross is separated from the Curse There is something in this To be able to say under the forest of afflictions This scourge is no scorpion this is no curse 't is but a cross Our Lord bare both the cross and the curse together and that made his cup so bitter but now he hath divided them the curse he hath left upon sinners and laid only the naked cross on his Saints The crosses of reprobate sinners are all curses Every affliction is a curse there 's wrath in all their sufferings there 's venome upon every arrow there 's vengeance in every dart every rod is a Serpent to them Thou that art of the number of Christs implacable enemies when he comes to fall upon thee and to grind thee under his hand thou wouldest have a word of comfort to be spoken to thee in thy sorrow no no there 's no comfort can bee spoken thou mayst say of every dart he smites thee with This is sent of God to revenge himself upon me The crosses of the impenitent are all curses but the Saints curses are all come to be but crosses Though men curse the Lord will not curse what-ever troubles come upon thee though there be vinegar in them yet there 's no venome in them though there be anguish in them yet there 's no wrath in them though they be ill look'd yet there 's no ill will in them they come upon no ill intent nor shall have any evil issue The smitings of the wicked are to thee as the smitings of the righteous were to the Psalmist A precious balm Psal 14.5 Let the righteous smite mee it shall be a kindness it shall be an excellent oyl it shall not break mine head And thou mayst say Let the wicked smite me smite me with the tongue with the fist of wickedness or what they will it shall not break mine head much less mine heart it shall be a kindness to me an excellent oyl 2. The Cross is sanctified to its ends It hath many holy and excellent ends and it shall prosper it shall accomplish its ends The cross is laid on the Saint sometimes to prove them sometimes to reprove them to humble them to purge them c. and what-ever it s sent to them for it shall not return in vain As the Word so the rod shall accomplish that for which he pleases that sent it By this the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged 3. The Cross is proportioned to their needs and strength Jer. 30.11 I will correct thee in measure but I will not leave thee altogether unpunished Just so much as will serve shall suffice the