make with the great Babylonian Monarch Dan. 5. 5 6. His countenance was changed his thoughts troubled the joints of his loins loosed and his knees smote one against another This being our nature What are we that we should put confidence in our selves Isa. 2. 22. We may neither trust in others neither may others trust in us neither may we trust in our selves Jer. 17. 5. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. What must we do then Isa. 2. 22. Cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of 2. Let 's not wonder if sometimes both body and soul fail us We do not know how many of these fits we may be exercised with and when they befall us let 's not wonder at it it s nothing but what the best of Gods servants are liable to 1 Pet. 4. 12. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you When afflictions overtake us we are ready to wonder at it and to say it was never on this wise Never was any sorrow like to my sorrow whereas there is no reason to say so afflictions are ordinary to the people of God 3. Let us get an interest in God that so when they fail us he may stand by us and help us that when one of our fainting fits comes his left hand may be under our heads and his right hand may imbrace us Let our fits be what they will if God stand by us and be with us we are safe enough Who shall be against us We need not fear the frowns of men the want of friends and comfort if God befriend and afford his grace unto us But if he be not with us what will become of us Psal. 94. 17. Unless the Lord had been my help my soul had almost dwelt in silence brevi habitasset as it is in the margent of your Bibles quickly God can help us whether exercised with fainting in soul or body It is good to get an interest in God for this was Asaphs happiness that though both soul and body failed him yet God stuck to him was the strength of his heart and portion for ever So we come to the second part of this 26th Verse The Psalmist in the former part of the verse having set down his affliction he doth in the latter set down the advantage he had from God against it and that in these two passages God is the strength of my heart 2 And my portion for ever From the former of which this point offers it self Doct. 1. That God is the strength of the hearts of his people in their afflictions and distress Or more briefly thus God is the strength of his people He looks after them takes care of them and supplies them with strength according as they stand in need There is a very high and lofty passage Deut. 33. 26 27. As when a person is in a fainting condition we take him into our arms and hold up his head So Cant. 2. 6 His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace me If we look farther into Scripture we shall find that the eminentest of Gods servants and such as were best furnished with abilities have in down right terms acknowledged that he is their strength So Exod. 15. 2. Notwithstanding all his wisdom power and greatness yet he acknowledges it was God that was his strength who inabled him to accomplish those great things he had brought to pass So Psal. 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength in the following words he shews that he was the Rock of his heart The Lord is my rock my fortress My strength in whom I trust In the Original as here My rock in whom I will trust We have the like from Christ himself Isa. 49. 5. My God shall be my strength Now that you may better understand the reason of my following Method you are to know that what is here mentioned touching Gods being the strength of his servants is proposed by way of Antidote to their several maladies and distresses both in body and soul insisted on before So that if I will closely pursue the intent of the Text I must reflect upon the evils which I before represented them liable to and shew what a remedy he is against them and what relief he affords them And 1. He relieves them against the maladies of their bodies Though their bodies are frail and subject to many distempers yet he hath relief for them against them all There is not any distemper so mortal or dangerous but he can afford them help against it Psal. 116. 6. I was brought low and he helped me 1. He relieves them against the decaies of their senses He sometimes preserves them in a strong degree of vigour beyond what could reasonably be expected from the abilities and power of nature How old a man was Moses He was an hundred and twenty years old yet it is said Deut. 34. 7. His eyes were not dim nor his natural force abated God is the Lord of nature and hath the disposal of the several ordinances thereof so that he can inforce or restrain them execute or suspend them according as he sees good He can put a youth into the state of an old man and an old man into the state of a youth and dispose of all persons and their concernments as he sees good 2. He relieves them against the decay of their strength That he sometimes marvellously renews and raises to an height beyond all probability and expectation as to outward and bodily strength as well as spiritual vigour these words in Isa. 40. 29 31. is verified He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreases strength They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength So the Lord doth alter the course of nature that when his servants are in a withering condition he renews their strength he works vigour and activity in them and enables them to do great things when he disables and brings down the strength of the mighty Psal. 18. 29 32 33. 34. By thee I have run through a troop and by my God have I leaped over a wall Who is a rock save our God It is God that guideth me with strength He maketh my feet like hinds feet He teacheth my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms David was naturally a man of great strength and activity yet besides that God favoured him with an auxiliary extraordinary strength whereby he was fitted for those great services he performed 3. He relieves them against the decay of their health He hath many distempers whereby to exercise the sons of men and bring them to their graves but yet there is none which he cannot either prevent or heal Psal. 103. 3 4. Who health all thy diseases who
THE VANITY OF Mans Present State PROVED and APPLYED IN A SERMON on Psalm 39. 5. With divers Sermons of the Saints Communion with God and Safety under his Protection in order to their future GLORY on Psalm 73. 23 24 25 26. By the late able and Faithful Minister of the Word JOHN WILSON LONDON Printed for Samuel Sprint at the Bell in Little-Britain 1676. TO THE HONOURABLE The Lady CATHARINE BOOTH MADAM THese Sermons to which you gave so free entertainment when they were preached under your roâ—f which you made a Sanctuary do not doubt of your Countenance The first part being of mans state altogether vanity was by the reverend Authors own hand scarce finished before his distemper bad disabled him from service of this nature And albeit the latter part were by him destined to obscurity amongst his private papers yet by the assistance of special friends that compared his short notes with what was taken from his mouth I have answered the importunity of others that often pressed me to make them publick being very much perswaded that howbeit they want those enlargements and pollishings which they would not have wanted had he designed them for the Press I shall not in the least be injurious to his memory amongst those that were acquainted with his learned abilities and have the ingenuity to grant what allowance may be justly challenged where the author is not the putter forth of his own work and withall will understand the disadvantagious circumstances he lay under both in his studies and preaching His strong bodie and vivacious spirits being weakned and rendred languid by an inveterate distemper I presume Madam these discourses will have due esteem and value from you who have made Religion your most serious and close concern received the word with all readiness given eminent testimonie of the power of it in a mortified and holy conversation and especially prized old plain substantial truths which have put you in mind of your frailty and been furtherance to your faith love and holy obedience Whilst some either utter strangers to communion with God or worse malicious scorners have undervalued the Saints heaven upon earth and too many others leaving necessary and acknowledged doctrines in the study and practice of which the servants of Christ have lived holily and died happily and gaping after new-nothings strange notions not at all conducing to their improvement of an heavenly life have puffed up their fancies and thinned their souls I cannot forget with what pious zeal and Christian courage God hath spirited you that have adventured to be singular in the strictest profession and practice of piety and set you aloft high above all the little dangers and fears of sullying your quality by being thought over serious and too busie about soul-concerns well understanding that the noblest extraction cannot be embased but the meanest ennobled by holiness and that it is honour of a double die for which Ladies are more beholding to their virtues than titles or Escutcheons their devout lives than dead Ancestors With what a publick spirit hath God acted you to appear so worthily for his desired service Though well aware that it would cost you the indignation of the greater sort and the rude taunts of the profane rabble which have concerned you no more than to animate your godly resolution to be yet more vile in the discharge of a good conscience service of God in your place and according to your degree Nay your manner of life so blameless so exemplary your zeal for God and his truth are and shall be your lasting honour and embalm your name when the sect of the Libertines that live at so lewd a rate as if their immortal souls were designed only to give a freshness to their faces gracefulness to their carriage briskness to their spirits and in all to serve their vanity shall be sweetly fed upon by the worms and leave a memory more odious than their carcases But while I am doing Justice to your virtues least I should offend your humble modesty which deserves so much the more by how much it less affects mention of what is due to the world as well as you I shall add no more but my humble and earnest prayers to almighty God to sanctifie you wholly to preserve your whole spirit soul and body blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. TO THE READER It cannot but be highly proper that the sons of men should be acquainted with the nature of their present state that so they may see whether they are to acquiesce in it or seek after another which may afford more happiness and contentment Their endeavours after another state will doubtless be proportionable to their apprehensions and esteem of this If they take this to be good they will rest satisfied with it without seeking any farther but if otherwise they will look about them and enquire after another Those Israelites which think well of Egypt move but faintly towards Canaan And whiles Peter perswades himself he hath glory enough upon Mount Tabor he cares not for seeking for any more He will never care much for an heaven above who conceits he hath one below But then on the other hand he who takes this present state to be a state of vanity and sees he is like to pass away his dayes in sin and misery will if he be one that hath not lost the use of his reason cast about and endeavour to possess himself of a better state wherein he may be free from those evils which now he groans and sighs under Such a man will be ready to cry out and say O what shall I do What course shall I take Which way shall I deliver my self out of my present distress Oh that I had wings like a Dove that I might flie away and be at rest Oh for Elijahs Chariot and and horses to convey me up to glory Oh that I could climb up beyond the Stars and seat my self amongst those blessed Souls which are about the Throne of God! Then might I wipe away all tears from mine eyes and triumph over my present misery But whiles I am in the state wherein I am surrounded with ten prations sins afflictions what can be expected but that I should sit like Jerusalem with the tears upon my Cheeks and make them my meat and drink night and day What more than this can be expected from me save that I am to despise the World with all the flatteries thereof and exercise my self in a vigorous and restless pursuit of a state which will yield me that comfort which this is utterly uncapable of affording Such as this will be the language of a man who understood the nature of this present state And to work the Sons of men to such resentments of it and truly endeavours after a better state is the intent of this small discourse Wherein I have endeavoured to shew what a kind of state this is how it came to be so and
search that what he had done amiss might be taken away and amended Thus should we do searchhow it goes with head heart life conversation and practice if it go ill with them our communion with God is like to be much interrupted 4. Pray to God to call you home from your extravagancies take you into a state of familiarity with him and preserve you therein Say oh thou that by the beams of the Sun drawest up the dew of the morning by the beams of thy grace and love draw up our souls to thee draw up these heavy hearts of ours we have been heaving at them but do what we can they are pressing downward We find so many intanglments of the world besides earthly propensions in us that unless thou draw our hearts will not be gotten up saith David Psal. 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee Oh let me not wander from thy commandments The hearts of the best of men are addicted to wandring from God and such is our weakness that every thing interrupts us and draws us from God but we must lift up our hearts to God that he would lift them up to himself and never rest till he have united them to him in love and holiness Obj. Here is a question that many may put You speak of abiding with God and dwelling with him I have been about this many years have had convictions and look upon an holy life best agreeing to the soul and the faculties thereof and according to these convictions I have been endeavouring what I can using means this and that way yet God is strange to me what shall I do What help in this case that I may have nearer approaches to God Ans. 1. It is a good sign you have to do with God in that you are sensible that he is strange unto you and are affected with it As for wicked men they desire not the knowledge of God they are without God in the world and content so to be But your sence of Gods displeasure his withdrawings the disconsolateness of being at a distance from him argues that there is more than flesh and blood a principle within thee 2. If it be so as you say betake your selves to searching of heart and see whether there be not some reason that God should stand at a distance Notwitstanding the riches and bowels of Gods unbounded mercy yet he hath regard to his own honour and glory He hath more attributes to look after and vindicate than one Therefore it concerns you if God carry it strangely to consider whether God have not afforded you opportunities invited you to converse with him called cryed waited to try whether you would come and whether you have not refused and slighted that he may complain You would none of me if it be thus no wonder God is a stranger to you Judg. 5. 15. For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart Sure then Sirs there should be some searchings of heart upon this account when your sins have separated your God from you I commune with mine own heart saith the Psalmist Psal. 77. 6. And my spirit made diligent search He was under this great affliction God seemed to carry it somewhat strangely his trouble hindred his sleep and did so fill his heart that he could not speak he was under Gods desertion as to comfort This puts him upon enquiring how come things to be thus with me If a friend carry it strangely it doth not satisfy us to wonder at it and so let it pass as we would do with another but we enquire what word or action proceeding from us what neglect or injury might cause it If God look not with the same countenance upon us as formerly and his favour be not as heretofore we must make enquiry and diligent search into our whole lives to find what was the meaning of Gods dealing thus How comes it to be thus 3. You must distinguish betwixt his withholding his presence and his comforts Though perhaps you have not much comfort yet you have protection and support which is matter both of satisfaction and thanks so in the words immediateately following the Text thou hast holden me by the right hand The Psalmist you may find was exercised with disquietments yet he had support from God though disconsolate 4. Though God withhold his presence it is not because he is loth to afford it you but that he may make you more tender of it and value it at an higher rate Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone this must beget a sad damp in the heart of the Church My soul failed when he spake she sought him but could not find him Before instead of opening to her beloved she excuseth her slothfulness now he is withdrawn he will make his offers more acceptable and more readily imbraced 5. Wait upon God for a more free full and comfortable exhibition of himself to you He is a gracious God adhere therefore unto him and depend upon him Though he may for a time carry himself somewhat strangely towards you yet after a season he may be pleased to be more favourable Isa. 1. 15. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him This is a good and truly generous and brave resolution notwithstanding all opposition and danger to go on in faith patience and obedience 3. Use Of examination Let us examine how things go with us as to this matter where it is that we are with whom we live and with whom we abide see what communion and fellowship we do maintain with God I shall give some characters of those that abide with God 1. A man that abides with God hath his eyes ever upon the Lord choose where he is he he hath still an eye unto God whether he be at home or abroad his eyes are towards heaven The Lord is his refuge his chief possession Psal. 25. 15. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord and this was partly in a way of reverence as one afraid of offending him and partly in a way of dependance as one desiring instruction support and help from him Can you say this that your eyes are to the Lord the eyes of your mind and your thoughts are towards God are you upon every occurrence running to God If it be so you are with God 2. He acts ever as in Gods presence He carries himself as one that considers that God hath his eye upon him wherever he is what ever he doth Psal. 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwaies before me he is at my right hand He set God before him not only as the object and end of his actions nor only to be a comfort and support to him whereupon he might rejoyce and his heart be glad but as a witness and judge of his actions which might engage him to sincerity If we did really and fully consider
a rude draught of that glorious City or Jerusalem that is above which is a thousand times more glorious than ever the earthly Jerusalem was in its most ample and succesfull estate Some of those general hints which the word contains of it I shall give you in these following heads 1. It s Ancient 2. Reall 3. Supernal 4. Satisfying 5. Transcendent 6. Eternal glory 1. It s Ancient it is such as God himself hath been enjoying and delighting himself in from all eternity Before there was any such thing as worldly glory this glory was in being Joh. 17. 5. And now Oh Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Besides which there is a created glory which God is said to have prepared for them from the foundation of the world Mat. 25. 34. 2. It is real As for the glory of the world it s but a meer shew or fancy Psal. 39. 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a disguise The glory of the world is like a Play wherein one is a King another a Queen a third a Peasant according to the Plot and will of the contriver whereas they are no such persons but carry a little present resemblance of them Of this nature is worldly glory it s rather an appearance or shew of glory than glory it self a piece of pageantry a shew not real With what magnificence and state did Agrippa and Bernice enter into the Judgment Hall And how doth the Evangelist express it he saith they came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 25. 23. With much Phancy All their Princely gallantry and bravery in the Judgment of the Evangelist amounted to no more than a meer conceit or Phancy They were glorious no doubt in their own eyes and admired by the people that love to gaze at Pomp but this was but conceitedness phantastical and vain shew But now this glory that is to be revealed but doth not yet appear in its refulgency so as it will is real and solid such as hath substance and weight in it 2 Cor. 4. 17. A weight of glory the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in answer to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as I told you in its primary notion imports weight or heaviness As much difference as there is between Massy Gold and Copper or Tin so much between the glory of this world and that glory which is laid up for them that love God and wait for the coming of Christ. 3. It is supernal or above Indeed God can create glory wherever he pleases If he will have glory to be on Mount Sinai or Mount Tabor there glory shall be Where this King of glory doth manifest himself more fully there glory doth appear but the place he hath pitched upon for the exhibiting of himself in glory in a settled standing way is above No place on earth being fit for so high and noble use he was pleased to make choice of one above Psal. 8. 1. How excellent is thy name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Psal. 103. 4. The Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the Heavens Those visible heavens when Stephen looked up stedfastly into heaven he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God which if it were more than a created representation of it to his outward and inward senses we must understand of a miraculous vision wherein Christ arrayed with glory and Majesty was beheld by him supernaturally enlightned Into this glory above then our Lord Christ was received 1 Tim. 3. 16. So that if ever we will share in this glory we must leave the earth ascend into the Heavens and pass beyond both Clouds and Stars 4. It s a satisfying glory To have a glory out of the reach of enemies is much then to have it satisfying to answer the desires of souls is a great matter As for the glory of the world it do's a little dazzle the eye and tickle the Phancy but it do's not satisfie the soul. Who had ever greater glory than Solomon he was glorious as Job was poor To a Proverb Mat. 6. 29. Solomon in all his glory He built houses planted Vineyards made Gardens and Orchards planted trees of all fruits made pools of water he had servants and maidens possessions of great and small cattel he gathered silver and gold he got him men singers and women singers he withheld not his heart from any joy But was he satisfied though he had what heart could wish No Eccles. 1. 8. All things are full of labour man cannot utter it The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing But this glory I am speaking of will afford satisfaction Psal. 17. 15. As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness When Peter upon Mount Tabor had but a little resemblance of it he was so affected with it that he cryes out Mat. 17. 4. Lord it is good for us to be here Oh what would he have said if he had been in Heaven and seen all the glory there Seen the blessed Saints and Angels those pure and perfect creatures beholding the face God Seen the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory attended most gloriously and sitting at the right hand of the Father heard the incomparable melody of the Hallelujahs sung How would this have ravished him Could I present you with a glimpse of this glory you would long to be there where you might have a perfect prospect and then you would say not one half nor the thousand part of the glory was told you 5. It is transcendent Glory It exceeds all other glory nay all expressions and imagination So great was the glory of God upon Mount Sinai that the raies of it made the skin of Moses his face to shine Exod. 34. 29. The spirit of grace and glory shone in Stepbens face when he made his confession of Christ all saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel And so great was the glory of Christ when he appeared to Paul in the way to Damascus that it dazled his eyes Acts 22. 11. He could not see for the glory of that light Nimis sensibile laedit sensum The brightness of the Object overcame his sight And God doth sometime adorn his Church Militant with much glory Isa 66. 11. That ye may be delighted with the abundance of her glory But alas what 's all this in comparison of the glory of that place I am speaking of 2 Cor. 4. 17. A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a phrase so high and lofty that Expositors scarce know how to express But this is evident that it imports such glory as is exceeding high and transcendent Here every thing
faces and dolefull complaints attend the sons of men They spend their daies in sorrow and after go to the grave 2. Sometimes their souls fail them There lies their chief strength yet Psal. 143. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My spirit faileth the same word with that in the Text. As their bodies have their infirmities so their souls have theirs by vertue whereof they are sometimes brought very low Now their souls fail them three waies 1. By sorrow Sometimes they are so affected with their afflictions that they are even overwhelmed with sorrow Psal. 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of mine head therefore mine heart faileth me Or my heart hath left and forsaken me that prae dolore as Uatablus notes so Cant. 5. 6. My soul failed when he spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anima mea Egressa est My soul went out of me She fell into a sad delquium or fainting fit and what is the reason Why it was her sorrow upon the account of her former security As if she had said Oh how have I played the beast What noble importunate constant love have I neglected and abused Oh how shall I ever look my Lord in the face or restore my self into his favour 2. By fear They see there are dangers before them and therewith they are so affâ—cted that their souls fail within them Thus as one of Jacobs sons opens his sack he finds his money in the mouth of the sack tells his brethren and their hearts failed them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their heart went out of them and they were afraid They knew not what this might work what might be the issue of things and fearing the worst their hearts over-ran them This effect of fear is expressed by the melting of the heart thus the hearts of the Canaanites melted with fear Josh. 5. 1. Your terror saith Rahab to the spies Josh. 2. 9. 10. is fallen upon us and all the inhabitants of the Land faint because of you vers 11. Our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in any man in many other places Isa 13. 7. Nahum 2. 10. Ezek. 21. 7. Whether it be by grief as Psal. 119. 28. And so the heart melts in tears or fear which as it were causeth colliquation or melting 3. By distrust judging of the issue of things by causes they sometimes despair of deliverance and give up themselves for gone so 1 Sam. 22. 1. David said in his heart I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul His heart sinks through distrust and he thinks to take an unwarrantable course for his security Notwithstanding his brave and heroick mind at other times and upon other occasions which made him to attempt difficulties slight discouragements notwithstanding the experience of Gods goodness and the promises God had made him of the Kingdom yet his heart failing and his spirit being sunk down into a fit of despondency he thus saith in his heart and resolves on a course to the great offence of his friends triumph of his enemies and dishonour of true religion 3. Why God suffers it to be thus with people that their bodies and souls should fail 1. That he may shew them their frailty and weakness teach them humility and make them base and vile in their own eyes When a man finds both body and soul shrinking him and failing him he is ready to cry out Lord what a poor Creature am I What am I that I should glory in my self or behold my self with any complacency or delight When Jobs body and soul had failed him what opinion had he of himself or how did he stand affected towards himself Did he admire himself or was he inamoured of himself No Job 42. 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 2. That he may thereby excite them to look up to him and exercise dependance on him As long as we find a sufficiency in our selves we seldom have any great regard to God but when we see our selves unable to provide for our own welfare then we begin to look up to him And for this cause 1 Cor. 1. 9. He sends thorns into our beds that he should have little ease there he brings afflictions that threatens death that we may look up We had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead When as to natural helps and hopes they are lost that they may look up and throw the arms of faith about him he deprives us of all stayes and refuges that we may exercise dependance on him and stay our selves upon our God 3. That he may thereby provoke us to look after a state wherein we may be free from these Deliquiums or failings both of body and soul which here we are liable to When a man meets with inconveniencies in his journey he begins to wish himself at home So when a good man is exercised with decay in his sences strength health on the one hand and with sorrow fear distrust on the other then he begins to grow weary of the world he thinks of God and heaven with great longing to be with God to be in heaven Then he cries out Oh what should I do here Where shall I have relief Oh that I were with my God! So Job 14. 13. desires that God would hide him in the grave that he would keep him secret until his wrath was past Not that he desired the grave it self or thought it pleasant to lye in putrefaction and rottenness but as an occasion of being conveied into a better state and place Use. Is it so that both body and soul of good men do fail them in affliction then it is useful by way of Information to shew us what a poor vain thing man is How unable is he to stand before his Makers displeasure In his prosperity how doth he vaunt himself How goodly is he in his own eyes and what confidence doth he put in his own abilities But when his maker takes him in hand what a trivial thing is he Job 4. 19. He is crushed before the moth that is sooner then a moth is crushed betwixt a mans fingers he is ground to powder if God lay his hand upon him or he is such a trivial thing that he is not able to stand in the presence of such a despicable creature as the moth this contemptible creature prevails upon him and conquers him 2. Use of Exhortation 1. Let us beware what stress we lay either upon body or soul. Alas what are they that we should confide in them If God do but lay his finger on them they droop and languish What is the bravest spirit in the world when God comes and takes him by the arm and leads him away to judgment What work did two or three words writ upon the wall