when death was coming and life going when the water was spent her patience spent and all spent when she had received the sentence of death within her self for her self at least for her son whom she had given up for a dead childe Then then God heard the voyce of the lad and calleth unto her and biddeth her lift up the lad yea her own faith and hope and spirit for there was an universal sinking in her and telleth her he will make him a great Nation as if he had said Fear not the life of the lad for there are many lives bound up in his life if I should let him perish I should lose a Nation yea a great Nation and that distrustful thoughts might not arise in her heart God openeth her eyes and she saw a Well of water and gave the lad drink Let us pitch down a little upon this Quotation for it is a place of pleasant springs and draw these Observations 1. That the goodness of God is a springing fountain unto the Saints even in a wilderness Psal 107.35 There is alwayes water in this fountain Psal 36. vers 9. With thee is the fountain of life There are springs of providence and springs of promises both which do send forth refreshing streams unto the Saints There are alwayes supplies in the Lords store-house fresh cordials in the Lords closet yea he can and will create deliverances for his Jacobs though Hagar was at a loss yet God was not though the ground was dry to her yet God can bring up springs of water through the secret veynes of the parched earth Oh! there is much support in this duely to improve the Omnipotency and All-sufficiency of God 2. That the Saints themselves sometimes have their eyes so shut up that they cannot see these springs of goodness Sometimes the heads of these springs lye so deep and low that they are not visible either in promises or in providences Nay when they are open and run yet in some cases the Saints eyes are closed that they cannot see them all seemeth to be dry ground to them Indeed these fountains are shut up to the unbeleeving world alwayes sealed to the wicked so great a stone is rolled by an Almighty arm upon the mouth of this Well that all the strength of nature cannot remove it to dip a bucket in it but to the faithful it is alwayes open they need no Jacob to roll it away See that Zach. 13. vers 1. A fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness This great Gospel fountain the blood of Jesus is open to beleevers to them that dwell at Jerusalem in the Spirit not in the letter of profession Now if this great Fountain be open which feedeth all the lesser springs referring to the blood of the Lord Jesus then sure no lesser springs shall be shut up to them He is the fountain of Gardens the Well of living waters Cant. 4. vers 15. What a precious priviledge is this to have all Gospel-springs open unto us yet here is our misery and it is very great though the springs be open our eyes are sometimes shut now what is a spring of water to a thirsty traveller if he see it not But you will say How shall the Saints get their eyes opened 3 God alone openeth the eyes of his people that they may see these open Fountains that they may behold these streams from Lebanon Hagar saw not the fountain neither could she untill God opened her eyes He that opened the heart of Lydia Act. 16. vers 14. opened Hagars eyes Jesus Christ who hath the Key of David can onely open and shut eyes by his anointing Spirit Apoc. 3. vers 18. This is true in the first work of conversion Act. 26. vers 18. So also in the passage of after comforts 2 King 6.17 The Lord opened the eyes of the young man that he saw and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha The providences and protections of God do circumvallate and encompass the faithful His Angels encamp round about them yet the Lord must open their eyes else they cannot behold them A truth falling in with our own experience how many amongst us saw not that wall of fire which hath been round about us nor those Chariots of fire which have been so eminent a protection unto us in times of greatest danger But 4. God will open the eyes of his people to behold these springs of mercy when they stand in most need of them What had it been to Hagar if her eyes had been opened to have seen many Wells of water when she was in Abrahams family or if she had been in a land of fountains but to be in a wilderness in a land of drought to have the water in the bottle spent and knew not where to fill it nor how to keep her lad alive without supplies of water and then in this streight to have her eyes opened to see not a little water in a pitcher to fill her bottle once with and no more but to see a Well a spring of water where she might have constant supplies Oh! this was a seasonable and therefore a welcome mercy to her this was life to her self her son and to her hopes of after safety Oh this is marvellous sweet and an excellent means to get up the heart in sinking times and conditions 6. Her eyes are opened shee seeth the Well What doth she now do why she obeyeth the voyce of the Lord in filling her bottle with water and giving the lad drink this teacheth us That it is the duty of Gods people to lay hold â—n offers of mercy from the Lord to close in with to own and improve the providential dispensations of God for good unto themselves What is she in a wilderness her bottle-store spent a fountain opened and her eyes opened and doth she sit still is she sullen or is she pettish because supplies came not her own way or at her own time will she not dip her bottle in the fountain because it ariseth in this and not in that plat of ground doth she stand upon such niceties no no but presently she snatcheth up her bottle and goeth to fill it A commendable practice Oh! what we see her do do we likewise in all our streights let us haste to the Throne of grace and when mercy is offered help seasonably tendered let us imbrace it and improve it when Christ opened that fountain of grace shewing the wounds in his hands and in his side to Thomas presently he runneth to the fountain and dippeth his bucket in the Well acting faith by a personal application My Lord and my God Joh. 20. vers 28. So when the Lord openeth his Mercy-fountains to us and our eyes to see them let us not onely sip a little but fill our buckets yea brim our bottles drawing with joy and thankfulness of heart water out of those Wells of salvation Isa
hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth See Mr. Baxter in loc crucified among you This onely would I learn of you received ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith c Oh did ye much and often read over the passages of divine love unto you and would be true to your own experiences it would antidote you against many errors of the times and keep your hearts close with God 3. This serious recognition and review of the Lords mercies brings most comfort unto the soul and sure he lives best to himself who lives most to his own comfort a life of comfort is the sweetness the desireableness and life of life What is life to the bitter in soul which long for death and dig for it more then for bid treasures which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they finde the grave Job 3.21 22 23. And what comfort have men in living upon a natural account when those dayes are come wherein they say we have no pleasure in them Eccl. 12. ver 1. and is it not so in a spirituall sense a wounded spirit who can bear but a good conscience is a continual feast and the Kingdome of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. vers 17. Then do we come nearest heaven and live in the suburbs of it when we are filled with peace and joy in our soules when we experience a sedateness and serenity of spirit rejoycing in hope of the glory of God now sence of grace received doth marvellously comfort the soul 1. In our addressments unto God by prayer when we have any request to make at the throne of grace this will work a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and holy boldness of spirit in us we may encourage our selves to hope that we shall speed in our desires and have acceptation in heaven when we consider that God hath manifested the love of a father and given the portion of a childe unto us how he sought us up when we were gone astray met us with a welcome home at our returne and clasped us in the embraces of his paternall affections when we have the robe and ring to shew the spirit of Adoption which cryeth Abba Father and therefore if parents that are evil know how to give good things to their children See Mr. Teat in Matth. 7. vers 11. much more will our heavenly father give the holy Ghost to us that ask him Luke 11. vers 13. even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good things yea all good things for the Holy Ghost is a comprehensive and superlative terme all good things and that which is more then all besides sure we should not have that listlesness and loathness unto prayer that heart-deadness in prayer and those dead hopes as to expectancy of comfort from prayer if we were much and often in the meditation of Gods love Oh t is an excellent heart preparatory unto prayer and the readiest way to find the returnes of our prayers Care his Plus cum Deo quam hominibus loquitur while prayer standeth still the trade of Godliness stands still also and soul-wants are great and many all good comes into the soul by this door and all true treasures by this Merchants ship And sure they who have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and their bodies washed with pure water that have the sence of justifying and sanctifying grace have boldness and heart-willingness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus and may draw near to God with full assurance of faith Heb. 10. vers 19 22. in which the life of comfort doth much consist and by which it is much preserved in the soul 2. This heart-commanding will give you comfort in your attendance at the posts of wisdome O when you sit at the feet of Jesus in his teaching ordinances and your hearts are heated and heightened with a serious meditation upon the truth and work of grace you 'l taste comfort in every word and draw sweetness out of every dug if sin be roundly dealt withall and the arrowes of the Lord be keen to strike through the very heart of a lust you will rejoyce in it because 't is done against an enemy sin and you are now implacably fallen out and therefore you dare speak in the words of the Psalmist Psal 139. ver 21 22. Do not I hate them which hate thee and am not I grieved with them which rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Indeed in a sense we are to love our enemies but those that would draw off our hearts from the Lord and loosen our affections from holiness as sin would Oh they are enemies indeed and we shall bless God when the word wounds them deepest that they bleed and breath out their last Time was when we had secret heart-risings against the word when a reproof came too close and Ahab-like we have hated the Micaiah and have gone home to our houses heavy and displeased because of the word which hath been spoken unto us 1 Kings 21. vers 4. I but now we take pleasure in a sin-wounding Sermon a lust-laming discourse when the word gets a leg or an arm from the body of death so when impenitency is reproved and sentenced we shall be comforted when we find that God hath given us soft hearts and granted repentance unto life Acts 11. verse 18. If Gospel unbelief be threatened and the wrath of an eternal God denounced our hearts will be comforted by a reflection upon our faith of which Jesus Christ hath been the Author and will be the finisher Heb. 12. ver 2. nay if the bottomless pit be opened and a vision of that brimstone-lake belching forth smoke and sulphur be presented the sight whereof makes the sinners of Zion afraid and surpriseth the hippocrites with sinking fears crying out in the greatness of their distress who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Isa 33. ver 14. our hearts will feed upon this sad truth with comfort when we know that with Noah we are in the ark and with Lot we are in Zoar waiting for our Jesus from heaven who hath delivered us from wrath to come 1 Thes 1. vers ult The Devil is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a roaring lion roaring after the prey but our comfort is that the Lord Jesus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lion of the Tribe of Judah which rescueth us from the paws of this Lion Nay farther if Gospel priviledges be displayed Gospel-promises be applyed Gospel-treasures be opened and the name of Christ like oyntment be powred forth we may by an Act of believing grasp at all and say all is ours we are Christs 1 Cor. 3. ver ult yea Christ is ours Cant. 5. ver ult In a word if the state of after
being mainly intended for them 1. Be frequent in your reveiws of those feared dangers and fretting distempers those painful sicknesses and perplexing sorrows from which the good Hand of God has fetcht you gather up your dangers and deliverances your pressures and preservations how the Lord has granted you life and favour life with the comforts of it to make it sweet and desireable Iob 10.12 and his visitation has preserved your spirit has secured your lives in the midst of many dangers which surely have been many from infancy to gray hairs that so you may visite him in duty who hath so often visited you in mercy there are frequent visites past betwixt friends God is your best friend account that day lost wherein you do not visit him and keep up sweet communion with him It was a gallant speech of a brave man Marquess of Vico. accursed be that man who values the wealth of the world worth one daies communion with God Psal 34.2 4. and act up unto David's pattern I will bless the Lord at all times c. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me out of all my feares which were many and lay hard upon him when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech and acted the part of a mad man which so sober a person as David would not have done had not his fears been strong and his faith weak 2. Get your Spirits tinctured with a deep sense of that darkness which was upon you when day first broke upon your souls what desperate courses you were engaged in and out of what company the Lord pluckt you with whom ye were folded as thornes before conversion own the conduct of that providence whereby you have been led from Beth-haven to Beth-El from profane places and societies into such families such fellowships and Congregations where Religion has been owned family-duties carefully observed Sabbath-strictnes advanced the Word spiritually dispensed and holiness has been contended for whereby a saveving change has been brought forth in you or you have been more built up in faith and holiness Let the consideration of what you are compared with what you have been be much upon your spirits that you may with thankfulness adore the riches of that mercy by which you have been differenced as to present grace and hope of future glory from the profane world 3. Keep up your first love to Christ and your first hatred to sin Yonge converts have usually strong affections Those sinnes which have been Peccata in deliciis which have had most of the heart are most upon the conscience most in the confession most in the holy mournings and are most the abhorency of new Converts Again such is their sense of differencing mercy that they are all Love to God and all Zeal for his glory Apoc. 2.2 3. Mihi sane Auxentius nunquam aliud quam diabolus erit quia Arrianus Hilar. you may read this in the gallantrie of the Ephesians spirit I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil either passions in thy soul or persons in thy society c. a high strain of Love the stream must needs be strong that turns all these wheeles it argues a great force of affection to draw out the soul into all these noble actings for Christ but as a well-kindled fire abates in heat and light as the fuel wastes or as a passionate lover remits of that violent affection when the person beloved has been some time enjoyed So it fareth with these Ephesian Christians they left their first love the love of their Espousals and so became Aphesis Mr. Trap. n loc remiss and careless possest with a spirit of sloth and indevotion O let not this charg be drawn up against us that the candlestick may not be remooved from us What attempts have been made to un-church un-sabboth and un-gospel us and how signally the Lord has appeared for us you know O remember that strength of zeal that warmth of spirit that height of love to God his truth waies and people those sighings prayings fastings fightings c. that were amongst us when the yoak was loosned from our necks and when a doore was first opened unto us for Religion and Reformation in the long Parliament Labour therefore to keep up your first abhorency of sin and your first affection to Jesus Christ 4. Cherish an high esteem of Gospel-ordinances Remember how pretious the word was then unto you when visions were scarce how you blessed God for it and rejoyced in it when you ran to and fro to find it how your feet stood in the house of the Lord and you flew as Doves to their windows swiftly and in flocks when Pulpits began to be filled with zealous spiritual and conscientious Preachers O let not this Manna lose any of it's sweetness upon your tastes now that you have it in so much peace and plenty Bread if wanting is called for though the table be heaped with dishes The word is bread to all creature-comforts 't is that which makes them noble and nourishing O then be often in the galleries with the King Cant. 7.5 drink deep of his spiced wine feed freely of those dainties which are prepared and served out by the Eternal Spirit When you here a Sermon-bell think you hear a voice from heaven calling you in the words of Divine Herbert Come hither all whose taste Is your waste Save your cost and mend your fare God is here prepar'd and drest And the feast God in whom all dainties are You know and lament the negligence of some and the wantonness of others thin Congregations and empty seats is not the complaint of a simple Minister 1 Pet. 2.2 Still desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby Do not wean your selves from the breast whilst you are in a growing estate and never think you are past growth Ephes 4 13. until you be come to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ which state of perfection Scripture and your own experience duly consulted with will tell you is not attainable on this side Heaven 5. Maintain an evangelical brotherly love amongst your selves Love is the greate Gospel Soder and Cement a characteristical note of Christ's Disciples without which the highest pretence to piety and profession is under censure by the Holy Ghost Iac. 3.14 15 16. O how did Christians cling together in times of trouble What friendly entertainment did Saints find in the hearts and houses each of other when they were forced from their dwellings by an enraged enemy how did the old Primitive and puritane love begin to spring up and flourish in England And now that we have no enemy to quarrel with will you needs quarrel one with another What an unsuitable return is this unto the God of Peace for his astonishing mercies and preservations Ah friends well
servant of the Lord if the Lord did not love me he would not have called me off from such vain and vicious courses he would not have made known the counsels of his grace by his spirit unto me he would not have accepted my poor services nor given such returns to my broken prayers nor hasted relief unto me in such or such an afflicted estate Oh! this is much the case of weak believers they are often at the turning of the scales one while hope up and fear down another while fear up and hope down and sometime the ballance hangeth in an even poise It is oftentimes thus in a spiritual sence and truly 't is many times such upon temporal accounts they are much at a loss in their own spirits But now when the Lord turneth again the captivity of his people when he cometh in signally and seasonably to their help in the time of their greatest streights when they could not tell what to do and thought all lost Oh then the bright side of the cloud is toward them the vail is taken away and they behold with open face the glorious love of God unto them It is said Gen. 45. vers 27. When Jacob saw the wagons which Joseph sent to carry him into Egypt his spirit revived it put a new life into his dead heart and dead hopes the old man gathered up his spirits which were sunk with grief for the death of Joseph and fear of Benjamin's miscariage Oh! saith he Joseph is yet alive So when the saints of God see the hand of God visibly appearing yea mightily out-stretched to fetch them off from a calamitous condition their dead hopes and dead hearts revive now their spirits which hang the head and were down under the sence of Gods displeasure get up gain are fresh and flourishing Joseph my son is yet alive The Lord hath given real testimony of love and good will unto us The arrows of the Lords deliverance like Jonathans warning arrows are arrows of love feathered and headed with choicest affections Object 1. But this Fort-royal of the Saints seemeth to be assaulted by the Preacher Eccles 9. vers 1. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him therefore the reliefs God giveth in to his people when distressed though signal and eminent are no demonstrative Arguments of Gods love he may help and yet hate a people Answ I shall receive the charge and endeavour to secure the truth within some sconces and therefore do answer 1. It is confessed that the onely wise God doth dispence outward mercies with an equal hand to the good and to the bad to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath and this according to the ordinary course of providence prosperity doth not alwayes spring up upon the root of piety God doth not difference the precious and the vile by sun and rain yea many times the worst men live under the warmest Sun-shine David saith Psal 17. vers 14. God filleth their bellies with hid treasures they have full meals of the worlds delicates riches and honour by the belly as our phrase is and who are these who like Pharaoh's kine are so fat and well-favoured why they are the wicked who like dogs when their bellies are full are turned out of doors they have their portion in this life their Chelech their part and share the word is used 1. in a military sense for the souldiers pay or his part in the spoyles of a conquered enemy thus Abraham calleth it the portion of the men that went with him Gen. 14. vers 24.2 'T is used in a civil sense for the share or portion which children have in their parents Estate Rachel and Leah said Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our fathers house Gen. 31. vers 14. So that the wise man in this Verse confuteth the vain yet general opinion of worldlings who fondly and as falsly measure Gods love and their lot in the same Omer And in this he ballasteth the Saints who are apt to topple over in their own stormes and the wicked's calmes as Psal 73.2 2. The dispensations of God according to his ordinary rate of providence do not decisively conclude love or hatred a just man may have all his moisture drunk up with the arrows of the Almighty when the unjust may have his bones full of marrow the Saint may be poor with Job even to a Proverb and the sinner may abound with wealth even to the parable Good Josiah may dy the same death with wicked Ahab both slain by the hands of their enemies God will not write his love in such legible characters that every pur-blind worldling may read this secret indeed Jerusalem had the honour to be baptised Jehovah-shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 but this engraving was not found upon Dives his palace It is the heart not the house which beareth this Inscription and that not in letters of Gold but of grace 3. No man can give a certain and infallible judgement of love or hatred towards another person by all that is before him indeed men may speak hopefully in the judgment of charity and draw up a hopeful conclusion of another man's standing in grace from what is visibly good when the exercise of faith is vigorous and the actings of the spirit of holiness are visible and uniform as 1 Thes 1. vers 3 4. The Apostle mentioneth their labour of love their work of faith and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ from which he deduceth this conclusion knowing Brethren beloved of God your election though the white stone with the new name written in it is known to no man certainly but to him that hath received it yet holy men D. Preston in some degree are known one to another to make the communion of saints the sweeter yet cannot such a conclusion be drawn from external acts of providence infallibly to determine love or hatred by his outward administrations how sadly would the men of that generation have miscaried if they had asserted Esau to have been a person dear to God and peculiarly in his favour because he prospered so farre and fast in worldly greatness and glory who had four hundred men at his heels and the father of so many Dukes and if they had concluded Jacob to have been a person of Gods hatred because he was a poor shepherd and met with such hard measure from his uncle Laban seing the Lord determined otherwise Rom. 9. vers 13. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated It was much the sinne of Job's three friends in asserting Job's afflictions to be the fruits and evidences of Gods displeasure against a person hated by him when God himself giveth testimony to Job so fully at the beginning and end of this book 4. I do not assert that God's outward dispensations although in an extraordinary manifestation of his power and goodness do fully and alwayes speak forth his peculiar
him thy servant slew both the lyon and the bear and what doth he infer from hence that This uncircumcised Philistin shall be as one of them seing he hath defied the armies of the living God I but these are the words of a proud youth and words are but winde Thrasonical bravado's what bottome hath he for his confidence why faith is up and experience keepeth it steady The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistin What is this Golliah in the hands of a mighty God more then the Lyon and the Bear And why should I doubt the good presence of God whereof I have had so late and eminent experience A like passage you have 1 Sam. 30. vers 6. David was greatly distressed his own army mutinies against him and talketh of stoning him Surely it must be an high provocation which maketh an whole army to rise up as one man against their General and sure the distress must needs be great when a multitude of armed men and enraged too set themselves against a single person this was General David's case The soul of all the people was grieved every man for his sonnes and for his daughters Oh! such losses come near the heart well might they rise high in their lamentations and high in their indignation also against David because he had led them out upon a designe and in their absence the Analekites had sinitten Ziglag the city which Achish had given to David Chap. 27 vers 6. and burnt it with fire and had taken their wives and their sonnes and their daughters captive and were gone away with them But what doth David do in this straight he encouraged himself in the Lord his God the word is derived from Chazak and importeth he laid hold on God with all his strength as men when they are in danger of drowning will lay such fast hold that their fingers will sooner be broken then loosened thus David being almost under water stretched forth his hand of faith strengthened with promises and experiences and layeth sure hold on the rock of ages whereby his head and hopes are kept above water in this dreadfull storme what a noble gallantry of spirit did good Nehemiah shew Et Turnum fuglentem haec terra videbit Omnia de pâ—aesumas prater fugam Palinodiam was a brave Speech of Luther to Staupicius when Shemaiah advised him to take sanctuary in the Temple because the enemy had designed to fall upon him by night and slay him a word of advice which a carnal heart consulting more his own safety then Gods honour would readily have listened unto but what is the answer of this heroick saint Neb. 6. vers 11. Should such a man as I flee and who is there being as I am would go into the temple to save his life I will not go in why not go in what safety could he pretend unto you may suppose him arguing thus I am under an eminent call from the Lord to build the city of the sepulchres of my fathers I have seen the face of God in bowing the heart of King Artaxerxes to contribute his royal aid and commission me to the work I have found the Elders of the Jews willing to owne my authority and to rise up as one man to build strengthening their hands for that good work Chap. 2. vers 18. as it was 2 Chron. 30. vers 12. In Judah The band of the Lord was to give them one heart Oh that the Lord would give that oneness of heart unto us in the work of our God Hence Nehemiah gathereth up his spirits and speaks like a brave man Should such a man as I flee a choice spirit a gallant pattern to be ey'd by all who are called forth by the Lord to serve out their generation in doing his work and if it hath a direct aspect to any age or nation surely to none more then to ours both in an eminent call to work and in eminent preservation of the workmen We may experimentally apply that promise as very much fulfilled upon us Isa 4. vers 5 6. The Lord hath created upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory there hath been a defence Chuphah The word implyeth a covering Cherube or nuptial vail under which the bride the Lamb's wife hath been hid from the rage of men Oh! how should this fortifie the Saints against future dangers and argue them to a dependent resting upon God! for them to cry out with the prophets servant Alas Master what shall wee do or with the disciples when tempest-tost wee perish as though there had been no hope of escaping as an high dishonour to them as Saints but more to the Lord Jesus as King of Saints especially to sink so low in their Faith as to say The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me this argueth them to be low in the sence of the care and love of God expressed to them in former mercies Oh then ye distressed of the Lord take sanctuary in this point and bewray not your infidelity by a sinking spirit in an evil day Is it so that the appearance of God are eminent and immediate in the day of his peoples distress Vse 2 Of Caution hath he given in security unto them by experienced preservations that he will be the Lord their Redeemer Oh this is a choice dish upon the Saints table they need not faint nor famish that have such a mess to feed upon yet as wholesome food may send up unwholesome vapors if unseasonably eaten or to excess and good Physick may produce bad effects if due order be not observed so this soveraign potion may nourish ill distempers if not rightly ordered And therefore I shall entreat you to take this Cordial with these cautions 1. Take heed you do not precipitate your selves into needless hazards and rashly cast your selves into dangers under the protection of this truth It is sinful to argue and would be unsafe to attempt it that because Elijah forded Jordan and made it passable with his mantle therefore thou wilt attempt the same rather then step out of thy way to go over the bridge or because the three Jewish worthies were preserved in the fiery Furnace therefore thou wilt throw thy self into the flames and presumptuously expect the same preservation no God will have his people learn the difference between tempting and trusting him It is folly not faith for a man to drink down a draught of deadly poison and say I believe the promise of Christ Mar. 16. vers 18. and expect to be antidoted against the venome of it the Israelites Numb 14. vers 44. are a said witness to the danger of presumption read the passage The Lord liketh not this language We will
The Art of Divine Improvement OR The Christian Instructed How to make a right use of Duties Dangers Deliverances Both as they concern himself and others Opened and applied in several SERMONS By NATHANIEL WHITING M.A. and Minister of the Gospel at Aldwinckle A work very suitable for all sorts of Christians and very seasonable for these times 1 Tim. 4.8 Exercise thy self unto Godliness LONDON Printed for R. T. and are to be sold by Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms next to Grocers-Alley in the Poultry 1662. To the Ransomed ones of the Lord with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Dear Friends WHen with my own people I thankfully owned before the Lord an eminent Deliverance from an imminent Danger I then entred uppon this Discourse which was suited to that Providence And having often reflected upon that signall mercy duely considering the opportunities of doing and receiving good which I have had since that gracious reprieve from death I have since drawn up my Meditations which then were short suddain and confused into a more enlarged orderly and methodicall Treatise I do not covet the applause of men nor court your Acceptance with strains of wit an affected Eloquence new lights put into a dark Lanthorne or Seraphicall Notions high and sublimate but present you with a plain and practical Discourss desiring to speak from the heart to the heart The Treatise is Tripartite thereby resembling the heart which is Triangular and 't is my single designe to endeavour that upon the points or corners of your hearts may be engraven your Dangers Deliverances and Duties that so the mercies of God which are Records of greatest Import may be preserved with greatest care and you may be provoked to act with greatest Conscience for God We cannot look back upon Adam in his lapsed Estate but we may see a deluge of wrath breaking in upon whole mankinde at the breach of the first Covenant we cannot read over our own Diaries but we may read our own Dangers drawn up in black Characters of our sins as provoking God unto displeasure against us nay the times that lately passed over us presented us with danger from the sword of men in the heat of warr and now are we in dayly hazards from the arrows of the Almighty in various and violent distempers Again we cannot seriously study the Gospel but our great Deliverance from wrath to come by the precious bloud of our Crucified Jesus presents it self unto our view nor can we considerately survey our own Soules but we may read the counterpane thereof transcribed by the Eternal Spirit nor own Experiences but we may meet with large Volumes of eminent Deliverances personall and Nationall wrought for us by the outstretched arme of an Almighty God Again if we turn over those holy leaves of the Scriptures of Truth if we consult the Experiences of Gods people in the Ages that are past or seriously advise with our own spirits when in a right frame we shall finde many Duties charged upon us as our returnes to God for our great Deliverances The great God will not be a loser by his mercies he exspecteth some incomes into the bank of his glory if he have it not from us he will have it out upon us If we do not give it he will take it Deliverances are a great Talent put into the hands of men to trade withal for God They that lap up this Talent in a napkin by forgetfulness or squander it away by unsuitable actings heap guilt upon their own soules and shall be sure at the reckoning day to finde this sin as the Israelites did an ounce of their golden calf in all the rebukes of God upon them The sad Consideration whereof hath been and is much upon my heart and hath been a principall inducement to thrust this Treatise into the world which is not Polemical in the main intention of it my Standard bearing this Motto Zech. 8.19 LOVE THE TRVTH AND PEACE nor is it provoking I hope to any Iames 3.17 being the product of that wisdome which is first pure then peaceable c. I have avoided all bitterness that I might not stirr up any prejudice my business is to be a Remembrancer from the Lord unto you and to provoke unto love and good works as the genuine improvement of grace and mercy received I have not exactly methodised this Treatise nor cast it into the mould of the Title Page but laid down all Sermon-wise handling the Saints Dangers and Deliverances in the Doctrinall and their Duties in the Applicatory part of it in which I have respect as well to Spiritual as to Temporal Dangers and Deliverances and with respect to all as they stand in a personall or Relative capacity I will not Cramben bis coctam dare by Epitomizing in the Epistle what is largely pressed in the body of the Discourse I shall therefore onely entreat you to bewail before the Lord that root which bringeth forth wormwood and gall amongst us that discontent and sullenness of spirit by means whereof God is not owned in nor honoured for those glorious vouchsafements of mercy which have been matter of envie and astonishment in all the Nations about us that land-flood of corrupt Principles and practises which like a swift and spreading Torrent hath laid a great part of the Nation under water that spirit of bitterness and enmity against Godliness in the power and Religion in the purity of it and those sad divisions about which sadly hinder the work of a thorough Gospel-Reformation c. all which are sowre grapes yea clusters of Gomorrah and not such a Vintage which the Lord might reasonably exspect from a people of such rich mercies such signal preservations and under the enjoyment of such encouraging advantages as ours have been O that your souls would mourn in secret places for these things O that you were so affected with them that you would refuse your pleasant bread O that you would so reprove a carnal and careless Generation of men by your lively acttings for God that many yea all who have experienced the goodness of the Lord in eminent preservations may glorifie the name of the Lord by an Evangelical conversation that so the presence of God may still give us rest that our English Zion may be made an Eternal Excellency a joy of many generations Isay 60.15 18. that our walls through the divine Custodiency may still be called Salvation and our gates praise But though this spiritual Lethargy be incurable in many yet be ye O ye Ransomed ones of the Lord awakened unto duty and let the sense of mercy in the eminent appearances of God to your help in the daies of your distress carry you like wind and tide full sail in your zeal for his Glory in order to which I shall humbly offer these hints unto you and I entreat the people of my own charge to take special notice of them as
with righteousness Isa 1. vers 25.26 27. and let it not be ill resented that I intreat you to consider how small your springs were which are now spread into broad Rivers how Jacob-like the passage of some have been over this Jordan Gen. 32. vers 10. How much of truth there is in Hannah's Song 1 Sam. 2. vers 7 8. And in Davids Psalm Psal 113. vers 7 8. one ecchoing to another like the Seraphims in Isaiah The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up he raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up egentem the needy from the dunghil to set them among Princes to make them inherit the throne of glory As David Agathocles Numa Maximinianus c. and that ye would alwayes keep a fresh sense of these three Considerations upon your spirits you that have owned the cause of God and acted in the work of this generation 1. Consideration Cousider how eminent and glorious the appearances of God have been unto you how the arm of God hath been mightily out-stretched for you when you met with opposition to blood and wasting in the Land and that from a numerous and inraged enemy How often the Lord defeated the plots befooled the Councels and broke the power and Armies of them who lifted up themselves against you and Amalek-like fought you in Rephidim when you were upon your march through the Wilderness to the land of promise and who were as Samaritans among you hindering you by force of Armes and weakning your hands by false reports when you were building at least repairing the house of the Lord and the walls of our Jerusalem and yet in the things wherein they dealt proudly God was above them and the same God hath by unparalleld providence kept the sword still in your hands and you still upon the seat of Justice Consid 2. Consider how the Lord hath not joyned you in Copartnership with those that were your enemies dividing the government betwixt you and them which surely not long since would have been owned as a great priviledge by you and as a great mercy by us but the Lord hath put the sole Government of the Nation and the ordering of affaires into your hands You have seen Maries Magnificat made good The Lord hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree Luke 1. vers 52. Are not some of you those of low degree whom the Lord hath exalted to the seat of the mighty Are not you I hope some of you are Eliakims the servants of the Lord whom he hath chosen in Shebna's room Hath he not cloathed you with their Robes strengthened you with their Girdles committed their Government into your hands and made you fathers to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah Isa 22. vers 20 21. Oh that this might be layed to heart and the goodness of the Lord unto you in it that the abuses of the former Government may be remedied not revived that the pride and pomp which was onely like that of King Agrippa and Bernice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer phantasie Act. 25. vers 23. a vain shew all worldly pomp and state being no better of former Governours may be lamented not looked after by you may be mourned for not medled with by you the righteousness of Christ being your Robe his cross being your Crown his Gospel being your glory and that with Nehemiah that good Tirshatha you may not onely procure the peace but prevent the oppression of your people that your loynes may be lighter than the little singers of your Predecessors and that you may speak in your deportments the words of Nehemiah chap. 5. vers 14 15. From the time that I was appointed to be Governour in the land of Judah even twelve years I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the Governòur but the former Governours which were before me were chargeable unto the people Yea even their servants bare rule over the people but so did not I because of the fear of God yea also I continued in the work of this wall neither bought we any land Consid 3. Consider how not Magistrates only but Magistraalso hath been strucken at by men whose-spirits and principles were against both Some of whom it may be have sate in Councel with you and have formerly ventured far to lay the Key of Government upon you and upon themselves but since so strangely are they metamorphosed they have hated it may be your persons and opposed your Government so that you may take up Davids complaint Psal 41. vers 9. Mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me compared with Psal 55. vers 11 12 13. Mine equal my guide my acquaintance we took sweet counsell together and walked to the house of God in company Oh! let these and many other considerations of like import dwell upon your spirits and often meditate that though attempts have been made against your persons and places yet the Lord hath secured you in your present standing Oh then Watch ye stand fast in the faith quit your selves like men be strong 1 Cor. 16. vers 13. Oh remember what opportunities ye once had that had ye acted up unto them and vigorously improved the advantages ye once had much of that evil which in later years hath sprung up might have been buried under ground and the smell of the Nation would have been as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Gen. 27. vers 27. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning these things may we not hopefully conclude that the Lord hath thoughts of peace and not of trouble towards us Doth not concurrence of the many providences hint good will from the Lord unto us Is it nothing that no weapon which is formed against us doth prosper Sâ—ndercoms Design that no designe takes place no Mine takes fire no plot how secret soever ripeneth without discovery witness the late project of blood and murther against the Protectors person like the old Powder-plot detected in the very nick of time when the fire-work was prepared and placed and the match lighted that all attempts to involve the Nation into war and trouble have been dashed in peeces that still the Nation enjoyes peace and the Gospel-in peace Stir up all your strength for God rise up in all your might for the interest of Zion and for the honour of the Lord of Hosts who hath carried you through all those great changes which your eyes have beheld and hath still kept the helme of Government in your hands notwithstanding all those storms which have been upon the Nation and hath now put a new opportunity into your hands the Lord make you magnanimous and unanimous in the work of the Lord that yet a blessed Reformation may be brought forth by your means that so the people of this land may be known
is past the summer is ended and we are not saved sickness and death have not removed their quarters neither is there any amongst us that knoweth how long their abode shall be Psal 74. vers 9. Their commission being under the Privy Seal of Heaven and if their hostilities be so great this winter season what wasting and desolation may we fear at the time when Kings go forth to battle 2 Sam. 11. ver 1. if winter agues be so violent what will the summer feavers be if these diseases sweep our Townes so much what will the besome of destruction do If we have run with the footmen and they have wearied us then how shall we contend with horses If we have been wearied in the land of Jordan O that the sence of our present sickness and the fear of an approaching mortality invading the land was set home upon all our hearts that we might improve the Lords counsel Hos 14.2 to take with us words and turn to the Lord and say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously that we might prepare to meet our God with an entreaty of peace before the decree come forth Oh that all especially the men of wisdome in the Nation would hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6. vers 9. and receive teaching from it My humble advice from the Lord to those who have been sick and now are west who are now in the land of the living when as many labouring under the said distempers are gone down to the chambers of death is this I. That you would own with thankfulness the healing mercies of God whereby you have been restored Let your thoughts often reflect upon your former weakness what pains and faintings seased upon you what the opinion of your Physicians and the fears of your Relations were when your pulses beat low and softly when you drew your breath short and painfully when paleness had covered your faces when the grashopper was a burden to you such was your weakness Job 16. vers 16. when the shadow of death was on your eye-lids and all the symptomes of death appeared in you and all this at such a time when graves were opened very many in most places when God himself was the preacher and that upon this text Isa 40. vers 6 7. All flesh is grass and the goodliness of it as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it which was fully confirmed every passing bell being a proof of the point and every dead corps a reason of the doctrine so that if ever now it might safely be affirmed the people is grass and you as grass might have withered into dead hay and though flowers might have faded into loathsome Carcases if the Lord had not preserved a secret sap at the root Oh consider to receive a message of life from the Lord when you had received a message of death from man to be kept alive by his almighty power when you were within an hairs breadth of death is a mercy worth the owning at all times but calls for more abundant thankfulness at such a time as this was when so many some out of the same houses and many out of the same Towns have been carried forth unto the places of burial when many of those had the same advantages for life yea greater some from men and means then ye had yet they are dead and ye are alive Oh these considerations lay great ingagements of thankfulness upon you especially if you seriously take notice what your sickness was by which ye received an arrest from the Lord it was not an ordinary disease it hath been very much ludibrium medicorum few Physicians have found out the true cause and the right cure of it the distempers have so varied and the effects have been so different in several persons and places so that with the Egyptian Sorcerers all have been forced to confess it was no other then the finger of God The Lord having made good upon us that threatning Deut. 28. Verse 61. In bringing a sickness among us which is not written in the book of the Law a Scripture parralel whereof in every particular cannot be found I shall represent it to you under these Considerations 1. It was general no County no Town no Family scarcely escaped the rod nay almost all persons found some alterations in their bodies as tendencies to that disease having as large a Commission as to smiting as the destroying Angel had Ezek. 9. vers 5 6. Go ye through the City and smite let not your eye spare neither have ye pity slay utterly old and young both maids and little children and women 2. It was suddain Many Diseases have their Prodromio's their forerunners which bring news of their coming some dayes or weeks before they seize a man but when men were in their apprehensions perfectly well and at their labour perceiving no symptomes of a sickness they were suddenly surprised some in the Towns some in the fields and brought home sick As if a man should walk in a Corporation and suddenly should be snapt by the Sergeants and carried to the Jaile when he feared nothing less 1 Thes 5.3 3. It was violent It seized many strong men with that violence at the first onset as though it would strike but once many thinking at their first surprisall they had been dropping into the grave like that Job 16. v. 12 13 14. I was at ease Read Mr. Jakson's notes in loc but he hath broken me asunder he hath also taken me by the neck and shaken me to peices and set me up for his marke His archers compass me about he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare he poureth out my gall upon the ground He breaketh me with breach upon breach he runneth upon me like a Giant 4. It was weakning the strength of the strong man was suddenly taken from him that he was either chained to his bed or like an old man walked with his staffe in his hand through age Zech. 8. ver 4. for Job 6. ver 4. the arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit And Psal 38.8 10. I am feeble and sore broken c. My heart panteth my strength faileth me by reason of inappetency Psal 107. ver 18. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat 5. It was languishing many diseases do their work in a few dayes either the distemper wears off and health returns or else sicknesse prevails and death comes In some cases the Malefactour is committed till the next Goal-delivery and then set free with a little scarre in his hand But in other cases a man is kept prisoner from Sessions to Assizes and from Assizes to Sessions and knows not when he shall have his freedome or whether his life will be spared at last So some diseases have their fixed periods of time after which health is restored but in
this distemper many have been referred from Sessions to Assizes have had many hopefull intervalls and yet are detained bound over from the feaver to a quartan ague and after long detainment find little strength and as little hopes of life at the last See Job 13. ver 26 27 28. and chap. 16. ver 8. thou hast filled me with wrinkles which is a witnesse against me grief had made surrows in his face and his tears filled them 7. It was inevitable No way to avoid the stroke Vid. Trap. in loc no Antidote would prevent it no closet could secure against it as 1 King 22. ver 34. like that Psal 90. ver 5 6. Arrows fly swiftly and secretly though Ahab had disguised himself that he might not be known and armed himself that he might not be wounded yet a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote him between the joynts of the harnesse 7. It was mortall to many persons in many places 1. In the present stroke some never came off from their sickbeds till they were carried to their death beds to wit their graves 2. In the effects and consequents of it though the disease it self kill'd not some presently yet it slipt them into Dropsies Consumptions and Quartans which have since been mortall to many Now then set home these considerations give God the glory of your lives in the words of the text ascribe your healing onely unto him in the words of Eliphaz Job 5. ver 18. He maketh sore and bindeth up he wonndeth and his hands make whole and go sing good Hezekiahs song to the stringed instruments all the dayes of your life in the house of the Lord Isa 38. ver 20. II. Make good your sick-bed thoughts and purposes what you intended when sick be intent upon now well what you then purposed now practise sick people usually have the best minds but the worst memories when they are under an arrest from the Lord and brought within sight of the Prison then conscience is awakened then their debts to God lie heavy upon their spirits then their thoughts are how to make even with God and fly to their surety then if mercy will but put in Bail for them if God will but spare them a little before they go hence and be no more if he will but have patience they will pay him all No Saint under heaven can promise fairer and further then they what they will do and what they will be if the Lord restore them to health Luke 11. ver 24. The unclean spirit often goeth out upon a sick-bed there is a cessation from sin that work goes not on then but alas sad experience hath let us see too often that words are but winde and all the sick-bed resolutions vanish into air the unclean spirit returns when restored to health and finds the heart swept and garnished then goeth he and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last estate of that man is worse then the first As health comes on Religion goes off and they forget the vows of the Lord that were upon them Indeed it fares thus very often with the Saints themselves what a vow did Jacob bring his soul under when in distresse Gen. 28. ver 20 21 22. Mr. Calamy Con. in Psal 119.92 I knew a man who in the time of his sickness was so terrified in his conscience for sin that he made the very bed to shake upon which he lay and cried out all night long I am damned I am damned and made many and great protestations of amendment of life but became as wicked as ever yet this good man made slow haste to perform it until God was fain to jog him and be as a faithful remembrancer unto him Gen. 35. ver 1 2 3. then and not till then did Jacob purge his family and go up to Bethel to perform his vow which computing the time was about seven and twenty years after he made it good Hezekiah fell into this distemper also you shall hear how his spirit was up in thankfulness to God Isa 38. ver 19. The living the living they shall praise thee as I do this day the father to the children shall make known thy truth that is I will perpetuate the memoriall of this mercy by handing down the knowledge thereof to my children yea my command shall be upon them as a speciall charge in my last will that they shall give God the glory of my recovery good words spoken and probably from a reall intention at that time But alas the sence of this great mercy was but an Ephimera it soon wore off 2 Chron. 32. ver 25. Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for the recovery was signal attended with many remarkable circumstances as 1. The sentence of death was reversed which was passed in foro externo for God had sent him a speciall message by the hand of Isaiah to set his house in order for saith he thou shalt die and not live chap. 38. Object But did not the Prophet speak his own apprehensions onely considering the mortality of that disease which had seized upon him Sol. No he prefaceth his message with Thus saith the Lord and 't is certain he knew the Lords mind concerning him at least so much as was then revealed there being not any person then alive who was Consiliarius è secretioribus to the most high God more then Isaiah was and who knew more of the councels of Heaven witnesse his glorious and Evangelicall promises and Predictions 2. The reversall of the sentence of death was the single return and procurement of his own prayers and tears for ver 5. The Lord gives a second command to the Prophet to go to Hezekiah and deliver this message from him Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayers I have seen thy tears so that as Hannah said of Samuel her son 1 Sam. 1. ver 27. For this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him The same might Hezekiah for my life I prayed and wept and the Lord hath given me my petition Nay the Lord makes a large addition to his life Psal 21.4 he asked life and the Lord gave him length of days the life of man twice told in our ordinary law compute even fifteen years which did very much accent the Lords mercy seeing Hezekiah was so exceeding earnest for life having then no Son to succed in the throne and the affairs of Church and state being very unsetled 4. This also gave a great Emphasis to the mercy in that he had such a suddain return to his prayer The Lord did not make him wait long for answer thereby tormenting his spirit with perplexing fears but before the Prophet was gone out into the middle Court 2 Kin. 20.4 the word of the Lord came unto him the Lord
he hath ransomed from the grave in these late sickly times live the rest of your time in the flesh to the will of God in the advancement of Gospel-purity and the power of godliness let this be your return to the Lord observe his finger pointing to this as the especial work of your generation and believe that God hath brought you again from the dead that ye may give life to reformation national at least Congregational which for many years hath laboured under painful throes and pangs and yet is not delivered The Apostle Paul in that excellent Sermon of his preached at Antioch Act. 13. Speaking honorably of holy David verse 22. produceth letters testimonial under Gods own hand concerning him in these words I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart who shall fulfill all my wills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gives this farther account of him vers 36. That after he had served his own generation by the will of God he fell asleep Whence I note in general that the best men and most eminent both for parts place and piety must dye Josh 1.2 God tells Joshua this news Moses my servant is dead what he was and how eminent the spirit of God fully declares And David full of days riches and honor died 1 Chro. 29.28 And go therefore work whilst it is day walk in the light whilst ye have the light bestir your selves for God for though eminent dye ye must as many of great eminency in this age of ours have dyed who are yet lamented by some now alive and will be more unless the Lord fill up their empty rooms with others of choice and noble spirits 2. In particular I shall briefly commend these few things unto you as 1. That the best and choicest of Gods saints are not exempted from service God exspects to have work done by every servant he will not suffer idle drones to live in his family he will not allow any lazy loiterers to sleep within the walls of his vineyard he doth not keep any idle Serving-men in his house no he appoints them all to labour and 't was well if the patterne of God's house was observed if the Lawes of his family were executed by our Great Ones much sin would be prevented which is nursed at the breasts of idleness nay places of great eminency are no exemption from Gods work The nobles of Tekoah have a brand set upon them because they put not their necks to the work of the Lord Neh. 3. ver 5. And the Lord puts this as the highest mark of honour into the scutcheons of his greatest Saints that they were his servants Moses my servant my servant David c. Matth. 25. ver 20 21. He that received five talents traded and at the day of accounts his labour was not onely honourably accepted but gloriously rewarded entrance was granted unto him into his Masters joy 2. That Gods will is and must be the only rule of our work The Master expects as to have his work done so to have his own orders and directions observed in the doing of it to neglect the work of the Lord and to do it cross to divine order is equally sinful Vzziah died upon the place for touching the Ark and Vzziah was stricken with the leprosie for attempting to burn incense upon the Altar of incense both which expresly thwarted the appointment of God It was the peoples sin to eat the Passeover otherwise then it was written 2 Chron. 30.18 Therefore David in the person of the Lord Jesus joyns both together Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will yea thy law is in my heart as the standard by which I work and our Saviour writes vanity upon the forehead of all service which is performed to God upon the single authority of man without a warrant under Gods own hand for it Mat. 15.9 In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men what bundles of vain worships are layed upon Gods Alter by the Pontificians And how ought we to be humbled also for the vanity of many services which have been performed by us in this Nation 3. That the great God commands us not onely to work but to do the work of our own Generation David served out his own Generation he did the work which was allotted by the Lord to him in that particular age he lived in which was to fight the Lords battels to subdue the enemies of his Church settle the Nation in peace establish the worship of God provide for the service of his Sanctuary and prepare for the building of the temple these were the works of his Generation in those 2 capacities of Prophet and King and therefore the holy Ghost engraves this Epitaph upon his sepulchre which shall not be defaced so long as the world endures that David served his own generation by the will of God Instances of like nature the Scripture affords many Quest But the great Query is How shall we know what are the proper works of our Generation Answ I answer much of this nature hath been offered by learned and judicious Divines in severall Treatises and though they have not been so harmonious as was defired in their judgement as to the manner yet they have agreed in one as to the matter Indeed repentance toward God and faith towards our Lord Jesus with those generall duties of Religion which are comprehenhended under these two heads none deny or dispute except some of prophane or perverted spirits and judgements and that things of order and Government in the Church should be reduced to the Primitive Pattern and Practice few of sober and Orthodox principles do oppose yea most desire and surely that this is the generation which God hath called forth to act in these transactions may be spell'd if not legibly read in the dispensations of his providence towards us I do not set up providence as a standing rule to work and walk by when it is either crosse unto or receives not approbation from the written word for that was to perswade the Traveller to sleep all day when the sun shines bright and clear and to take his Journey in the night when the starres do onely twinckle and the wayes are dangerous and difficult to find mistakes have been sad and many of this kind Numb 14. ver 40 41. the mistake of Gods minde in that dreadfull message ver 39. occasioned the slaughter of many men for the people apprehending that God was offended with them for not going up to take possession of Canaan rose up early in the morning and gat them up unto the top of the mountain saying Lo we be here and will go up into the place which the Lord hath promised for we have sinned and what followed why their attempting to invade their enemies under this mistake cost them many of their lives Thus did Saul mistake the mind of the Lord 1 Sam. 23. ver 7. when it was told
him that David was come to Keilah presently he infers that God had delivered him into his hand for sayes he he is shut in by entring into a town that hath gates and bars but it proved otherwise Yea Davids men would have put him upon the same mistake chap. 24. ver 4. when Saul came into the cave to cover his feet where David and his men lay hid they presently conclude behold the day of which the Lord hath said unto thee behold I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand that thou maist do to him as it shall seem good unto thee A like passage ye have chap. 26. ver 8. when David and Abishai came into Sauls army by night and found them all fast asleep not a Sentinell waking and Saul asleep also Abishai said to David God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day now therefore let me smite him I pray thee with the spear unto the earth at once and I will not smite him a second time but David durst not slay the Lords Anointed under the protection and warrant of this providence as the following verses declare because it would have been an expresse violation of Gods will Instances of this nature might be multiplied But now when the speakings of God in his works run in a paralell line with the speakings of God in his word when they fall in with his revealed will they do then safely interpret the mind of God and are a good glosse upon the text both as to the quod and quando of a duty shewing that it ought to be done and that then is the time for the doing of it thus Abraham when he had received a prohibition from heaven not to sacrifice Isaac and beheld a ramme caught in a thicket by the horns interprets the mind of God by that providence and offers up the ramme in the stead of Isaac Gen. 22. ver 12 13. by a divine Prolepsis anticipating that law of redemption which afterwards was enacted and published by God himself Exod. 13. ver 13. all the first born of man amongst thy children shalt thou redeem thus when the Lord met Moses by the way as he was going down to Egypt and would have slain him Exod. 4. ver 14 15 then Zipporah his wife probably by her husbands appointment circumcised her son concluding the neglect of that duty to be the speakings of God in that providence as appeared Read Babbingtons notes upon the place for when the child was circumcised the Lord let Moses go When Gideon heard the Medianites dream and the interpretation of it Judge 7. ver 15. he worshipped and returned into the host of Israel and said Arise for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host He concludes this providence as a clear exposition of the mind of God and a full confirmation of former promises How did the Elders of the Jews now being in Babylon interpret the Lord's mind in setting Cyrus the Persian upon the throne of Babylon and stirring up his heart to publish that gracious edict concerning their return to Jerusalem and rebuilding of the temple Ez. 1. ver 2 3. why they concluded that God had now put an opportunity into their hands both to quit the waters of Babylon by which they had sate down and wept and to enjoy the freedome of Gods worships in their own land ver 5. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the Priests and Levites with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem they owned this providence as a true paraphrase upon that passage Psal 102. ver 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come being penned as is thought by Daniel or some other holy man about this time of Cyrus's proclamation Now to bring this home to our selves that the reformation of State-abuses and male-administrations is the mind of God appears Isa 1. ver 17. Cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgement relieve the oppressed judge the fatherlesse plead for the widow that the worships of God should be established in liberty and purity that Gospel-truth should be winnowed from the chaffe of errours and heresies that the people of God should walk in the fellowship of the Gospel and advance Religion and the power of Godliness the Scriptures plainly declare to be the will of God that such things are seizable that there is hope of a good issue in such undertakings we have the word of Gods faithfulness for Isa 1. ver 25 26 27. Isa 60. ver 11.19 20 21 22. Chap. 54. ver 11 12 13. Zech. 13. vers 2 3 4 5. Ezek. 11. vers 19 20. Zeph. 3. vers 9.11 12 13. If these and other Scriptures be consulted with they will afford matter of great encouragement to the Saints of God which breathe after Zion's beauty and glory And that it is a duty incumbent upon the Lords people to endeavour these things besides the inward witness of the Spirit in their own hearts we have the testimony of the Spirit in the Scripture of truth And that this is the period of time in the secret appointments of the onely wise God and the Saints of this generation the people assigned by him for the carrying on of these works may be read in the dispensations of God amongst and toward us what have the people of God had more in former Ages by way of call from God or encouragement from men then we have Did God give them rest and peace from their enemies forraign and domestick So hath he given us in some measure Did the Lord pull down those persons and powers amongst them who authorised or abetted Idolatry and profaneness hath he not done the same amongst us Did the Lord give them the protection and encouragement of prudent and pious governours is it not so with us had they the Prophets of the Lord to quicken them up and strengthen their hands have not we also faithful and learned Ministers who from press and pulpit call upon us and excite us to do great things for the Lord Oh what glorious work would those blessed Spirits who are now at rest have made in England if they had enjoyed our opportunities Let me commend the practise of the Saints unto you Acts 9. v. 31. Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samariah And how did they improve their Halcyon dayes why they were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplied the superstructures were carried on and new foundations laid old converts arrived at greater growth and new converts were dayly added Oh what a blessed peace would ours be if these two fruits were the products of it Oh ye servants of the Lord whom he hath ransomed from the grave and from the sword Magistrates Ministers and Christians lay aside your
the holy spirit of promise and hast taken earnest of thine inheritance since thou didst believe Oh be much and with much seriousness in all these particulars make a due collection of all and as thou carefully observest the great deliverances which God hath wrought for thee upon a temporal score so much more read over and ruminate upon that great redemption from wrath and condemnation and say with the Psalmist when envited to it by a seasonable opportunity Psal 66.16 Come and hear all yea that fear the Lord and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul of which this treatise will give the a further account with directions for the managing of it and the benefits which redound from it 2. Quicken up your selves unto duty in all your hard-heartednesse and damps of soul the best trees are subject unto mosse which stunts them in their growth and that stints them in their fruitfulnesse so the best Saints are liable to deadnesse of heart and damps of zeal the love of the world like mosse over-grows them or else there is some worm of pride security self-confidence c. at the root which drinks up the sap of life and blasteth the fruits of of faith and holinesse O how have I seen some fruitfull Christian grow as the lily cast forth their roots as Lebanon spread their branches and beauty as the Olive-tree and their sent as Lebanon Hos 14. ver 5 6. which afterwards have been dwarfed in their growth dwindled in their fruit and decayed in their sent How was it with the Church Can. 2. ver 3 4.5 Like the apple tree among the trees of the foreest so is my well beloved among the sons of men Isate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my taste At what a rate in this verse and some following verses doth she speak forth the praises and preciousnesse of the Lord Jesus expressing her delight complacency and acquiescence in him and the ardency and strength of her holy affections towards him again chap. 3. ver 1 2 3 4. How earnestly and instantly did she seek the Lord Jesus in his withdrawings from her How hastily did she get out of her bed and trudge to Jerusalem where the Temple Priests and ordinances were to find her beloved Jesus and how did she lay hold upon him and cling unto him clasp him with the embraces of faith and love and would not part with him untill she had her desires fulfilled like Jacob Gen. 32. ver 26. nay Chap. 4. ver 16. How fervently doth she pray for the graces and in-breathings of the spirit and invite her beloved to come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit and yet what an unhandsome return and how inevitable to all those affectionate pangs did the Lord Jesus receive from her Chap. 5. ver 3. Christ gives her a visit and calls to her to open the door and entertain him and she from within replies I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them what a pictifull answer is here and what poor reasons are here produced I have put off my coat like that Luke 11. ver 7. Tr uble me not the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed I cann't rise A great businesse sure to have risen a little from his children and opened the door to relieve the want of a neighbour the flesh is wayward as well as weak I cannot sayes he how can I saith she well enough she was past a child and not yet grown so decrepid with old age but she could make her self ready at least she might have slipt on her morning coat and stept to the door without any danger of taking cold but sin and shifting came into the world together as one observeth and the brats of our own begetting are alwayes with us in the bed of carnall security and flesh-pleasing yet let us a little plead the Churches cause and advocate for her to take off the rigour of the charge It may be she was asleep and had then let fall the watch of the Lord no she sayes ver 2. I sleep but my heart waketh there was wakfulnesse in the hidden man of the heart though her eyes might be a little drowsie It may be Christ made no noise without nor gave any notice he was there yes he knocked it may be he did but onely knock and in the night we are not willing to open the door unlesse we hear the voice of him that knocketh I but Christ both knocked and called It may be she did not know his voice and therefore did not open a chaste wife will not at unseasonable hours arise and open her doors unto a stranger in her husbands absence I but she knew his voice vers 2. It is the voice of my well beloved that knocketh It may be Christ onely knocked and called like a friend in his journey onely to enquire how it fared with her or to speak unto her at the window nay he spake his plain meaning He had her open unto him which implies his desire to have entered her house It may be Christ had given her some distast had let fall some unkind words which made her a little pettish a common fault among women or else the match was broke off no Christ owns her as his Beloved and courts her with the most winning and amicable tearms of love My Sister my Love my Dove my undefiled I but it may be Christ was too quick for her gave but a knock and a call and was gone before she could rise and open the door No Christ stayed till his head was filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night Christ stands bare headed and that in foul weather yea in the night time wooing intreating and beseeching admittance yet could obtain none but must go seek lodging in some other place Dr. Richardson in loc as one says All these circumstances being put into the ballance do sadly speak out both the fault and folly of the Church and give full testimony to those distempers which seize upon the best Saints But how did the Lord Jesus the best and great Physitian bring off the Church from this distemper Why vers 4. He put in his hand by the hole of the door the key hole Why his hand the reason of the phrase may be this we know the hand is the chief instrument of action with that we work we write we fight c. So the spirit is as the hand of Christ by him he convinceth quickeneth teacheth comforteth illighteneth and strengtheneth his people as Act. 11.20 21. those that were scattered spake unto the Grecians and preached the Lord Jesus And the hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number believed and turned unto the Lord so powerful and present was the spirit of the Lord in succeeding their Gospel-Ministery that faith was wrought in
alas all the arguments and oratory boastings and bravadoes of Arminius will be but as the staff of Elisha to the dead child or as the Jews tears shed over the grave of dead Lazarus or as the exorcismes of the sons of Sceva they will avail little either to light or life grace or growth without the concurrance of the spirit and power of the Lord Jesus Christians do finde by daily and sad experience that the power of godliness would be but poorly advanced in them if they had no other power to act by then that of nature and the work of holiness would be carryed on but slowly in them if they had no better friend then free-will to promote it they would soon stick upon the shallows if the gales and tides of the spirit did not waft them off their hearts would soon be dead if the spirit of the Lord did not quicken them their affections would soon be chilled if the spirit of the Lord did not warm them their desires would soon be straightned if the spirit of the Lord did not enlarge them if the spirit of the Lord did not help our infirmities how listless should we be unto prayer and how lifeless in prayer Oh whatever proud men do vainly boast let not us sacrifice to our own nets nor burn incense to our own drags but say with the Psalmist not unto us not unto us O Lordâ— but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake Psal 115.1 and in all our duties and devotions when we do most for God and act highest for his glory let us breath out those humble acknowledgements of that holy man 1 Chro. 29.14 Who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee So vers 6. O Lord our God all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy Name cometh of thine hand and is all thine own This will be a means to keep our hearts in an humble and dependent frame upon God and make us acknowledge with the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God we are what we are and this grace which we humbly confess to be bestowed upon us will not be in vain but will make us labour more abundantly for God then they all that proudly assert the power of nature and yet in all our actings for God we shall cast down our crowns at the feet of the Lambe and self-denyingly say Not we but the grace of God which was with us not we but thy talents have gained other five 3. This makes a sad report of the dangerous estate that all men are in whilst they are under the power of corrupt nature they ly upon the brink of the pit they walk within one inch of Hell they hang by the twine thread of a frail and brittle life over that deep and dark dungeon of the great abysse ready each moment to drop in Oh! did they but hear the doleful woes which are denounced against them it would be a dreadful sound in their ears Oh their hearts are very hard and their beds very soft who can quietly sleep out one night under the apprehension of that sad estate yet such a lethargy and spirit of deep sleep hath seized upon most men that they nor onely take a little nap but fetch many a sound sleep in that dead and undone condition Oh! if a blind man should wander without a guide until he came within one step of a great lake of brimstone and fire and then his eyes should be suddenly open to see the danger he was near unto what a work would this have upon his spirit How full of rejoycing and amazement would he be filled with that he had escaped so great a danger Or suppose a man should be taken out of a ship when fast asleep and should be laid upon the top of a rock in the middest of a deep and broad Sea what sears would surprize him what expectations of certain and inevitable death would he be possessed with when he awakes and seeth neither ship nor land nor man near him but is left alone in the wide and wild Ocean Nay farther what would be the thoughts and afrightments of that man who should be chained to a brazen pillar and a thousand Cannons charged and mounted and ready to be fired upon him Sure he would be afraid each moment to be dasht in pieces But alas these and all other resemblances which the heart of man can possibly finde out fall far short of that deplorable estate natural men are in they are left upon a rock ready every munite to be engulph't and swallowed up by the deluge of Divine wrath all the curses and threatnings of the law are each moment ready to be discharged upon them nay whilest they are securely jogging on in the ways of sin and vanity the next step they take may tumble them headlong into hell and yet they are asleep and know not blind and see not the dangers they are dropping into and so are they shackled with the ferters of their own corruptions that they cannot step aside to avoid the danger Oh were their eyes opened as once Balaams were and they awakened as once Sampson was we might wonder that any natural man kept his wits that the whole world who lys in wickedness was not baptized with Pashurs new name Magor-Missabib viz. fear on every side Jer. 20.3 even round about them and to see that dreadful passage made good in every Nation and town Rev. 6.15 16. That the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men the chief captains and the mighty men and every bondman and every free-man should hide themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains and should say unto the mountains and recks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who way abide his coming Ah surely the sense of their dreadful misery would suddenly bring them into Nabals condition their hearts would die within them and they would be as stones O how should the sense of this provoke the Saints to own with thankfulnesse recovering and renewing grace and especially if we consider Consid 2 what sad distractions the sense of this danger brought forth in us at our first awakening Many of the Saints under their first convictions have seen their misery past all hope of remedy They have had sad visions of wo and wrath at their first enlightening Many have been the terrours and great hath been the consternation of spirit which many have lain under at their first conversion Such a sense of sin wrath and judgement to come hath seized upon them that Felix-like they have trembled nay they have cried out with the Prophet Isa 6. ver 5. Wo
large in that peculiar Ordinance of the Supper to be a departure from the flock and fold of Christ for in this their breathing after Gospel-purity they walk agreably to a Gospel-rule 1 Cor. 5.11 Cha. 10.16 17. but when a people run into destructive errors and take up opinions or practices inconsistent with the truth and holiness of the Gospel this I call a wandering from the flock and fold of Christ 4. When sheep begin to wander and are got out of their usual walk so inobservant are they that they straggle over all mountains and hills and know not where to stay nor how to return home again how sadly and how often hath this been evidenced in our days what errors new or old have not been taken up and entertained by some of the Nation how have some wandered from mountain to hill and knew not where to fit down and how far have they straggled out of their knowledge that they knew not how to get back again 5. That wandering sheep become meat to every beast of prey single sheep and silly sheep when they are from under the care and oversights of their keepers can hardly save themselves by flight or fight from the evening wolves how suddainly have many been caught in our days Joh. 15.6 6. That there are many beasts of prey which lay wait for wandering sheep to devour them Foxes and Wolves have been always stirring and are not many now a days Wolves in sheeps cloathing who have cunningly drest up their opinions with such an Evangelical trimming that nothing of the Wolf appears even to them which hold him by the ears 7. That it is much blame-worthy in shepherds when they suffer their sheep to go astray and run themselves into danger the Lord chargeth high as a piece of great unfaithfulness in the over-seers of his flock when through their default his sheep do straggle and become a prey to the beast of the field you may hear him expressing himself in words of greatest distast Ezek. 34.10 Thus saith the Lord God Adonai Jehovah or Jehovah who is your Lord behold I am against the shepherds and I will require my flock at their hands and cause them to cease feeding my flock t is known to most that in Scripture-language Magistrates and Ministers are termed shepherds and have in their respective capacities a joint over-sight of the flock committed unto them by the chief shepherd but alas how have ye Magistrates shuffled off the care of the flock to the Ministers and how have the Ministers shifted back the over-sight of it to the Magistrates and betwixt them both many sheep have wandered and some have been worried Though most were desirous that the Foxes should be taken yet it came under dispute who should take them and though at all hands it was agreed that deceiving Jezebel should be dealt withal yet how and by whom hath hitherto been the question Ask the Magistrate and he will tell you Ministers must do it by the sword of the spirit and ask the Minister and he will tell you that the Magistrate must do it by the sword of his civil power And whilst we have been disputing what to do and who should do it errors have sadly spread and a considerable part of the flock hath straggled and is become a prey to the beasts of the field the blame whereof is laid by some at the Magistrates door upon account of his tenderness and gentleness of spirit and countenance to such as differed onely in disciplinary points refusing to establish by his civil sanction that way of discipline as universal and imposing upon all which they own and would enthrone as the government of the Lord Jesus as also for their remisness and too much indulgence to evil persons and opinions in not punishing the one nor suppressing the other which amounteth to a toleration And many charge the blame hereof upon the Ministry by reason of morose austere and rigid carriage toward those who differ from them in the way of discipline or onely in some lesser doctrines that are not fundamental or because they remit much of that care watchfulness and oversight which the duty of their places and the present necessity obliged them unto but the day will declare it and t is not good for either to plead not guilty the Lord help us to mourn that the folds are broken up and that the flocks are scattered The Lord teach us all our duty and by his own spirit in the word determine that great question what is to be done and by whom That the sick may be healed the broken bound up the lost may be sought up those that are driven away may be brought again and the residue secured against future scattering And the Lord give stability of spirit to his people that they may be kept from topling in these tottering times when so many backslide some in profession not in opinion some in opinion who yet retain a profession and some in opinion and profession both stepping into Religion without any precedaneous and inward change and so soon in soon out making that good 1 John 2.19 They went out from us because they were not of us And now you will finde upon due trial this an excellent means to fix your spirits when you read over those acts of grace which the Lord hath drawn out upon your hearts in the blood of his own Son How did this fix the Apostles Joh. 6.67 Many of the disciples went back and walked no more with the Lord Jesus upon which he puts the question to them will yee also forsake me there was need of such a question for Nemo errat sibi-ipsi Seneca sed dementiam spargit in proximos the heathen could say no man errs to himself but evil men and erring do spread their madness unto their neighbors as weeds endanger the good corn bad humors the good blood and an infected house the whole neighborhood Therefore the Lord Jesus tryes their pulses whether this great defection had not tainted them with some infection and behold the fixedness of their spirits in Peters reply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God we have certainly and experimentally known by those glorious works which thou hast wrought before us and by the saving communication of thy grace and light unto us when we were in a dark and dead estate that thou art Christ the Son of the living God and therefore we will not leave thee this cemented and knit their hearts unto Christ it was a brave speech of old Polycarpus when the Proconsul perswaded him to deny the Lord Jesus Eighty and six years have I served Christ and he never did me hurt but good and shall I now deny him Oh! absit God forbid Thus Saint Paul argues back the Galathians Gal. 3.1 2. O foolish Galathians who
O friends mind the annointings of the Spirit the sealings of the Spirit the witness of the spirit and draw up a fair Copy of all the gracious visits actings and workings of your blessed Redeemer by his Spirit unto and upon your hearts that your soules may often read therein that so when you come to die as needs you must and be as water spilt upon the ground which can be gathered up no more you may then be set down in the valley of Achor nay may finde the valley of the shadow of death as the valley of Baracha God hath pluckt out the sting of death and so death is given as a favour unto you O read your own blessedness in the light and print of the spirit Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord from * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e vestigio amodo ab ipso mortis articulo Mr. Trap. in locum henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them A Christian says one is here like quick-silver which hath in it a principle of motion not of rest never quiet like a ball upon the rackets a ship upon the waves but death brings him to his rest his body to the grave which is his bed of rest Isa 57.2 and his soul into Abrahams bosom That rest which remains to the people of God Heb. 4.9 And your works shall follow you mors privare potest â—pibus non operibus death doth strip a Saint of his wealth not of his works there shall be a resurrection of your prayers and piety yea honorable mention will be made of your charity to the poor Saints at the great day Mat. 25.35 I was an hungry and ye fed me c. Oh comfort your hearts with these considerations duly weighing what ye have read and you will find when you sive most in a lively sense of grace received and in the improvement of it you live best to your selves as to a greater freedom from sin a closer walking with God and living a life of greatest comfort 3. A sober and savourly collection of grace received will make you live best to others No man is born to himself says the heathen and no man liveth to himself says the holy Ghost Rom. 14.5 he is a monster in nature that centers onely upon himself and is fitter to dwell like an Anchoret in a Cell or like a leper apart then in a community with men and Christians as there is a circulation of the blood in natural bodies that every part may receive warmth and spirits to supply its want and to render it serviceable to the whole So ought there to be a circulation of gifts and graces in the body mistical upon spiritual accounts therefore says the Apostle We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak either bear with them or bear up the infirm and weak Christians as pillars do the poise of the whole house or parents bear their babes in their armes and not to please our selves that is not to live onely in a way of self-pleasing as men acted by principles of self-love but vers 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification for even Christ pleased not himself The end of Christs coming into the world was not to seek great things for himself upon a carnal and self-pleasing score nay though the cup and cross were displeasing unto him as man and he prayed against them yet when he considered that the will of his father was to bring many sons unto glory and that by making the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings he presently submitted and said not my will but thine be done Here 's our pattern in the pursuance of others good our lives should be as so many Sermons on the life of Christ as one saith this is to walk as Christ walked and this will give boldness in the day of Judgment Now we shall best seek our neighbours good to edification when we keep up a sence of our own wants and weaknesses supplies and succours we shall thereby be like the good Scribe Matth. 13. ver 52. which is instrutied to the kingdome of heaven who hath things new and old in his treasury to bring forth upon every occasion The Rabbins Proverb is Lilmed le-lammed Learn that ye may teach and the Scribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extrudit copiose alacriter freely and fully gives forth his store to the needy hearer Christians as well as Ministers must be like full paps Mr. Trap. in Mat. 13.52 which pain the nurse with their fulness and therefore draw them out to their babes that they may be drawn or like Aromatical trees which sweat out their soveraign gummes and oyls But alas how few such sweating trees grow upon English ground how many dry breasts have we every where and those that are full have sore nibbles that will not give suck because of the painfulness in drawing Truely when I observed this great evil amongst the Christians of our age and Nation I was pressed in spirit to provoke unto love and good works and to publish my thoughts by way of brotherly advice unto them that a wise and faithful improvement of our own cases and graces would excellently advantage the good of our neighbours I shall instance in some Particulars 1. Your own experiences faithfully communicated will marveilously encourage young Converts they will be as a staff in the hand of the weak whereon to stay New beginners have many fears and pull-backs at their first setting forth for heaven many adversaries that do way-lay them and many enemies that do pursue them Egypt at the red sea and Amaleck in the wilderness Satan levies all his temptation to render the seed of grace abortive in their soules so that it would bring forth fruit to perfection at a slow rate if the Lord Jesus who planted it did not also water and preserve it and that every moment Isa 27. vers 3. Bendes when the Lord gives a converted sinner a vision of himself lets him see his own vileness the heaps of sin and lust the springs and falls of corruption in his nature how he lies under the guilt of black and horrid sins open to the wrath of an Almighty and sin-revenging God and ready to drop into the grave and hell out of which there is no recovery Oh the fears that are upon his spirit the dismal thoughts that roul up and down his mind the dreadfull sound that is in his ears but now if you that are Christians of some standing in the grace of God would impart your experiences and tell him what your fears and terrours and troubles were and how the Lord gave you in comfort and establishment sure this would mightily encourage a young convert and have a special influx to his peace quietness and consolation This was the Apostle Paul's way 1 Tim. 1. ver 15. This is a
and evidence of divine truth propugned and asserted it in these times of great opposition and also thankfully acknowledg the integrity and faithfulness of the Civil and Supream power which hath been as a covering Cherub to the godly Ministery notwithstanding the many temptations which have been upon them to the contrary so as a suitable return both to God and good men I make it my humble proposal to my reverend brethren of the Ministery that they would strengthen the hands of the Lords people and by encouraging Arguments quicken them up to lay out themselves in their several capacities and in a wise improvement in their several advantages to win over sinners unto God If Eldad and Medad prophesie in the camp why should Joshua dislike it my Lord Moses forbid them Numb 11. ver 25 26. If the Christians of our respective Congregations should keep up private communion amongst themselves at due times and in due order or if sober and experienced Christians should minister words of advice and exhortation to their carnal neighbours provided they do it out of right principles to right ends and in a a due manner would it not hear ill if we should cry to my Lord Mâ—ses to forbid them rather let us say Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets Ver. 29. and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them that they may receive abilities from God to minister unto others That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4. ver 12. O then my dear Christian brethren rise up in the name and might of our Lord Jesus Christ seek the eternal welfare of your carnall neighbours I will not enlarge upon directions for the right management of this great duty onely entreat you that with modesty and Christian sobriety you would observe the boundaries that the Lord himself hath set betwixt a called Ministery and a Christian Laity that in your undertaking of this great charge you would be much and earnest in your addresses unto God and be faithfull in discoursing over experienced mercies from God If you meet with sinners that are hardened in their wayes obstinate wilfull and sermon-proof tell them so it was with you I doubt not it hath been some of your cases but when the Lord came in upon you by the thorow convictions of his Spirit he awakened your consciences to such a sight of sin and sence of wrath filled your soules with such terrours from the Law and softened your hearts with such a shower of Gospel grace that you were immediately humbled broken and brought in you threw down your weapons begg'd a parly and submitted to the Lord Jesus You found such a strange and secret work upon your hearts that you cryed out with Saul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. ver 6. and Ephraim-like Though you had been as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke yet now the Lord hath turned you and you are turned Jer. 31. ver 18. and tell them thus it will be with them if ever they have a conviction unto Conversion God will break their stomachs soften their iron sinews subdue their Gospel-enmity and give them a spirit of holy compliance with his blessed wayes and will and that God can bring forth this work in their hearts though obstinate and obdurate as well as he hath brought it forth upon yours and then they will be of another mind however at present they stand it out with that boldness and daringness of spirit against Law and Gospel If you meet with sinners whom the arrows of the Lord have wounded his Spirit hath throughly awakened and his Word hath filled with such sad apprehensions of sin and wrath that they cry out with them Acts 2. vers 37. Men and brethren what shall we do or with the Jaylour Acts 16. v. 30. Sirs what must I do to be saved tell them this was your case tell what methods of mercy the Lord used to the healing up of your wounds and to the quieting of your consciences that so they may be encouraged to the use of Gospel-means and to an hope of the same grace and goodness of the Lord towards them If you meet with as you will with many proud presumptuous Formalists that fill their sails with vain hopes of Salvation without any saving change wrought upon them without any inward principles of life light planted in them or without any lively Acts of Faith Repentance Self-denial Mortification c. put forth by them tell them this was your case you had the same perswasions you were such foolish Virgins and that then you thought your penny as good silver for heaven as the best deriding the precise Puritan and scoffing at the power of Godliness but when the Lord opened your eyes and shined into your soules with a beam of saving light you soon discovered your Errour how you had built upon the sand that your Infant-baptisme was but sand your outward Priviledges were but sand your Formal Profession was but sand yea all you built upon was but sand so that had death and Judgment like windes and waves forcibly beat upon your house it would certainly have fallen and you had been ruined to all eternity but now you have digged deep and laid your foundation sure upon a rock you have built upon a new foundation for heaven now you finde a new creation wrought in you now you mourn over those sins which formerly you made your selves merry with now you contest against those lusts which formerly you cherished now you are broken off from those lewd Companions with whom you were formerly bound up in wayes of sin now you act faith upon Jesus Christ for the pardon of sins rejoyce in him and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. ver 3. Now you are convinced that grace is the onely way to glory and that without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12. ver 14. you now owne Religion in all the duties of it love the Ordinances which formerly you loathed delight in the society of the Saints which formerly you derided maintain communion with God in the Spirit which formerly you mocked at and that now The God of hope hath filled you with peace and joy through believing Rom. 15. ver 13. and you find Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1. ver 27. Pursue this method as the Lord puts opportunities into your hands and as you meet with new cases suit your experiences according to what you have been and now are and I doubt not you will finde encouraging success for though I honour the word I hope as much as any as having the greatest authority upon the consciences of men and as being the great instrument of new birth especially when it is faithfully dispensed by faithfull messengers Jesus Christ giving a clear proof of his speaking in them 2 Cor. 13. ver 3. yet certainly Christians as such though they do not invade the ministerial Office
Proteus like will the Jesuite cast himself how many hazzards of his neck will he run and how many hard journeys will he take to reconcile a poor Protestant to the Church of Rome neither do some others fall short of the Jesuites either pains or zeal to proselyte men to their opinions we have seen that made good in our dayes which our Saviour spake of the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. ver 15. Ye compasse sea and land to make one proselyte What wanderers among the Nations have some of our Sect-Masters been what labours and hardships have some undergone what journeys tedious and dangerous by land and sea have some undertook what errand have they gone on what merchandizes have they exported but some old drugs and antiquated errours which the Saints in former ages and forreign parts have exploded but now being in-land commodities of the growth of our own Nation and being now put into a new dresse by men of English birth pretending hatred to the Romish Hierarchy are become vendible in most parts O what marts and markets have been kept by them in many of our towns to put off their stale and stollen wares and what sale have they had in some places who le towns almost in some places have come in to truck and barter with them the more is the pity that the spirit of delusion should gain so farre upon English ground O how should this provoke all that fear the Lord in truth to pursue salvation-salvation-work with utmost diligence to endeavour with much seriousnesse of spirit the winning over souls to God! How shall we answer the charge of our own consciences at a dying hour how shall we look our dear Redeemer in the face at the last day nay how shall we stand against the great accuser before the great tribunal when he shall charge this spirituall sloth and negligence upon us when he shall speak to the Judge of all the world and cry for justice against us urging that his servants have been more faithfull and serviceable to him then we have been to the Lord Jesus though he never bled to redeem them never underwent the wrath of a sin-revenging God for them never laid down his life to save them out of hell never gave them inward and heart consolations here neither prepared for nor ever promised unto them a state of everlasting blessednesse and fulnesse of joy in his presence forevermore hereafter and therefore shall call for sentence to be given out against us as being unworthy of that crown of glory O this is a consideration of great weight the Lord help us to take the right poise of it let us take shame unto our selves for our former negligence and be quickened up to more industriousnesse for the future Let not any of the devils drudges out-work us nor any of his merchants out-bid us much lesse any of his pedlers out-sell us for the time to come let not others do more to undo then we to save souls nor be more unwearied in their labours and travells to pervert then we are to convert men if there be a person that deserves as a badge of honour the name of that old Disciple trudge o're the world let not Jesuite and Heretick get it from us To shut up this I beseech you dear Christians into whose hands providence shall cast this treatise weigh these considerations laid down and let them with what others the spirit of the Lord shall suggest unto you or any of my learned brethren shall offer have an holy force upon your spirits to put you upon serious endeavours of doing good to your carnall neighbours if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. ver 25 26. and that you may be used by the Lord as instruments of their salvation listen not to flesh and blood which will be tampering with you to disswade you from it and will throw in an hundred objections and carnall cavils against it onely observe your stations invade not the ministery nor despise it be humble in all your applications to your ignorant neighbours and under any successe which the Lord shall answer your endeavours with and under all discouragements and deadnesse of heart to this duty improve grace received and temporall preservations as arguments to quicken you up to this duty and to other duties which are mentioned in this treatise that you may live best to God best to your selves and best to all others and alwayes wear this text as a sign upon your hands and as frontlets between your eyes to enmind you of the Lord's mercies unlesse the Lord had been my help my soul had almost dwelt in silence Vse 4. Are the appearances of God eminent an immediate to the help of his people in the day of their distresse have you experienced this truth have you seen the outgoings of the Lord in your personall safety and preservations why then fetch comfort and encouragement from hence and lift up your hearts and hands unto God in expectancy of help and succour in these following cases 1. When Church affairs do meet with dark and gloomy day when the Gospel is under some restraint as to liberty or under some corruption as to purity in word and worships reflect upon the outgoings of God unto you and consider that mercy that goodnesse that wisdome that power c. which were engaged for your rescue in an evil day then play the good Logicians and in a way of divine induction argue à minore ad majus from the lesse to the greater if the Lord extended help to me in such an eminent manner how much more shall the arm of the Lord be made bare in the rescue of many Saints if a single believer found the Lord so present in a day of trouble how shall a society of believers find him in such a day if a little sculler was brought safe to shore from off a stormy sea how will the Lord calm the raging waves when the ship of his Church is tempest-tost if his care was so great over one member sure the whole family shall not be neglected by him O there 's much sweetnesse and much truth in this way of arguing Thus did David Psal 30. ver 1 2. O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my life from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down into the pit here was a personal deliverance and what doth he inferre from hence namely that the Church and people of God shall receive the same measure of mercy from him in the day of their distresse therefore he saith ver 4. Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his I but may the Saints say we have little cause of mirth we may now hang our harps upon the willows the waters of
many of the Gentile-Grecians here the hand of the Lord implyed the blessing power and concurrence of the spirit of Christ so Christ put in his hand by the key-hole that is sent in his spirit to awaken reprove and convince the spouse of her great unkindness toward him by the way take this note Note That the spirit can finde a passage into the heart though the doors be barred and bolted never so fast The key of David will open any lock Satan with all his skill and artifice cannot frame a lock of such cross and curious wards and work that this key cannot open the spirit acts with irresistibility in the saving communications of grace to the stoutest sinner Lord what wilt thou have me to do was Sauls question the lock was soon opened the spirit had quickly got into his heart So here the spirit was quickly within doors and what then her bowels were moved for Christ she had no rest in her spirit her bowels yearned after him There was a strange tumult raised within her Heb. the word carries that signification her heart aked and quaked being by the spirit convinced of her unkind and inconjugal carriage toward her dear Lord This brought her off from her bed now she could put on her coat and feared not the fouling of her feet she starts and stirs and hastens to open the door and as soon as she had taken the key in her hand Her hands dropt with myrrhe and her fingers with sweet smelling mirrhe that is she had new tokens of Christs good-will refreshing consolations from a comforting spirit which being added to her former experiences of love had such a force upon her heart that she breaks off all delay runs to the door and opens and not finding her beloved there she fails poor heart she sinks down and swouns the sence of Christs dear affection to her and her disloyal carriage to him did so seize upon her that she sinks under it And being come to her self she seeks and enquires after him suffers for him breaths out her soul in strongest affection towards him breaks forth into highest Eulogies and commendations of him and through the whole Song you never finde her under any of this heart-deadness any more but full of love and full of life Thus it was with the Church of Israel Hos 2. The Lord brings her in vers 5. speaking forth such resolutions as these I will go after my lovers that give me my bread and my water my wooll and my flax mine oyle and my drink as if she had said I am resolved to stick close to mine Idols who have recompenced my service with such plenty and abundance The allusion is to a man and his wife betwixt whom before there is a final divorce and departure there is usually some decay of conjugal affection some neglect of conjugal duties some eminent failing in conjugal offices and thereupon follows a strangeness and at length a parting asunder So heart-deadness damps of zeal flatness of spirit freezings of affection neglect of communion in the Gospel-duties and appointments formality in profession earthly-mindedness and some kind of liberty and boldness to sin are usually precedaneous to an Apostacy and departure from God Thus it was with Ephraim But how doth she recover her self Why verse 7. she argues her spirit into a returning frame Mr. Ier. Burroughs in loc I will go and return unto my first husband for then was it better with me then now Hence it is the note of a late godly Divine That the sight and sence of this how much better it was when the heart did cleave to Christ then it is now since its departure from Christ is an effectual means to cause the heart to return unto him He brings in a repenting backslider under these reasonings of heart Heretofore I was able through Gods mercy to look upon the face of God with joy when my heart did cleave to him when I did walk close with him then the glory of God did shine upon me and caused my heart to spring within me every time I thought of him But now now God knows though the world takes little notice of it the very thoughts of God are a terrour unto me the most terrible object in all the world is to behold the face of God Oh it was better with me then it is now Before this my Apostacy I had free access unto the throne of grace I could come with humble and holy boldness unto God and pour out my soul before him such a chamber such a closet can witness it but now I have no heart to pray ye I must be haled to it merely conscience pulleth me to it yea every time I go by that very closet where I was wont to have that access to the throne of Grace it strikes a terrour to my heart I can never come into Gods presence but it is out of slavish fear Oh it was better with me then then it is now Before Oh the sweet communion my soul enjoyed with Jesus Christ one dayes communion with him how much better was it then the enjoyment of all the world but now Jesus Christ is a stranger to me and I a stranger unto him Before Oh those sweet enlargements that my soul had in the Ordinances of God! when I came to the word my soul was refreshed was warmed my heart was enlightened when I came to the Sacrament oh the sweetness that was there and to prayer with the people of God it was even an heaven upon earth unto me but it is otherwise now the Ordinances of God are dead and emptie things to me Oh it was better with me then then it is now Before Oh the gracious visitations of Gods spirit that I was wont to have yea when I awaken'd in the night season oh the glimpses of Gods face that were upon my soul what quickening and enlivenings and refreshings did I find in them I would give a world but for one nights comfort I sometimes have had by the visitations of Gods spirit but now they are gone Oh it was better with me then then it is now Before Oh what peace of Conscience I had within whatsoever the world said though they railed and accused yet my conscience spake peace to me and was as a thousand witnesses for me but now I have a grating conscience within me Oh the black bosome that is in me it flyeth in my face every day after I come from such and such company I could come before from the society of Saints and my conscience smiled upon me now I go to wicked company and when I come home and in the night Oh the gnawings of that worm It was better with me then then it is now Before The graces of Gods spirit how were they sparkling in me active and lively I could exercise faith humility patience and the like now I am as one bereft of all unfit for any thing even as a dead log before