kindest Candour to them seeing I find willingness of Spirit so far as you are renewed in the Inner-man by the Law of the Mind I will either strengthen you against the weakness of the Flesh or I will pardon it and not only so but I will accept of your willingness to Watch and Pray wherein your unrenewed part by the Law of your Members doth discover so much weakness Thus our Lord excuseth their frailties of Flesh whereof he minds them lest they should presume yet he most graciously owns and acknowledges the Bent of their Spirits lest they should despair The purpose of our Hearts must be to cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 and because we cannot duly perform it for we cannot serve the Lord without Distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 Therefore we ought to pray with David Lord unite my heart to serve thee Psal 86.11 For a loose Heart that is not tied fast to God can never abide at the Mark but will start aside like a deceitful Bow Psal 78.57 and Hos 7.16 Alas never did the unruly Bullock stand in more need to be bound fast with Cords to the Horns of the Altar Psal 118.27 than our Hearts do to be bound fast to God with the golden Cords of Christ's Love in our Communion with him And thus our Lord speaketh With everlasting kindness have I drawn thee Jer. 31.3 And I drew them with the Cords of a or suitable to a Man even with Bands of Love Hos 11.4 Whereas God had complained of his People a little before this that their hearts were divided Hos 10.2 because Anima dispersa fit minor saith the Philosopher when the Soul is dispersed among various Objects it is thereby much weakened in its Actings Whereas on the other hand Vis unita est fortior an Heart united and firmly fixed to God as David's Phrase is is thereby so strengthened as to cleave close to the Lord for he is our Life and the Length of our Days Deut. 30.20 Oh! happy are such Souls that can carry on their Communion with God be able to say My heart is fixed as David saith three several times Psal 57.7 and 108.1 and 112.7 Yea and can drive away wandring Thoughts in the Worship of God as Abraham drove away the Fowls which did disturb him in his sacrificing Work Gen. 15.11 And likewise can answer distracting Fancies as Nehemiah did his Adversaries I am about a great Work and cannot attend you why should God's Work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you Neh. 6.3 'T is observable that Honey while it is boiling hot will not be blown upon by any filthy Flies nor would our Hearts be fly-blown by Beelzebub the Prince of Flies as the Name signifies If we could but keep them in a fervent Frame enditing good Matter as David did his heart Psal 45.1 Hebr. Margent God commands us to be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 or we cannot keep in Communion with God but neither this Work nor any other can we do by any strength of our own yet may we be able to do all the Works of a Christian through Christ the stronger Man that strengthens us Phil. 4.13 The Seventh and last Case of Difficulty in which the Redeemer strengthens his Redeemed with a conquering Power is in making their Passage forward and their Progress perfect through the wayless and waterless Wilderness of this present evil World so called Gal. 1.4 even into the Heavenly Canaan yea and home to their Father's House 'T was God's Command say to the Children of Israel that they go forward c. Exod. 14.15,16 Though there be a Red-Sea before and an Enemy behind and mighty Mountains round about yet was there no cause of fear because Christ in the Cloudy-Pillar went along with them and was present both in the Van and in the Rear The same Office of Love doth the strengthening Presence of Christ do still unto all the true Israel of God This is shewed in Hosea 11.1,2,3,4 where Ephraim the Child the Lord taught him to go or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint word there signifies to pace leaving his natural Trot in ways of Sin intimating how God put him as it were into the Traces as Horse-Masters do young Colts to teach them to Pace c. So God doth here taking the Child Ephraim by the Arms c. Where beside that notable Notion of teaching to Pace or Amble from the Greek Version the Hebrew Text represents Christ as a Nurse bearing the Nursling by the Arms whereby she supports the weight of his Body then she teaches him how to move his Legs forward step by step Thus our Lord is said to guide our feet in the way of Peace Luke 1.79 He doth strengthen our feeble Knees drawing us fortiter tamen suaviter strongly yet sweetly through the Quagmires of Crosses by the Cords of a Man Hos 11.4 that is he Drags us not along like Beasts but he draws us gently endways by Means and Motives suitable to the rational Nature of Man even with Bands of Love irresistibly by the effectual workings of his Holy Spirit which he hath promised to bestow upon us John 6.44 and 12.32 and which the Spouse prayed for when she found some Back-biasses that made her hang backward in her Progress toward Heaven Cant. 1.4 Oh blessed are they whose strength is in the Lord they pass on from strength to strength Psal 84.5,7 and grow stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Such do pass from Mithcah to Cashnonah Numb 33.29 that is from Sweetness unto Swiftness as those two Hebrew names do signify They lift up their feet and walk lustily towards Canaan as Jacob did after his refreshing Bait of the Ladder at Bethel Gen. 28.12 c. with 29.1 Margent Oh! happy is that Man whose right hand the Lord upholdeth in his whole Work as he did for Cyrus Isa 45.1 though Abraham knew not whither he went Hebr. 11.8 yet he well knew with whom he went for he walked with God as a Child in a Fathers hand who hath promised to save to the utmost Heb. 7.25 The Second Enquiry is What Conditions doth our strong Redeemer require of his Redeemed that he may cause them to become Conquerors c. Answer The Conditions are Twofold 1 st We must keep constantly in God's Arms c. And 2 dly We must wholly put on God's Armour First On the 1 st of these briefly we must keep constantly in God's Arms for the Eternal God is our Refuge and his Everlasting Arms must be underneath us Deut. 33.27 God tells us that our Hearts are weak Ezek. 16.30 And David from his sense hereof crieth Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak Psalm 6.2 And hereupon it is the Churches Prayer Lord be thou our Arm every Morning Isa 33.2 otherwise we shall do nothing but stumble and fall like weak Children that love not to keep constantly in their Fathers Arms but will presumptuously be venturing to go alone and
thee by little and little and not all at once c. Deut. 7.22 and the Lord did order and over-rule it there for Israels good Thus it is in our Spiritual Warfare tho' God's promise is to tread down Satan under our Feet shortly Rom. 16.20 yet God will not make his promises good too soon It was for their own good as in that fore-named Scripture lest the Beasts of the Field increase upon thee for he is a God of Judgment and waiteth to give us his Mercies when they may do us most good and therefore blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30.18 He gives his Mercy in the best Season tho' not so soon as we do desire we long to conquer our Corruptions those cursed Canaanites in one day which our Lord hath ordered and ordained to be the work of our whole Lives our Corruptions as the Canaanites are left yet unsubdued only to prove us in our owning God c. Judg. 2.21,22 and Judg. 3.4 This mortifying of sin as well as fortifying of grace is pensum Diurnum Perpeâ—uum both a daily and a perpetual Task God will keep a Tedder at our Foot to keep us humble Paul must have a Thorn in the Flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure with his late Rapture into Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2,3,4,7 There will be work enough for the exercise of Grace till it be turned into Glory Notwithstanding the Canaanites with their Iron Chariots were so strong that Israel could not drive them out Josh 17.16 yet the faithful God as he is called Deut. 7.9 and who will not be slack ver 10. did promise that they should drive them out tho' they had Iron Chariots and tho' they were strong Josh 17.18 the Lord of Hosts was too mighty for them Thus we complain concerning our Corruptions that they fall not fast enough by mortifying Grace but we must know for our Comfort our Faithful God will not be slack as before for killing our cursed Canaanites He indeed may seem to be slow in our thoughts yet he is never slack but will be ever sure he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail nor alter the thing that is gone out of his Lips Psal 89.33 what he speaks with his Mouth he fulfils with his Hand 1 Kings 8.24 he will do what he hath said 2 Sam. 7.25 whether ancient promises Tit. 1.1,2 which never failed in any Age no nor his Menaces neither Zeph. 3.5 nor will he fail in this of treading Satan under our Feet shortly Prov. 16.20 In the mean time let us enquire Do we gain ground of our Spiritual Enemies doth the House of Saul in us wax weaker and weaker and the House of David in us grow stronger and stronger as 2 Sam. 3.1 can we feel our Lord a destroying the works of the Devil in us Heb. 2.14 1 John 3.8 tho' as yet they be not altogether destroyed Are we daily dying to sin tho' not as yet wholly dead to it even this may ensure us of Victory at last let us compare time with time may we but experience how heretofore the fleshly law in thee had thy Sabbaths thy Time thy Strength yea thy very Heart and Affections but now by the power of Renewing Grace the Law of the Spirit in thee hath rescued at laest a little of all the aforesaid and subjected that little under the Law of the Spirit so that thou finds those two contrary Laws now in thee to wit the Law of the Members and the Law of the Mind warring against each other c. Rom. 7.15 to 23. which makes thee cry out as the betrothed Damself did in the field when she was assaulted by a man too strong for her Deut. 22.27 as Amnon was too strong for Tamar 2 Sam. 13.14 so dost thou cry out with Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Death and thank God with him that Jesus Christ our Lord is thy Deliverer saying likewise as he did so then with the Mind I my self do serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin Rom. 7.24,25 If we find our selves in no worse a condition than that of the Holy Apostle himself this cannot be uncomfortable and discouraging to us the same conflict betwixt two contrary Laws is common to all Christians For as Paul had informed the believing Romans of it as above So he affirms yea and Confirms the same Truth to the believing Galatians saying walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts thereof for the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would c. Gal. 5.16,17 The meaning whereof is that as we cannot do the good which we would do because the Flesh doth hinder us so we cannot do the evil which we would by the unrenewed part of our wills do because the Spirit hinders us Now may we but find by sound experience that the Law of the Spirit gains ground of the Law of the Flesh in us this is a comfortable Character that we shall be Conquerors in this Spiritual Conflict Thus Satan's Assaults now are feebler than heretofore against us like that of the old Gauls of whom it is said prior impetus est plusquam Virorum posterior minus quam faeminarum more than Men at first but less than Women at last The Third Comfortable Character of a Conqueror is that he is able to break the Ranks of the Van-guard or Fore-front of his Enemies and so force them to draw back 'T is a great encouragement to a General to set his Feet and the Feet of his Army upon the same ground where his Adversaries pitched their Battalia's against him he knows if once they begin to flinch they will soon also begin to flee especially if he can gain their most advantagious ground from which as from an higher standing they did mostly annoy him but much more if he can shatter and disorder their Front where the men of greatest Gallantry are ever most politickly placed if once they come into confusion and be as we say hand over head then he doth more easily break in upon them and so rout them out of the field It was once a notable stratagem of an English General that when he came up close to the face of his Foes he ordered his Army to make a loud and universal outcry they run in the Rear they run they run this Cry did so daunt the Front who feared it to be true that thereby both the Van and the Rear did run away indeed Thus is it with us in our Spiritual Warfare our Spiritual Enemies do not war against us as is done in a Duel but one to one but here is many against one those fleshly lusts that fight against our Souls are not one only but many in the plural number 1 Pet. 2.11 And
universally mischievous to all Mankind even to all Saints and to all Sinners at the least intentionally against every individual person of both sorts only with this difference as first for Sinners he makes them to become his Hackney-Horses according to Tertullian's phrase Impii persecutores insessorem Diabolum habent all wicked Persecutors have the Devil Riding upon their backs whom he whips and spurrs end-ways into an high Gallop even all the days of their lives and then when the Night of their Deaths comes upon them he lodges them at last in the Hot Stables of Hell And thus Satan made Saul his Hackney upon whom he sat as his Rider and spurr'd him forward for many days in his persecuting of David and to whom he gave but this very cold Comfort at his Death To morrow thou shalt be with me c. 1 Sam. 28.19,20 which indeed was no better a place to lodge his Hackney in at his Night of Death than in the Hot Rooms of Hell-fire But secondly As to the Saints who are not the Devil's Vassals as Sinners are but be indeed the Impropriated and Honourable Vessels of their dear Redeemer Satan will do all the mischief he can to those Vasa signatu or Sealed Vessels as Tertullian calls them those he cannot touch with any of his Deadly Touches Non Tactu qualitativo as Cajetan interpreteth The wicked one toucheth him not 1 John 5.19 He cannot cause them to fall finally The Serpent is confined to feed upon the Dust or Dirt of the Earth that is the wicked he is not allowed to devour the Herbs of Grace or to destroy any Plants on God's holy Mountain Isa 65.25 God hath set the godly man apart for himself Psal 4.3 and God's charge is upon the God of this World as the Devil is call'd 2 Cor. 4.4 as well as upon the Kings of the Earth to whom those words were spoken Touch not mine Anointed ones and do my Prophets no harm Psal 105.15 To say this is spoken of Kings and not to Kings is a false interpretation How far this wicked one may touch a Saint of God and that maliciovsly and mischievously yea how far he touched our Saviour himself is abovesaid Now the Enquiry is seeing Satan is so universally mischievous both to Saints as well as to Sinners how far Satan can force a Saint to sin against God Ans We have all great cause to bless the Lord our good God that this Power of Darkness cannot force us to any work of Darkness no God hath left this Power of constraining us to sin out of the Devil's Charter he hath no Commission to force the Will of Man he hath indeed a perswading sleight but he hath not any enforcing might 'T is true we read that Satan provoked David to sin against God 1 Chron. 21.1 that is he so dogg'd David daily with his Temptation and would never let him alone in any Rest until he had fastned it upon his heart and gained his consent However the Great God had his holy hand in all this who still held this Dog this Doeg the Devil in his Chain 2 Sam. 24.1 God did and Satan did also but how it was thus God was angry with Israel for abusing their Peace and Plenty c. and with David for his privy Pride and Creature-confidence so he lets loose his Dog the Devil upon David and he left David to himself so as at last after his being very long provoked unto this curiosity of numbring the People he yielded his consent to that Satanical suggestion which brought the Destroying Angel upon his sinful Subjects like as the Dog may be said to Bait the Beast at the Stake while the owner of the Bast doth stand by looks on and suffers his Beast to be Baited This plain similitude may serve to explain the difficulty and to understand aright that tho' it be said that God moved David and Satan moved him likewise yet these two phrases are not contradictory Terms they are not Adverse but only Diverse the latter being subordinate to the former as all 2d Causes are subaltern to the first Cause But still Satan is held in God's Chain and he cannot without Divine permission do the least damage to the Soul of a Saint he cannot force us to sin with all his most powerful provocations as appeareth most plainly in the case of Job against whom Satan made so many violent and furious Thrusts to make him curse God to his face yet could he not conquer Job with all his provocations but this good man comes off at last with flying Colours and by the help of his God gets his Tempter trodden under his feet as Rom. 16.20 And tho' the beginning of the Conflict and Combat was Satan's yet the End in the Conquest was the Lord's as 't is said James 5.11 This therefore may be very comfortable for us seriously to consider that the Tempter may strike fire long enough to no purpose if we do not meet him with Dry Tinder for his sparks to fall upon for it is our own Concupiscence that carries the chiefest sway 't is our own carnal Corruptions wherewith we are drawn aside and enticed James 1.14,15 where the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies we are caught as the silly Fish by the Fisher-man's Bait. Satan is a crafty Fisher and knows what Baits will best tempt and take every ones Constitution and Humour and tho' Satan be a Spirit and therefore can have commerce with our Spirits yea and may fix vain thoughts upon our fancies yet he cannot force the Consent of the Will thereunto for as he cannot know the Heart which is only God's prerogative Acts 1.24 so he cannot compel the heart much less to any act of sin unless the Eve in us doth betray us into the Tempters hands as Adam hearkned unto the Voice of his Wife Gen. 3,17 Thus every Son and Daughter of Adam hath still an Eve his Tempter in their own bosoms and if Satan's Temptation do fall passively only on our part upon the Tables of our hearts it is indeed our Cross but not our sin if we consent not to it for 't is our consent to it that makes it our sin as it was in the case of Benjamin before-said he never consented to the putting of the Divining Cup into the mouth of his Sack so it was his cross only but not at all his sin Therefore ought we in an hour of Temptation to do these two great Duties 1 st To give no place to the Tempter Eph. 4.27 no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 by way of subjection And 2 ly To resist him and he will flee from from us James 4.7 especially if we resist him stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.8,9 even with a Resolved Negative No No c. However such is Satan's Hatred to all the Saints that he will be universally mischievous to them and do them all the Damage and Detriment that he possibly can do and as we
us c. It followeth then that the Duty of Resisting must likewise be done as an additional Duty unto Watching and Praying and we must spend our whole lives in the work of watching praying and resisting to our dying day c. Upon those few following Considerations over and above the Arguments before-mentioned As 1 st Consider well that the Devil is like the Crocodile of whom Pliny relateth that if men pursue him he will flee from them but if men flee from him he will then pursue after them c. 2 ly Consider there is indeed a playing upon the hole of the Asp and a putting the hand upon the Cockatrice Den which Christ hath promised he will secure little Children from the danger thereof Isa 11.8 when he comes to create the new Heavens and the new earth wherein shall dwell all righteousness 2 Pet. 3.13 But we may not do so now for if we dally with the Devil in leading our selves into Places and Companies of Temptation whereas we pray that the Lord may not lead us into Temptation in the Lord's Prayer this is foolish presumption and a plain tempting of the Tempter 3 ly Consider what is required of us â—n this Resisting Duty 't is only a strong â—egative resolving in Christ's strength to â—nswer the Tempter with an holy and peâ—emptory No No I may not I cannot I â—are not do it to give Satan a flat deâ—ial is no difficult Duty and 't is not resisting unto blood Heb. 12.4 4 ly Consider if we resist not but â—ield contrary to that Apostolical command yield not your Members as weapons of wickedness unto sin as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Rom. 6.13,14,19 â—hen are we taken Captives by Satan and â—ed about by him as his Slaves at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 and not taken to be preserved alive as before but to be destroyed c. 2 Pet. 2.12 Oh woful condition c. 5 ly Consider that he who now tempts us to sin will accuse us afterward for that sin as elsewhere yea and those very Snares of Sin wherewith Satan at present doth entangle us will at the last become Chains of Darkness in Hell c. 6 ly Consider this striving against sin Heb. 12.4 must be constant and last so long as life doth last we should resist wholly with this whole Armour of God because when we have overcome the prophane Devil a worldly Devil may prevail against us Or if we have been madâ— able to master a Swearing Devil then 〈◊〉 Lying Devil may prove too hard for us and if we can conquer all those and manâ— more Devils c. After the subduing oâ— all these then may the Devil of Pridâ— rise up and prevail over us for that olâ— saying of Bernard's Tot Daemonia quâ— Crimina so many sins as do reign over us so many Devils do rule in us seeing every such sin hath a Devil in it Now this siâ— of Pride as it is the first that is learnâ— so it is the last that is lest for there is something of Pride even in the besâ— Hearts even good Hezekiah's was lifted up in pride 2 Chron. 32.25,31 7 ly Consider for our Comfort that ouâ— constant conflict against Sin and Satan is a better evidence of true sanctifying and saving grace than any perfection of Holiness that can be found in the most sanctified souls Paul himself who tho' he had been rap'd up into the Third Heavens and into Paradice it self 2 Cor. 12.2,4 yet he after this complaineth of a Thorn in the Flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him c. ver 7 8 9. and he saith of himself not as tho' I had already attained or were already perfect but I press after it c. Phil. 3.11,12,13,14 and crys Oh wretched man c. Rom. 7.24 8 ly and lastly Let us consider and better consider for our comfort if we can but know that Christ is in us 2 Cor. 13.5 then Christ in us is stronger for us than this Strong Man Satan can be against us Luke 11.21,22 If our Lord be for us 't is no matter who or what is against us Rom. 8.31 Stronger is he in us than he that is in the World 1 John 4.4 As our Lord hath conquered Satan as before in his own Person so he hath promis'd to do the same in all his sincere Members he will not lose so much as one of them John 6.39 and 17.12 Oh pray pray pray that Christ may strengthen us Phil. 4.13 that we may shake this Viper the Old Serpent from off our Hearts as Paul did the Viper from off his Hands into the fire of Hell Acts 28. ver 4 5 6 c. CHAP. IV. Shewing the way to Compleat a Conquest in God's Armour Advice to Young and Old c. THere be Two Grand Duties that concern all Mankind Male and Female Rich and Poor Young and Old c. which are coupled together in that one Verse 1 Tim. 6.19 to wit 1 st A laying up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come And 2 dly A laying hold on Eternal Life First of the 1 st Lay a good Foundation c. This is always look'd upon by Wise Men as a Work of great weight we ought all to be Builders of the Tower of Godliness Luke 14.28 'T is compared to a Tower upon manifold accounts As 1. 'T is an high Building 2. Stately 3. Difficult 4. Exposed to Storms which plain Ground is not obvious unto 5. Costly far beyond Hutts or Cottages c. 6. Godliness hath all the parts of an Aedifice as Foundation Corners and the Roof or Top c. Now this Good Foundation is not either Good Meanings or General Mercy or an External Profession these are all Sandy Matth. 7.24,26 but 't is the Rock Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Acts 4.12 Col. 1.15,17 1 Pet. 1.20 Rev. 13.8 c. Now if we fail in the Foundation which is the first of those two great Duties we can never obtain any solid ground of Hope for the Second of laying hold on Eternal Life which is the Top of that Mystical Tower of which it may be truy said even without any Hyperbole what is said of the Tower of Babel that the Top of it reacheth up into Heaven Gen. 11.4 An Antient Popish Limner or Painter drew Solomon's Picture in this Posture of his being one half in Heaven and the other half in Hell c. Thus the Man that sets one of his Feet upon a Rock but his other Foot upon a Quagmire contiguous to the Rock whereby he Sinketh down with his whole Body into the Dirt c. Thus likewise will it befal us if we make not Christ our All and in All Col. 3.11 but lean partly upon God and partly upon the World if we halt betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit alas we then seem to hang as it were equally poiz'd betwixt our fear of Hell and our hope of Heaven with Sâ—lomon's
Earth Reason the Third The very Name and Nature of Saintship or Christianity is to be found in this Duty of Watching for Saints are called the Children not of the Night which is the proper time of sleeping but of the light and of the day which is the appointed season for Watching Walking and Working 1 Thes 5.5,6,7 Such as are quickned by the Grace of Christ Ephes 2.1 and are awaked out of the sleep and State of sin Ephes 5.14 never after this can sleep the sleep of Death Psal 13.3 The Spouse of Christ did indeed sleep when she should have been upon her watch but her heart was then awake so that she could tell all those Titles of Love verbatim word for word that her beloved Lord had saluted her with even while she was in her half-sleep she aggravates the foulness of her fault for her refusing such sweet embraces offered them to her Cant. 5.2,4,5 And the five wise Virgins indeed nodded and napped a little they slumbred but they did not sleep as the five foolish Virgins did for it was only by Candle-light their Lamps were still burning and they had Oil in their Vessels as well as in their Lamps Matth. 25.4,5 c. The conclusion of that Parable is Watch therefore for ye know not when the Lord will come ver 13. Thus the choicest and chiefest Saints may sometimes be taken napping yet the hidden man of the heart as the phrase is 1 Pet. 3.4 is still kept awake in them as it was with the Spouse above The Fourth Reason for our Watching is drawn from several Emblems of this Duty c. First the Hare and the Lion are given by the learned Criticks as the two Hieoroglificks or Representations and Resemblances of true Christians because Naturalists do observe that those two Animals always sleep with their Eyes wide open c. Thus likewise Secondly The Modern Jews use to sacrifice a white Cock upon New Years Day whose intrails they ordain a Raven to fly away with into the Fields and then to devour them c. This is another Emblem of Christian Vigilancy and in this History there is this Mystery the Cock is known to be the most watchful creature and therefore the Cock crowing gives a denomination to the third part of the Night in Sacred Scripture Evening Midnight Cock-crow and Morning Mar. 13.35 and so is a fit Resemblance of the watchful Christian and yet the more fit insomuch as the Sacrifice must be a white Cock to represent how Christians are washed white in the Blood of Christ Rev. 7.14 And there is congruity in the parallel of the Raven flying away with the white Cock's Intrails likewise for one of the Spouses commendable Characters of her Beloved is His locks are bushy and black as a Raven Cant. 5.11 Thus Christ is the mystical Raven that flies away with the infirmities and sins of every watchful white-washed Christian c. Christ is the true Antitype of that Typical Scape-goat that did carry away all the Iniquities Transgressions and Sins of Israel into the Land of everlasting forgetfulness Lev. 16.21 They shall all be blotted out Isa 43.25 and none of them remembred any more Heb. 8.12 Now having answered the first inquiry in shewing the Reasons why we ought all to be watchful ones The Second Inquiry is what is this kind of Watching which our Lord doth command us to be found in Answer There be three Kinds or Sorts of Watching The 1 st is that which is Corporeal Watching or that of the Body which is in some cases highly commendable as in those Shepherds that brought tidings of Christ's Birth Luk. 2.8,9,10 c. They were not only Vigilantes but also were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they abode in the field keeping watch over their Flock by Night Tho' they had but sorry Lodging there yet had they a most Curious Canopy over their Heads to wit the Heavens or stately Firmament most richly bespangled with glittering and glorious Stars nor was this all the blessing that those Bodily Watchers had but they were near a better Blessing even that Glorious Angel Gabriel appeared to them only and not to any of the great men of Jerusalem c. no nor to either of those good men Zechary or Simeon c. with these glad Tidings of the Birth of the Worlds Redeemer c. Therefore these Pastors or Shepherds of whom it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custodiebant custodias they watched their Flocks Luke 2.8 may be a blessed Pattern for all good Pastors or Gospel Ministers to take heed of their Ministry which they have received in the Lord that they fulfil it Col. 4.17 The Angel Gabriel may the sooner appear to them as this Corporeal or Bodily Watching was thus richly rewarded in those watchful Shepherds so the want of this first kind of watching was sharply rebuked by our Lord Jesus saying to his sleepy and slippery Disciples What cannot ye watch with me so much as one hour Matt. 26.40 The Second Sort of Watching is Diabolical as the Wicked watcheth the Righteous Psal 37.32 of this David often complaineth how they every day wrested his words Psal 56.5 And thus they watched our dear Lord of whom David was both Father and Figure as we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 3.2 These wicked ones lay catching and carping at his words as the Greek word signifies and that other Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Luke 14.1 intimates that they pryed as narrowly into Christ's Actions as ever Laban did into Jacob's Stuff for his Teraphims Gen. 31.33,34 Thus Saul sent his Spies to watch David 1 Sam. 19.11 to kill him Thus was it the sad complaint of the Prophet Jeremy all my Familiars watched for my Halting c. Jer. 20.10 This is a watching that hath the Devil for its Father as John 8.44 begotten upon a depraved Spirit which lusteth to envy Jam. 4.5 as upon the Mother of it God bless us from this c. But the Third kind of Watching is that which is truly Divine and Spiritual and which is not born of the Flesh but of the Spirit John 3.6 and therefore this third sort is not Carnal much less Diabolical or Devilish but it is born from Heaven and is an effectual means to help us to Heaven if we live out our Lives in a careful and conscientious obedience to this great Command of our Lord Christ saying watch Matth. 24.42 and 26.41 Mark 13. last and Luke 12.37,38,43 c. The Third Inquiry is What is this true Christian Vigilancy or Spiritual Watching Christ requireth here Answer It is in short Christian Prudence vigorously actuated or the actual and lively exercise of that Divine Wisdom which the Lord graciously grants to such as are made wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 In those and those only is found a cautelous care and a very wary watchful attention to heed and observe all such matters as our Lord and Maker biddeth to be well
the strongest Oaks c. it maketh the Hindes to Calve which is the most difficult Birth of all Females Job 39.1 they being so narrow-made Creatures c. And the Voice of the Lord stilleth the Rage of Rivers and Seas by sitting upon the Floods and keeping them under his Call Psal 29.4,5,6,7 to 11. The Third Character is The Voice of Christ reacheth the Heart it maketh manifest the Secrets of the Hearts of Unbelievers at a Sermon-hearing and causeth them to fall down and worship God and to say that God is in his Prophets of a truth 1 Cor. 14.24,25 Thus when Christ speaketh with a strong hand as he did to the Prophet Isa 8.11 to any person then Christ opens the Heart as he did the Heart of Lydia Acts 16.14 tho' it be called a small still Voice 1 Kings 19.12 yet having the Lord in it it is mighty in its Operations for pulling down of the strong holds of Satan and casting down every high thing that exalts its self against God in us 2 Cor. 10.4,5 Christ's Voice hath Spirit and Life in it John 6.63 and therefore is it only effectual to break the heart for sin to dissolve the Stone and to mortifie sin in it and to quicken it for God and to change it into the Image of God c. 2 Cor. 3.18 The Fourth Character is Christ's Voice calleth from evil to good from ways of wickedness to ways of holiness it always cries come up hither to God Rev. 11.12 but never go down thither to sin this latter is the Voice of an Egyptian and when we meet it we must with Moses slay it but the former is an Hebrew Voice which we must save alive as he did Exod. 2.11,12 Christ's Breath or Spirit is called a Spirit of Holiness Rom. 1.3 and always calls us to be Holy as he is Holy 1 Pet. 1.15 and 2 Pet. 3.11 Truth calls to forsake the Foolish Prov. 9.6 but Error calls to Fleshly Delights ver 15 16 17. therefore we must reject that Voice which promotes not the power of Godliness The Fifth Character is Christ's Voice is alway consonant to the Light and Law of Nature This is the remainder of God's Image in faln mankind some sherd whereof do still remain after Adam's fall whereby Cain knew that Murther Joseph that Adultery his Brethren that Theft c. were all heinous sins long before the Law was given by Moses Hereby likewise the Gentiles who have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these are a Law to themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their Hearts their Conscience bearing witness and either excusing or accusing c. Rom. 2.14,15 Therefore that Voice which crosseth the Voice of an awakened Conscience is not Christ's Voice The Sixth Character is the Voice of Christ is alway congruous to the Light and Law of the Holy Scripture for Christ who is called the word John 1.1 cannot contradict himself He is not Yea and Nay but in him was Yea c. 2 Cor. 1.17,18,19,20 He is the same both in his Voice that is spoken and in his Word that is written therefore our Lord saith to the Law and to the Testimony if any speak not according to this word it is because they have no Light in them Isa 8.20 The Word written must be the Rule of our Lives because it shall be our Judge after Death as our Lord saith the word that I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day John 12.48 Rom. 2.16 according to my Gospel So that if any pretended Voice of Christ come to us which holds not congruity with the Scipture of Truth Dan. 10.21 1 Joh. 4.1 we must look on it as a Delusion c. The Seventh Character is The Voice of Christ always calls to weighty matters and that in order c. but never to trifling Deeds and in disorder and confusion Thus Nehemiah perceived it was none of God's call that called him from God's work no fewer than five or six times to trifling discourses with them in private c. Neh. 6.4,5,6,12 and thus Paul was exasperated against the Divining Damsel for disturbing them many days from their Praying work c. Acts 16.16,17,18 The Eighth and Last Character to mention no more for brevity sake is Christ's Voice doth put the Right Hearer of it into an acting frame and doing posture for thus he saith Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Luke 6.46 'T is not Hearers but Doers whom God respects Rom. 2.13 Hearers only and not Doers deceive themselves Jam. 1.22 'T is not the hearing and talking but the walking and working Christian that Christ loveth c. Inferences from hence 1 st That we may hear the Voice of Christ we must come to every Ordinance in publick and to every Duty in private in an hearkning posture I will hearken what the Lord will say c. Psal 85.8 Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.19 To hearken is better than the fat of Rams 1 Sam. 15.22 To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7 but listen and hearken with bored Ears Psal 40.6 c. 2 dly Pray for a Discerning Spirit 1 Cor. 12.10 that we mistake not the Younger for the Elder as blind Isaac did Gen. 27,21,22 The Voice may be Jacob's when the Hands may be like the rough Hands of Esau c. and we may think that we are embracing our beloved Rachel all the night when in the morning-light it proves a Blear-eyed Leah as it was imposed upon Jacob by churlish Laban Gen. 29.25 and therefore must we pray for God's Spirit to lead us into all truth John 14.26 if it do witness with our Spirits Rom. 8.16 This is the ultimum or last appeal then may we say with the Apostle I have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 and with the Prophet If I be deceived my God hath deceived me Jer. 20.7 For the Spirit of Truth doth not only assure us of our interest in Christ but also of the truth of the Voice of Christ to us to prevent mistakes c. 3 dly Prove all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 Try before we trust take nothing upon trust he was a fond Philosopher that said he had rather err with Plato than follow the Truth with others whereas we should follow any that follow Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Wo to them that call evil good c. Isa 5.20 therefore should we say with Isaac Come near my Son that I may feel thee Gen. 27.21 And John turned to see the Voice of him that spake to him Rev. 1.12 And the same Apostle saith our Hands have handled of the word of Life 1 John 1.1 the Ear tryeth words c. Job 12.11 As Timothy must lay hands sudddenly on no man 1 Tim. 5.22 So we on no Thing no Voice c. for we may hear a noise only of
Christ but not the distinct articulate Voice of Christ c. as those that journied with Paul did c. Acts 9.7 with Acts 22.9 and 't is said of those Christ-killers that they knew not the Voices of the Prophets c. Acts 13.27 4 thly The true Voice of Christ discovers it self by its effects as 1 It makes our hearts leap at it within us as the Babe leaped in Elizabeths Womb when only the Mother of our Lord saluted her Luke 1.44 much more when our Lord himself saluteth us c. our Hearts then must leap for Joy c. 2 It makes our Hearts bâ—rn within us as it did to those two Disciples Luke 24.32 Christ's Voice ever makes a warm Heart c. 5 thly If we be of God we shall hear the Voice of Christ and his word will have room in us John 8.37,47 and every one that is of the Truth heareth Christ's Voice John 18.37 by this we may know both whose and what we are as to our State c. 6 thly and Lastly A Love-sick Soul cannot bear any long silence from Christ c. there was silence in Heaven only for half an hour Rev. 8.1 that was a wonder but to hear nothing of Christ's Voice for whole Days Weeks and Months c. is a great grievance to a gracious Heart this made David cry Hide not thy Face from thy Servant for I am in trouble hear me speedily Psal 69.17 And the Spouse said Thy Companions hear thy Voice Oh cause me to hear it also Cant. 8.13 Hope deferred makes the Heart sick Prov. 13.12 Unless God say to us as he said to Moses speak no more to me concerning this matter Deut. 3.25,26 Thus God sometimes saith so to us in his Works when he declares his Will contrary to our Wills Thus David prayed for the Life of his Child when God had decreed its Death 2 Sam. 12.16,17,18 And our Saviour himself prayed let this Cup pass from me yet with submission to his Fathers Will Matth. 26.19 c. CHAP. V. The Characters of True Conquerors through the Strength of Christ THE Enquiry is How may this Conquest be made manifest to us that we may sing victoria with Deborah saying Oh my Soul thou hast trodden down strength Judg. 5.21 and say with Paul I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4.13 and we are more than Conquerors in all these things through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 Answer This may be known by many manifest Characters As the 1 st Character is Can we say in the witnessings of the Holy Ghost together with the witness of our own Consciences as Rom. 9.1 that we find the Lord hath performed in some measure that first Gospel-promise of Christ's breaking the Serpents Head in us Gen. 3.15 Hath Satan lost his Headship or Dominion over us Rom. 6.14 he is limited and must have leave to hurt Hogs c. This Text Gen. 3.15 the Romish Church hath most grosly corrupted ascribing that Honourable Act to the Virgin Mary the Hebrew is Hu Jeshupheka Resh ille conteret Caput not illa for Hu is the Masculine Gender signifies He not Hi the Feminine which signifies She and so Zerah Hebr. for Seed is Masculine also Therefore the Popish Reading She for He must needs be notoriously false because it gives the Glory of Christ to her who her self as well as we was saved by the Merit Value and Vertue of Christ as She her self doth acknowledge saying My Spirit rejoiceth in the Lord my Saviour Luke 1.47 Had She had no sin as the Romanists say then had She no need of this Saviour whom She called my Saviour and why did She if stood in no need of him so rejoice in him The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying as if She danced a Gallyard in her transports of joy in him reckoning that her interest in this her Saviour did make it Hilary Term that is a Merry Time with her Then if She her self stood in need of a Saviour how absurd it is in the Papists to pray to her as to a Saviour for others Chrysostom saith had not that blessed Virgin carried Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in her Heart as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in her Arms as well as before in her Womb She had never her self got into Heaven therefore we must not set the Crown upon the wrong Head upon the Mother of our Lord. but upon the Lord himself to break the Serpents Head and a wound in the Head is most dangerous and mortal and therefore the Serpent doth secure his Head with the hazard of his whole Body knowing that his Life lies in his Head mostly Intorto Capite sequitur Corpus if the Serpent can screw in his Head he can easily wrest in his Body Now the Phrase Conterit Caput signifies he shall knock thee on the Head he shall crack thy Crown therefore this must be our serious enquiry Whether Christ in us the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 who dwells in our Hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 and who is the Stronger Man hath yet come upon this Strong Man and overcome him and taken from his Armour wherein he trusted c. Luke 11.21,22 Hath our Lord in us drawn the Dragon out of his Den where he lived long peaceably that is in our Heatrs all the time of our ignorance Acts 17.30 And hath he broke the Head of the Tempter so that he leaves nothing for us to combat with save only Tail-Temptations And Christ strengthens his Members both to carry on and to compleat this Spiritual Combat and to become more than Conquerors at the last as blessed Paul acknowledgeth in three places of Holy Scripture The first is It is not I that lives but it is Christ that liveth in me c. Gal. 2.20 The Second Place is Rom. 8.37 where he ascribeth the Honour of our being Conquerors as before to the Life of Christ in him so to the Love of Christ to him and to all true Christians And the third place is Phil. 4.13 where he gives the glory of his one sort of Omnipotency to the power of Christ in him The 2 d Character of a Conqueror is If we find by real experience that we do gain ground of our Spiritual Enemies those Tail-Temptations as Joshuah did win ground upon the cursed Canaanites in his daily Wars against them First he conquered that Land which lay upon the far side of Jordan and then passing over that River he conquered them on the other side also having the blessed Messiah along with him who said to Joshuah as Captain of the Lord's Host am I come Josh 5.15 yet sometimes we find how hardly he got the Victory over the City Ai when Achan's sin proved too strong for Joshuah's prowess Josh 7.5 Insomuch that he won ground of the Enemy as it were by Inches only according to the word of the Lord saving The Lord thy God will drive out those Nations before
time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 There be Times of Grace while the Word of the Gospel is preached to us and there be Seasons of Grace when the Spirit of God goeth along with God's Word and convinceth of sin c. John 16.8 Now such a season is the most beautiful part of time and how can we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 This is a quenching the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 Opportunities are Headlong and once lost and past may never be recovered Therefore doth God in Scripture so earnestly press upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Now or Time present because so many persons are Semper Victuri as Seneca saith they promise to themselves that they shall yet live a little longer saying in Space will come Grace so they trifle out their Time and puts off the making of their Peace with God for the future and future their Duty so long until at last they fool away their own Salvation whereas delays are dangerous qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit he that is not fit to day will be less fit to morrow as the hinder Wheels of a Coach do pursue the former Wheels thereof all the day long and tho' they be much larger than the other and but at a very small distance of a yard or two from them yet they never overtake them Even so it is in this case one delay of making our Peace with God doth beget another from day to day and the latter Promise of Repenting pursues the former from time to time but never overtakes it Post est Occasio Calva Time hath no Lock behind its Head for us to take hold of whereby the hinder and the former part thereof may be made to meet together And know God will not always serve Men for a Sinning-stock from time to time and as Dr. Preston well observeth that in these Times of Grace the Lord is more quick and Peremptory in rejecting of such as dally with the Tenders of Peace God's time of tendering it is shorter now he will not wait so long as he was wont to do he will not suffer us to neglect it twice but if once past it will never dawn again 'T is true the long-suffering of God is Salvation Rom. 2.4 and 2 Pet. 3.15 but laesa patientia fit furor if we presume to abuse God's Patience then it turns into Fury and we are but treasuring up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and therefore we ought to catch at present Opportunities as Millers and Mariners do catch at present Gales and make use of them when they come and as Watermen take the opportunity of the Tide all well-knowing that neither Wind nor Tide nor Time will stay no Man's Leisure or Pleasure they all are in God's fist Prov. 30.4 who hath alone the Royalty of these his Creatures and not in the power of Man We ought therefore to catch at the Season of Grace as we hear the Eccho doth at the Voice loudly spoken in Places of Reverberation even in the very nick of Time Thus we find David did no sooner had he heard God speaking seek ye my Face but immediately his Heart being inspired by the Spirit to a gracious compliance did as it were eccho back again thy Face Lord will I seek Psal 27.8 And the like Eccho or quick Answer we find in the Church to her Lord who no sooner had said to her Return ye back-sliding Children and I will heal your backslidings She presently Answers Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Jer. 3.22 The Church was thus moved to yield her ready Obedience unto her Lord's Command because the power of the Lord was present to heal her as Luke 5.17 And indeed every godly person hath as it were the duplicate and counter-part of God's Law written in his Heart and is willingly cast into the Mold of his Word as Rom. 6.17 may be read to wit ye have obeyed from the heart that Form Type or Mold of Doctrine into which ye were cast The Doctrine of the Gospel is the Mold and the Hearts of Hearers is the Mettal which when sufficiently melted in the Furnace being purged from the Dross c. is then poured into the Mold and willingly receiveth that Form and Figure of that Type or Vessel that it is cast into taking Impression from it in one part as well as another and receives its Form in the whole Oh that it may be so with us to acquaint now our selves with God while he calls us and be at peace with him This is done if we return to God speedily by Repentance from whom we have so shamefully revolted and against whom we have so notoriously rebelled our Lord calleth loudly upon us duly and daily To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Psal 95.7,8 Heb. 3.7,8 as in the day of Provocation It must be done to day while the Gales of Grace continue blowing and breathing 't is the Cry of that unclean Bird the Crow Cras Cras that is to Morrow to Morrow will be soon enough If we harden our own Hearts by Unbelief as our choice to day God may lay Hardness of Heart upon us as our Judgment to morrow so that neither Ministry nor Misery nor Miracle nor Mercy may possibly Mollifie them But on the other hand if the Lord move our Hearts to make such a quick Eccho and gracious Answer to God's Call and Command as Samuel did by the Instruction of Good Old Eli speak Lord for thy Servant now heareth 1 Sam. 3.9,10 and as Saul said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 This is a blessed evidence that God hath bored our Ears and we shall say then Lo we come to do thy will O God and we delight in doing it Psal 40.6,7,8 Christ's people are willing in the day of Christ's power Psal 110.3 they then will make haste and not delay Psal 119.59,60 yea it should be our Meat and Drink to do God's Will as it was to our Lord Joh. 4.34 Now if we can but find any promptness in our Wills and Affections to turn our Hearts from sin and return to God without delays we shall then be at peace with him and he with us yea and thereby good shall come unto us Job 22.21 we shall be happy and it shall be well with us Psal 128.2 We shall have a Cornucopia even a confluence of all manner of contentments and comforts even good Temporal good Spiritual and good Eternal then Peace will be within our Walls and Prosperity within our Tabernacles Psal 122.7 To conclude this Point if we who are Aged have delayed hitherto to make our peace with God we have burnt Day-light too much already 't is high time to use expedition The putting off of this day and the next and half a day cost the Levite very dear Judg. 19,7,8 c. As that Old Man courted
Burden but entertain it chearfully with God-praising hearts 'T is true tho' Old Age be a rich Blessing of God in it self as is largely demonstrated before and yet is called an Evil Age for Reasons afore-named Notwithstanding God hath not left it comfortless as 't is said John 14.18 But the Spirit who is the Comforter hath left upon Scripture-Record so many Cordials as are truly Soveraign against all the Evils that attend it insomuch as Old Age may be an easie Age a calm and quiet Harbour if Youth hath done it no disservice in filling its bones with the sins of Youth before-hand and if Intemperance which is like the Thief in the Candle wasting it away hath not weakned its Head or Feet c. In this case Old Age hath cause to complain of the evil of the Man and not the Man to murmure at the Evils of Old Age. Thus Old Job oft complains of the Misery of his Old Age saying Lord thou changest our Countenances and sendest us away Job 14.20 and many myriads of such Sighs too long to relate do ever and anon issue out of his Mouth And he himself tells us the ground of all his grief was that God made him to possess the sins of his Youth Job 13.26 therefore says he thou writest bitter things against me c. Thus likewise Old David complained I am become like a Bottle in the Smoak Psal 119.83 and much more in many other Psalms c. which drove him to groan out that Petition Lord remember not against me the Transgressions of my Youth for thy tender Mercies have been of old c. Psal 25.6,7 Both those Instances were Holy Persons who after those and many more such Complaints were both of them comforted by the God of all Comforts 2 Cor. 1.3 and had their Old Age marvelously sweetned to them and had their best Wine at the last both those Good Men had remembred their Creator in the days of their Youth Eccles 12.1 and tho' their Youth-Time had been a very rough Voyage through a surging stormy Sea yet their last Years were their best Years as it was to Good Old Jacob who after a long Life of manifold Miseries did enjoy seventeen Years of sweet Tranquility and Comfort c. But alas this Mercy can never be expected by those who never had God neither in their Heads Psal 10.4 nor in their Hearts Psal 14.1 nor in their Words Psal 12.4 no nor in their Works Tit. 1.16 and such as drive a Through-Trade all their Lives in Weaving the Web of Wickedness having been twice dipped in the Devils Dye-Tub as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Scarlet Sins doth sigâ—ie namely in the Wool of their Youth and in the Web of their Elder Years those can never expect any comfort in Old Age. Pliny tells us Serpens Serpentem devorans fit Draco as that Serpent which commonly devoureth other Serpents becomes to be a Dragon at last So a long swallower of many Sins becomes at the length a most Monstrous Sinner c. that Old and true saying that if Persons prove not Fair at twenty Strong at thirty Wise at forto Rich at fifty and Religious at sixty Years of Age such will never prove either Fair or Strong or Wise or Wealthy or Holy Ones all the days of their Lives This ancient Adage holds a most apt congruity with that saying of Solomon such as seek me early shall find me Prov. 8.17 Whereas the Habitual Sinner to whom God hath given the Space of Repentance many times but never the Grace of it Rev. 2.21,23 leads the Life of sin Thoughts beget Delight Delight begets Consent Consent begets Action Action begets Custom and lastly Custom begets Necessity so that he brings himself under a Law of an unavoidable Sinning against his maker and as David tells Saul wickedness proceedeth from the wicked as naturally as Water from the Fountain 1 Sam. 24.13 Satan is not satisfied to have Men Sinners only but he will have them also to abound in sin and to be like the Crocodile that grows while it lives in growing greater and grosser Sinners to the end of their Lives Alas this is but the laying of a bad and not a good foundation for the time to come As we are commanded to lay up a better store against Old Age and Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.19 NB. Note well Our Lord tells Peter what Miseries he should meet withal when he came to be Old John 21.18 He had the manner of his Death foretold him that he should glorifie God by Martyrdom ver 19. and observe what an holy Improvement he made of this Precaution he had made his Solemn Appeal to an All-knowing Lord saying thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee ver 17. and to testifie his Love to his Lord in feeding his Lambs he wrote those two famous Epistles General to the Churches of Christ and in the latter of them he saith I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance c. Yea I think it meet while I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up c. knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2 Pet. 1.12,13,14,15 He knew that his Tent or Tabernacle must soon be taken down his Earthly House as Paul who was a Tent-maker calls the Body a Tent 2 Cor. 5.1 So both these two great Apostles did truly and duly endeavour to magnifie and to glorifie Christ both in Life and at Death John 21.19 and Phil. 1.20 Thus both Peter the Elder and Paul the Aged as they stile themselves 1 Pet. 5.1 and Phil. ver 9. were well in-laid and fortified before-hand to undergo the Evils that attended them both in their Old Age c. May we but get Hearts to own God while we are Young then God will not forget us but own us when Old and as our days are so shall our strength be Deut. 33.25 Now more particularly the Comforts against the Evils of Old Age are First That then the Law of our Members cannot so easily lead us into captivity unto sin Rom. 7.23 as formerly in the Heat and Vanity of our Youth Indeed the Witty Fable runs thus Cupid that Pagan God of Love and Mors that is Death happened to meet together and to lodge all Night both of them in one and the same Inn but in the Morning they chanced to mistake each others Quivers filled with Darts Hereupon Cupid after this shot the frozen Darts of Death at many Young People in their briskest time of their Loving and Lusting whereby many Young Gallants and Tempting Ladies were brought unto an untimely Death c. But on the contrary Mors did shoot the Fiery Darts of Cupid at the Aged Persons who in the Course of Nature were hastening to the Grave and hereby arose that wantonness of Old People for Marriage c. by which means it may be said as
c. and the Spouse was sensible of this danger when she so earnestly prayed Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow forth Cant. 4.16 Never did the ground stand in more need of the sweet Influences of the Pleiades Joh 38.31 or Garden of April showers to bring forth May flowers c. than our Hearts and our Habits of Grace do of the Spirit 's Influence to come down upon us like Dew upon the mown Grass and like Showers that water the Earth Psal 72.6 'T is said the Spirit of God did move upon the face of the first deformed Chaos and Gen. 1.2 and thereby brought forth gradually a Beautiful World So no better are our Hearts and Habits until the Spirit descends as a Dove upon us and give more grace James 4.6 Thirdly Our Lord stengthens us for bearing Affliction which every good Soldier of Jesus Christ ought to do 2 Tim. 2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endure all evils Now this cannot be done but by vertue of having fellowship with Christ in his sufferings Phil. 3.10 and where there is not first an Union there cannot be any Communion or fellowship we must first be united to Christ as to our Head and then he communicates ability to his Members even to trust in a killing God as Job did c. 13.15 because Christ bears up the heavier end of the Cross as is shewed in that Resemblance of Simon 's bearing the Cross after Jesus Luke 23.26 The heavier end of the Cross lay upon Christ's own shoulders So Simon in his fellowship with his Saviour in his sufferings did but carry the small lighter end of the Cross after him Thus our Lord doth more than line our Crosses for us to make them softer and less galling to our tender Tempers but he hath taken away the Curse of every Cross and hath made them more Medicinal than Paenal so that we may now read Divine Faithfulness in them as David did Psal 119.71,75 'T is a filling up Christ's Afflictions Col. 1.24 A Chip of Christ's Cross doth dulcifie the bitter Waters as that Tree did Marah Exod. 15.25,26 That Glukuzar or Liquorice Tree might be a Type of the Cross whereon Christ was Crucified And we find upon Record how the sweet presence of Christ with the Three Nobles of Israel's Captives in Babylon did even sweeten to them those Bitter Flames in the Furnace of Fire as before Dan. 3.25,28 Fourthly Christ the strong Redeemer causeth his Redeemed Ones to be Conquerours also in Resisting Temptations for he having before hand broken the Serpent's Head Gen. 3.15 doth only leave Tail-Temptations for the exercise of their Graces and not for the destruction of their Souls He hath engaged his own Holiness and Fidelity for assuring us of this great Truth in that truly Golden Promise 1 Cor. 10.13 where he saith That we shall not be tempted above what we are able for he is faithful and he will make a way to escape tho' we cannot make any such way for our own Deliverance and that none such Tryals shall come upon us but what are common and incident to God's dearest Children He will not lead us into any untrodden paths but only into such ways wherein the great Friends and Favourites of Heaven have gone before us whose footsteps we are commanded to follow Cant. 1.8 and Heb. 6.12 Yea and he hath assured praying Souls that his Grace shall be sufficient for us 2 Cor. 12.7,8 and that he will Rebuke Satan that Resists us Zech. 3.1,2,3 c. which he can easily do as having him in a Chain and 't is but taking up a Link or two thereof then our Souls are safe c. Fifthly He makes them Conquerours in mortifying Corruptions from which none even those of the highest Form are not exempted Elijah Paul and Barnabas were subject to the like passions with others Acts 14.15 and James 5.17 The best of Men are but Men at the best Therefore it is as great an act of miraculous Power to keep our little spark of Grace alive in the midst of such a vast Sea of Corruption as it would be to keep a Coal-fire burning upon the surface of the Main Ocean Our Graces like the Army of Israel are very small when our corruptions like the Syrians are so numerous as to fill the whole Country of the Isle of Man 1 Kings 20.27 therefore is it said that the Righteous are scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4.18 that is they have much ado and meet with many difficulties before they can reach to Heaven and Solomon saith He that trusts his own heart is a fool Prov. 28.26 Notwithstanding all this tho' our corruptions have Iron Charets and be too strong for us yet are they not too strong for this stronger Man Josh 17.16,18 and Judg. 1.19 We must say with John Baptist He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty or stronger than I Mat. 3.11 And what Anakims or Gyant-like corruptions were ever able to stand before his Mortifying Spirit Rom. 8.13 his Promise he will subdue our Iniquities Mich. 7.19 where the Hebrew word Chabash doth not signifie simply to subdue but vi violentia subjugabit conculcabit that is Jikbosh Gnavonthenu Hebr. he will tread our Corruptions down by force and violence and will perform with his hand what his mouth hath spoken He will do what he hath said 2 Sam. 7.25 1 Kings 8.15 And which is more than all this God sometimes doth give pardoning Mercy where he hath denyed prevailing Grace as this latter hath been withdrawn to humble the Saints so the former is granted to comfort them as in that double case of David and Peter but then there must be some proportion betwixt sinning and sorrowing Manasseh had greatly sinned and was as greatly humbled Oh! let all bless the Lord for this that sin hath not Dominion over us Rom. 6.14 It may play the Tyrant but never Rex or chosen King it may come as a Traveller as 2 Sam. 12.4 but it cannot be an Home-dweller or Master of the House in any truly gracious Heart c. Sixthly The next Case of Difficulty wherein the Redeemer assists the Redeemed to become Conquerors also is in maintaining their Communion with God Alas how heavy are our Hearts Leve sursum grave deorsum heavy things hang downward as light things press upward which our Hearts cannot do having the Stone in them the Spouse was sensible hereof when she prayed draw me and we shall run after thee Cant. 1.3 Anselm's Bird with a Stone tied to its foot is a lively Representation of this Case no sooner did the Bird essay to mount up toward Heaven but the Stone at her foot did presently pluck her down to the Earth It may well be said Oh how weak are our Hearts Ezek. 16.30 Christ saith to his Disciples Can ye not watch with me one Hour the Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak Matth. 26.41 As if our Lord had said with the