thee out of the Grave in the morning of the Resurrection from the sleep and bed of death as he hath awakened thee in thy Bed and raised thee up in health and safety this Morning When the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God the sound of this Trumpet shall be heard over all parts of the World and with this Trumpet shall he summon all Nations to come to the general Judgement This is that fearful Voice whereof Saint Hierom speaketh saying Whether I eat or drink or whatsoever I do I seem always to hear that Voice sounding in mine Ears Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment Oh! Who shall appeal from this Summons Who shall be able to avoid this Judgment Whose Heart shall not quake and tremble at the sound of this terrible Voice This Voice shall take from death all her Spoils and cause her to restore again all that she hath taken from the World The Sea shall give up the Dead which are in it and Death and Hell deliver up the Dead which are in them Rev. 20.13 Think with thy self O Christian when thou art rising out of thy Bed what a wonderful sight that shall be to see the Sea and the Earth bring forth in all parts such variety of Bodies and to behold so many huge Armies rising out of their Beds of death and darkness and so many sorts of diversities of Nations and People gathered and assembled together To see the most mighty Princes and most puissant Potentates of the Earth raised out of their Tombs and appearing with another manner of habit and behaviour and with other kind of thoughts much differing from those that they had in this Life Think then with thy self that all the Children of Adam shall meet together every one to give up an account of his own Life and to be judged according to his Works yet shall there be a great difference between the Just and the Unjust at the day of Resurrection Some shall rise to everlasting Life and Glory and some to Shame and everlasting Contempt Dan. 12.2 Consider what a joyful meeting there will be of the Souls and Bodies of the Just at the general Resurrection With what joy shall the Soul then embrace the Body And as it were say thus unto it O my Body and faithful Companion that hast holden me in obtaining this glorious Crown that hast so often Fasted Watched and Prayed that hast suffered with me the necessities of Poverty the cross of Afflictions the reproaches and contradictions of reviling Tongues How often hast thou stript thy self of thine own Raiment to cloth the Naked How often hast thou denied thy self renounced thine own right and title being unwilling to break Peace and be at Variance with thy Neighbour Wherefore it is meet that thou shouldst now be partaker with me of this my Glory as thou hast been my companion in all my Labours and Sufferings Think also with thy self of the grievous and woful meeting of the Souls and Bodies of the Wicked at the day of their Resurrection The Soul of such an one shall then say to his vile Body O cursed Body the cause of my woe and misery Now I take thee no more for my Companion but mine Enemy Now art thou no more my Helper but my Persecutor O cursed Taste how dearly now do I pay for thy delicates and delights O stinking Flesh how have I by yielding to thy Lusts and Pleasures plunged my self into these endless Torments Is this the Body that scarce must touch the Ground that would not endure the Wind to blow upon it that Body which I spent so much time in Dressing and Adorning it Is this the Flesh which I so often glutted and pampered Were these the delights of this Body for which I cast away my self Was it for this stinking Dung-hill that I have lost for ever the Kingdom of Heaven O ye infernal Furies rise up now against me and tear me in pieces Cursed be the day of my unfortunate Birth seeing for a few short Pleasures I must suffer everlasting Torments These and other more desperate words thou mayst think Christian Reader shall the miserable Soul speak unto that Body which she loved so exceedingly in this Transitory Life I will set down the words of a Devout Man in this kind Tell me O miserable Soul why dost thou now so much abhor that thing which heretofore thou lovedst so well Is not this Flesh thy dearly beloved Is not this thy Belly which thou madest thy God Is not this the Face which thou didst keep so charily from Wind and Sun Is not this the Visage which thou didst paint with so many Artificial Colours Are not these the Arms and Fingers which glistered with Rings of Gold Bracelets and Diamonds Is not this the Body for whose sake search was made both by Sea and Land to furnish a Table for it with all dilicate and dainty Dishes To have a soft and stately Bed to procure curious and sumptuous Garments Who hath now so changed thine Affections who hath now made thy Body to appear so horrible and deformed which before seemed so amiable and beautiful Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power Rev. 20.6 SECT IX When thou art sluggish and loth to rise out of thy Bed in the Morning THink then with thy self O Christian that thou hearest the Voice of Christ calling to thee as sometimes to his Spoufe Cant. 2.10 Rise up my Love my fair One and come away Consider what Saint Paul saith to the Romans Rom. 13.11 It is high time to awake out of sleep Awake unto Righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15.34 It is not enough that ye affect Righteousness and to have the Heart bent toward it in some sort but you must awake to it as Mens Spirits are fresh and renewed and made more quick and active when they awake out of sleep awaken and quicken your Souls to Righteousness and Holiness as if you were to begin the work again that so your Spirits may be fresh and your Hearts active and lively in the Service of God See how David stirreth up himself Awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early Awake Psaltery and Harp Doth David speak to these dead Instruments Doth he not rather speak to his own Affections that they might be awakned and quickned to make Melody to the Lord in his Heart whilst he played with his Hand upon the Psaltery and Harp He knew the Harp though never so well tuned and managed would make but dull and flat Musick in the Ears of the Living God if the Heart were not tuned and the Affections stirred up and quickned Raise up thy Heart to God and the love of the World will little prevail with it the more able shalt thou be to discern the excellency of Heavenly Things This is a special Help against Temptation
hanging on How great a task to escape the Corruption that is in the World and to escape so many Snares as are set in all places How great a work to get a free and enlarged Heart How hard to walk constantly in the Spirit How hard to do the Work and perform the Service of God in the Power of the Spirit How difficult to walk in a constant communion with the Lord What diligence then ought we to use in the Service of God being so much straightned with time and having so much to do and so great a task laid upon us Moreover the shortness of Life compared with the greatness of the Account that is to be given up at the end of this Life should move us with great diligence to hasten in the Work and Service of God A great account is to be given up to God after a short Life and therefore great diligence must be used that it may be an happy and joyful Account and that we may be sure to have all our Sins crossed out of the Account and to have many works of Obedience many pleasing Services acceptable to God through Jesus Christ put upon the Reckoning Every Master calls his Servants to account for what they put into their hands as to the improvement thereof And God will call every Man to a reckoning for every Talent they have in their hands how they have improved them what they have done for the Glory of God for the Interest of Christ and for the good of their own and others Souls All our Talents are written down our using our abusing them our spending our mispending them All the times of God's Patience Forbearance and Long-sufferance are registred in God's Account-Book All the Mercies and Blessings we have received all the Ordinances of God and means of Grace we have enjoyed all the powerful Sermons we have heard all these are written down in the Book of God's Remembrance and in the Book of our Consciences We shall all be called to give an account Mat. 25.15 16 17 18 19. Let us all mind the day of Account and not put it far from us in hope that our Master will defer his Coming But let every one labour so to do as he desireth to be found at his Coming Furthermore Consider that everlasting Estate which followeth upon so short a Life and which shall be according to this short Life and suitable unto it Now when everlasting Life followeth upon a short Life well spent to the Glory of God and everlasting Woe and Misery upon a Life spent according to the course of this World by those that live in the Flesh Oh what Speed Industry and Diligence should Men use in improving their short lives in the Service of God that they may inherit everlasting Life and escape everlasting Torment Finally After this short Life we shall have no more such opportunities as now to glorifie God here on Earth we shall hear no more Sermons enjoy no more Sabbaths his Spirit shall strive with us no longer Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no Work nor Device nor Knowledg nor Wisdom in the Grave where thou goest Eccles 9.10 Death will take away those opportunities which the life of Man affordeth therefore every Man ought to put forth his might and best strength in improving his short life to the Glory of God How may this reprove our prodigal and lavish mispending of our short Lives Men that have but a little store of such and such things are sparing and thrifty in dispensing and disposing them Scarcity of any sort of Provision moveth Men to make spare of it What is more scanty than time What hath a Man less store of than of Life No Man knoweth how little he hath and he that hath most hath but little Many reckon upon many Years of Life to come who perhaps have not so may Days it may be not so many Hours as they reckon Years The truth is no Man is sure of any more than the present time of his Life All the time past which was ill-spent is lost and whether any be yet remaining to thee thou art uncertain And if any be it is as like to slide away from thee without profit as that which is past if now thou be lavish and careless in losing and casting away the present time How easily may Satan lead thee on step by step to Hell whilst thou pleasest thy self with thoughts afar off for Heaven with remote purposes for Heaven and newness of Life Hast thou not passed over many Weeks and Days already when thou hadst a purpose to have turn'd unto the Lord and to have broken off thy Sins by Repentance Thou hast the same deceitful Heart still to flatter thee with hopes and purposes of Repentance for time to come The same Devil there is still to draw thee on from Day to Day from Week to Week to perswade thee from time to time to take longer Day until the days of thy short Life waste away and thou perish in thy Sin and find no place for Repentance Oh how should this make Men tremble Thy whole Life is but as an Hand-breadth Psal 39. a short space of time Oh then think how wretchedly lavish thou hast been already of this short precious time It may be thou hast not so many Weeks behind as thou hast lost Years already and all the Daies of thy Life which thou hast spent in a state of Impenitency and Vnregeneration are lost and thou hast no fruit of them in respect of Salvation The longer thou hast lived in the Flesh and hast not been led by the Spirit thou art the nearer Hell and Condemnation and all this while thou hast been heaping up Wrath against the Day of Wrath. And is not this time wofully cast away Howsoever thou hast thrived in the World encreased thine outward Estate gotten Things about thee c. yet all thy time is lost and it were better for thee never to have seen those Days if thou hast lived an Impenitent and Vnregenerate Life Oh then waste no more of this precious time of this short Life There is so much of this precious Oyl spilt on the Ground there are but a few drops left to nourish the flame and to keep light in the Lamp Take heed lest that also be spent and consumed and thy life go out like a Candle with a stinking Snuff and end in perpetual Shame and Misery If yet thou art not turned unto the Lord by sound Repentance and hast not yet begun to do the Work of God then now whilst it is called to Day hearken to the Voice of God and speedily turn unto him defer not thy setting about this Work till to morrow Lose not so many precious hours about the World spend not so many in carnal Delights and vain Pleasures in idle Talk or in doing nothing so many in Eating Drinking and Sleeping more than thy weakness requireth redeem time
as before The Lord will shortly tread Satan under your feet but he stands his ground for the present 4. Be watchful after thy Falls lest a worse Temptation than a former befal thee If Satan seeth a Man stumble and fall he will keep him down if he can When he had drawn David to commit Adultery he put him upon Murder When he had made Peter to deny Christ once he proceeded in his Temptations Here let me propound divers Preservations against Temptations that ye may not be overcome by them 1. Preserve in thy Heart settled thoughts of God's Omnipresence Seneca would have Men to think upon grave Cato that he was always beholding them to keep them from Looseness If the presence of a Man then much more the Presence of God will keep a Man from Sin Wicked Men take liberty to Sin because they say Tush Thou God seest us not But God looks upon you not only when you are Fasting but Feasting not only when you are Praying but Playing not only in the Fields but in the House not only in the Parlour but in the Bed-chamber yea in the Closet Were this Consideration still in you God seeth us what Temptation could prevail against us It is said of an holy and reverend Man that he had this written before his Eyes in his Study Sin not thou though never so secret God seeth thee and the Angels stand by thee the Devil is ready to accuse thee thine own Conscience to give evidence against thee and Hell-fire to torment thee Be thou in the fear of God all the day long Prov. 23.17 2. Maintain in your Hearts thoughts of the strict account which ye shall one Day make of every Sin Answer all Temptations thus Oh I cannot answer for the Sins I have committed already And shall I now make work for the great Day Is not mine account great enough already Oh! How can I answer God for one of a thousand Sins that I have already committed 3. Let the Word of God dwell plenteously in your Hearts To hide the Word in your Hearts is the way to be kept from Sin Psal 119.9 Christ by Scripture vanquished the Devil Avoid Satan It is written Thou shalt not do thus or thus Set home the Commands of God the Threatnings of God the Curse of the Law upon thy Soul whensoever thou art tempted to Sin 4. Oppose Eternity of Torment to thy sinful Pleasures and say What advantage is it to win the whole World and lose my Soul for ever What! shall I adventure to lie under the Wrath of Almighty God for ever for a few momentany Pleasures Profits and Pleasures are the guilded Baits of all Temptations 5. Lodg holy thoughts in your Hearts and obey all motions of God's Spirit A Mind fraught with holy thoughts will not admit vain thoughts Intus existens prohibit alienum When Satan finds the heart void and swept of good thoughts then he enters with evil Suggestions So whilst thou art following the motions of God's Spirit this will quench diabolical motions 6. Pray fervently and frequently that God will be thy Guard Complain often to God that thou art in the midst of Enemies always vexing and enticing thee Thou canst go no where but the Devil is at thy right Hand Beseech the Lord that he will rebuke Satan If God be thy Shepherd he will rescue thee out of the Paw of the Bear and out of the Paw of the roaring Lion Finally Let me advise you to take heed of throwing your selves into the Lion's Mouth and into the Paws of the Bear It is a provoking tempting of God to give us over If Children will be medling with Fire it is wisdom in the Parent to let them burn their Fingers to prevent greater mischief No Man hath need to tempt the Devil to tempt him to Sin He is watchful enough to devour when a Man rusheth upon Temptations he tempts the Devil to tempt him when a Man will adventure upon keeping company with the Wicked he tempteth the Devil to tempt him SECT XXXII Of Mortification and the daily Exercising our selves therein DAily exercise your selves in the work of Mortification of Sin As the Poets write of that many-headed-Monster Hydra that Hercules encounter'd with that still the more Heads he cut off the more did repullulate and spring up in their rooms So we shall find it true of that uncouth monster of Sin that is bred in our Natures the more Corruptions and Temptations we vanquish and subdue the more will multiply upon us still and re-inforce their Assaults It will be every Days-work and all our Lives-work to mortifie all our Sins We must take all our Spiritual Enemies that we can light on and give Quarter to none that we take in Battel putting them all to the Sword as God commanded Saul to destroy All the Amalekites And so careful ought every Christian to be to rid the Field of All that he must stand armed in the Field after he hath beaten and vanquished all that appeared and prepare for such as are undiscovered As David that endeavoured not only to subdue all his known Sins and to be kept from presumptuous Sins but prayed also to be cleansed from his secret Sins Not from those which he cherished knowingly for of this sort he had none but which he had not yet discovered in himself or not understood to be Errours Labour ye by the power of Grace to charge through and through the whole body of Sin that ye may cast down not only the Actings but the very Imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the Knowledg of God and bring into captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ Leave no Member unmortified no Sin unsubdued even when the reliques and remains of Sin be not wholly grubbed up Let every Christian every day endeavour to mortifie all his Corruptions By endeavouring to do it ye shall obtain thus much that though Corruption doth grow in your Nature yet it shall not overflow in your Nature A quick-springing Well that hath Water continually bubling and rising up in it yet being continually laded out and emptied still as fast as it fills the Current of it though it be not kept dry yet it shall be kept shallow and not suffered to swell above the Banks So it is with our Nature it is a Well that hath a quick Spring there is filthy Water that ever bubbles out of it but let us ever be pumping at it and lading it out now some and then some that as fast as it fills we may empty it this will be a means to keep it shallow though we cannot keep it dry that it shall with no great danger swell above the Banks St Paul's Lesson is plain Rom. 6.12 Let not Sin reign in your mortal Bodies Though Sin remain there yet let it not reign there at least not reign like a King though it reign like a Tyrant that we should be obedient to the Lusts of it
then cannot a Man forget God Who lives under a continual sence of the want of God his Soul is still breathing and panting after God Love causeth an emission of the Thoughts it will not suffer him to dwell at home but to be where it is best of all to be There 's a Necessity a Man should mind what he most affecteth and a Man that loveth God cannot live in a Course of Forgetfulness of God either as an holy Man noteth Want brings him or Love constrains him or Christ draws him and Christ will not be long from his if their Hearts come not up to him he will come into them and if he be there all is taken up with attending upon him SECT II. A Soliloquy at Waking HOw pretious are thy thoughts unto me O God! how great is the Sum of them c. When I awake I am still with thee Psal 139.17 18. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is To see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Because thy Loving-kindness is better than Life my Lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy Name My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my Mouth shall praise thee with joyful Lips when I remember thee upon my Bed and meditate on thee in the Night-watches Because thou hast been my Help therefore in the shadow of thy Wings will I rejoice My Soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me Psal 63.1 to 9. O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise even with my Glory Awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early or in the Morning I will be up first and raise the Morning out of its Bed that I may come to the Celebration of thy Praises Psal 108.1 2. My Soul waiteth for thee O Lord more than they that watch for the Morning I say more than they that watch for the Morning Psal 130 6. He waited for the Lord more than they that watch for the Morning either as one Expositor saith more than they who in the Sanctuary of the Lord heedfully observ'd the Morning watch that they might offer the Morning Sacrifice in due season or more than they that are appointed to keep watch all Night do watch and long for the Morning as another Expositor hath it SECT III. Directions how to begin the Day GIve GOD your first waking Thoughts Suffer no Wordly Thought to enter till God first come in The First-fruits of the Mouth and of the Heart are to be offered unto God Primitiae oris cordis Deo offerendae Ambros in Psal 119. saith St. Ambrose So all evil and vain thoughts either will not dare to intrude or shall more easily be kept out The Mind of Man is never idle it will be always active either about God or the World Christ or Vanity Good or Evil. It is always busied in thinking devising pondering on somewhat or other Therefore it is necessary that first of all in the Morning we set our Minds to the Meditation of Divine and Heavenly Objects How will the Devil busy himself in injecting Multitudes of other thoughts into your Minds to divert your Minds from the sweet Meditation of God if you give not God your waking thoughts Multitudes of thoughts will run into your Minds like People running to a Bull-baiting or to see some strange Sight but you must watch against them and drive them away as Ahraham did the Fowls from his Sacrifice 2. Lift up your Hearts to God in a reverent manner and give him thanks for the rest of the Night past that his Compassions have not failed you but are renued every Morning that even in the Night you have received an apparent Evidence of his Love and whereas for your Sins committed the day before God might even in the dead of Sleep have taken your Souls from you and so have suddenly brought you to your account bless him that it hath been his good pleasure yet to spare you 3. If God's Glory be dear unto you you will or ought to begin every Day in this manner before you do any thing by offering to God's Glory what ye are about to do setting before him premeditately the Actions of the ensuing Day in this or the like manner My God whatsoever I shall this day speak or do yea whatsoever I shall think I offer wholly to thee these Prayers these Meditations these Alms these Devotions this Fasting these Works these Businesses these Actions these my Affairs I dedicate and consecrate unto thee nor desire I any thing else than what I shall perform this day may turn to thine Honour How sweet is it in the beginning of the day before a Man takes any new Matter in hand to lift up his Heart to God and to say thus within himself Lord I will undertake this or that Action by thy help and for thee this day for thee will I labour I will think this for thee for thee now will I hold my peace and now I will speak for thy Honour and Glory I will cast my self on thee for the following Day Use your selves constantly to this Course that your Consciences may check you when you neglect it Such a constant Course will keep off divers Temptations that may otherwise surprize you and engage your Hearts to God for all the day following SECT IV. At the Dawning of the Day and Rising of the Day-Star MEditate how the Gospel is tanquam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Day-Star and the Work of the Spirit enlightning the Mind is as the dawning of the Day or rising of the Day-star in the Heart of a Christian So St. Peter commends those to whom he writeth for making use of the Old Testament of the Truth whereof they were assured in the mean time 2 Pet. 1.19 until by a further Work of the Spirit of Illumination their Hearts and Minds are more effectually instructed and more strongly assured of the Truth of the Gospel of Christ The Old Testament is as a Torch-light in a dark Room the New Testament revealed by the Spirit is as the Dawning of the Day or Rising of the Day-Star in comparison of that Light which shall appear at Christ's second Coming which shall be as the bright Rising of the Sun of Righteousness Consider that as the Dawning of the Day is in respect of the Night so is a Soul enlightned with the saving Knowledg of the Gospel to one in his natural Blindness And First If we compare such a Soul to those poor Creatures that want the outward Means of Knowledg it is manifest for these have no Light offered them whereby to come to know God in a saving way therefore in respect of this Knowledg there is a meer Night of Ignorance among them The
Condition of those that want the Means of Knowledge is plainly expressed by the Apostle Eph. 4.17 18. where he sheweth that the Gentiles walk in the Vanity of their minds having the Vnderstanding darkned being alienated from the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their Heart Where you may consider that they are so far from having such knowledge as doth guide them unto Life and Salvation that they are alienated from the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in them 1 Cor. 1.21 It is said that the World by wisdom knew not God They had a kind of Wisdom wherein many of them excelled whereby they knew many Secrets of Nature many Affairs of State and Government c. But all their Wisdom for want of the Word did not teach them the right Knowledg of God in a saving way Consider also that as the Heathens that wanted the Word so the Unregenerate that live under the Ministery of the Word do remain in darkness the Day doth not dawn unto them nor doth the Day-Star arise in their Hearts or elss if the Day do dawn in their Brains it is dark Night in their Hearts if they do get some knowledg of the Gospel and Mysteries of Salvation yet this Light doth not pierce so as to win them to the Love of that Truth and Light which appeareth unto them and to subject their Hearts unto the Power of it Now in the Regenerate the Gospel being revealed to them by the Spirit is as the dawning of the Day and the rising of the Day-Star in their Hearts in comparison of that Night of Blindness which was in themselves before Regeneration and is yet in others that are unregenerate for first the Day dawns in their Understandings and then the Day-Star ariseth in their Hearts then the Night begins to wear away and the Day breaks and dawns upon them then they begin to see what they could not see before and to see that far more clearly and effectually which they saw in some imperfect measure before Now the Spirit having caused the Day to dawn in their Understandings he proceedeth also to enlighten the lower Region and to cause the Day-Star to arise in their Hearts as in the Night time when the Sun is on the other side of the Earth it shineth brightly and enlightneth the Stars as we see yet the Body of the Earth being between the Sun and us maketh it dark here below so when the Spirit enlightens the Understanding of an unregenerate Man with the knowledge of the Gospel even at the same time there is a Body of Death in his heart and a Mass of sinful Corruptions which casts a Shadow and keeps the Heart and Affections in miserable darkness Now as every Coruption is a degree of Darkness so every Grace is a Beam of heavenly Light for God is Light and every Grace is a Part of the Image and Likeness of God and so is Lumen de Lumine Light issuing from the Fountain of Light Consider what St. Paul saith to the faithful Ephesians Ephes 3.8 Ye were sometimes Darkness but now ye are Light in the Lord their present Condition Ye were Darkness dark all over dark Understandings dark Judgments dark Hearts and Affections they had a dark Vail of natural Blindness upon their Judgments a dark Cloud of worldly and fleshly Lusts and Corruptions upon their Hearts but now they are Light in the Lord lightfom Understandings and lightsom Hearts and Affections SECT V. At the Breaking forth of the Light COnsider with thy self that there is a fourfold Light spoken of in Scripture and that God is called Pater Luminum the Father of Lights James 1.17 1. There is Lux materialis a material Light that which God created in the beginning and of which he made the Sun and Moon to be as Fountains and Vessels that with the Beams proceeding from them the World might be illuminated Consider how God was the Father of this in the first place Gen. 1.3 God said let there be Light and there was Light He commanded Light to shine out of Darkness saith the Apostle And it is said Gen. 1.15 He set two Lights in the Firmament of Heaven a greater Light to rule the Day and a lesser Light to rule the Night 2. There is Lux naturalis that which we commonly call the Light of Nature and it is that same knowledg and Conscience that was at first planted in the Mind of Man by which he was made able to distinguish between Good and Evil. Of this also God is the Father it is he that hath created in us Understanding to discern and Conscience to bear witness of Good and Evil. 3. There is Lux supernaturalis or spiritualis that which we commonly call the Light of Grace and from this there arise two Beams 1. That which shines into our Hearts to dispel the darkness of Sin in us of which I have spoken before It is in this sence that the Children of God are called the Children of Light and the holy Conversation that they lead is said to be a walking in the Light Now of this also God is the Father it is he that by his Spirit enlightens our Hearts with Grace as I spake before 2. There is a Light that shineth in our hearts to chear us with the assurance of God's Love and Favour Light is sown to the Righteous and joy to the upright in Heart Psal 27.11 Light and Joy are sown together in the same Furrow Of this also God is the Father it is he only that can make us to hear the voice of Joy and Gladness So David prayeth Lord do thou lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me The light of his Countenance is the light of his Favour where the light of his Favour shineth no clouds of Affliction can darken our Joy it will make our Hearts merrier than Corn and Wine 4. There is Lux immortalis or Coelestis we may call it the Light of Glory It is that same Light which God dwells in the Light inaccessible the Light that none can approach unto 1 Tim. 6.16 Yet that Light that God's Children shall one day dwell in also Light we may call it for it is where Darkness never made his Pavilion a Light more glorious than the Sun or Moon For it is where though no Sun shall be yet where no Night shall be The Glory of God lightens that place and the Lamb is the Light of it Rev. 21.23 Now of this Light likewise God is the Father He that Inhabits it he Created it and he hath prepared it to be an Habitation for his Saints that as many as shall be Citizens of the New Jerusalem may rest under the Glory of it The Sun shall be no more thy Light by Day saith the Prophet nor for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee the everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory Isa
beyond this bound so if we do it is dangerous it is but as a Man that steps out of a Way and falls into a Pit or one that steps from his House and falls into a Prison For this very thing God threatens Israel because they had withdrawn from him that he would feed them as a Lamb in a strange Place Hos 4.16 That is like a Lamb not kept within its Fold and appointed Pastures under the care of a watchful Shepherd but left to ramble at its own Will And as to have the Will of God your Bounds is to do nothing but what agreeth with his Will so it is to do all that he requireth This is that which the Lord thy God requireth of thee to do all these things that he hath commanded thee saith Moses When you give your selves to God to be commanded and governed by him it is to a Subjection that is absolute and not conditional Moreover to be under his Command and Government is for you to make the Will of God your Rule and Pattern Namely not only to do the things that are commanded but to do it in that manner as they are commanded You must also be willing to be disposed by him according to his Will To be contented in every Condition wherein God sets you and though your Case seem hard and there is much in it that is grievous to Nature yet lie down quietly under the Hand and Will of God That 's one branch of our Willingness to be disposed by God to be contented in every Condition wherein God sets us A second Branch of being willing to be at God's disposing is an indifferency of Mind in respect of any possible Change whereunto you are called according to the Wisdom and Will of God as a holy Man well noteth 2 Sam. 15.25 26. When Zadok was by the Ark King David said unto him Carry back the Ark of God into the City If I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his Habitation But if he thus say I have no delight in thee Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him Let this be thy Language O Christian if thou ownest God as thy Soveraign and daily resignest up thy self to be disposed by him in all things Consider That thou art as a Sheep before the Shepherd that must change thy Pasture at the Shepherd's pleasure and as a Souldier that must March hither and thither at the Command of thy Captain or General Or as a Vessel in the House that stands to be filled or emptied at discretion or as a Servant that must come and go as he is bidden and not to go to or stay in any place at his own will Let it be your care every Morning to consecrate all your Affections and Actions unto God to offer up all your Faculties Senses Thoughts Words and Works and all that you are remembring that saying of Chrysostom That it is the most wicked Avarice to defraud God of the Oblation of our selves You may offer your selves to God in this or the like manner The manner of Offering our selves to God O Lord I am not mine own but Thine I have engaged my self unto Thee I have felt thy Power conquering and subduing me and I yield my self to be Thine for ever I should account it high Injustice in me to arrogate any Liberty to my self seeing I have so solemnly parted with it into thy Hands I think it best to resign up my self to Thee and esteem it a great Mercy Thou wilt enter into a new Contract with me I recommend the small Service which I shall do this day to Thy merciful Conduct and Assistance O Blessed Saviour Oh set it from henceforward before thine Eyes to Direct Correct and Perfect it I offer it and all that I am to thee with my whole Affection both for my self and all the Faithful in the union of that most perfect Intention which Thou hadst when Thou prayedst on Earth to Thy Father in Heaven SECT XX. Of Contrition WHen thou comest into the Presence of God in the Morning having considered the multitude of thy Sins and seen thy self over-charged with the burden of them see that thou humble thy self and let thy Heart be pierced with Godly Sorrow Contrition and Compunction of Spirit For the furtherance whereof thou mayst help thy self with a very devout consideration of an Ancient Father which I shall set down with some little Variation Behold I a vile Wretch have greatly offended thy Divine Majesty I am afraid to lift up mine Eyes to Heaven I desire to strike my self with that Publican in the Gospel that God may be merciful to me a Sinner I desire to enforce my self and to take Arms against mine own Wickedness and to judg my self that I may not be judged of the Lord. If my Blessed Lord and Saviour hath been so reproachfully handled for my sake If he hath suffered such grievous Pains and Torments for the Sins that I have committed why should not I abase and abhor my self being the very Person that hath sinned I am he that hath despised Almighty God I am he that hath endeavoured to crucifie afresh the Son of God And me-thinks that the whole frame of this World crieth out against me with open Mouth saying This is he that hath offended and despised our Common Lord This is that wicked Wretch that hath rather been moved with the guileful Baits of the Devil than with the great Benefits of Almighty God This is he that could never be induced to Vertue and Goodness with the Cords of Love and sweet entertainments of Almighty God nor ever be afrighted with his terrible Threatnings and dreadful Judgments This is he that so much as lieth in him hath defaced the Power Wisdom and Goodness of the Lord and cast Contempt upon them This is he that hath been more afraid to offend a weak mortal Man than that God that can cast both Soul and Body into Hell This is he that hath been more ashamed to commit a filthy Act before a rude Country Peasant than before the Presence of the All-seeing God This is he that hath preferred the Dung and Dross of the Earth before Heavenly Treasures Wherefore all Creatures do cry out against me after this manner and say This is that lewd Caitiff that hath abused us all For whereas he ought to have employed us in the Service and to the Glory of our Creator he hath made us to serve his Lusts and the will and pleasure of the Devil perverting all such things to the Injury and Reproach of the Creator which he had created for his Service His Soul was adorned with the Image of God and he hath disfigured this Divine Image and clothed it with our vile Image and Likeness he hath been more earthy than the Earth it self more unstable than the Water more mutable than the Wind more enflamed in his appetite
the Emperour's rewards had been far greater than his Merits and that his Service to the Emperour was far below those Riches and Preferments he had received and told him withal That whilst he had Life and continued in that Bishoprick he should neither have the chief Church nor any other in that City wherein to blaspheme his Lord and Master Jesus Christ and to deny his eternal Godhead consubstantial with the Father Courage in a Christian taketh its rise and wing from Faith Witness Gideon Barak Sampson Jephtab Samuel David Heb. 11.33 34. Who through Faith subdued Kingdoms stopped the Mouths of Lions out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in Fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Much Faith and much Courage and Men of little Faith ever shake hands with the Pusillanimous Courage is a goodly Grace wherein God greatly delighteth and whom can it so well become as a Believer who hath more reason and better ground to be Valiant than the greatest Spirit in the World that wanteth Faith Those falshearted Spies and cowardly Israelites at the sight or news of Giants in Canaan notwithstanding God's Promise and Presence counted themselves but Grashoppers in comparison of the Anakims Numb 13.33 And all the Congregation fell a howling as if God and Moses had betrayed them Whereas Joshua and Caleb Numb 14.9 looked on the Giants but as Bread for one Breakfast for the People of God So great is the odds between Faith and Infidelity in cases of difficulty IV. Quickness and Liveliness is another gift of the Mind wherein there is much difference between Men and Men. Some are even naturally of lively stirring Dispositions whereas others are more slow by Nature more heavy and not so ready and present for any thing they go about Now if God hath given thee this quickness of Spirit thou must use it to his Glory As John was more nimble than Peter so he used this Agility of Body and came sooner to our Saviour's Sepulchre than Peter did So if thou hast a more quick and active Spirit thou must use it in out-running others in the Ways of God's Commandments If a Master have a Servant whom he knoweth to be quick and can travel well he looketh that he should make more haste when he sendeth him in Business than one that is Lame or Sickly So if thou art of a quick and lively Disposition the Lord requireth thou shouldst every Day shew it in his Service and be more forward and affectionate than those which are of slower Spirits But we see that many who boast of the quickness of their Wits and Spirits and do despise others Dulness are themselves Dull yea altogether dead in the Service of God Many that go most nimbly about their Profits and Pleasures that are full of Mettle as they say bring them to the Service of God and put them upon any thing tending to the Glory of God set them in a course of Holiness and how slow-paced are they They are as if they had no Life in them the Services of God are a deadning to their Spirits Natural quickness is of good use when it is seasoned by the quickning Grace of the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of a Man becometh fervent serving God when the Heart is lively and full of feeling in Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing c. otherwise it will be a means to encrease such a Man's Condemnation if being naturally quick and stirring he remain spiritually Dull and Dead But where activeness of Spirit is put forth in God's Service such a Man will not let the Fire go out but blows up the Coals it makes a Man put on Zeal as a Cloak and not only to wear this Livery of Christ and go in his Errand but to mend his pace and not only do his Work but do it with all his might Of the improvement of External Gifts Means c. Not onely in regard of inward Abilities but also in respect of outward gifts of Body or Estate Men ought to serve the Lord. 1. First of all Health is a great Blessing and a special means to enable you for the Service of God and accordingly as the Lord hath given you Health so he requireth Health to be given up to his Service Assure your selves the more Health ye have the more Work ye are to do for God and God requireth more of you that are Healthy than of those that are sickly and Diseased When a Master knows his Servant to be in Health he suffers him not to lie long in Bed in a Morning but calls him up to his Business whereas he that is Sick sitteth or lieth still without a Check though his Master looketh upon him Ye that are Healthy be wise and careful for the preservation of your Health do not throw away your Health upon your Lusts do not expose your selves to lasting Pains and pining Sicknesses for the satisfying a wanton sensual Appetite The health of the whole Body is more worth than thousands of those vanishing Delights Yet how many are there that run themselves to the Graves Mouth and into the thickest throngs of destroying Diseases for the taking up of such poor and perishing Pleasures Who to please their Flesh for a few moments in Surfeiting and Drunkenness in Chambering and Wantonness bring many Days yea Months and Years pain and torment upon their Flesh and shorten the number of their Days as to what they might probably have had by the course of Nature There are many others who make their Health even a priviledg unto them to neglect the Service of God thinking the thorow performance of God's Service never in Season till they are on their Sick-beds and see Death at hand Such are all those without exception who put off their serious and sound Repentance until the time of Sickness Health is one of the best outward Abilities for the Service of God now when this is bestowed on the service of Sin it is not without much robbery against God To give unto God only the services of our Sick-beds when he requireth the best performances of our Health is as if Abraham should have offered the worst Lamb in his Fold when God called for his beloved Son Isaac Ye have no assurance if ye neglect God in your Health that he will accept your sickly Devotions But on the other side if whilst ye have Health ye dedicate that to God then when Sickness shall come ye may be assured that the Lord will accept your weak because sincere endeavours God will then say such a Man served me in his best Health when there were no apparent signs of Death near him he remembred me his Creator before the evil Days came therefore now I receive him as mine own and I will make his Bed in his sickness I will support and strengthen him I will cherish him now in his Sickness as well as I accepted him heretofore in his Health They also that are Sick must think of the Service of God