lodge within them 2. As there are outward duties to be performed as praying hearing works of mercy c. so there are spiritual duties purely spiritual as the internal acting of faith and love and hope and the fear of God the souls choosing of God cleaving to God rejoycing delighting in God meditating of him c. Exact Christians have a special respect to those spiritual duties in the exercise whereof stands chiefly their living in a holy fellowship communion and acquaintance with God and for outward duties their care is to perform them spiritually they pray with the mouth and pray with the spirit they praise the Lord with their lips and offer up their hearts as a spiritual sacrifice they hear with their ears and with their understanding also they labour to bring their souls under the Word to pour forth their souls in prayer to draw forth their souls in their very alms Isa 58. If thou draw forth thy soul to the hungry Psal 69. 10. I chastened my soul with fasting Oh Brethren if this be to walk exactly then how much loosenesse doth this â—iscover in us loosenesse in our very Duties men do not only 〈…〉 like Libertines and swear like Libertines aud neglect duties like Libertines but perform duties like Libertines thou that usest to pray in thy Closet or in thy Family or in the Congregation in an outward formal way and dost not pour out thy Soul in prayer thou prayest like a Libertine thou that fastest and doth not chasten thy Soul with fasting thou fastest like a Libertine thou that hearest and dost not bring thy soul under the word thou hearest like a Libertine this is loose praying and loose hearing loose from the Rule which requires the exercising of the inner man as well as the outward 3. In observing the command to the utmost and here I shall give a fourfold further description of them 1. They endeavour to get up their hearts to the highest pitch of affection care and activity They would be the best Christians the most humble the most mortified the most patient the most exemplary and active Christians not slothful in businesse but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 2 Cor. 7. Yea what care yea without clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what vehement desire yea what zeal c. A sincere Christian would be a zealous Christian in his sincerity stands the height of it Zeal is not a distinct grace but the height of every grace Love in the height of it Desire in the height of it Care and Resolution to follow God in the height of it A zealous Christian exercises every grace performs every Duty and doth it with all his might he is not willing to spare or to favour himself but will spend and be spent in the work of the Lord the flesh will be pleading for a little ease for moderation it will be solliciting the Sobl as Peter did Christ Pitty thy self favour thy self thou wilt never hold out at this rate thou wilt pull all the Country about thine ears if thou beest thus hot and forward but the Soul returns the same answer as Christ did to him Get thee behind me Satan hold thy peace slothful heart let me alone for I will speak for God while I have a tongue to speak while I have an heart while I have an hand while I have an eye while I have a soul while I have a being I will follow on after the Lord I will serve him I will praise him I will sacrifice all I am and have to him and then come on me what will 2. They are studying and seeking out opportunities for service Such Christians are of strict lives but of large hearts of strict consciences but of large desires and aims Grace sets limits to their consciences but none to their holy affections they never do so much for God but they are studying how they may do more Isa 32. 8. A liberal Man deviseth liberal things a merciful man deviseth merciful things a righteous man deviseth righteous things he doth not only exercise Liberality and Mercy and work Righteousness when he hath an opportunity put into his hands but he sits down and considers what great things the Lord hath done for him what marvellous loving kindnesse the Lord hath shewed to him and thereupon studies and casts about what greater things then yet he hath done he may do for the Name of God as it is said of the wicked Proverbs 6. 14. He deviseth mischief continually And Psalm 64. 6. They search out iniquity they accomplish a diligent search search out for every opportunity to work wickednesse to satisfie their lust So Righteous men search out and make a diligent seach after opportunities to work Righteousnesse 2 Sam. 9. 3. Is there not yet a man left of the house of Saul saith David to whom I might shew the kindness of God Is there not yet a poer Sool in distresse to whom I might shew kindness for the Name of God Is there not yet a poor Family in misery to whom I might shew mercy Is there not yet a poor sinner to whom I might give counsel Is there not yet a poor Saint to whom I might administer comfort for the sake of my God As it is said of the Devil He goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour So may it be said of such they go up and down seeking whom they might save and recover out of the snares of the Devil other men what good soever they do it is as little as may be their consciences will not let them be quiet but something must be done when they have done so much as will but keep conscience quiet thy have done A sincere Christian hath his love to satisfie his desires to satisfie as well as his conscience he loves much and it is not a little duty that will satisfie strong love 3. They shun occasions and temptations to sin they would keep at as great a distance from sin as possible they are careful to keep far enough within their line they dare not venture to their utmost border lest they go beyond it ere they are aware A wary Christian having observed what things have proved snares and temptations to him and have drawn him aside to iniquity formerly will take heed how he comes nigh them again If carnal society hath cool'd and damp'd his heart and left a fleshly savour upon his Spirit he will take heed how he comes into such company again If going to his utmost liberty in the use of the Creatures either Meat Drink or Apparel hath inticed him beyond his bounds he will be wary how he allows himself the like liberty and will deny himself the freedom he might use rather than again run himself upon danger he is sensible of his weaknesse to stand against a temptation and thereupon is the more watchful that he run not into temptation men that are bold to venture into temptation to venture into
Lord Jesus or live by Faith 327 III. Deny your selves 331 IV. Order your selves aright in those things that especially concern your selves 337 1. Allow not your selves in the practice of the least known sin 2. Live not in the â—â—glect of any known Duty 340 3. Take heed of the World 344 4. Be humble 352 5. Temperate 356 6. Be Moderate ibid V. Carry your selves well towards others 357 1. Towards all men 358 Be True ibid. Just 359 Merciful 360 Peaceable 361 Courteous 363 2. Towards your Families 368 Four General Directions for a Conclusion of the whole In your whole holy Course and all the Duties of it I. Be Sincere 371 II. Be Steady and Even 378 III. Be fruitful 379 IV. Be stedfast and unmoveable 381 The great danger of falling off from God and an holy life is in time of Trouble 38â— What kind of troubles are the greatest Temptations Apostacy and Back-sliding What 's the best course to prevent Apostacy in times of Tribulation I. Try your selves well before band 383 Try 1. What your are in the state of your souls as to the main ibid. 2. What you are in your active obedience ibid. 3. How you carry your selves under the smaller crosses that come daily upon you 386 4. What you are in the Temptations of Prosperity 388 II. Mortifie the flesh 389 III. Be convinc'd of the misery â—f Apostates and Backsliders 391 IV. Walk circumspectly take heed that you neither speak do nor suffer any thing 395 1. Rashly 396 2. Obstinately ibid. 3. Proudly ibid. 4. Ignorantly 397 5. Vnpeaceably ibid. V. Be Resolute Ephes 5. 15. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise IN the first Verse of this Chapter the Apostle exhorts to the whole duty of Christians Be ye followers of God the same Exhortation he gives in other terms verse 8. Walk as Children of light both which Exhortations are comprehensive in the whole duty of Christians In the following Verses he gives particular Rules and Directions respecting the parâ—â—cular duties of Religion 1. Walk in Love verse â—â— Flee all iniquity both 1. Greater iniquities For 〈◊〉 cation and all uncleanness or Covetousness 〈…〉 â—â—ller iniquities 1. The evils of the tongue neithâ—r filthiness that is filthy talking nor foolish talâ—ing noâ— jesting which are not convenient Not oâ—ly evil works but evil words not only an 〈…〉 conversation but corrupt communication 〈…〉 comply in the Saints 3. Partaking in other men◠〈◊〉 vers 7. which he further â—ehorts from vers 11. 〈…〉 â—â—ing them 1. To have no communion with them 〈…〉 no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness 2. To be guilty of no connivance at them but rather reprove them Of these strict Rules in the Text he presses the strict observation See that ye walk circumspectly with an eye to every duty to every direction not only the greater and more weighty duties of Religion but the lesser and smaller parts of it even to all that the Lord requires In the words you may observe 1. A strict charge See or look diligently and carefully to it 2. The matter given in charge Walk circumspectly which some render walk warily others accurately exactly others walk precisely and that a learned Critick affirms the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most properly signifies precisely 3. A commendation of this circumspect walking This is wise walking not as fools but as wise Intimating that to walk loosely is to walk foolishly to walk circumspect is to walk wisely as men of wisdom The observations from these words are chiefly these two Doct. 1. Christians must be Precisians 2. Precisians are no fools or Christians of an exact anâ— circumspect life are whatever the World accounts of them truly wise men This latter Observation is it that I intend to insist upon Beloved I am entring upon a discourse of a sort oâ— pâ—ople of whom we may say with those 〈◊〉 Acts 28. 22. Concerning this Sect we know that it is every where spoken against And who with the Apostles 1 Cor. 4. 9. Are made a spectacle to the World and to Angels and to Men concerning whom Heaven and Earth are divided and the World is divided within it self Of whom God says The World is not worthy Of whom the World say They are not worthy to live Of whom God sayes They are the Apple of mine eye Of whom the world sayes They are a sore in our eye whom God accounts his Jewels whom men account the filth of the world and the off scouring of all things Of whom God sayes They are the Sons of Wisdom but men say They are fools And as God and Men are thus divided so are men no less divided amongst themselves Some few say concerning these as they concerning Christ They are good men Others say No but they are deceivers of the people A Precisian with the most is grown into a Proverb of Reproach a mark of Infamy To be a Drunkard a Fornicator a Swearer is no reproach in comparison of being noted for a Puritan Well but let us enquire a little more narrowly into the way and manner of this sort of people about whom the World is thus moved and hath been in all Ages In order hereunto I shall shew you First What a Precisian is and secondly prove to you against all the World that he is no Fool but a truly yea the only wise man which if I do not through the help of God make evident to the Consciences of impartial and unprejudiced persons let me passe for a deceiver Touching the former What a Precisian is a Scripture Precisian Let me first tell you to prevent mistakes who he is not 1. Not a Pharisee a painted Sepulchre whose Religion is a meer shew who hath the Form of Godlinesse without the power who is pure in his own eyes and yet not cleansed from his filthiness who is exact about the punctilio's of Religion and hath a great Zeal about the minima Leges the lower and more circumstantial matters and neglects the weightier things of the Law this is not he 2. Not a Phanatick properly so called though that be a vizard put upon him by some as the Hides of Beasts were put upon the Christians of old not a Phanatick I say whose Religion is all Fancy Imagination Enthusiasms the Dreams and Visions of his own Heart Neither is this he Christianity is not a Castle in the air but is a building that hath Foundation 3. Not a Phrenetick no son of violence or Contentions who not knowing what spirit he is of calls for fire from Heaven to set all in combustion if every thing be not exactly fashioned according to his own mind Neither is this he The Wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable the servants of the Lord must not strive but be gentle c. By a Precisian I mean a sincere circumspect Christian one whose care and endeavour is To walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel who withdrawing
himself from the Fellowship Fashions and Lusts of the World and denying himself the sinful Liberties thereof doth exercise himself to keep a good conscience towards God and men This is the person against whom the great hate and envy and severe censures and calumnies of ungodly men are chiefly intended under what colour or disguise soever they are carried the enmity is not betwixt sinners and Hypocrites but betwixt Sinners and Saints the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman not the pretended but the true seed Israelities indeed are the Men whom the Ishmaelites persecute Gal. 4. 29. He that was born after the flesh persecuted him not that pretended to be but was born after the Spirit Of this Person or of this sort of people I shall give you a more full description in these two Particulars 1. By their Make or Constitution 2. By their Way or Conversation 1. By their Constitution they are made and cut out exactly according to the pattern they are born of the Spirit born of God and they bare the express Image of their Father upon them Col. 3. 10. Renewed after the Image of Him that created him they are of a new Make from what they were there is a mighty change wrought in and upon them 2 Cor. 3. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are changed into the same image In our first birth we were brought forth in the Image of our first Father Genesis 5. 3. Adam begat a Son in his own Image that is a fleshly and earthly Image The first man was of the Earth earthly and such are all his natural Progeny an earthly seed an earthly Generation he that is born of the Spirit is brought forth in a spiritual frame John 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit He that is born from above is of an Heavenly Nature as well as Original The change that Religion makes on men is not such a low and inconsiderable thing as some Men make it standing only in some little Reformation of the Life but it consists chiefly in the renewing of the Sonl after the Image of God the forming of Christ upon the heart of Inner Man As that second change which shall be at the Resurrection will be the transforming of our vile bodies into the likenesse of Christs Glorious Body so this first change is a transforming of our vile souls into the likenesse of his glorious Spirit Christians are the Temples of the Lord and as Moses made the Tabernacle exactly according to the pattern shewed him in the Mount so these spiritual Temples are made exactly according to their pattern 2 Cor. 3. 3. They are the Epistles of Christ written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart Carnal Men plead hard for their Christianity they are all Christians all Disciples all the people of God though they be ignorant Unbelieving Earthly Sensual yet some kind of Profession such as it is there is among them a profession of Faith a profession of Repentance which though it amount to little more than bare saying I believe I repent I am sorry for my Sins yet this must passe for Christianity But as Christ once said to the tempting Jews whose is this Image and superscription Where is the Divine Stamp and Impress Where is your likenesse to Christ Is there not still the Visage of the Old man Is there not the old Pride the old Envy the old Enmity against Holinesse the old Guile and Falshood and Lust still spread over you Is this the Image of Christ Christians that are truly such are precisely formed according to this pattern they have Face for Face Limb for Limb Grace for Grace all the Grace that is in Christ is truly though not yet perfectly coppied out upon them though the Characters may be something blotted and obscured by reason of the remainders of corruption yet there they are the same mind the same heart that was in Christ is in them A true Christian is a Transcript of Christ As he is so we are in the World This inward change this forming of Christ upon the heart is the very Soul and Life of Christianity you may as well call him a Man whose Soul is not in him as you may call him a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ in him Let no man count himself a Christian from any outward priviledges much less from any outward Paint of Christianity but from the inward Prints of it upon his heart Thou hopest thou art a Christian but where is the Image and superscription of Christ upon thy heart Dost thou not find not only an unlikenesse to Christ but a dislike of Christ an inward loathing of the holinesse of Christ and a rising of heart against the strictnesse of that holy life which he requires Dost thou not find a favour of earthlinesse and fleshlinesse beating the sway and rule in thine heart Dost thou not find principles tending altogether to loosenesse and licenciousnesse Is this thy likenesse to Christ Dost thou not find an emptinesse of the Light Life Love Grace of Christ in thy Soul Whatever thou hast of Christ without thou hast nothing of Christ within Deceive not thy self God is a Spirit and his eye is first upon the spirits and souls of men he loves truth in the inward parts he loves holinesse in the inward parts He is a Jew which is one inwardly and he is a Christian which is one inwardly He is not a Christian who is only outwardly so Nay further as he is not a Christian which is not inwardly so so neither he that hath something of the inwards of a Christian and hath not radically all the Graces of Christ in him he that hath faith and hath not Charity he that hath the light of a Christian and not the love he that hath the desires of a Christian and not the conscience of a Christian he that wants any one of the vital parts of Christianity hath nothing at all a thorow Christian is throughout conform to the pattern And thus you have a description of Scripture Precisians by their Make or Constitution II. I shall describe them by their Conversation and that 1. By the end of their Conversation 2. By their course or Motion to this end 1. By the end of their Conversation What is it that these Men would have or whither are they bound They cannot be content to go along with their Neighbours to live and do as others whither is it that they are going or what is it that they would have Why this is it they are travelling Heaven-ward trading to another Country they are bound for the holy Land for the holy City they are going towards Sion or Jerusalem which is above Jerem. 58. 5. They shall ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward Sion was the ancient seat of Gods residence among his People the place of Gods solemn service
testimony of their own Consciences This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Consciences 2. A witness in the world Ye are witnesses your eyes have seen what our lâ—fe hath been be but true witnesses and then be you witnesses speak but what you have seen and speak the worst among you that believe the world will be ready to say you are too crafty to let us know what you do in secret when you are amongst your selves I but says he let them that believe speak those that have been with us publickly and privately what our conversation hath been if it be said they are of your own party and will not speak all they know then he appeals to a third witness a Witness in Heaven and God also he that seeth things before whom are all our ways he that seeth all things seeth our integrity and blamelesseness But here that I be not mistaken I must distinguish betwixt their aims or what they are pressing and reaching towards and their attainments or what they have reached to The aims of these cricumspect Christians in their whole course are at perfection Phil. 3. 14. I press towards the mark they would keep their way without the least wandring they would not tread one step awry they would not speak one word amiss they would not think one thought amiss they would not neglect any one duty nor commit any one sin but would be what the Apostle would have them to be Holy and harmless the children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked generation These are their Aims and as to their Attainments though they fall short of their desires they cannot do as they would The good that I would I do not yet they do their best they follow the Lord with the best of their understanding serve the Lord with the best of their strength and when they have done their best they mourn and grieve that 't is no better That I may more distinctly open this exact and upright walking in the way of the Lord which their hearts are set upon I shall consider it 1. As it hath respect to the Commandment 2. As it hath respect to Conscience 1. Their exact walking as it hath respect to the Commandment stands 1. In having respect to every Commandment to the whole Word of God Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have Commanded you The life of a Christian is a busie life the Words of God finds us much work to do we have work for every faculty and member our understandings have their work our wills affections consciences tongues ears eyes hands have all their particulars works assigned them every grace hath its work faith hath its work love hath its work patience hath its work every lust makes us work to restrain deny watch crucifie them these are weights and clogs that will hang on and will hinder us from all other works if we let them alone these are working against us continually and apt to set us on work against our selves a working mischief and ruine to our souls if they be not continually looked to and kept under We havâ— work against us for every condition our prosperity finds us much work to keep our selves humble heavenly watchful in an holy fear and jealousie lest the contentments and pleasures of this life make an invasion and inrode upon our hearts and spoyle us of our graces and comforts Our afflictions find us work to keep our spirits from sinking and fainting from murmuring and envying at those whose way doth prosper We have all the set and solemn duties of Religion to attend upon we have praying work and hearing work and Sacrament work and reading work and heart-searching work and meditating work We have work to be done for others our neighbours and acquaintance our friends and our enemies our families our servants our children we have not only work to do for them as men but work to do for God with them God hath work for us to do among our neighbours God hath work for us to do in our families and for our friends and enemies instructing work reproving work praying work works of mercy and charity c. we have a continual succession of work every day hath its businesse Christians must have no sleeping dayes their very Sabbaths must be working dayes we must be at work for our souls even on those dayes wherein we must do no bodily work There remains a rest for the People of God such a rest wherein they shall work no more nor be weary any more wherein all their work shall be to eat of the fruit of their doings but on this side that rest there is no rest but we must be full of labour You see the Word hath provided much work for Christians now those that are circumspect and upright and in the way will be through pac'd and stick at nothing the Word requires they 〈◊〉 for any service ready for every good work they will not pick and choose they will not halt or baulk with God but as the Apostle Col. 4 10. Endeavour to stand compleat in all the Wills of God Those duties that have most pain in them those duties that have most hazard attending them those duties that have the greatest contrariety to their natural temper and dispositions if they be duties if the word sayes This must be done this is that which the Lord requires an upright heart will yield and stoop to them Brethren if there be any one thing required in the whole Book of God that you cannot consent to but allow your selves in the ordinary neglect of concerning which you say with Naaman The Lord spare me in this one thing whatsoever else you do you can have no comfort that your hearts are upright 2. In having respect to the most spirituall and inward part of the Commandment the Commandment contains fugienda and facienda sins to be avoided and duties to be performed and both these are either outward or spiritual 1. As there are outward sins to be avoided sins of the mouth sins of the eyes ears hands so there are inward sins spiritual wickednesses evil thoughts Jer. 4. 14. unclean lusts Mat. 5. 28. inordinate affections an evil conscience and the like now sincere Christians have an eye to and hold a strict hand upon these spiritual wickednesses 〈◊〉 to have their consciences purged their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience their affections and lusts mortified Gal. 5. 24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections an lusts their care is not only that they be no drunkards or swearers nor lyars nor railers nor oppressors nor of proud froward fretful impatient carriages and behaviours but they would not covet they would not lust they would not be of proud impatient fretful envious unpeaceable hearts they would not that an evil thought not a vain thought should
sentence of condemnation the earnest of eternal vengeance these have their white stones the marks of their absolution and the earnests of their eternal blessedness When ye look on their naked backs their hungry bellies the cold lodgings that are the lot of many of them you will say surely these are a poor and foolish People but see that precious stone they carry with them wherever they are there you may behold their Riches and wisdom when you consider your own fulness and braveries your dainties and delicates your ornaments and jewels your possessions and honours you are transported with pride and jollity and have almost forgot that you are men but what signifies that black stone in thy breast that guilt thou carriest in thy Conscience Consider Sinners what is it to have God your enemy wrath your portion the curse cleaving to your possessions your sentence of death written in your hearts and upon your consciences and then you will think those men have gotten something that have gotten their absolution from all this 3. The white Robe or the Sanctification Holinesse is not only imposed on Christians as their duty but bestowed on them as their priviledge Therefore the Lord promises to his people as their encouragement to suffer affliction Heb. 12. 10. That thereby they shall be made partakers of his holiness This is the precious Treasure of the Saints Mat. 12. 35. A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things A good man though he hath no treasure 〈◊〉 his house nothing in his purse nothing in the field yet he hath a good treasure in his heart a treasure of wisdom and knowledge a treasure of grace and holinesse a treasure of faith and patience and humility and mercy and this is a rich treasure 'T is the rich in faith rich in grace and holinesse that is a rich man indeed a heart full of grace is a better treasure than a house full of gold as much as strong men glory in their strength as much as wise men glory in their wisdom as much as great men glory in their greatness one grain of grace is more worth than all As much as holiness is dispised and trampled upon by the men of this world it is of greater value than mountains of gold and silver Holiness is the health of the Soul the soundnesse of the Spirit Health is a poor mans portion look what sickness is to the body that is sin to the Soul the disease of it sinful souls are sickly souls and as it is with sickly bodies so it is with sinful souls they are neither fit foâ— employments nor â—apâ—ble of any considerable enjoyment A sick man can do little service and caâ— take little comfort in any thing he hath sinfuâ— souls are good for nothing and can take comforâ— in nothing that is good Holiness is the health of our Souls Sanctification is the restitution of the Soul with all its faculties to their rectitudâ— and soundness By Holiness the soul is 1. Made fit for service and that is a great blessing Whaâ— a misery is it to be an useless unprofitable lumpâ— good for nothing to be serviceable and that 〈◊〉 such high and noble ends as the honouring the Name the carrying on the Designs the shewingâ— forth the Vertues of the Eâ—â—nal God what aâ— blessed thing is it 2. The â—oul by Holiness iâ— made capable of enjoying the Lord and all the gifts of God What is the reason that Christians under a decay of grace and overgrown with corruption can take comfort in nothing Tell them of the promises of the Gospel of the priviledges of the Gospel of the Joyes and Hopes and Glory to come they can take no pleasure they can find no sweetness in it Promises do not affect them priviledges do not affect them future hopes and expectations do not affect them What is the reason of this Oh! their souls are sick and cannot taste or relish any thing that is good by how much more healthy men are by so much more delight they can take in their business by so much more comfort they can take in their friends by so much the more pleasure they can take in their meat and drink or any thing else that they enjoy And so it is with a healthy soul by how much the more holiness by so much the more sweetness Duties are sweet Ordinances are sweet Promises are sweet the Society of the Saints is sweet the Meditations of God are sweet They can truly be said to enjoy their friends to enjoy the Promises and Ordinances to enjoy their very Duties to enjoy God in all they have or do whose souls are in such an holy healthful state This is another of the â—reasures of wisdom which the Saints have gotten they have gotten Holiness 4. The Adoption Rom. 9. 4. Who are Israelites whose is the Adoption There is a twofold Israelite an Israelite after the flesh such were the natural children and posterity of Abraham and an Israelite after the Spirit such are all believers the childreâ—â—f the faith of Abraham and according to this distinction of Israelites there is a twofold Adoption outward and visible which pertain to the natural seed inward and invisible which is the peculiar priviledge of the spiritual Seed all the children of the faith of Abraham The Adoption comprehends in it 1. The grace of Adoption whereby the Lord hath given us the relation of Children and a right to all those priviledges and blessings that flow from that relation Job 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God 2. The Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4. 6. And because you are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father This Spirit is called the spirit of Adoption not only because it works in us the disposition and dutiful affections of Sons but especially because it witnesses our Sonship Rom. 8. 15 16. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit evidences and witnesses our Sonship and thereby enables us to cry Abba Father that is to call God Father Gives us the boldness and confidence of children to come to him on all occasions to make 〈◊〉 complaints to Him to make known our wants our fears and our dangers to him to make our requests to him to depend on him for provision for protection to put in for a childs portion for a share in his riches to lay claim to and to lay hold upon the inheritance of Sons to cast our care upon him and to quiet and comfort our selves in the sufficiency of our Father I have nothing saith the child but from hand to mouth but my Father hath enough 〈…〉 a blessed and glorious priviledge that Christians have obtained to be the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty 1 Job 3. 1.
safe that he 's passed from death to life and shall never come â—â—to condemnation What do your bruitish hearts and wayes speak less or rather than this Sinners is this all the wisdom or honesty you have thus to speak or think If it be Be it known unto you all that these foolish Saints have more wit than to count the reproaches of such bruitish spirits to be any disparagement to them or their profession and therefore if you will mock on and go on to admire your selves and the oaks which you have chosen and the gardens which you have desired whilst you despise these and their wayes but however whilst they have this assurance that God doth not count them what you call them that You will not call them at last what you call them now you must give them leave though they think never so meanly of themselves yet still to have the same high thoughts of their God of their Gospel of that holy profession and way that they have chosen Vse 1. Let the ungodly World hence learn to have a better opinion of these men and to forbear reproaching them think with your selves upon what hath been said These men may be wiser than we are aware of they may be honest men we may be mistaken these may be the Israel of God those Nathaniels of whom Christ saith Joh. 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile these may be the little Flock on whom it is the Fathers pleasure to bestow the Kingdom these may be those litâ—le ones whom whosoever offends it were better that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the midst of the Sea And what if they should be so In what case are you then that have reproached and persecuted them but I must be bold to tell there 's no May be in the matter I question not but if you would impartially weigh what hath been spoken and what shall yet farther be spoken you will see that if God hath any people in the world these are they and therefore my advice is that you refrain from these men and let them alone lest if you do go on you be sound fighters against God Obj. But where be there any such There be some that make a fair shew and make specious pretences to the strictness of Religion but they are hypocrites and deceivers and these are they that we only speak against Sol. 1. Let this be granted That such men as have been described if there be any such are truely wise men that men of such Principles that men of this profession if they really be what they profess and live according to their principles that these are men of wisdom do but grant that godliness is wisdom and the fear of the Lord is understanding I would that I could bring you thus far heartily to grant that godliness hath an excellency in it and that a life led according to those Principles of godliness which have been laid before you is the most excellent life Hence these two things will unavoidably follow 1. That by how much more exactly and strictly any persons live according to the Principles of godliness by so much the more have they attained to of true wisdom If Godliness be our wisdome and excellency then by how much the more precisely godly any persons are by so much the more wise and excellent by how much the more precise a Christian or godly man is by so much the more he is a Christian or a godly man and therefore let never any man be blam'd for that he is so much but that he is no more precise 2. By how much the more loosely any persons live from the Rules of Religion by how much the more liberty they take to walk after the flesh by so much the more foolish they are and so you may without controversie conclude that whatever these precise people be you that are Libertines to be sure are fools 2. Are there none such What hath God no people in the world hath the Devil gotten all God hath a people somewhere and a peculiar people whom he hath chosen to salvation whom he hath redeemed and called and justified and sanctified and set apart for himself from the rest of the world all are not Israel all are not Disciples but there are some whom God hath peculiarly set apart to himself from â—he rest of men and where are these to be found if not among these precise walkers the peculiar people of God are as hath been sufficiently proved an holy people an hearing people a praying people a zealous people a watchful gainful industrious sober meek merciful patient people and all this in sincerity Now where shall we look to find out such a people Must we rake the kennels and search the sinks of the earth Must we seek in the Ale-houses or Taverns or Play-houses Shall we take out the drunkards and riotous the swearers and lyars the covetous and oppressors the vain ones of the earth the blind People that bruitish generation that knows not nor mind not the Lord or his wayes and say of any of these surely here they be these are the people of God here be the men that are no hypocrites these are that Royal Priesthohd that holy Nation that peculiar people whom God hath called to shew forth his praise before the world Sinners if you have so much reason or conscience as to conclude that none of these are they then tell us farther who or where they are or else at last acknowledge that if God hath a people any where 't is amongst those that you have reproached 3. If you say there be hypocrites among them and these are they that you speak against and not gainst those that are upright let me give you this double advice 1. Take heed you mistake not the mark do not shoot at Saints indeed under the name and disguise of hypocrites do not count that hypocrisie which God accounts sincerity you may be mistaken as I told you before and what if you should be mistaken what if it should prove not only that the men which you reproach for hypocrites God should account sincere but if the very thing which you call their hypocrisie the Lord counts their excellency what if it should be so Then you have shot a fair shot every reproach which you have thus cast out is as so much dirt which you have thrown into the Face of God so many darts which you have shot into the Apple of God's Eye You who are so free in reproaching Professors take heed that it be not found that the ground of all your evil language against them and evil usage of them be not for that they are but for that they are not hypocrites 2. If they be hypocrites and only such that you speak against take heed you mistake not your Arrow do not cast that upon them for a reproach which is good do not take good names to reproach
preaching to others I my self should become a cast-away For Scripture-promises consider these Blessed are the poor in spirit bessed are the meek the merciful they that hunger and thirst after righteousness the pure in heart they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for they shall see God theirs is the Kingdom of heaven they shall be comforted filled and great is their reward in heaven For Scripture-prayers consider these The God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight Multitudes of such like Scriptures might be added but these may suffice Now wherefore are all these things written Wherefore are these strict commands given these holy lives of Saints left upon Record these promises made and these prayers kept upon the file Are they not all written for our learning to let every man and woman understand what manner of persons they must be what manner of Lives they must live if they will be saved If less or a lower Religion would serve to what purpose is this waste If it be so People may forbear to charge Precisians with keeping more ado than needs and lay in their charge against the Scriptures for requiring more than needs But do you think indeed that the Scriptures have spoken these things in vain If it be not in vain if all this be comprehended under the one thing needful if all this do but shew us the one and only way of Life if we must be thus renewed and changed in our minds and must thus holily and unblameably order our Lives or else we cannot be saved as the Scriptures mentioned many of them expresly affirm then what will become of that poor confident multitude we are now dealing with Does all this amount to no more than keeping your Church saying your prayers learning and saying over the Creed and the Ten Commandments living peaceably with your Neighbours paying every man his own crying to God for mercy when you have committed a fin and the like Can you call this cold lifeless way your striving to enter in at the strait gate Is this your working out your salvation with fear and trembling Is this all that is meant by fighting the good fight of Faith by wresting against Flesh and Blood against Principalities and Powers by being instant in Prayer fervent in Spirit watching and running and pressing towards the mark Brethren if there be one way of Life if all this which hath been represented to you out of the Scriptures be to shew you from the Lord what â— strait way this one way of life is and if you will compare your way you depend upon with it methinks you shall need no more to convince you of your dangerous mistake hitherto and to leave you more ready to embrace the exhortation I am pressing upon you namely To come in among the number of and take upon the holy course of these circumspect Christians But if this be not sufficient I shall yet make it more evident by Reasons drawn from the Scripture which I shall give you in these Six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to salvation inward holiness or the renewing of the heart or inner-man Needs this any proof to them that understand the Scriptures There must be another Spirit Numb 14. 24. A new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A clâ—an heart Psal 73. 1. A true heart or an upright heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience Hebr. 10. 22. Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye dye Jer. 4. 14. Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved What do these Scriptures especially the addition in the two last For why will ye dye And that thou mayest be saved What do these import less than this That there is no salvation possible there is nothing but certain death and destruction to those whose hearts are not washed and made new John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God What is the product of this new birth or this conversion but a new creature Some there are it is true that interpret this Conversion which is made so necessary to Salvation to be nothing else but the coming of persons from Judaism or Paganism to Christianity to the owning and embracing the Christian Faith But if this be true then all that believe Christ to be the Messiah and are baptized and live in the profession of the Christian Faith shall be saved Come ye Drunkards come ye Adulterers Lyars Covetous with all the profane Root of Nominal â—â—ristians and keep an Holy-day to the memory of these two Doctors who bring you such a large and easie Gospel as will carry you all to Heaven with all your lusts and lewdness upon your backs But is this true Is this Gospel Is this all the conversion that is necessary to Salvation It cannot be For First There are many that embrace the Christian Faith that are Hypocrites and shall Hypocrites be saved Secondly There are many such Converts that walk disorderly whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 18. Of whom the Apostle here tell us that their end is destruction 2. This inward Holinesse which the Gospel requires stands not in some sudden and unconstant good thoughts or some transient good affections but is an holy frame or habit thus much is intimated in the fore-mentioned expression Another Spirit a new Heart a new Creature An holy thought a good desire is another thing from a new heart they cannot so much as evidence that the heart is renewed as in a renewed heart there may be some evil thoughts and evil lusts arising and working so some good thoughts and affections may spring up in an evil heart true holiness is not a fit but a frame there may be fits of passion or of pride or of envy too often in a Saint and yet in the main he may be a Saint still There may be fits of devotion fits of zeal sometimes in a â—inner and yet he is a sinner still Holiness is the temper and constitution of a Christian his new nature that abideth in him 3. This inward â—â—bitual Holiness stands in an universal compliance of the heart with the whole Will of God the heart that is formed after the Image of God is conformed to the Will of God Psal 40. Thy Law is within my heart not a piece but the whole every word and tittle of it The Law is within me The Law is said to be within the heart of a Saint in a double senâ—e First It is published and revealed and made known in the heart it is understood
making they were intended to good works this was Gods minde and meaning he fore-ordained that they should walk in them He did not set up such a light in man to be put under a bushel he bestowed not such a talent on man to be bound up in a Napkin 2. That in their new making they were fitted to good works created to good works that is they were brought forth in such an holy nature indued with such a Divine light such holy principles powers affections dispositions and inclinations as fitted them for an holy active life And this Divine and excellent structure of this new creature do both signifie what life it is intended to and that this life to which it is intended is indeed an excellent life there is something sure in this godly life God did not new make men for nothing and something of worth and real excellency or else he would not have been at such cost in preparing men for it if there were no other godly life than that which the carnal world count godliness there needed no new Creation to fit men for it What is there in the whole frame of the Religion of the vulgar but a carnal man may reach to For the devotional part of it Saying or hearing of a prayer observing of dayes rites and customes c. What great difficulty is there in that May not a Publican do the same Yea may not a Harlot a Drunkard an Idiot do the same Such devotions will neither disturb their lusts nor yet will their lusts distate or disable such devotions and for the righteousness of it to love those that love them to be good neighbours to be no Extortioners no Adulterers c. there is not so very much in that do not even the Pharisees do the same What do you more than others said Christ to his Disciples What singular or excellent thing do you God hath done singularly well by you you are fearfully and wonderfully made as 't is true of the natural so much more of your new birth and curiously wrought not in the lower parts of the earth but in the highest heavens you are born from above God hath done more for you than for others what do you more than others Some it may be would have answered What do you more than others Why there 's no more to be done all that 's done more than others do is meer fancy or conceit But beloved when you look upon that sapless lifeless empty way of Religion which others are content with methinks your reasons should demand What hath God new-made me made me partaker of the Divine Nature of the life of God for no more but this hath God given such a glorious Gospel raised up such a mighty Saviour who hath shed such precious blood sent forth such a glorious spirit given commission to such multitudes of heavenly Ambassadors to Preach perswade beseech exhort to travel in birth with me till Christ hath been formed in me and all this to bring me to no better a life than this Surely there is something farther that the Lord hath been at all this cost and built this structure for Study this new birth study the new Creation more throughly and if you see not the most holy heavenly spiritual conversation that is pleaded for radically and seminally in the bowels of it then let godliness pass for a fancy for ever Let the Regenerate but live according to their new nature and if that be not the very godly life we contend with you about then call us what you will 5. Faith is no fancy Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the ground or the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen It hath a sure foundation on which it 's bottom'd that sure word of promise 2 Pet. 1. 19. To the which saith the Apostle ye do well that ye take heed There is a believing on Christ for Salvation and a believing that we shall be saved by Christ the former is called the direct act of faith and is the Souls accepting of Christ for Lord and Saviour and an adventuring anâ— resting upon him for life this is founded on the Rock of Ages on the veracity and faithfulnesse of that God that cannot lye who hath said John 3. 16. Whâ—soever believeth on his Son shall not perish but have everlasting life The latter in the Saints is called The Râ—flex of Faith and hath its Foundation partly on the Word of God without them partly on the Work of God within them And this Faith or rather this Act of Faith if the former hath been first put forth is such also as will never deceive As those that trust in God because they have the Word and Oath of God in which two immutable things it is impossible for God to lye shall not be confounded but have strong consolation So those that believe they shall be saved because they find their hearts purified who believe that their names are written in Heaven because they find the Law and Image of God written and engraven in their hearts who believe that they shall not come into condemnation because they are in Christ and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit who believe they shall overcome death because they have overcome the World that they shall reap in mercy because they have sown in righteousnesse that they shall reap in joy because they have sown in tears that they shall receive the inheritance of Sons because they have received the Adoption of Sons who finding themselves firmly knit and joyned to the Lord are perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus their Lord. Those that on such grounds as these believe they shall be saved it shall certainly be unto them according to their faith if it be thus with them indeed if they be in Christ if they walk not after the flesh but after the Spâ—â—it if their hearts be purified c. The Word of the Lord stands good and sure to them that they shall not come into condemnation and they shall as infallibly be saved as if their particular names had been written in the promises The veracity of God stands as firmly engaged to make good conditional promises where the condition is fulfilled as if the promise had been absolute There is a faith which is a meer fancy The faith of Enthusiastsâ— who believe upon unscriptural Revelation who believe above and besides what is â—ritten the fâ—ith of Ignorants whose belief is according to the Athenians workship on the unknown God the faith of Idlers who believe they shall rest with Christ though they never laboured with him The faith of the profane who believe they shall be saved though they be not sanctified such faith is meer fancy opinion or presumption you may call
it rather than faith You that are ignorant idle profane and unsanctified and yet believe you shall be saved you believe a lye you believe that which God hath never said shall be nay you believe that which God hath said shall never be Jer. 27. 11. They are a people of no understanding therefore â—e that made them will not save them 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such shall never inherit the Kingdom of God Hear sinners hear God must be a lyar or your faith a lye But the faith of God's Elect such as hath been before described this is that precious tryed faith by which whosoever believes shall not be confounded Christians you that have obtained such precious faith a Christ-imbracâ—ng faith an heart-purifying a flesh-mortifying a world-conquering faith you may venture safely upon it if ever this faith deceive you God hath deceived you the Scriptures have deceived you Christ hath deceived you who hath prayed and we may be bold to turn Christ's prayer into a promise that this faith fail not let the Phanatick world laugh and mock and call your consolations delusions your confidence conceit or what they will let them alone you must give losers leave to talk and laugh yet cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of toward 6. The Doctrine concerning Good Works is a certain truth In this I shall shew First What we are to understand by Good Works A good work in general is an holy or gracious action to the making up whereof thâ—se four things are necessary 1. The principle must be good from which it proceeds it must be from an honest and upright heart for a pure conscience from faith unfeigned c. Mat. 12. 35. 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2. The matter must be good something that is commended Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee Isa 29. 13. Their fear towards me waâ— taught by the precepts of men 3. The form or manner of doing must be good it must be well done this takes in the conâ—ideration of all its circumstances of time place c. 4. The end must be good it must be done to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. As to the particular kinds of Good Works they are not easily to be reckon'd up The Papists talk little of any good works but the exercises of bounty and liberality in giving Alms feeding the hungry cloathing the naked visiting and relieving the afflicted building of Almes-houses Colledges and the like upon which they â—ufist so much as if there were scarce any other good works but such as these but we may not confine them within so narrow a compass Good works do signifie the same with a good life or a godly life the doing and observing all things which God hath commanded us Our living holily honestly circumspectly fruitfully imports the same with our doing good works the exercising of all the graces of Christ faith love hope c. The subduing and mortifying of lust and corruption the governing our hearts the governing our tongues the ordering of our carriages towards God and towards men all acts of Religion Righteousness Mercy Charity Praying Fasting Hearing Sanctifying the Sabbath Lending Giving Forgiving Peace-making Instructing Exhorting Reproving Denying our selves taking up our Cross following Christ Fighting the good fight of Faith laying up treasure in heaven and the like these are good works every thing is a good work concerning which God will say at last Well done good and faithful Servant In all these the Lord requires 1. That we act Ad extremum virium to our utmost Eccles 9. 10. What thine hand findeth to do and so what thy head or thy heart findeth to do do it with thy might Tit. 2. 14. Zealous of good works Rom. 12. 14. Not sloathful in business but servent in spirit serving the Lord Col. 1. 10. Fruitful in good works 1 Cor. 15. ult Abounding in the work of the Lord. 2. That we act in these Ad extremum vitae to the end of our dayes Deut. 6. 2. Fear the Lord thy God and keep all his statutes and his Commandments all the dayes of thy life 3. That we be doing Per totum vitae cursum without intermission there must not only be well-doing but a continuance in well-doing Rom. 2. God will not have any Chasms or vacuities in our lives but every day must be filled up with the duties of it Christians must not thin of getting to heaven persaltum they must not leap but walk they must not leap over a duty nor leap over a day nulla dies fine linea The Law of God doth not allow a day to sin not abate us one dayes work To demand a breathing time from the service of God is to desire so much time for the service of sin We are ever serving one Master or the other we are certainly serving sin when we are not in one way or other serving the Lord. Secondly That goâ—d works are necessary Necessary to salvation a so as though we are not like to be saved by our works yet we cannot be saved without them He that works not shall not eat bread in the Kingdom of God The everlasting Rest is not for loyterers but for labourers Mat 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in heaven Faith cannot save us without works The Apostle tells us Jam. 2. 26. Faith without works is dead and a dead faith cannot bring us to life Therefore the Apostle Paul so vehemently charges Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works for these things are good and profitable to men Where observe the Preface to the chaâ—ge This is a faithful saying that is a true saying and a great truth a worthy saying worthy to be delivered worthy to be received And these things I will that thou affirm constantly or teach constantly or strenuously or resolvedly be not beaten off from it Why what is this great truth Why â—his is it That they which have believed in God as ever they would that their faith should stand them in any stead must be careful to maintain good works not only to do good works but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to maintain or to excel and abound in good works these things are good and profitable to men Now let me demand of all the world where lies the Phanaticisme in any of all this Which of these Doctrines is it that is but a conceit Is it this that Christians must not onely be believers but must do good woâ—ks Is it this That they must work with all their might that they must be doing to the end of their dayes that they must continue at their work withoâ—t intermission that is that they must bestow noâ—e
not be discouraged he that whilst he is but a child does follow God as a child according to his measure t is a sign that if he were a man he would follow him as a man If you labour under any lust or violent passion which it may be flows from your natural complexion or bodily constitution which whenever it s moved and stirred you are not able to stand before it and notwithstanding you know it is your duty to mortifie and crucifie it yet still this is your case that though it be matter of great grief to you and as a continual thorn in your flesh and it be the longing desire of your soul to have it destroyed yet you can do little to it in this case 1. If your will to be rid of it bring forth a continuall watching and praying against it if you cannot overcome it yet you are fighting against it iâ— it will live in you yet you will not let it live in peac with you especially if 2. Your striving again it be not altogether without success but brings forth some actual restraint of it â— as to those outward acts by which it would vent it self as if you can't overcome passion yet you restrain in some measure your tongue from uttering iâ— in any angry words or if you cannot overcome your inward pride yet you do forbear those self-exalting words and vain boastings c. by which that lust is somented if your heart be so set against it that it thus strives against the lust within and does ordinarily restrain some of its outward actings you may be sure that if you could have your will it should not be suffered to lodge one night more within you If you have a sloathful heart and are naturally or by occasion of any bodily distemper dull heavy and unactive and are still wishing for a more active lively spirit but cannot attain it yet though your heart be heavy and sleepy you will not let it sleep in quiet but are frequently jogging and awakening it by the most stirring and quickning considerations if you endeavour to serve the Lord with the best you have if what you want in quickness and sprightfulness you labour to make up in seriousness though you make on by a slow pace yet you do go on why then know that you have to do with a God that knows and considers your frame and in this case also wil accept you according to what you have and not according to what you have not 3. If there be some Duties that you are unable to yet if you be faithful in others that you can do if you have not an almes to give to one that 's poor yet you can give counsel to him and therein shew kindness to his soul if you can't so well compose your thoughts to any fixed meditation but are unavoidably perplexed with confusedness and distractions yet you can pray or you can spend the more time in reading do you do that If you cannot so profitably or to so much spiritual advantage improve Christian society do you do the more in private in your more retired and immediate converse with God If you want courage or boldness to appear for God in exhorting or reproving others especially such as are above you yet you have families wherein you can be bold what do you do there to your Children to your servants Do you instruct them warn and reprove them c. though as before you can't extend mercy to others in their needs having not wherewithal yet are you just and righteous and honest and peaceable in your dealings with and carriage towards all If you are just and would be merciful if you had wherewithal if you are profitable in your conversing with your families and would be so to others if you could get up to courage and boldness if you are serious and spiritual and affectionate in secret and have a will to be so in society that 's an Argument that your will would bring forth performance there also if it were not hindred 4. If at such times when there are not such impediments we then do what at another time we cannot that which we cannot do at some times as in sickness or in times of desertion or temptation may be done at another time when we are not under such disadvantages Now gather up all these together and then the question will easily â—e determined He that hath a will to walk in all the Duties of godlinesse he that dâ—es ordinarily walk in the practice of those holy dutiâ—s which he hath power to do he that doeth what he can towards those duties which he cannot fully reach to he that mourns and is grieved in his heart under his failings this man â—ay have ground to conclude that his spirit is sincerely willing though his flesh be weak and that this willing mind is accepted with God as if it did really perform But now those that pretend to have a good will to godlinesse but yet in their general course are carnal carelesse and â—here's little or nothing of a godly life to be seen those that do not what they can that do noâ—â—endevour to do what they cannot that do not mourn under their failings but are contented and quiet and satisfie themselves in this that their will is good and that God accepts their will for the deed such as these do but deceive themselves and are not upright before God nor accepted with him 7. The Doctâ—ine of the last Judgement and the different rewards that shall then be rendred to those that are sincerely godly and all others in the world is no fancy but a real truth I am dealing with Pharisees not with Sadâ—uces and therefore shall not need to prove either the Resurrection or Judgment My main businesse here will lye in the proof of the latter part That the sincerely godly shall have in the Judgment a far different reward from all other men That God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness I hope you will give me leave to believe that you are already satisfied in it When all the men of this world shall have run their course when the Courtly Gaslâ—nts and the ruffling Roysters when the proud Minions and wanton Mimicks shall have acted their glorious parts when the trampled and contemned Christians shall have all run their wear Race when the last Scene shall be over the Sing cleared the Cuâ—tains drawn when the beggars Rags and the greatâ—â—â—ens Robes when the Warriors Swords and States men Gowrs shall be put off and laid aside and the poor oppressed shall stand upon even ground with their mightiest oppressors when the Kings of the Earth shall have laid down theâ—r Crâ—â—ns and the Princes their Sceptors when the Judgâ—s of the earth shall have broken up their Courts and â—heir term is ended then shall the God of glory erect his Tribunal before which all persons from the least to the greatest must make
Christs Sheep that hear his voice and follow his steps and keep by the Shepherds Tents Is this a conceeist that it shall fare better with the Friends of Christ then with his Enemies or that those are the friends of Christ who are the friends of Holiness Is this a conceit that it shall fare better with the servants of Christ then with strangers Or are those the best servants who waste their Talents or bind them up in a Napkin Will Christ say in that day Away thou faithful Servant away from me ye workers of Righteousness You have loved me too much you have pleased me too well you have followed me too close you have given your selves to too much praying too much praising too much fasting you have been too conscientious too tender too watchful too holy you would not be merry and idle and vain you would not go along with your Neighbours to their sporting to their Revellings to their Pleasures but must needs deny your selves and take up your Cross and follow me you could not be content with an Earthly happiness but you must have Glory and Honour and Immortality you could not be content to venture on a groundless hope of Glory but you must needs make sure of it by patient continuance in well-doing Away from me you workers of Righteousness you that have followed me in the Regeneration get you gone get you down to everlasting destruction Will this be the voice of the Judge at that day Will he call to sinners Come ye wantons come ye Wine-bibbers come ye Swearers Lyars Scoffers Whore-masters come ye blessed Crew inherit the Kingdome All this must be so if godliness be but a fancy and do you not yet see Sinners what men of Reason what men of Judgement you are and how much truth or weight there is in your charge against the Saints Oh Christians you see I hope sufficiently how little ground you have to take the least notice of or discouragement from these confident Adversaries who in proclaiming you Phanaticks must proclaim themselves either Infidels or Ideotâ— Thus I have shewed that the principles of Godliness are not Phanatical 2. The Duties and Comforts of Godlinesse are no fancies I shall instance in such duties and those parts of duties which are most obnoxious to this censure the most spiritual duties the most spiritual parts of duties which being most out of fight and above the reach of the carnal world are most of all thus censuted by them I shall mention onely two which indeed are comprehensive of all 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit 2. Walking in the Spirit 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit If this be a fancy the Apostle Paul with the Christians his Contemporaries were the great Phanaticks of their time who saies thus of himself and them Phil. 3. 3. We are the Circumision who worship God in the spirit We are the Circumcision that is We are the People of God we are they who are circumcised with the Circumcision which is without hands circumcised in heart which is all one as if he had said we are Christians who worship God in the spirit Worshipping God in the spirit notes 1. The worship of the soul or heart-worship 2. The worshipping God through his Spirit or in the Holy Ghost 1. The worship of the soul or inward worship and that 1. As it stands in opposition to meet bodily worship I say not as it is oppos'd to bodily worship but to meer bodily worship 2. As it stands in opposition to the Antiquated Jewish worship which was more external pompous and ceremonious We worship God in the spirit that is we worship God in the heart and in the simplicity and plainness of Gospel-worship Heart-worship is the true worship the worship of the soul is the soul of worship The body without the soul is dead and bodily worship without spiritual iâ— dead worship John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth The latter word Truth is exegitical of the former Spirit signifying that worshiping in Spirit is worshiping in Truth This is the true worship worship indeed The worship of the body the uncovering of the head the bowing the knee the lifting up of the hands or voice these are but the outside and carcase of worship and so far only capable of being accounted worship as they are helpful to and expressive of the devotions of the soul As bowing of the knee signifies the bowing of the heart as the uncovering of the head either expresses or helps toward the inward reverence of the soul so far as they worship and no farther and even then but improperly so câ—lled But as they stand single and separated from the inward worship they are no worship no more then a carcase is a man but are meer shadows and fansies There is no such Phanatick as the Formalist who whilest with those Heathens Mat. 6. 7. He thinks to be heard for his much speaking doth but play the hypocrite and Lyar Look what the Courtiers Complements are such are the Formalists devotions smooth words tongue-courtefies flâ—ttering salutes fawning cringes Your servant Sir your servant command me what you please I am ready to serve you Here is a great shew of respect and kindness but what is there in it What wise man will regard it And what more is there in the Formalists devotions What is it but meer complementing with the Holy God Very devout and lowly as to all appearance and a great noise is there that such Devotion makes but what is there in it What awe and Soul-reverence of God what heart-striving and wrestling with God what heart-elevation or lifting up the Soul to God is there in all this Is there no such thing as heart-striving and Soul-reverence required in the Worship of God or are these but shadows of worship and is the soul of it onely in the Lips or Knees Doth he whose Soul is poured out in prayer whose Spirit strives with the Lord doth he but pray in conceit worship God in conceit and those whose Eyes and Tongues and Hands onely pray have they gotten the substance are these the true Worshippers Beloved be not deceived God sees not as man sees he sees what is within man he sees what is within our duties they are not shews or sounds that can blinde hiâ— Eye or please his Ear. Ephes 5. 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your sâ—lve in Psalmes and Hymns and Sriritual Songs singing and making Melody in your hearts to the Lord. Believe it Christians Heart-musick is the best Church musick Heart-praying and Heart-singing makes the best Melody in the Eares of the Lord of Sabbath My work and intent is not to decry all external worship as useless or unacceptable We must glorifie God in our bodies as well as in our spirits Our Lips must bear their parts in our praises and practises but I would not that you should take the body of
worship to be the Soul and the Soul to be nothing Be not conceited that the outward part is the worship and the inwaâ—â— but a conceit Brethren the living God will have living services the God of our spirits will have the service of our spirits the worshipping God in spirit this is the true worship God will not be and take heed you be not cheated with shews When all the men of the world with their wits parts and interists have commended garnished and magnified the carcass of Religion and decryed and disgraced its soul and life yet this shall still stand as an irrefragable Truth They are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh 2. Worshipping God through the spirit through the help and assistance of the Spirit of God as to instance in prayer Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities The Spirit of God affords a three-fold help in prayer 1. He indites our requests suggests matter of Prayers to us who as the Apostle there tells us Know not what we â—â—â—uld pray for as we ought Carnal mens lusts do often make their Prayers and then no wonder they ask amiss when they should be seeking the death of their lust they ask meat for their lusts we often not knowing what we ought to ask do ask we know not what we ask a stone a Serpent a Scorpion somtimes when we think we ask bread If God should alwaies give his people their prayers their prayers would undo them When we are poor we ask riches and it may be if God should give us them our riches might undo us Somtimes we ask ease or credit or liberty and if we had what we ask it might be our ruine the Spirit of God knows what 's fit for us and accordingly guides our prayers He helps us to understâ—â—â— our sins and so teaches us what confession to make carnal men will confess sins but any sins rather then their own He helps us to understand our wants and so teaches us what to ask He helps us to understand our mercies and so teaches us what to give thanks for carnal men often come before the Lord with mock praises give thanks for their election justification sanctification hope of glory when it may be the power of sin and the wrath of God abides upon them and they remain without Christ and without hope and without God in the world the Spirit of God if they had him would make their devotions more reasonable and regular 2. He excites and quickens and enlarges their hearts in prayer The Spirit of God comes in and influences upon the heart and draws forth the soul and this is the import of the following words The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered that is he sets up a groaning and sighing after the Lord. Groaning notes the strentgh and ardency of desire which through the servency of it puts the Soul to paine and an holy impatience till it be heard in which sence it s used verse 21. For we our selves who have received the first fruits of the spirit groan within our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our body It works such groanings as cannot be uttered it sometimes makes the hearts of Christians too big for their mouths their desires more larger then their expressions as much warmth and life and strength of affection as there does appear without there 's more withinâ—t Oh how flat and dead are our hearts oftentimes how much are we straitned in our prayers we stand as men struck dumb when we come before the Lord or if there be words in our mouths there is scare any word in our hearts sometimes we cannot speak and if we can speak we cannot groan the Spirit doth either put words in our mouths or else supply the want of words by kindling and enlarging inward desires helping us to groan out a prayer when we cannot speak it out and silent groans will sound in the ears of the Lord when the loudest cryes may not be heard 3. He encourages and emboldens the heart in prayer enables us to call God Father to pray to him to cry to him to be confident of audience and acceptance with him upon this ground Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And hereby he furnisheth us with a mighty Argument to plead with God Father hear me Father forgive me Father pity me Father help me Am not I thy childe thy Son or thy Daughter To whom may a childe be bold to go With whom may a child have hope to speed if not with his Father Father hear me The Fathers of our Flesh are full of bowels and full of pity to their Children and know how to give good things to them when we ask them when they ask Bread will they deny them when they ask cloaths or any thing they want will they deny them And is not the Father of Spirits more full of bowels more full of bounty than the Fathers of our Flesh Father hear me This is praying in the Spirit and if this be a fancy with you I must tell you sinners that it is such a fancy as experienced Christians that have most proved it would not lose for all your substance But will you stand to it Is this Fanatical praying indeed then bring your Index expurgatorius and expunge these Textâ— out of the Scriptures or else if you let them stand and look over them again you will next say Their Bible is as Fanatical as themselves But let me add one word to convince you from your own judgement if you understand what you doe that praying in the Spirit is no fancy and this by putting this one Question to you Dare any of you all when you goe to God in Prayer deliberately refuse to begge the assistance of his Spirit Whether you use a Form or Pray without a Form that is not so material The assistance of the Spirit is needed as well of those that use a Form as of those that pray without it Nor dare you I say when you goe to pray deliberately refuse to beg the assistance of the Spirit Dare you say Lord I need not nor desire any such assistance I will not ask it of thee that thy Spirit may be given into me to help mine infirmities If you beg the assistance of the Spirit you hope to have it and if you have it there is that praying in the Spirit which you cry down for a fancy Judge now whether you do not condemn the things which your selves allow and in your Judgement and Practice justifie the reallity of that Duty which with your mouths you decree for Fanatical Will you also be his Disciples Will you also be Fanaticks 2 Walking in 〈◊〉 Spirit this is no fancy Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the Spirit let
us also walk in the Spirit In the prosecution of this I shall shew 1. What is meant by the Spirit 2. What by walking in the Spirit 3. That it is no fancy 1. What is meant by the Spirit here That being something that is opposed to the Flesh or corruption as appears verse 16 17. must of necessity be one of these two things possibly both either the Holy Ghost and the influence assistance and operations of that holy Spirit or else that New Nature which is begotten in us by the Spirit the Grace of the Spirit infused into our hearts and abiding in us which of the two we understand it of the difference will not be considerable 2. What is meant by walking in the spirit Some there are that by Spirit understand the Doctrine of Christianity and accordingly would have this walking in the Spirit to be nothing else but the embracing the Christian Religion But if this be so then what is to be understood by flesh which verse 17. is said to be contrary to this Spirit Why by flesh they will tell us we are to understand Judaism but then let me ask 1. What is meant by the lusting of this flesh which was now dead against the Spirit Is that the meaning of it Judaism lusteth against Christianity 2. How can this dead flesh have such a numerous off-spring as is mentioned verse 10. The works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Idolatries Witchcraft Hatred Variance c. Must all these brats be laid aâ—â—he door of the Synagogue are these the brood of that Ceremonious Law of Carnal Commandments or are they not manifestly the fruits of that corrupt Law of Carnal Concupiscence I know not with what shadow of reason we can understand by the flesh any thing else but Lust or Concupiscence and then by the Spirit we must understand grace or the Spirit of Grace which bid defiance and are contrary to it Let us consider further What is meant by that expression of being led by the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. Why possibly the same men will tell us there is no more in this then in the former it implores no more than the Spirits leading us into all Truth the truth of the Gospel as the Star led the Wise men of the East to the Messiah If this be granted to be all yet here we have gotten somthing viz. That the Spirit of God is acknowledged to be our leader but let us consider one Scripture more Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes What are those Statutes of God but the whole Will and Word of God One or two of them I shall mention If any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his Cross and Follow me Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Quench not the Spirit Abstain from all appearance of evil See that you walk circumspectly c. Are not these and many more such found and unrepeal'd in this great Statute Book What is it to walk in these Statutes other then to live in the sincere obedience of the whole Will of God Now saies the Lord I will give my Spirit and he shall cause them or help them to walk in my Statutes to live an holy life Let these things be considered and see if they will not help us to a better interpretation of those words Walk in the Spirit Why what is the meaning then of them I shall give you the Judgment of one who was no Phanatick Cornelius A Lapide who in his Commentary on ver 16. of this Chapter interprets the same words thus Walk in the Spirit that is Vitam actiones mores instituite secundum dictamen instinctum impulsum spiritus ac gratiae immissae inditae vobis à spiritu sancto qui suadet monet ut spiritualiter vivamus To walk in the Spirit signifies 1. To live under the conduct of the Spirit 2. To live in the power of the Spirit 3. To live a Spiritual life 1. To live under the conduct and guidance of the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God There is a double Guide whereby the Lord leads his people The Guide of his Word Psalm 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel And the guide of his Spirit John 16. 13. He shall lead you into all truth There are two things which the Spirit doth in leading on his People First He enlightens their Eyes opens their Understandings that they may understand the Scriptures which point out to us our way Luke 24. 45. Then opeued he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Secondly He takes them by the hand as it were and leads them Isa 40. 11. He shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his Bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young 2. To live in the power of the Spirit or of that inherent and assisting Grace which we receive from him to be carried on in an holy course and all the Duties of it both from the intrinsâ—cal power of the Life of God begotten in us and by the concurrent Influences and assistance of the Holy Ghost whom God hath given us to help our infirmities As in the Duty of Prayer Rom. 8. 26. So in all other Christian Duties John 15. 5. Without me sayes Christ that is without the assistance of my Spirit ye can do nothing Therefore the Psalmist resolves Psalm 71. 16. I will goe in the strength of the Lord and by thee I will make mention of thy Name And this living in the power of the Spirit is no other then is signified if we did understand what we say in those common expressions which we ordinarily have in our mouths By the grace of God or by the help of God I will do this or that What the Apostle speaks of himself as Minister is applicable to Christians 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all yee not I but the Grace of God which was with me Thus to walk in the Spirit is to follow those directions and intimations of the Will of God which he gives us out of the Word and those impulses of the Spirit upon our hearts whereby as by a gale of Wind filling onr Sails he moves and helps us on When you find any clear light breaking in from the Word upon your Consciences and thereupon some stirrings upon your hearts either by the way of check restraining and calling you back from any irregular or disorderly walking or quickening and encouraging you on in a way of duty this you may safely take to be from the Spirit and when you entertain this light obey these checks and follow these holy impulses this is your walking in the Spirit 3 To live a spiritual Life In whom the Spirit hath begotten another heart those he leads on in another life He that is
born of the Spirit is a spiritual man and those that are led by the Spirit walk on in a spiritual course that is they live a more noble and raised life then the rest of the world Carnal men who are governed and ruled by that evil spirit that is in the world live an evil and carnal life worldly spiritual men a worldly life sensual men a sensual life Ephes 2. 2 3. Wherein in time past ye walked after the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of Disobedience among whom we also had our conversations in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Whilest we were in the common state we took the common road whilest we were in the flesh fleshly men we lived a fleshly life To serve ouâ— bellies to serve our appetites to serve our pride and covetousness and other lusts this was our life And this life was sutable to that Spirit which was within them and that evil Spirit the Prince of this world without them that govern'd and steer'd their course Accordingly the Saints having a new heart within and a new leader without do lead a new life as the flesh and the Devil carry evil men on in a course sutable to their leaders so the Spirit and Grace of God carry on the Saints in a course sutable to theirs an holy spiritual and heavenly lifâ— So that this is to walk in the Spirit to live holily and spiritually this is that life which is called The life of God Ephes 4. 19. The Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven And a Spiritual and Heavenly Life this may be called upon a three-fold account 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things 2 Their delights are Spiritual and Heavenly 3 By these Spiritual dealings and delights themselves become daily more Spiritual 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things God and Heaven and everlasting Glory and those spiritual Exercises whereby God is served and Glory obtained these are the matters about which this life is spent They live with God they hold daily intelligence with Heaven they are much in the contemplating and admiring and adoring the infinite beauty and incomprehensible perfections of God and his unspeakable love and gracâ— and goodness towards them They are searching into the Mysteries of Christ studying out the riches of the glory of the Mystery of the Gospel They live amongst Angels their hearts and their eyes are dayly in that general Assembly and Church of the first-born When they sleep they lay them down under the wings of their Lord no sooner are they awake but they get them up to the top of Pisgah to take a view of the Promised Land When I awake I am ever with thee says the Psalmist When the covetous man awakes he is with his God when the Epicure awakes he is with his God when the Adulterer awakes he is with his Goddess Christians are presently above the clouds above the stars falling down before the Throne of the Almighty Their work is to seek and serve and praise and please the Lord to carry themselves so that they may be accepted to God to be washing their robes and making them white in the bloud of the Lamb to be minding their souls consciences affections thoughts that these may all in their several capacities exalt and enjoy the Lord Their Trading is for the Pearl whilest the Merchants of the Earth are trading for Gold and Silver and Spices whilest the Muck-worms of the world are dealing in Corn and Sheep and Oxen and Asses whilst the vâ—luptuous wantons of the earth are dealing about fashions and feasts and sports trading in Toyes Feathers Apes and Peacocks Christians are trading in Promises and Prayer in Faith and Repentance in Patience and Humility in Mercy and Charity that by these they may make their Calling and Election sure and so an entrance may be administred unto them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ These are the businesses of Christians lives their dealings are about spiritual things 2 Their delights are in spiritual things The Lord is the delight of their hearts Delight thy self in God sayes the Psalmist Psal 37. 4. And what he bids others do he does himself Psal 16. 8 9. I have set the Lord always before me therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth The thoughts of God are dear and precious to them The Word and Law of God is their delight Psal 1. His delight is in the Law of his God The Courts of the Lord his Ordinances Worship Sabbaths are their delight Psal 84. 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts Their work is their delight Psal 40. I delight to do thy will Their hardest works Fasting and Watching and Wrestling and Fighting against Sin and Temptations crucifying and mortifying their own flesh denying themselves mourning for sin there is much sweetness they find in their very travels and tears and sorrowings as sorrowing sayes the Apostle yet alwayes rejoycing As Solomon speaks of Carnal Mirth Prov. 14. In the midst of laughter the heart is sad so it may be said of spiritual Mourning in the midst of sorrow the heart is joyful the heart of a Saint is never in so sweet a frame as when it is melted into godly sorrow but especially Christ is their deleght he is the deliciae Christiani orbis Canticleâ— 2. 3. I sate down under â—is shadow with great delight Carnal men are ready to say to them as the Daughters of Jerusalem to the Spouse Cant. 5. 9. What is thy beloved more â—en another beloved What beauty is there in him that thou shouldest thus desire him or take such pleasure in him They see no beauty in him he hath no Form nor comeliness in their eye and therefore they think there is none Oh Sinners you do not know Christ you have had no acquaintance with him you have not tâ—sted of the fruits of this Tree of the clusters of this Vine I sate me down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweeâ— to my taste Saints have tasted of the sweetness of Christ tasted that the Lord is gracious and therefore can take great delight in him The delight they take in Christ is that which puts such a delight into every Ordinance into every Duty therefore Praying and Reading is so pleasant to them because there they meet with their Beloved Christ appears to them in his Word Christ meets his Saints in their Prayings and Fastings and this makes all sweet to their souls Carnal men think the life of Saints to be an heavy a sad and most troublesome life they count that themselves have the onely merry and pleasant lives that their Hawks and Hounds their Carding and Dicing and Drinking and Dancing their Seews and Plays that these are the onely Heaven This
is all one as to say that God hath put more sweetness into creatures then is in himself that the basest and vilest use of the creatures doth yield more true content then the souls exercising it self on God as if the thorn should yield more sweetness the bramble more fatness then the Fig-tree or Olive where are the understandings of these men I tell you Sinners when you have gone from flower to flower from creature to creature from pleasure to pleasure and sucked out all the fatness and sweetness that these will yield a poor Christian will get more real pleasure out of one Chapter of his Bible out of an honest Sermon out of one hours converse with God in Prayer then yoâ—r whole life will bring you in The Gospel with its brests of consolation at which he sucks yields him sweeter milk those clusters of Canaan on which he lives yield him richer Wine then the whole world will afford any The gleanings of a Christians joy are better then the Vintaâ—e of Sinner and you cannot so much slight the glory of their Sâ—n as they despise the glory of your sparks 3 By these spiritual exercises and delights they become more and more spiritual themselves By their beholding the face of God they are changed from glory to glory into his image and likeness by living so much in Heaven the temper and frame of their hearts becomes heavenly mens ordinary company and exercises have such an influence upon them that 't is not unusual that they change their disposition Frothy company and vain exercises will leave a frothiness and vanity upon mens spirits and serious and savoury company and exercises do leave a good savour behind them He whose work is in the Coal-mines his hiew is thereafter the flies that feed on the dung look like the dung they feed on Carnal men by being continually conversant about their earthly affairs have nothing but earthiness left upon their spirits their Thoughts Affections their Souls are become earth earthly their duties are earthly their prayers their praises their hearings all are earthly When they go to Church when they go to their Clossets they must carry their earth along with them or leave their hearts behind them On the other side Christians by having their dwellings with God their Delights their Recreations their daily business with God the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon them by their Divine Exercises they are made more partakers of the Divine Nature and as Worldlings businesses and delights do leave an earthliness upon their very Religion so a Christians Religion doth Spiritualize his Civil Affairs Carnal mens prayers do savour of their Fields Oxen and sports Carnal mens Sabbaths do smell of their Working-days and a Christians works do savour of his prayers a Christians Week-days have a tincture of his Sabbaths he eats and drinks he buys and sells he ploughs and threshes not as a man but as a Saint he doth not onely pray as a Saint and hear as a Saint but he ploughs as a Saint he trades as a Saint his heart is in Heaven while his hand is at the Plough he is serving his God while he is serving his own necessities he seeks he serves he eyes he enjoys his God in all he hath or doth he proves by his sense that God is every where with him he dwells feeds labours lodges with him he lives he dies And thus you see what it is to walk in the Spirit Look how far forth such a Christian lives in the Spirit so far forth doth he live such a life as this 3 This is no fansie and if I fail not here if I prove this I hope Sinners you will then see reason enough to take the Phanatick upon your selves and from henceforth stile these despised Saints in your Stilo novo Israelites indeed Christians you that hear me this day will you help me in this proof this once help me and the cause will go cleary on the Lords side you may if you will come in and be willing instances of this Truth Will you live according to your Principles that Life of God which is within you Will you live according to your Rules that Word of Life which is before you Will you follow your Leader that Holy Spirit which is given to conduct you Will you fall closer to the practice of that Godliness which you profess will you live in the obedience of that Spirit which you have received will you shew your selves a pattern of Faith of Patience of Righteousness and Holiness Will you be dealing less about these earthly vanities and be less earthly in your earthly dealings shall your dealings be wholly about Heaven and Heavenly things and will you make these your dealings your delights Will you labour by being more conversant about spirituall things and in spiritual exercises to become more spiritual more spiritually minded more spiritually tempred Will you get more clear off the love and lusts and fashions and ways and joys of this world Will you suffer the Eternal Spirit to fill you with his love and fashion you into his likeness Will you forbear any more resisting grieving slighting quenching his holy motions will you hearken to his counsels answer his impulses Will you grow on to be more Christians daily more Saints daily Saints in heart Saints in tongue Saints in the general frame oâ— your course Will you make your graces more viâ—â—â—le your comforts more visible your spiritual joys and delights more visible will you let your light so shine before men that they must either put out their own Eyes or else be forced to acknowledge that God is in you of a truth Brethren We may much thank our selves for all our Adversaries slanders we have helped them to reproaches we have furnished them with accusations by our walking so much in the Flesh and so little in the Spirit we have taught them to question whether there be any such thing aâ— walking in the Spirit The Lord pardon us the Lord make us sensible of it we have brought up an evil report upon our God upon his Spirit Gospel and wayes and for ought we know have undone many poor wretches by our hardning them in their misconceits of Godliness and Religion There have been so much Dross in our Gold so much Ashes upon our Fire so much Earth upon our Spirits such sad mixture of Water with our Wine so much Liberty taken for our Carnal joyes and Carnal pleasures our Light hath been so dim our Grace hath been so low our good works have been so spare and so thin that we have made them bold to say We are not what we are but a meer lie and deceit And we have now no such way to vindicate our selves our Religion our Holy profession to justifie our God and his Gospel as by blowing up the Coals shaking off our Ashes stirring up the Graces of God within us and letting them have their perfect work in us Will you Christians
will you hearken to me in this Then I should be bold to bring you forth as Witnesses for God and his Truth However though upon your account it would be the more comfortable though ex abundanti I would bring in as many evidences as possible yet if you should fail me or any other particular congregation of professors yet let the World know I have sufficient proof ready at hand For If this walking in the Spirit be a fancy then these Damnable Absurdities will unavoidably follow 1. That the Spirit of the Lord is unfaithful in his Office 2. That God himself is false in his Promise 3. That the Devil doth more to the Damning of Souls than the Spirit of God to the saving them 4. That God hath no People no peculiar People in the world 1. If walking in the Spirit be a fancy the Spirit is unfaithful in his Office That the Spirit of God is given to the People of God to every one of them is so plainly asserted that he must deny the Scriptures that doth not grant it Rom. 8. 9. Ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his That there are certain operations of the Spirit which he is by Office to perform is as certain as 1. To Enlighten therefore he is called the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Ephes 1. 17 18. 2. To sanctifie therefore Sanctification is called The sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2. 13. 3. To Lead John 16. 13. He shall lead you into all Truth 4. To Assist and help Rom. 8. 26. Exek 36. 27. 5. To Comfort therefore is he called The Comforter If the Spirit of the Lord doth his Office then there are persons that are Enlightned Sanctified Led Assisted Comforted by him If there be none such if the comfort of the Saints be but pretended if their light their help their quicknings their encouragements be all fancies if they be but led in conceit quickned in conceit comforted in conceit then where is the Spirits faithfulness See what Blasphemies men run themselves upon before they are aware Sinners take heed what you do you are bold to reproach the Saints with the Spirit the Spirit but take heed mean while of reproaching the Spirit with unfaithfulness Blasphemy against the Spirit is no small sin though every blaspheming of the Spirit be not that unpardonable sin yet it is a fair step towards it look to your selves 2. If walking in the Spirit be a fancy then God himself is false in his promise Ezek. 36. 27. before-mentioned I will put my Spirit within them and cause them to walk in my Statutes If there be no such thing done then where is the promise of God He that makes walking in the Spirit to be nothing but talks makes the promise of God to be nothing but words 3. If walking in the Spirit be but fancy Then the Devil doth more to the destroying of Souls than the Spirit of the Lord doth to the salvation of Souls Let us consider again that Scripture Ephes 2. 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience There are two things there observable to our purpose 1. Sinners are led by the Devil 2. They are assisted and excited by the Devil 1. They are led by the Devil that 's noted in that expression They walk on according to the Prince of the Power of the Air according to his guidance according to his minde and will he hath them at his beck When he sayes Go they go and when he sayes Come they come and when he sayes do this they do it But how comes this to pass that the Devil can hold such an hand over them can lead them thus at pleasure VVhy 2. They are assisted and excited by the Devil that evil Spirit works in them suggests evil thoughts into them and thereby excites and provokes and sets them a work The Devil is said Acts 5. to fill the hearts of Ananias and Saphira to lye against the Holy Ghost And when he had once put a lye into their Hearts their Hearts presently put a lye into their Mouths VVhen the Devil hath wrought wickedness into the hearts of sinners then they presently fall to working it out When wicked men lye it is the Devil lies in them when they curse and rage and swell with madness the Devil rages in them VVhen the lusts of men bring forth Adulteries Drunkenness Riot Revellings c. the Devil lies within blowing up the coals Is this but a conceit that wicked men walk in the Spirit That unclean Spirit That the Devil drawes them on and drives them on and helps them on and hardens them on in their wickedness Could men be so wicked as they are could there be such quarrelling and contentions such debaucheries and villanies such cursings and blasphemings such rottenness and ribaldries coming out of mens mouths and abounding in their lives Could there be so much constancy fruitfulness boldness hardness in sinning against all fears warnings reproofs counsels against Conscience and the Dictates of their Reason and common sense were it not for that evil Spirit that works in these Children of disobedience Now if it be no fancy that wicked men walk in the spirit this you must grant or else you must conclude that they are all Devils themselves and if you grant it can you conceive it to be but a fancy that the Saints walk in the spirit If the Devil works lies and oaths and curses into the Hearts of sinners sure you may well allow that the Spirit of God works duties works a prayer or praises c. into the hearts of the Srints Could a poor Christian that hath so many corruptions within so many Temptations without so many weaknesses hindrances discouragements ever follow the Lord in his holy wayes against them all if he had no other Spirit than his own to carry him on The Saints sure have as much need of that help which is from above to carry them on in holiness unto life as Sinners have of that which is from beneath to carry them on in iniquity to destruction and me thinks you should not question but the Spirit of God will be as active to stay as the Devil is busie to destroy 4. If walking in the Spirit be but a fancy then God hath no People in the World Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God As many that is just so many and no more God hath no more Children in the VVorld than there are persons that are led by the Spirit to be led by the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit signifie one and the same thing If then there be no such thing nor no such persons in the
World to be found where then are Gods Children God hath no Child if this be so You must write the God of all the Earth childless a Father without a Childe a King without a People if these wise men be true men and true men you can very hardly call them who having robbed the King of Saints of all his Subjects and the Father of Lights of all his Children You see now to what a plain issue this matter is also brought If you be in the right in this thing then the Spirit of God must be unfaithful in his Office God must be false in his promise the Devil doth more to the damning than the spirit of God doth to the saving of souls and one of these two things will follow hence either that the Devil is of more might than the Almighty Spirit or that the God of love hath not so much love as the Devil hath malice and lastly that God hath no People in the world But it may be sinners you will yet reply Well We will grant that this is true that there are those that are led by the spirit and walk in the spirit but when you talk of so much Spirituality in Mortal men of such high notions as living in the fellowship of the spirit living in Heaven when you tell us of such Glorious light such Raptures of Joy such Extasies of Spiritual delights here are the Fancies These are the things which we cannot but account the foolish Dreames of deluded hearts And now you think you have hit at last But is not this it which you say The Spirit enlightens but gives no light The enlightned see no more than the blinde The Spirit renews men and yet they are not changed The Spirit leades the Saints and yet they follow him just as fast as those that have no legs The Spirit dwells in them and yet they have no more fellowship or acquaintance with him than those that never saw him The Spirit assists and yet gives no help The Spirit comforts and yet gives no joy but after all he hath done leaves them just as other men and whatsoever they pretend to have more is a meer cheat and delusion The sum of all comes to this The Spirit doth and yet doth not doth something some great thing and yet that something is just nothing But is there no such life of God wherein the Lord having gotten the chief interest in the heart hath also the Dominion of the life Is there no such life the main dealings and business whereof is the pleasing and honouring of God and the seeking that glory and honour which is from him Must God be an underling to the World and be put off with our spare hours which the World will allow him We were even as good down-right to profess we own no God at all or if we must have one a Baal or an Ashtaroth a Nisroch or a Molech an Oxe or a Calf may serve us well enough for a God a God to be so trampled on or to be said unto stand aside when ever the World hath any thing for us to do Is there no such Spiritual life the comforts whereof are Spiritual comforts the pleasures and delights Spiritual pleasures and delights Are there no delights in God who is a Well of Life and the Fountain of all Blessedness Have the Creatures their several sweetnesses issuing from them the Sun its light the Fire its warmth the Fig-tree its sweetness the Olive-tree its fatness the Fruits of the Earth their pleasant tastes and smell the Instruments of Musick their melodious Ayres and sounds to gratifie and please our senses and is the Fountain onely a dry and unsavory thing when the Cisterns are so fresh and full Have fleshly exercises their several pleasures are the labours of the Husband-man the Travels of the Merchant so strangely sweetned by the gain and in-come of them Are May-Games and Morrice-Dances Sports and Playes so delightsome to men that they will sell their Souls for such Pleasures and are they the Exercises of Religion onely that have no juyce nor sweetness in them Is it Godliness onely that hath no bud the stalk whereof yields no meat Or are the delights and comforts hereof such flashy and airy things that we cannot tell when we taste them whether we be awake or in a dream Once more consider the Scriptures How excellent is thy loving kindeness O God therefore the Children of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of Life and in thy light we shall see light Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time when their Corn and Wine increased with Joy shall they draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts Let him that readeth understand do all these speak the life of Saints to be such a dry and dark and impleasant life Let me farther ask you these two Questions 1. Are there any delights in Heaven Is there any joy before the Throne and in the face of God Are there any pleasures at his right hand Doth the Tree of Life that stands in the midst of the Paradise of God yield any pleasant fruit Doth the Chrystal River that runs through the City of God yield any pleasant streams Are the exercises of glory blessing praises and singing Hallelujah Hallelujah are there any pleasure in these Speak Sinners what do you think are there any delights in Heaven 2. Is there not something of that heavenly joy and delight let down to the Saints here Whilest they bear a part in the same exercises have they not a little share in the same pleasure What means then the earnest of their inheritance which is given here The Apostle tells us Eph. 1. 13 14. that the Saints after they had believed were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance An earnest is a part of that whereof it is an earnest given in hand The earnest of our inheritance is a part of the inheritance Believe it Sinners Gods Earnest is no Jest God will not mock his Saints though you do As sinners to their cost so Saints to their comforts feel that Gods Earnest is in earnest As the Lord sometimes though more seldome causes some flashings of his wrath to flie out in the faces to kindle in the souls and burn in the bowels of some incorrigible sinners as an earnest of those everlasting flames prepared for them beginning their hell upon earth so doth he let fall some handfuls of that Harvest some drops of
thou takest this thou must be content to submit to the Cross and Yoke the service and the sufferings of Christ which are linked to it What sayest thou Hadst thou rather take the gains and the pleasures of sin and venture on the Curse or wilt thou yield thy self a servant unto Christ and so make sure the Crown If your hearts flie off and would fain wave the business and leave it undeermined leave them not so If you be onely unresolved you are resolved If you remain undetermined for Christ you are determined for the Devil Therefore give not off but follow your hearts from day to day let them not rest till the matter be brought to an issue and see that you make a good choice This is your choosing the good part God and your blessedness of the world to come for your portion and happiness and in this is included Your renouncing the world and a worldly happiness III. Imbarque with Christ Adventure your selves with him cast your selves upon his righteousness as that which shall bring you to God As a poor Captive Exile that is cast upon a strange Land a Land of Robbers and Murtherers where he is ready to perish and having no hope either of abiding there or escaping home with life and meeting at length with a Pilot that offers to Transport him safely home he imbarkes with him and ventures himself and all he hath in his Vessel Do you likewise you are Exiles from the presence of God and fallen into a Land of Robbers and Murtherers Your sins are Robbers your pleasures are Robbers your Companions in sin are Robbers and Thieves if you stay where you are you perish and escape home of your selves you cannot Christ offers if you will venture with him he will bring you home and he will bring you to God Will you say now to him Lord Jesus wilt thou undertake me wilt thou bring me to God bring me into the Land of Promise With thee will I venture my self I cast my self upon thee upon thy blood upon thy righteousness upon thy faithfulness I say up all my hopes and venture my whole interest Soul and Body with thee This is your closing with Christ as your Priest and in this is included your renouncing your own righteousness you can never you will never cast your selves on him alone till all your self hopes have given up the ghost There be two things which must necessarily be supposed to a sinner coming to Christ 1. A deep sense of his sin and misery 2. An utter despair of himself and all things else besides Christ 1. A deep sense of his sin and misery No man will regard a Saviour that doth not see himself a Sinner The whole regard not the Physitian Therefore it is said That the Spirit of God when he should come to Chrstianize the World should in the first place convince the World of sin John 16. 8. He shall convince the World of sin he shall demonstrate them Sinners bring up their sins before their Eyes bring home their sins upon their Consciences and make them see themselves and feel themselves the most vile and abominable of creatures Sin hides it self from the sinners eyes and all its vileness and deformity or if it come in sight it presents it self to the sinner as the Witch of Endor brought up the Devil before Saul in Samuels Mantle It shews it self as the sinners god Look how many sins evil men have so many gods they have rising up to them Their â—ins are their gods the gods that feed them they make a living of their sins the gods that comfort and refresh them they take pleasure in iniquity the gods that shelter them and hide them they strengthen themselves in their wickedness But now the Spirit of God plucks off the mantle and makes sin appear to be sin makes all the sinners Gods appear to be so many Devils brings forth the blackness and filthiness of sin into sight makes the sinner to see himself an unclean and abominable thing And withal he brings forth the guilt of sin sets all these Devils a tormenting the sinner filling him with fear and terrour and amazement In this respect he is called Rom. 8. the Spirit of Bondage that works fear and trouble in the heart The Spirit awakening a sleepy sinner is a kind of awakening in Hell Lord where am I What mean these Legions round about me These Chains and Fetters that are upon me What means the black Roll before mine eyes of curses and wrath and woes Lord where am I Have I been playing and sporting and making merry and my soul in such a case as this But is there no hope of escaping out of this wretched state I see there is no abiding thus I am but a dead man if I continue as I am What may I do to be saved And when he is brought to this there is some way made for his entertainment of Christ Yea this is not all that is needful but he must further be brought to 2 An utter despair of himself and all things else besides Christ Being made sensible of his sin and his danger a sinner will look out for help and deliverance but he will look every where else before he will look unto Christ Nothing will bring in a sinner to Christ but an absolute necessity He will try to forsake his sins will think of leaving his drunkenness and becoming sober of leaving his adulteries and becoming chaste and so see if by this means be may not escape He will go to Prayers and Sermons and Sacrament and search out if there be not salvation in them but all these though they be useful in their places yet looking no further the sinner sees there is no help in them His righteousness cannot help him this is but rags his duties cannot help him these may be reckoned among his sins Ordinances cannot help these are but empty Cisternâ— and all tell him you knock at a wrong door salvation is not in us Well the Lord be merciful to me faith the Sinner What shall I do Abide as I am I dare not and how to help my self I know not my praying will not help me my hearing will not help me if I give all my goods to the Poor if I should give my body to be burned all this would not save my soul Wo is me what shall I do and whether shall I go And now being brought to this distress to this utter loss his despair drives him to the onely door of hope that is left open Then Christ will be accepted when he sees none but Christ can stead him The Apostle tells us Gal. 3. 23. We were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith that should afterwards be revealed All other doors were shut up against there was no hope of escaping but by that one door that was left open The Faith that was afterwards to be revealed As the besieged in a City that have every Gate blocked
and laying it open before the Lord our complaining to the Lord of it our â—â—ying to the Lord against it pressing him upon his Promise upon his Covenant to help against it these are the mightiest â—atteries our souls can make to the beating down its strong holds When the Lord hears the groanings of his Israel under their oppressing Egyptians he will arise and relieve them Christians tell one another how sad it is with them what woful work they have with a proud heart or a covetous heart or an hard heart or an hypocritical heart and you mry tell one another such stad stories long enough and find little help Goe tell thy God of thy sins carry them before the Throne of Grace make thy complaints against them there and there thou wilt find compassion and deliverance Now gather up these four particulars together consider them well and then you will see you that intend holiness in earnest whâ—t great reason you have to set close in with Duties and to accept of those Directions which shall now be tendered unto you The first sort of Directions are such as concern the right performance of the Duty of Prayer the advice I shall give you touching this take in these four particulars 1. Bring your selves and hold your selves to a frequent and constant performance of this duty There must be performance or there cannot â—e a right performance Those that pray not or but seldome is a shrewd signe that the root of the matter is not in them they that can live without prayer are dead while they are alive Prayer is the first fruits of Christianity It was said of Saul aâ— a token that he was a Convert Behold he prayeth The living Childe comes crying into the World and as it is a token of life so it is a meanes by which this New Life is nourished Prayer is a Christians Key to unlock the Store-houses and the Treasuries of Souls he that can pray God hath given him a Key to all his Treasuries Prayer will not only unlock the Clouds as Elijahs prayer did and bring down Rain to refresh the dry and parched Earth but it will unlock Heaven too It will unlock the Ark and the Mercy-seat and get downe Spiritual blessinge on the Soul Praying is a Christians knocking at the Gate of Heaven that knocking to which the promise is made Matthew 7. 7. Knock and it shall be opened The word which the Lord speakes to us is Gods knocking at our doores Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock And praying is our knocking at the Lords door at the Gate of Heaven that this may be opened By the way learn that if you will not hear God knock it is just to hear not yours If Gods voice may not be heard on Earth your voice will not be heard in Heaven fear not you shall be heard if you will hear hear him that speaks to you from Heaven and your cry shall enter into Heaven Our Soules will never thrive or flourish unless the Rain and the Showers of Heavenly Grace descend and fall upon them and we cannot look that those Showers should come down unless we look up Persons that pray not may be written among the Heathens Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen and the Families that call not on thy Name Among the Prophane ones of the Earth who are described by this Character Psalm 42. 4. They call not upon God they are altogether become filthy and abominable there is none that doth good they call not uâ—on God Where Prayer is not there is usually cursing and swearing and every abomination look upon the non-praying persons look upon the non-praying families among you and see how little good there is to be found see if they be not as so many dead and dry Trees on which no Spiritual fruit appears as so many dark holes into which no Spiritual light doth ever shine as so many filthy sinks in which every vile thing lodges Beloved I have often pressed this Duty on you both personal secret Prayer that there be not one person found among you that prayes not and Family joynt Prayer that there be not one Family found among you among whom God is not thus worshipped I have often pressed this upon you and given you particular helps and Directions about it and have not been negligent to put you in remembrance of it so that if there be prayerless persons or families found among you the guilt of it must lie at your own doors But will you yet hearken to me in this thing Will you give your selves to prayer No word that is spoken to you for the good of your Soules will ever prosper with you if this Word prosper not it is in vain for me to perswade you to live a Godly life if you will not be perswaded to live a praying life Would you ever come to any thing see then that this Exhortation doe not come to nothing be ye therefore serious Be yee therefore sober and watch unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. Be ye instant be constant in Prayer Set up your resolutions and set your time set your times and keep your time do not put off this Duty by pretending you pray alwayes every day and every hour as the pretence of an every dayes Sabbath comes just to no Sabbath so it is usually in the case of prayer some Carnal wretches praying alwayes is â—ot prayiug at all Get thee into thy Closet saith Christ get thee a place set thee a time wherein thou sayest vacare Deâ— wherein thou mayest make it thy business to seek the Lord. Brethren I say again if you will not suffer me to prevail with you in this thing I may even spare my labour of speaking any other things to you wherein I shall have no hope of success if I speed not here Some among you in some private Conferences I have had with you have given me some good hopes of the work of grace begun upon your hearts I have found that there hath been stil a neglect of daily prayer this hath struck such a damp upon my spirit as hath brought down those hopes to be even almost as low as nothing and by experience I have found that such persons as upon advice and warning would not afterwards be brought to the constant exercise 〈◊〉 this duty if they have retained any favour of Religion at all have yet from year to year been at a stand and not the least sign of any improvement hath been to be seen If ever therefore you will hearken to me in any thing that I tender for your souls good deny me not in this set upon the daily exercise of secret prayer and if you be resolved on the performance I shall then be encouraged in the next place to help you on in the right performance Therefore 2. Come to pray with an actual and great expect 〈◊〉 of obtaining grace and help from God Do not barely impose
whose blood speaks whose bowels speak whose spirit speaks Doth he speak for sinners and yet not for me 4. Their own necessity Sinners are necessitous Creatures they have nothing of value left them In the fulnesse of their sufficiency they are in straits As a sinner of an hundred years is but a child so a sinner of thousands by the year is but a beggar poor miserable blind and naked He can want nothing and yet doth want every thing that is good Sinne hath stript him to the skin stabâ—d him to the heart the iron hath entred into his Soul it hath left him nothing but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Is this thy case sinner and hast thou nothing to say Spread thy wants and necessities before the Lord and let these speak for thee Learn of Beggars that come to thy door who if they have ever a sore or malady about them a blinde eye a lame leg a burnt hand a broken arm that they will be sure to open to move pity and procure an Alms. Their pinching hunger their parching thirst their naked backs their cold lodging thy door shall be sure to ring of Never a peâ—ny in my purse never a morsel of bread have I had for this long time their necessity will both make them to speak and help them to speak Sinner spread thy necessities before the Lord spread thy wants open thy wounds and thy sores tell him how desperately sad thy case is tell him of the guilt that is upon thy head the curse that is on thy back the plague that is in thy heart God of Bowels look hither behold what a poor blind dead hardned unclean guilty creature what a naked empty helplesse creature I am Look upon my sin and my misery and let thine eye affect thine heart One deep calls to another a deep of Misery cries out to a deep of Mercy Oh my very sins which cry so loud against me speak also for me My misery speaks my curses the woe and the wrath that lies upon me my bones speak my perishing Soul speaks and all cry in thine ears Help Lord God of pity help help and heal me help and save me Come unto me for I am a sinful man O Lord I dare not say as once it was said Depart from me for I am a sinful man Come Lord for I am a sinful man Thou couldst never come where is more need Who have need of the Physitian but the sick Come Lord I have too often said Depart from me but if thou wilt not say Depart to me I hope I shall never again say Depart to thee My misery saith come my wants say come my guilt and my sins say come and my soul saith come Come and pardon come and convert come and teach come and sanctifie come and save me Even so come Lord Jesus Thus you have the sinners plea. Poor Sinner Art thou willing to return from thy sins fear not to go to thy God Take thee some such words as these and go and tell the Lord that one of his poor Ambassadors told thee from him that he expects thee before the Throne of Grace and is ready if it be not thine own fault to grant thee mercy Go and the Lord help thee give thee thy hearts desire and fulfil all thy mind and for thy encouragement take along with thee this Scripture Isa 55. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for be will abandantly pardon 4. Pray in Faith James 1. 6. But let him ask in Faith You will here enquire What Faith is it that is necessary to our prevailing in prayer I answer Not onely the Faith mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 11. 6. He that cemeth to God must believe that God is Nor onely a perswasion that he is able to performe our petitions or that he is ready to answer those that seek him aright nor onely a perswasion concerning prayer that this is Gods Ordinance appointed by him as a means whereby we may obtain mercy from him Though all this be included in it yet this is not all The same faith is necessary to the acceptance of our prayers which is required to the acceptance of our persons That faith which gives a person interest in Christ will alone procure the acceptance of his prayers Now this faith puts forth in prayer a three-fold Act. 1. It presents and offers up the prayer in the Name of Christ Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered his Sacrifice Faith carries our Prayers to our Mediator the great Master of Requests for his hand to be put to them without which they will not be regarded yea it puts them into his hand it saies unto Christ Lord Jesus take thou this prayer what infirmities there are in it do thou cover what sinnes thou findest in them do thou hide Mingle thy blood with my Sacrifice let thine incense ascend with my offering and thus let it be carried before the Throne of Grace where that it may speak for me let thy blood speak for it 2. It depends and relies upon God through Christ for acceptance and performance It eyes and leans upon the Promise of God which in Christ is Yea and Amen and setting to its seal that God is true upon this it stayes it self 3. It works the heart to a confidence or a confident perswasion that God for Christs sake will hear and answer 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us But here consider that this confident perswasion that God doth hear and accept us however it ar gues an higher degree of Faith and brings in much Peace and Comfort to the heart and if it be well grounded is a good Argument that the Lord intends to fulfil our desires yet is it not so necessary to the acceptance of our Prayers but that they may be heard where this is wanting If the former Acts have been put forth if there hath been a presenting them in the hands of our Mediatour joyned with some little staying of our hearts upon the Promise though there be a great fear upon the spirit that God doth not regard them yet for all this they may not be rejected I fear saith a doubting Saint I fear the Lord will not hear me nor regard my prayers there is so much sin in them so many weaknesses wandrings distrâ—sts distractions that I much doubt whether the Holy God will ever have respect to them but such as they are there I leave them in the hands of my Advocate I leave mine Offering on the Altar as poor as it is it is the best I have and though I much question whether it will be accepted yet there I leave it waiting what answer the
The Lord calls thee this day calls thee to return and repent that thine iniquities may be blotted out bethink thy self what answer thou wilt return Wilt thou hearken or not III. Head concerning Christ Direct 1. FIrst Consider what the Scriptures speak 1. Concerning the Excellencie of his Person John 1. 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Heb. 1. 3. Who being the brightnesse of his Glory and the expresse Image of his Person 2. Concerning the Glorie of the Mystery of Christ Crucified Isa 53. throughout He is despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrowes and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisements of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray and have turned every on to this way and God hath laid on him the iniquities of all He was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth Col. 1. 27. To whom God will make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Who being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a Servant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross The Gospel is a Mystery full of wonders 1. There is a wonder of Righteousnesse and Severitie That God should not spare but punish Sin though upon his own Son 2. A Wonder of wisdome That God should being Light out of Darknesse Life out of Death that God should bring about the Rising of the World by the Fall of the Lord the Riches of the Word by the Povertie of their Lord the Fulnesse of the Saints by the emptinesse of the King of Saints 3. A Wonder of Mercy That God should harden his Heart against the Crie of his Son and open his Bowels to the cry of Sinners 4. A Wonder of Love Love in the Father in giving his Son Love in the Son in giving himself his blood his life his Soul a Ransom for sin and all this for Worms Traytors Enemies Direct 2. Ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. Oh what monster is sin What an Hell what a bottomless pit is it of malignity and wickednesse that none but God can expiate or purge it away that God cannot do it but by taking flesh that God manifested in the flesh could not purge away sin but by suffering that no suffering would serve but Death that no death could serve but such a cruel and cursed death Oh what a Monster is Sin that must have such blood the blood of God to take it away Quest 2. What strange Love is the Love of Christ 1. Strange in regard of the fruit and benefit of it All that Holinesse and Beauty that my Spirit is cloathed with all that peace and joy that possesses my heart all my glorious hopes and expectations for hereafter all that difference that is betwixt my state and the state of Cain Judas and the whole reprobate World this is the Love of Christ Where had I now been had it not been for the Love of Christ 2. Strange Love in regard of the fervency and ardency of it and that not onely to the whole generation of the Elect but to my Soul in particular To expresse this ask this one Question farther What if Christ had done and suffered all this for me alone What if there had been but one Sinner in the World and I had been that Sinner and Christ should have come down from Heaven cloathed himself with flesh giving himself to death given such a glorious Gospel sent forth such a multitude of Ambassadours to preach to to convert and save this one Soul this my Soul this had been strange love Such is the love of Christ to every Elect person that if there had been but one Sinner Christ would have done and suffered all this for one sinner rather then he should have perished Quest 3. Is Christ mine Have I a share in the Gospel is my name written in the Lambs Book All are not Israel though Christ died for all yet all are not made alive by him There are many from whom the Gospel is hid there are many that have rejected the Gospel that have put from them the Word of Life Whilest there are such multitudes that are lost and perish for ever is my Soul found found in Christ Hath he that hath died for me drawn me to himself Hath he that hath given me a liberty to lay hold on him given me a heart to lay hold on him Hath he given me his Spirit in my heart to sanctifie and cleanse me from my sins If I have not the Spirit of Christ in me I am none of his Vnless I wash thee thou hast no part with me If he be not mine then Quest 4. What may I doe to get Christ to be mine May I have him without seeking him Can I live by Christ without coming to Christ believing repenting and following of Christ is this ignorance this idleness is this earthly this Carnal course I take is this loose and vain life I live is this the way to get an interest in Christ if Christ be mine then Quest 5. How may I walk worthy of Christ Is it not by being made conformable to him Conformed to his image by being holy humble and meek Conformed to him in his obedience chearfully and readily doing the Will of God Conformed to him in his sufferings by being content to be brought down and laid low and made vile for his Name Conformed to his Resurrection and Ascension that this poor Soul which hath descended with Christ may also ascend with him Ascend in holy desires and affections ascend in holy praises and acknowledgements confessing to him Worthy is the Lamb that waâ— slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing for thou hast redeemed my Life from Death and Crowned me with loving Kindness and tender Mercies IV. Head concerning the vanitie and miserie of a worldlie life BY a Worldly life understand any course or way of life which is short of a godly life That which the Apostle calls Ephes 2. 2. The course of this World Such a life the main business care and delight whereof lies in the managing our Worldly affairs and interests in buying selling working trading to get together this worlds good The main comfort whereof stands in
adulterers or drunkards doth not the Scriptures tell me who they are Psalm 15. throughout He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart he that back-biteth not with his Tongue nor doth evil to his Neighbour in whose eyes a vile person is contemned c. Matth. 5. 3. to the 12. The poor in Spirit they that mourn the meek they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness the merciful the poor in heart the peace-makers These are they that shall ascend into the Holy hill Quest 2. Who shall descend into the Deep Rev. 20. 15. And whoâ—oever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire Chap. 22. 15. For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Adulterers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie 2 Thes 1. 8. 9. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Quest 3. Am I in the way to this rest of God Quest 4. Is my Title to this rest sure Is my name written in the Book of Life am I sealed with that Spirit of promise which is the earnest of my inheritance have I gotten an assurance that Christ is mine and Heaven is mine is not this assurance to be had is there not a promise left unto me of entring into the Rest May not this promise by my believing and accepting and adventuring upon it be made sure to me what mean I to sit down so quietly short of this assurance am I content to leave my earthly inritance under such uncertainties that I cannot tell what to call my own I cannot tell whether I have any thing or nothing Do I refuse any labour cost counsel that may secure my worldly interest and what is it onely Heaven and everlasting glory this is not worth the securing Quest 5. What if I should fall short of this Rest If at last I should see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets sit down in the Kingdome of Heaven and my self be thrust out I have made profession of Religion I have some good will to the waies of God born some affection to the People of God had some communion and fellowship with them had a namâ—â—nd good opinion amongst them I have gone to the House of God with them joyned in Prayers Fastings Sacraments with them I have attained to some probable Evidences of Grace But what if notwithstanding all this I should be found at last to be short of sincerity and of true saving Grace I have complained often of an carthly heart of a slothful heart of a carelesse heart of a lingring delaying heart I have had some motions and stirrings in me to shake my self out of this sloth to awaken and rouze my self out of these delayings and triflings I have been thinking often of taking more care and pains I have been wishing often for a diligent heart I have been hoping that it will not be thus alwayes with me but that one time or other I shall attain to more life and seriousness But what if after all this complaining and thinking and wishing and hoping it will be better I should still run on thus from one day to another from one year to another till I be surprized and should be taken away before I have gotten my heart to a thorow closing with God in Christ Quest 6. How joyful will my state be when that day comes if I may then be counted worthy to enter into this Rest When the voice shall sound in mine ears Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord When all these filthy garments and ragges of the Flesh shall be but off when all these bitter teares shall be wiped aâ—ay when all the clouds of darkness doubts feares sorrows afflictions shall be blown over when I shall be brought into the presence of the King of Saints and see all those glorious things that have been spoken of the city of God When mine head shall wear that Immortal Crown and my heart shall taste and drink of those everlasting pleasures at Gods right hand When I shall be brought into that general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven to an innumerable company of Angels to God the Judge of all men to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament to the Spirits of just men made perfect when my heart shall acknowledge Now I know indeed whom I have believed and see for what I have laboured When this poor Soul that in its travel towards Sion hath passed through a Wilderness lyen among the Pots been fed with Tears cloathed with Reproaches clog'd with Infirmities discouraged with fears and dismayings shall after all this be set down in the Kingdome of God and be lodged in the armes and bosome of the Lord of Glory and bear a part in those everlasting praises and Hallelujahs before the Throne of God for ever when mine eyes shall come to see all this and my heart to possess it will it not be a joyful day Quest 7. Can mine heart endure to think of being shut out from this blessedness forever Can I burn Can I endure the vengeance of Eternal fire VVill boyling Oyl burning Brimstone scalding Lead a glowing Oven a scorching Furnace be an easie Lodging for me Thou wilt not oh my soul be perswaded to repent there is too much pain in that Thou canst not bear a cross or an affliction a scoffe or a reproach talk to thee of crucifying the flesh of denying thy self of parting with thy fleshly Insts thy worldly companions of entring in at the strait gate of walking strictly and precisely according to the Gospel thou cryest out Oh these are hard sayings who can bear them But how wilt thou do to dwell with the devouring fire How wilt thou dwell with everlasting burnings Whatsoever it seems to thee now think what Hell will be to thee when the day comes that thou must descend into it Now thou lookest at it as a scare-crow or a bug-bare thou canst drink away or laugh away the fear of it but what will it be to thee when thou feelest thy self wrapt up in the flames of it and not a drop of water left to cool thy tongue Think on Hell oh my soul and then think on Christ and confider if a Redeemer from such misery be not worth the accepting think on Hell and then think on Sin then think on thy carnal pleasures and delights and consider how they will relish with thee when thus salted with everlasting fire Are these the things for which I dye Are these the price for which I sell my soul to Hell Away away from me all my lusts and pleasures away from me my companions in sin I confess I love you too well but I must not burn
Grace there is an hearty willingness to part with every sin The first work of the sanctifying Spirit upon the soul is the discovering of sin making it appear to be an enemy and the first saving work is the dividing betwixt sin and the soul making an utter breach betwixt them The Spirit of God makes us first to look on sin as an enemy and then to deal with it as an enemy to hate it to fear it to be impatient at the presence of it Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death When the good Spirit enters into the heart from that day forward the Soul looks on sin as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit fell upon him It 's said he eyed David from that time forward he looked on him with an evil eye with an envious eye Oh! that I were once well rid of this David Oh! saith a Convert that I were once well rid of this Lust It 's now become to the Soul as the Daughters of Heth were to Rebeccah Gen. 26. 35. A grief of mind to it a weariness to it I am weary of my life because of these daughters of Heth. When there is this breach made betwixt sin and the Soul it 's grace that hath made it when sin hath lost the will it hath lost the man when Christ hath gotten the will he hath gained the man The will is the heart give me thy heart is the same as be willing to be mine the will is the strong hold of the soul this is it that holds out last against God when this is won all is won Sin may have lost the understanding and lost the conscience these may plead for God and for holiness and may cry out against sin Away with it away with it Crucifie it crucifie it there is Death and Hell in the bowels of it away with it But as long as sin hath the will for it it still hath the man Reason saith I ought to tura Conscience saith I must turn but yet nothing follows but when the heart sayes I will turn then the work is done Reason saith these Idols ought not to stand Conseience saith these Iusts must be subdued these my sinful pleasures these my sinful wayes these my sinful companions must be left but when the will sayes to them Get you hence there 's a work of Grace begun But now this willingness to part with or turn from sin that it may infallibly prove grace to be in us must be 1. Universal A willingness to be rid of all sin The enmity against sin that 's wrought by grace is against the whole kind against all sin Root and Branch Body and Members A true Israelite would not have one Canaanite left in the Land would have the whole generation rooted out Psal 119. I hate every false way Psal 139. Search me O Lord and see if there be any wickedness in me 2. Habitual It must not be onely for the time that the heart is set against sin when it is under some terrour or trouble but there must be an abiding willingness Pharaoh when the Thunder and the Hail and the Fire and the Frogs and the Flies were upon him for the time was willing to let Israel go but presenrly after he meant no such thing 'T is not what thou art in a fit in a fright or sudden passion in sickness or under the apprehensions of death that will give thee any certain light by which thou mayest judge of thy state but what thou art in the standing and abiding disposition and bent of thy soul A Godly man is never unwilling when he is himself to be rid of every sin 3. Prevalent The willingness must be greater than the unwillingness A gracious heart is more willing to be rid of sin than to continue in sin He had much rather if it were put to his choice live without all sin than to be allowed to live in any sin Whatever the pleadings and reasonings of his flesh are for an indulgence to any particular sins whatever the advantages of yielding to the flesh herein mîght be whatever dammages or prejudices might follow upon his parting with them yet he had much rather whatever comes of it be freed from them all If the Lord should come to such a soul and give him as large â—grant as he did to Solomon Ask what I shall give thee ask what I shall do for thee write down what thou wilt and thou shalt have it this is that which he would have Lord take away mine iniquittes 'T is not the lives of mine enemies or a revenge upon them that I desire 't is not freedom from trouble or affliction that I desire make me a clean heart O Lord purge me from my sins let my lusts die my corruptions die and then though mine enemies live and their malice lives and my troubles live yet if my sins be once dead I have my desire And this willingness will discover it self to be prevailing by bringing forth 1. Resolution 2. Resistance against sin 1. Where a man is truly willing to be rid of sin there will be resolution against it he will not only be patient and content to give God leave to crucifie all his beloved lusts and darling corruptions and give the world leave to hew and strike home at the root of them without hiding them or warding off the blow or wishing they might be spared to him but stands stedfastly on Gods side and taking part with him against sin resolves to use all his means for the conquering and overcoming of them 2. This resolution will bring forth resistance An heart that 's weary of sin will fall to striving against sin Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary the one to the other Contraries are naturally expulsive each of other Such a pair as a Jacob and an Esau such Twins as an Isaac and an Ishmael cannot lie quietly togethâ—â— in the same womb no nor live quietly together in the same house but there will be a mutual prosecuting and persecuting each of other fire and water may as well agree in the same vessel as grace and sin in the same heart A gracious heart will be restraining curbing and withstanding it in all its workings It 's a mere vanity for men to talk of being willing to be rid of sin when they let it live and work and rule and run in its course without ever laying the hand to the bridle to restrain it Let me add one word more if you strive against sin and your striving be attended with success if you have gotten any degree of victory the evidence will be much more full and clear This now is the first Mark by which you may try your selves whether there be the truth of grace in you or not He that is willing to be freed from all sin habitually willing prevailingly willing
worse if I go on a little longer 4. The Renewing of our Covenant will revive the Obligation of it Though there be not a stricter yet there is another Tye There is a new link added to the old cord Men are more afraid and ashamed to break their word as soon as it is gone forth out of their mouths The seriousness wherewith such a sacred duty should be performed will leave some impressions upon the heart The very considering over our Covenant-breaches which is necessary to our renewing of it will awaken our hearts to more care and watchfulness These things being premised I shall give you this double Direction for the performance of this Duty 1. For the time when 2. For the manner how Touching the former there are some special times when this Duty is especially seasonable As 1. Upon your falls into any greater sins Great sins make great breaches and 't is not safe to let them lie unmade up Breaking of Covenant makes a breach upon Conscience and this will prove as the breaking down the banks of the Sea which if they be not presently made up there may be no stopping them 2. In great straights and Afflictions We have then our hearts at the advantage to bring them back or to bind them the faster to the Lord when we stand in any special need of comfort or help from God Gen. 28. 20 21. when Jacob fled from his Fathers house for fear of his Brother Esau he vowed If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Times of straights and difficulties are a special season for this Duty though it be too ordinary that those vows which we make in the dayes of our distress are quickly forgotten in the dayes of our prosperity Sickness-promises are in our health like Sampsons Wit hs broken as Tow when it toucheth the fire 3. In case of any declinings to a careless remiss and sensless frame of heart or life 4. At our approaches to the Table of the Lord. These are some of the special times for the performance of this Duty 2. For the manner how 1. Remember your Covenant read over and consider distinctly the terms of it and weigh diligently the strictness and great solemnity of your engaging to God therein that your hearts may be the more deeply affected herewith 2. Remember your faults Read over and consider distinctly the sins you have fallen into since your engaging to the Lord together with the several aggravations of them and repent and be humbled under them Isa 50. 4 5. 3. Especially consider how your hearts have stood towards the Lord in the main whether your falls have not been such as give you occasion to suspect that you were not upright in your first engaging Consider whether such a life as you have led since such sins as you have been overcome by since are consistent with sincerity 4. Resolve upon more care watchfulness and faithfulness for the future Verbal promises though there appear some affection at the time if they be not joyned with a resolution to take more care are like to come to nothing 5. Have a special eye in your engaging to the Lord at your special sins failings and neglects that you have found your selves more enclined to and more ordinarily overtaken by I will through the help of God watch against every sin but especially against covetousness passion or lying c. This is my sin herein I am apt to be faulty here my hardest work lies I will watch to every Duty but especially to temperance or patience or self-denial herein I have been most wanting 6. Lay hold on the Covenant or Promise of God for the renewing of his Grace towards you for the renewing of your strength whereby you may be more enabled to perform your promises and pay your vowes It may be your former experiences of your unfaithful hearts have quite discouraged you I have found this heart of mine so fickle and so false and so feeble that I dare not trust it so far as to engage any further for it I have found my work so hard my lusts so strong my temptations so many my strength so small my attempts to follow God so successess that I am afraid I shall never come to any thing I doubt I shall but mock God and bring more guilt upon my self by adventuring to promise any thing farther for this sinful infirm and unfaithful heart Why though thou darest not trust thy heart yet trust thy God who hath said That he will put his fear into thee that thou shalt not depart from him that he will renew thy strength and that his grace is sufficient for thee Depend upon God for the renewing of thy strength and then fear not to renew thy Vows 7. In this strength of the Lord go into his presence and with sorrow in thine heart and shame in thy face falling down before him humbly confess and acknowledge thy falls and failings and then in the like solemn manner as thou hast been before directed engage thy self again to the Lord in the same Covenant 2. I shall next direct you to make right improvement of Duties Godliness doth not stand barely in Praying Meditating or Examining there is something farther that these Duties have a respect and must be useful to 'T is an holy life that is the end to which our holy Duties are to lead and help us on That they may do so take these two following Directions 1. Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God in them that you may come off in a better and more spiritual frame of heart than you came on 2. Having gotten up your hearts to any better frame in Duty be careful to keep it up after Duty Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God that you may return from them with some advantage upon your spirits Resolve with him Nunquam à te absque te recedam whenever I come before the Lord I will never go away without him The reason why we thrive no more by Duties is because we do not meet our God in them God never meets with his Saints but he sends them away with some marks of his Goodness upon them The reason why we do seldome meet with God in our Duties is because we do not so wishly look for his appearance God waits for thy coming Soul and if it be not thy fault thou mayest see his face before thou departest and if thou see God in a Duty thou wilt not then return without some impressions of God upon thy heart When Moses came down from the Mount where he had seen the Lord his face did shine there was something of the glory of God upon his
countenance Israel might plainly see that Moses had met with God they might see the beams of divine Glory in his face Oh! how sad is it that Christians should return from duty with no more of God in their faces or upon their spirit than for the most part they do We come many times with no other spirits from our Bibles or our Closets than we come out of our Shops or out of our Barns no body would ever think we had been praying or conversing with God there is so little savour of God upon our hearts that we bring back with us Brethren whenever you let down your Pitchers into the Wells of Salvation be not content to bring them up empty be so conversant with God in your Duties that you come off laden as the Bee from the Flower with the honey and sweetness of your duties And this I advise you to endeavour after not only in your secret duties not only in your solemn publick duties on Sabbaths Humiliation-dayes or Thanksgivings but in your daily family-duties your Reading Singing Praying yea even in those shorter Prayers and Praises which you use before and after Meals Whenever you draw nigh to God look to see God to taste of God and to get down something of God upon your hearts And then 2. Whatever you have gotten from God in Duty what life what warmth what refreshing what enlargement of heart be careful to maintain and keep it alive afterwards See that your Spirits do not presently sink and cool again after they have been thus raised and warmed Do not satisfie your selves with this that you have some comfortable entertainment with God and feel some warm and lively works of your heart towards God and some refreshings from him in Duty but look to it that you keep that holy fire that is there kindled from being presently quenched again You do not eat and drink for an hour only that you may have the comfort of your food while your meal lasts but you eat for afterwards that the spirits and strength which you get by one meal may hold you out to the next meal Duties are the set-meals of the soul wherein it so feeds it self upon God that in the strength of what it receives it may afterwards walk with God more comfortably and chearfully The Lord promiseth to his people Lev. 26. 5. The Threshing shall reach to the Vintage and the Vintage to the Seed-time And Amos 9. 13. The Plough-man shall overtake the Reaper and the treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed The meaning is Your old store shall be so much and last you so long as till new com again you shall not only reap enough for the time of Harvest you shall not only gather enough to serve you during the time of the Vintage but your corn shall last from Harvest to Harvest your Wine shall serve you from Vintage to Vintage your Old store shall not be spent till New come to supply you Duties are the Harvests and Vintages of our souls Oh! what blessed lives should we live did we so improve and husband what we get in one Duty that it might last us out to another that the Vintage might reach to the Vintage the Harvest to the Harvest that the life and warmth and refreshing we get in one Duty might hold by us till the next and so we might be carried on in an holy lively heavenly Frame from Duty to Duty as Israel walked on from strength â—o strength till they came and appeared before God in Sion That which holds us so low and barren in Religion is that whatever we have obtained from the Lord in Duties and Ordinances we presently lose it when we have been weeping sometimes before the Lord and wrestling with him and pleading hard for some quickning or comforting influences of his Spirit upon our hearts and the Lord hath heard us and given us our desires yet then as soon as duty is over we go away and forget all and bury all that we have thus obtained in a confused heap of worldly thoughts and businesses we unbend and let down our spirits and lay aside all thoughts of God till we come to duty again we conrent our selves to live in such an estrangement from God all the rest of our time that sin and the world have a whole dayes time to pull down what an hours duty hath been building a whole weeks time to destroy and steal away what a Sabbath hath gotten in and so at the returns of duty we find our hearts at the same loss in the same deadness and hardness that they were before In the Old Testament though the Sacrifices were offered but morning and evening yet the fire that kindled them was not to go out night nor day there must be fire kept alive from the Morning-Sacrifice to kindle the Evening-Sacrifice and fire left from the Evening to kindle the Morning-Sacrifice Oh! Behold how often is it that though at our Morning-Sacrifice a fire is kindled yet we let this fire lie all day under the ashes and take so little care to keep blowing at it that it goes quite out before the Evening and when we come to offer our Evening-Sacrifice we have no fire to kindle it Brethren hath the Lord visited you and quickned and comforted you in duty Oh! think with your selves what a sweet life should I live might it be thus with me alwayes What pity is it that such light should ever go out that such grace should be so short liv'd Why if I do not look to my self the better this Sun-shine will last but a little while and how will the Lord take it if I suffer such sparks that he hath kindled so suddenly to be quenched How is my Soul ever like to prosper if such precious food pass away from it as soon as it is received Is this a fast that I have chosen for a man to afflict his Soul for a day Is this a prayer that God regards for a man to afflict his heart for an hour to be in the Mount with God to be raised up to Heaven for the time and within a few minutes after to be sunk into the dirt of the earth What a sad change is this How can you bear such a loss as this When will your souls come to any thing if you have only some few such lucida intervalla and all the rest of your time are covered over with clouds and darkness Beloved as ever you expect to prosper in grace or be settled in peace be chary of maintaining your duty in-comes do not think to make use of your prayer-comforts to save you the labour of an after care but to help you to be more careful and fruitful But how may we do to keep this Holy and lively frame 1. Be watchful Nehem. 4. 9. Nevertheless we prayed and set a watch against them night and day Beloved it is with you as it was with those Jews whatever you have gained you have Adversaries
own mouths do testifie against us When we love to speak in our own praise or if we have more wit than to be vainlie boasting of our selves yet we love to hear our selves commended by others When we are envious at those that out-shine us and so stand in the way of our reputation When we are so impatient of being contradicted that those that are not of our mind are not for our company Do not our habits our looks our company or behaviour our distances which we keep from those below us sadly discover what there is in our hearts Oh Brethren how is it that our hearts tremble no more to behold this monstrous devilish sin appearing in us How can we take pleasure How can we take comfort in the best of all our parts or duties or enjoyments which are so stain'd with this pride Which is even as great an Ornament to any true worth that is in us or in any thing we do as a blister or a carbuncle to a beautiful face How is it that we do not oftner question whether such a measure of pride as we find in our selves can stand with true grace How is it that we are no more asham'd to draw nigh unto God when our hearts tell us how false we have been to him in all our sevices What an Image of jealousie have we set up another God besides the Lord which must at least divide with him in all the fruits that are growing up out of any thing we have received from him Christian Labour to know thy self more thoroughly and amongst all the lusts of thy heart which might if understood bring thee low take particular notice of this thy self-exalting Spirit and if this do not abase thee and shame thee and lay thine honour in the dust thou art proud indeed 5. Be Temperate In the use of Creatures I mean beware of Excesse Eat and Drink for service nor barely for pleasure Let not your Lord be a loser by his bounty to you lose not a dutie in a Dinner A full Meal makes many a drowsie and short duty If you be given to Appetite take heed give not to your Appetite all it craves let not Appetite but Conscience be your measure Eat not your Souls into leanness let not your Table become your Snare and that which is given you for your Health become your Disease When you are at your meat remember your work and let that limit you be only so free in your food as may make you more fit for service He that hath such a race to run such a warfare before him must be temperate in all things or he may lose the goal and the battel not only Drunkards and Gluttons but even Christians that are accounted sober are more peccant this way than they are ordinarily sensible of Their spirits would be more free their services would be more lively their work would be more easie and their way more pleasant if they were but more temperate Christians let this Scripture meet you at your Tables as well as elsewhere Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever else you do do all to the Glory of God 6. Be moderate Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand Maintain such a tranquility and serenity of mind let all be quiet and in such a due and equal composure within you that it may appear in your carriage without Let there be no noises nor tumults but as much as possible let there be a constant silence and calm upon your Spirits Moderate your cares moderate your fears moderate your passions Say to your Spirits when they begin to swell as Christ to the Wind and Waters Peace be still Get the Command of all within you and keep them under constant discipline be careful for nothing fear nothing be impatient at nothing that whatsoever happens to you without you may be able to say with the Apostle None of these things move me Be not like those weakly bodies whose temper changes with the weather Be able to bear whatever changes happen from abroad without any perturbations or perplexing commotions at home In your patience possess ye your souls Christians if you can but keep your temper whatever happens you may keep your way and hold on your course whatever happens An heart our of quiet will put your whole Man out of course If you can but be quiet and patient you may be any thing you may do any thing that God will have you be or do Let your fears and your passions and your impatiencies loose and whither will they carry you When you should be denying your selves you will then be shifting for your selves when you should be following Christ you will then be running from Christ when you should be working out your salvation all your care will be taken up how to save your selves in a whole skin Let these be well laid and you will have nothing to do but to follow your work and to run your Race which God hath set before you V. Carry your selves well towards others A Christians work doth not lye all about himself Though your own Souls be concerned in all you have to do yet your care must not be confin'd to your selves alone you must have a due respect and a due câ—rriage towards others also Carry your selves well 1. Towards all men Let your Conversations be as in all things so towards all men as it becometh the Gospel I must contract and here give you only some short hints 1. Be True 2. Be Just 3. Be Merciful 4. Be Peaceable 5. Be Courteous 1. Be True Take heed of the way of lying Let sinners know that a lye is of their Father and not of yours Let the Word of a Christian be Sacred Make sinners say of Saints the same which God sayes of them They are children which will not lye let their experience force them to acknowledge This spot is not the spot of Gods Children Be true A Lye is 1. Contrary to God who is a God of Truth and cannot lie 2. Conform to the Devil the Father of Lies 3. Destructive to Society there can be no trust where there is no truth and no commerce with those that cannot be trusted Temptations to Lying are many and men are especially tempted to it in these Twâ— Cases 1. In case of any faults committed What can't be excus'd must be conceal'd and for want of a better covering they must hide it under a Lye 2. In their dealings in the world In their buying and selling and trading The trade of lying gets into every Trade as if there were no living but by lying The Seller must have his lyes there must be lye to set off the Wares It s special good the best of its kind when may be 't is stark nought A lye to set up the price It stood me in so much I cannot abate when it may be the next word is a lower price The buyer must have his
lye a lye to bring down the price It s naught it s naught saith the buyer A lye to bring down the seller I will not give your price and yet give it Oh how common an evil is this and how little considered How few are there that have great dealings in the world that can altogether acquit themselves of it How many are there that live upon lies that feed themselves with lieâ— â—hat cloath themselves with lies their unlawful gains that their trade of lying hath brought them in Christians especially you that are most ordinarily under such temptations be sensible of this evil and avoid it be resolved and watchful Resolve to be true be true though it be to your loss be losers rather than lyars Sell not Conscience with your commodities for a penny or two pence profit extraordinary Resolve to be true and be watchful Consider what you say before you speak that you be guilty of falshood neither purposely nor unwarily 2. Be Just Observe that Rule of Righteousuesse Do to others as you would they should do to you And let this Rule be observed in all your words yea and your thoughts also as well as actions If you would not be wronged do not wrong if you would not be oppressed do not oppress if yâ—u would not be defrauded do not defraud and so if you would not be defamed or reviled do not defame or revile if you would not upon everie report or groundlesse surmise be evil thought of do not think evil of others You that professe Christianity are you altogether faultless upon this account Would you that all should come upon you which by you hath fallen upon others Would you that all the world should be to you what you have been to any in the world If you have been knowingly unjust in your dealings yet have you neither been injurious in your words Would you that your faults and iâ—firmities should be the ordinary discourse and table-talk and merriment of others and have not yet others infirmities or faults been yours Would you not be causlâ—sly suspected condemned or despised in the thoughts of others and have you never dealt thus by others Is this not too common and yet little considered When you are together everie evil report that 's going either for want of other discourse or from a worse cause must be brought in to fill up the time and evil reports quickly beget evil thoughts surmises Do as you would be done by if you would not be thus dealt with by others deal not so with others 3. Be Merciful Luke 6. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful You have a Merciful Father you have a Merciful High-Priest be ye also merciful As you have received mercy as you look for mercy be careful to shew mercy Give to him that asketh lend to him that would borrow visit relieve refresh the bowels of him that is in misery Be cheerful in shewing mercy let your hearts give as well as your hands Be liberal be bountiful He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly He that is merciless to the bodies of men is therein cruel to their souls Hardness and niggardliness in Professors of Religion will disgrace their Profession and harden the hearts of sinners from entertaining the Gospel Can you perswade me that this is the way of God that this is true Religion What a merciless Religion a merciless Profession God keep me from such a Religion Your feeding of hungry bellies your cloathing of naked backs may be a means to save many a soul from death The penny besides that it may gain thee many pounds a plentiful reward it may gain many a soul to thy Lord. 4. Be peaceable Mark 4. 50. Have peace one with another Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men The Lord is a God of peace Christians are sons of peace The wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Peaceableness stands 1. In an unwillingness to provoke or offend A peaceable man will not break the Peace is not quarrelsome or contentious will not stir up strife forbears all provoking carriage hath no provoking tongue he hath peace in his heart and that brings forth peaceable language and carriage 2. In an unaptness to be proved A peaceable spirit is a patient spirit 3. In a readiness to be reconciled James 3. 17. Easie to be intreated A peaceable spirit is hardly provoked easily pacified 1. In a forwardness to reconcile those that are at variance A peaceable spirit is a peace making spirit such an one is both a blessed man Mat. 5. Blessed are the peace-makers and a blessing to those he lives amongst Our angry quarrelsome spirit may be a plague and one peaceable and healing spirit may be a blessing to a whole society 5. Be Courteous Sweet and affable in your carriage towards all 1 Pet. 3. 8. This will much win upon the hearts of those you converse with and beget their good liking of whatever good they behold in you This will both mollifie their spirits towards you and make them more willing to hearken to you Morosity and sourness will fright them out of your company and harden them against your Counsel Your candor will be the sugar that will help to convey-down any pill of admonition or reproof you give them which otherwise their stomacks would rise against and spit out in your faces Carry your selves so to all that you may convince them that you are their friends the friends of their souls whilst you appear the enemies of their sins that your counsels are the counsels of a friend that your reproofs are the wounds of a friends which are better than the kisses of an Enemy But still take heed that your courtesie to sinners do not lead you in a compliance with them in their sins that what you intend as a Net to take their Souls become not a Trap to take yours Whilst you are a friend to their persons beware you be not drawn aside to have fellowship with them in their wickedness It is better to be uncivil than ungodly Be as courteous as possible yet so far only that your courtesie be neither a snare to you nor an encouragement to them in their sins Be wise as well as kind Christians do not pass over these second-Table duties which I have for brevities sake packed up into a narrow room as the lower things of Religion wherein you may be excused or dispenced with which a little praying or confessing will make up and so you may go on Truth and Temperance and Justice and Mercy c. are to be reckoned among the weightier matters of the Law there is so much Religion in them that there can be no Religion without them Though there may be morality where there is no true Religion yet there can be no Religion where there is not Morality Micha 6. 11 12. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and the bag of deceitful
and he shall have nothing else to feed upon there is meat for him to eat and a place prepared for him such as it is his place shall not be on the Throne but under the Foot-stool Now put all this together and you may see the woful state of Apostate Professors they are Monuments of Vengeance Though they have lost their savour yet they will serve for Pillars of Salt a standing dread and terror and warning to others on whose foreheads is written Let him that thinks be standeth take heed lest be fall They are cloathed with curses must feed upon fire and have their dwelling under the foot-stool in scorn and everlasting contempt Apostates are the worst of men Those that have lost their Religion have lost by their Religion 2 Pet. 2. 21. Better had it been for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than having known to turn from the holy Commandment Religion which is a wing to Saints whereby they rise up into Glory is become a weight to hypocrites to sink them so much the deeper in wrath Apostates are in the worst case of all men 1. They are the worst in Gods account The Lord hath a double quarrel with them not only for being found under the Enemies colours but that ever such varlets should have marched under his colours A quarrel with them for their Profession for their Prayers wherein they have but abused his Name and Gospel God and his waies have suffered from none so much as from Renegado disciples 2. They are the worst in the account of men both good men and evil men there are none that can speak well of Renegado's they are the sorrow of Saints and the sport of sinners good mens shame and evil mens scorn and the hate of all 3. But especially they are the worst and most miserable of men considered in themselves they have not only lost their Religion but they have arm'd it against themselves All the profession and prayers that they have made together with all the hopes and joys and comforts that once seemed to grow up out of them the remembrance of them I mean when ever they come to remember themselves will be as many darts in their livers and stings in their hearts All their hopes and joys and comforts have given up the Ghost and these ghosts do haunt them and torment them with such thoughts as these Wretched creature that I am where am I what an exchange have I made Light for darkness Wisdom or folly Righteousness for wickedness Gain for godliness Conscience for credit Heaven for hell I was once as I thought in the way of Life and I had hopes I should have seen life I made profession of Religion and took pleasure in Religion I walked after the Lord and the thoughts of God were precious to me I found comfort in Christ I took sweet counsel with the Saints and went to the house of God with them in company Sabbaths were a delight Ordinances were a refreshing to me I have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come and whilst it was thus with me I had great peace and was full of hopes that I should once see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living But wo is me where am I now How hath my treacherous heart that I never suspected turned me aside from God and spoiled me of all my hopes and comforts I must now bid adieu to all farewel â—rofession farewel Religion farewel Conscience farewel Duties Sabbaths Ordinances Saints the sweet delights I took in them farewel Joyes and Hopes for ever Welcome Drunkards Swearers Lyars welcome Turk or Pope or Devil I must now be of your side and take up my lot with you for ever Oh whither am I fallen Study well the misery of such persons and let that be a warning to you IV. Be Circumspect See that you do not unnecessarily pull sufferings on your selves especially look to it that you suffer not as evil doers If your sin lead you into sufferings God may leave you in them and then what is like to become of you There is a suffering for our faults there is a suffering for our righteousness without our fault and there is a suffering for our righteousness through our fault We sometimes run our selves upon trouble when we need not as when by our unwary and imprudent managing and ordering our selves in some duties we lay our selves open to those sufferings which a little prudence might have prevented We must be wise as well as innocent Christians should never ordinarily expose themselves to suffering till God hath so hedg'd up all lawful waies of escape that they must either suffer or sin Be so wary in your course that you may not faultily suffer for the good that is in you but especially see to it that you suffer not as evil-doers and for the evil that is found in you to this end be careful 1. That you speak not nor do any thing in the matters of Religion rashly 'T was good counsel which the Town-Clark gave the Ephesians when they were in a tumult and uproar about their Goddesse Diana Acts 19. 36. Seeing that these things cannot be spoken against ye ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly Christians should be considerate and well advised in what they speak or do should mark and weigh their words and actions themselves which they know will be so narrowly observed and weighed by others 2. That you speak not nor do nor refuse to do any thing obstinately or out of stomack or animosity Let your wayes be guided not by passion or a spirit of contradiction but by conscience and meekness of spirit be not self-willed let nothing be done through strife c. Phil. 2. 3. Be stedfast but not stubborn be faithful but not wilful be zealous but not contentious 3. That you neither do nor suffer any thing out of pride or vain-glory as the Apostle exhorts Phil. 2. 3. Do nothing so suffer nothing out of strife or vain glory Take heed that an affectation of popular applause of gaining the repute of active Christians of bold and resolved Christians be not it that leads you on Your pride may cost you much but will never bear your charge may bring you into trouble but will never bear you out 4. That you do nothing ignorantly or upon mistake Be clear especially in those things which may be costly Study your duty throughly labour to see your way plain before you to see the pillar of fire and of the cloud going before you Give heed to the word of the Scriptures which is a light to your feet and a Lanthorn to your steps Where you are clear you will be bold but take heed of suffering upon a mistake Your troubles will be like to open your eyes and shew your mistake and thereby put out your lights destroy your supports and comforts 5. Do not suffer unpeaceably Suffer not for
things He that hath the son hath not only with him but in himâ— all things Are all things nothing with thee What wouldst thou have more than all Thâ— Heathens acknowledged That vertue is sufficient Iâ— was a Maxime among the ancient Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue is self-sufficient A vertuous Man hath no need to be beholding either tâ— Friends or Fortune He hath enough in himself The Apostle tells us That Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with its self-sufficiency is great gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. Solomon tells us Prov. 14. 14. A good man is satisfied from himself He hath that within him out of which his satisfaction grows A Christian hath the whole Gospel within him He hath Christ the Promise the everlasting God Heaven Glory within him As rich as he is he may truly say Omnia mea mecum porto He carries his All in his heart and can thence get out a living a Sufficiency for all Times Cases and Wants Cast him naked out of his Habitation out of his Countrey yet he carries all with him he leaves not an Hoof behind him Christians leave it to the poor of the Earth to carnal men the Riches of them is poor enough leave it them to be discontent A carnal Man hath so many to be beholding to to parch up his contentment that 't is no wonder he falls short of it the Sun the Clouds his Fields his Folds his Friends his Enemies his Honours his Pleasures his Meat his Drink his House his Mony yea the Devil all his lusts every Creature must come in with their part to contribute to his contentment if but one thing fails him there 's somthing wanting to make it up Nay if none fail but they all do their best to please him yet all will not do in the fulness of his sufficiency he is in straits When he hath all he can have his still hungring Heart cries out of what it hath Vanity of Vaâ—â—ties all is Vanity Leave it to these Christians who â—ave nothing but emptiness to fill their Souls withâ—â— leave it to them to be discontented Will you â—ay the same imputation upon the God of Glory The Discontent of a Christian is a kind of Blasphemy it proclaims concerning God also and all the Glory of the Gospel This also is Vanity Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Christians study your Riches more count over your Treasures dwell more in your God and his Gospel Read over your Priviledges Promises and Hopes feed more on that Bread of Life drink more freely of those Living Springs which are broken forth to you Prove more what Godliness hath in it Get out the sweetness and the Pleasure of it none in the World live such a voluptuous Life as he that lives mâ—â—t with God get out the pleasure of Godliness lie more at the Breasts suck harder press the Clusters and the Wine and Milk will come make the most of Religion and you will have enough never blame it for empty or unsatisfactory while there is more to be had Gad not into other Pastures run not from Flower to Flower keep you Home Let not your God find you in another Field If you keep with God the less you have of Creature-vanities the more full will your Contentment be Christian Honour thy God and his Gospel let his Breasts satisfie thee and err thou alwayes in his Love Let the World read the Gospel-sufficiency in thy Souls pleasure and satisfaction with it alone 5. Let your Conversations answer the supports of the Gospel and its succours Live a patient life Jam. 5. 7. Be patient brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Patience is a Grace suited to our present Gospel state I will call it a Friend that 's born for the day of adversity If you are Christians you have need of Pâ—tience and if you have Patience you need no more Jam. 1. 4. Let Patience have her perfect work that you may be entire lacking nothing Patience is a submitting sedate and calm frame of spirit whereby a Christian from Gospel grounds it born up under all his Troubles and born through all his Duties Betwixt Patience and Contentedness there is this difference Contentedness is the quiet of the heart and its satisfaction with its smallest portion of good things Patience is the quiet of the heart under the greatest pressure of evil things A patient spirit is a submitting spirit It s heartily content that God should have his Will With whatsoever God is pleased it will not be displeased It 's the Lord lâ—â— him do whatsoever seems good in his Eyes What seems good in God's eyes shall not seem evil in mine It is a Calm and quiet spirit It will not strive noâ— cry nor lift up its voice in the streets it can mourn but it does not murmur it can feel but it will not fret at the hand of God A patient person is ever compos mentis has the command and government of his spirit keeps it sober and in due order doth not rave and rage Impatience is a kind of frenzy such persons are besides themselves In our patience we possess and by our impatience we lose our Souls we lose the rule and government of them the peace and the use of them An impatient man is besides himself both as a Man and as a Christian 1. He is besides himself as a Man Impatience turns Reason out of doors and for the Affections they are all in an uproar and will know no command or government 2. He is besides himself as a Christian turned quite out of course Duties Comforts Experiences Hopes all are laid aside Keep you quiet keep the peace in your heart and you keep your heart In this calmness and quietness it bears up under troubles Patience hath Fortitude in it it neither frets nor faints under all its burthens Christians must bear and patient Christians can bear any thing that comes on them The proper exercise of patience is enduring he endures not that suffers only but that can bear what he suffers It bears through its Duties The passion of a patient person doth not hinder his action He holds his course keeps on his way whatever load he hath on his back He runs with patience the race which is set before him he is not discouraged nor diverted from his holy course by any suffering it costs him And indeed Christian Patience stands not in a bare forced quiet in a biting in or keeping down our fretting aestuations from venting themselves in word or carriage or in a sullen silence or stupidity but in the maintaining such a tranquility of spirit under all we suffer as that we can still both enjoy and serve the Lord. He is a patient Christian that is as much a Christian in a storm as in a clam that can pray believe love bless God follow God and keep his way when he smites as when he smiles Lastly in all this a Christian is upheld and carried on from
Gospel Grounds 'T is not a natural hardiness or apathy 't is not the Spirit of a man that does sustain his infirmities 't is upon the everlasting Gospel that he stands There are three Things especially that bear him through His viewing The Hand of the Lord. The End of the Lord. The Help of the Lord. 1. He sees the hand of the Lord in all that befalls him Whence was Davids patience Psal 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth Because thou Lord didst it Whence was Eli's patience 1 Sam. 3. It is the Lord let him do what seems him good Whence was Job's patience Job 1. 21. The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. By the way note That a godly man is not only patient under his afflictions but thankful He is not only thankful for Mercies but for Chastisements 'T is not only the Lord hath given blessed be his Name the Lord hath built me up the Lord hath filled me the Lord hath hedged me blessed be his Name but also The Lord hath taken away the Lord hath humbled me broken me undone me left me naked left me nothing blessed be the Name of the Lord. This by the way 2. He sees the end of the Lord that God intends his good by all that comes upon him He knowes that all things and therefore this which is upon him whatever it be shall work to him for good 3. He feels the help of the Lord. When the hand of the Lord is upon him he feels also the hand of the Lord under him underneath the everlasting Arms Deut. 32. 27. The Gospel as it hath allotted him many Tribulation◠so it hath allowed him mighty supports A mighty God who is the Rock of Ages Isa 26. a merciful High-Priest who being tempted himself is able also to succour those that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. Precious Promises 2 Pet. 1. Gracious experiences Rom. 5. 4. Patience worketh experience This last support experience hath all the rest in it Experience is the whole Gospel proved A patient experienced Christian hath proved all things what they are hath proved the World and what it is and the worst it can do hath proved the Word and what there is in it hath proved what God is what Christ is what grace and peace and a good Conscience are Tribulation often takes away God and his Gospel and we never so well prove what God is as when we have him alone what grace is what a good Conscience is as when we have nothing else left us Our Religion never shews so much what is in it as when it 's most put to it When the Adversary hath gotten the greatest advantage of us of the Sun of the Wind of the Ground when he presseth with most violence with most fury upon us then we best know what the weapons of our Warfare are The comforts and supports of Religion are not known either of what strength or of what sweetness they are till they are thus proved Hezekiah had never such a tast of his integrity as when he received the Message of death Stephen had never such a sight of Heaven as through a storm of stones Christ is never so sweet as in a prison When God meets his Saints in a Wilderness then he speaks comfortably to them A patient Christian hath more or less experience of all this and hence is he supported keeps quiet under all his sufferings and carried with courage on in his way Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. You have need of patience and no excuse for your impatience The sufferings of the Gospel call for patience and the supports of the Gospel will condemn your impatience If you will be godly count upon it that you have a great fight of afflictions to endure Venture not into the fight without your Armour An impatient creature is a naked Soldier How easily will Sathan destroy whom he hath once disarmed The more you can the less you shall suffer Secure your spirit and you save your self from harm There 's no Dart shall hurt you that does not hit your heart Keep your heart whole and the Devil loses all his shot Be patient and you possess your Souls keep your Souls and the enemy loses the day Christians 'T is of great consequence to you to be of a patient spirit and 't is a great Duty there 's much more in it than every eye observes When I perswade you to Patience know That 't is no small thing that I am perswading you to 'T is no less than 1. To the whole of Christianity 2. To the height of Christianity 1. To the whole of Christianity To be truly Patient hath as much in it as to be a Christian To be holy humble meek mortified self-denying crucified to the world heavenly minded all this you must be or you cannot be patient Patient and proud patient and peevish patient and unmortified earthly minded a self-seeker This is as great a contradiction as to be proud and humble fleshly and spiritual earthly and heavenly a Christian and no Christian If ever you will be possessors of this grace you must be partakers of all grace Get a believing broken self-denying heart get your spirits furnished with the love of Christ the hope of the Gospel the contempt of the World live above in the other World Let Christ Glory Honour Immortality be the portion of your Souls and the pleasure of your lives if ever you would be truly patient 2. To Christianity in the height of it In pressing you to patience I am herein pressing you to get Assurance Without assurance though patience be possible yet you 'l find it both difficult and very imperfect What Patience when I question whether my sins be forgiven whether God be reconciled and be not dealing with me as an enemy What Patience when I doubt whether my afflictions be not the pension of a bastard rather than the portion of a Son when I am not sure but my present sufferings are sent to carry me down to eternal sufferings I am in misery and perpetual torments never a day without 〈…〉 it may be never shall this or worse may last for ever 〈◊〉 if I were sure it would be well at last I could be quiet but for ought I know the Furnace I am in may be the very mouth of Hell The diseases the wounds I am under may be sent to let out my Soul into everlasting burnings how can I be patient under such doubts and fears Make God sure Christian make Heaven sure once and then thou may'st set thine Heart at rest then thou may'st almost as easily exercise as thine Enemies find thee Exercise of thy patience Christians if you will be patient you must be painful give diligence be diligent in making your Calling and Election sure be diligent in duty be vigilant against iniquity If you will be patient be impatient of sin and you will be
come upon them without taking part with them in their sufferings then lust is conquered Lust no longer lives nor maintains its power and interest in us than whilest in all its afflictions we are afflicted when we feel its sufferings as our sufferings its disappointments and dissatisfactions as our own and flie out against whatsoever falls upon it as it fell upon our Souls When we can say 't is my passion that suffers but not I 't is my Covetousness that suffers my pride that suffers but not I and let them suffer for me let them be pinch'd and pain'd and starv'd and die none of all this shall move me nay herein I do and I will rejoyce There 's Patience Patience is Lust conquered Christians you complain of Corruption you tell one another sad stories what a burden what a bondage 't is you are under whilest Lust hath such power in you whar Briars and Thorns what plagues and stings they are in your hearts You pray and you mourn and groan and sigh in your selves waiting for your redemption from this bondgae and misery Oh for an humble heart Oh for a broken mortified spirit oh this earthliness this envy this peevishness this sloathfulness I am weary of my life because of these Daughters of Heth. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Why would you be delivered Be patient under Afflictions they are the Executioners sent from God to slay your Enemies the Medicines sent from your Physician to cure your Diseases Never quarrel with Affliction unless you resolve to befriend Corruption What will you be so foolish as not to be patient of your Disease nor your Remedy either bear the Cross or else never make your selves believe but you can bear your sins well enough Whatever your complaints are 't is a sign they come not very deep 'T is an Argument that sin sits light where the Cross lies so unsupportably heavy 4. Your patient suffering will be your Triumph over Temptation A patient Christian is a Conqueror over all the World By this alone naked Job overcame the Devil When Sathan and his Instruments have persecuted you into patience they have therein brought their Necks under your Feet This Brazen wall will make their shot recoil on their own heads and hearts Your Patience will be a Shield to yours and a Sword in your Enemies Souls Be patient and you have won the field and gotten the day They will have no hope to drive you to sin where they see you can suffer This was Job's Triumph and shall be yours In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly You may now make your boast in the words of the Apostle Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword In all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us 5. Your patient suffering will be the improvement of your sanctification Heb. 12. 9 10. We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them Reverence Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness The Fathers of our flesh corrected us and so doth the Father of Spirits they at their pleasure he for our profit You 'l say it may be for what profit What profit is there in our Blood in our Bonds in our poverty Why there is this profit we are hereby made partakers of his holiness There 's seldome any towardliness in a child till it be whipt into him Gods School of affliction is a Nursery for Heaven Were it not for his House of Correction Sion would quickly become as Sodom Seldom does any come out thence but their complexion shews where they have been 'T is with them that feel the Hand of the Lord as 't was with him that saw his Face his Face did shine his very spitting in their Faces doth wash them the cleaner Of all Saints there are none raised so high towards the third Heaven as those that have been in the Deep No Providences give such a lift to the soul as those that most humble Christians What-ever pains you travel under believe it the Births may be such as will make you forget your sorrow I have heard of an holy woman who used to compare her afflictions to her children they both put her to great pain in the bearing but as shew knew not which of her children to be without notwithstanding her trouble in the bringing forth so neither which of her afflictions she could have wanted notwithstand the sorrow they put her to in the bearing Heb. 12. 11. No chastning for the present is joyous but grievous but afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Oh when you see the Fruit where then will your Sorrow be John 16. 21. A Woman when she is in Travail hath Sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a Man-child is born into the world If the Joy of the Birth will make you forget why should not the hope of the Birth make you to bear the pain Beloved would you bring forth fruit unto God and will you not bear the Plow and the Harrow Will you expect an Harvest and yet must God let you lye fallow and still sow among Thorns Let me ask you and answer deliberately would you be more holy than you are more fruitful than you are or would you not If you would not you are no Christian Si dixeris sufficit defecisti If you would is that desire conditional You would increase so it cost you not over-much labour and pain that desire comes to just so much as no desire at all Or is your desire of an increase absolute would you be more holy what-ever it cost you Do you so prize and love an holy and fruitful life that you are heartily content that God should take his own course with you should take any course that 's needful to bâ—ing you on to it Can you freely say O Lord I am weary of this trifling I am weary of this dead and barren life Lord quicken me Lord enlarge me Lord perfect thy work and fulfil in me all the good pleasure of thy will So thou wilt but hear she in this thing I freely put it into thy hand to take thine own way and use thine own means Use the Word or the Rod. Command me or chastise me spare not this flesh for all its crying strip me of what thou wilt inflict on me what thou wilt throw me whither thou pleasest let me not want the most bitter Pill that 's needful any thing any thing Lord I hope I can be poor if thou wilt have
me so I can be in pain in disgrace If thou wilt have me But I cannot be unholy I cannot bear it to be such a starveling in the state of my Soul Lord for more holiness Lord for more life and care and zeal and fruit let me have it upon what terms thou pleasest only let me have it Can you say thus to the Lord I hope you can what and yet be displeased it he take you at your word can you pray thus and yet repine and murmur that the Lord hears your prayers Christian when the Lord comes to deal roughly with thee entertain his chastisements whatever they be with this thought Now the Lord is about to give me my hearts desire now is my day of hope This distress this sorrow and anguish the Lord hath brought upon me may be come to perform that work which I have long'd to see What the Word hath been so long a doing and yet is not done What Sacraments Prayers Mercies have been so long a doing and yet is not done Now is the time this may be the means to bring it about This bitter Cup hath health in the bottom this Plough and these deep furrowes it makes look towards an Harvest The work is doing that I have been so long a begging This froward this senseless this sloathful this earthly barren heart which I feel to day I hope now in a little time I shall be rid of for ever If this be the meaning of my troubles as I hope it is I will wait I will wait for the fruit and if this be the fruit oh welcom welcom this blessed Providence 6. Your patient suffering shall be the advance of your glory Remember what I have told you already Your suffering shall go into your reward according to your deep poverty so shall your riches be As 't was said concerning Babylon Rev. 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much sorrow and torment give her So shall it be said concerning you How much they have been abased and afflicted for me so much Joy and Glory give them As sure as the persecuâ—ings of the ungodly shall meet them in hell so certainly shall the Persecutions of the Righteous meet them before the Throne of God This shall be written on their everlasting Crowns Here is the Patience of the Saints By this time you see Christians that a suffering state is not so formidable nor patience under it so impossible nor your impatience so excusable as your hearts are so apt to tell you Sufferings you cannot avoid but you may abide them your carnal hearts will cry out I can't endure and therefore whatever shift I make I must avoid them The Gospel tells you You may endure but if you will be Christians you can't avoid them All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Well since it 's thus Gird up the loins of your Minds and follow your Lord. Consider him that endured such contradictions of Sinners and be not weary noâ— faint in your minds The Captain of your salvation was made perfect through sufferings and if you will be patient so shall you his followers Turn to your strong hold ye Prisoners of hope prove to the world that your Faith is no fancy nor your Rock a refuge of lies that your profession of holiness is not a meer talk or vapour Fear not to bear yours and thankfully accept your Lords Testimony when the Lord hath fulfilled his sad Predictions let your faith and patience seal to the fulfilling his promises When-ever the hand of the Lord touches to the quick and you feel in earnest that 't is hot service to be a Christian when your flesh begins to fly in your face and cries out against your Soul either as Zippâ—rah against Moses a bloody Husband hast thou been to me or as Job's Wife to him Curse God and dye chide it into silence Thou speakest like one of the foolish Women If it will still kick and â—ling and groan out to thee dost thou still retain thy integrity hearken not to it leave it to groan alone as the flesh hath left thy Soul to groan alone under sin so let thy Soul leave thy flesh to groan alone under affliction While thy Soul is quiet there 's the glory of patience though extremity of torment make thy flesh to roar nay the more the flesh roars and the Soul yet keeps silence the more patience If your fears affright you and prophecy to you before hand Oh I shall never be patient if the fore-sight be so dreadful what will the encounter be Yet be not discouraged You say you could be content to suffer if you were sure you could be patient that is you would venture into the water if you had first learn'd to swim why when you are in then you will learn and not before Tribulation worketh patience where it findeth none when you are in the fight you 'l find your weapons your very sufferings will learn you to bear 'T is the flesh that flings and frets but by that it hath been tamed in the house of affliction it will be quieter Be jealous of your selves while you will let not fore-hand presumption hinder fore-hand preparation But whilst you suspect your selves distrust not your God follow the Cloud of Witnesses and lean on the Rock of Ages and when you are put hardest to it let your soul take Sanctuary here When my flesh and my heart faileth me God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Lastly As that wherein I shall take in most of these former particulars Let your lives answer that Spirit of holiness which the Gospel hath powred forth upon you Let your lives be gracious and holy lives Particularly 1. Let the Grace of the Gospel be visible and perspicuous in your lives shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Let your lives be the image of thot holy Doctrine or the holding forth of that word of Life which you have received Admire that grace of God which hath appeared to you and let his Grace appear and be admired in you let Grace appear in you in its Purity Power 1. In its Purity represent your God and your Christ and your Religion in its holiness to the world Teach the World to love or at least to reverence holiness by letting them see it before their eyes Holiness hath such a Glory in it that it will command respect and reverence when it is clearly seen Let your paths be pure as God hath separated you to separate your selves from the lusts of men to the Law of your God Keep your selves upright in the sight of God keep your selves unspotted of the world If they will be spotting you let it be only with your beauty spots your Wisdom Truth Holiness Mercy Meekness Patience the Excellencies and Vertues of your God appearing upon you Let this that you are too pure
to have no Assurance that he hath any at all If thou wouldest have power over Corruption if thou wouldest stand in the Day of temptation if thou wouldest not starve in the day of Famine if thou wouldest have the comfort of the Grace thou hast let it grow up to its fuller stature Grace when it is come to Age will speak for it self and shift for it self the better which whilest it is in its Infancie neither knows nor can help it self Christians let your Grace grow and let the Fruits of it increase Let your Fields ripen to the Harvest I may say concerning Sinners not as our Lord said Behold the Fields are already white to the Harvest but behold the Fields are already black to the Harvest The Word is ready to be given Come put in thy Sickle the Harvest is ripe the wickedness is great The Fields of Tares are already black to the Harvest But oh when shall it be said of you Behold the fields are white to the Harvest shall evil weeds grow so fast and shall only the good Corn be at a stand Brethren Let your Fruits grow more plentiful and more perfect daily Let that Scripture be verified in you Pro. 4. 18. The path of the Just is a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Let your hearts be so filled with the fulness of God that your pathes may drop fatness Let it be said of you as of the Spouse Cant. 4. 18. and Chap. 5. 5. Her lips dropped as the Honey Comb and her hands dropped sweet smelling Myrrh Let your lips drop as the Honey Comb as you have drunk in the Milk and Honey that comes down from above so be ever droping it down to others Let something of the fatness something of the fatness that you have received from above be alwayes dropping down Be dropping according to what you have drank as you see sinners of whom 't is said They drink iniquity to be alwayes dropping iniquity dropping Oathes dropping Lies dropping Scoffs and reproaches So let it be said of you They drink the Dew of Heaven and this they are dropping down Let no Child no Servant no Friend come into your Company and go away without some sweet drops from your lips A word of heavenly instruction a gracious admonition a word of encouragement or a quickening word let them have or lift up a prayer and drop down a blessing upon them Something or other of the Dew of Heaven let them feel flowing from your Lips Let your lips drop as the Honey Comb and your Hands drop sweet smelling Myrrh Let your Holy Practises your holy Examples second and set on your wholsom counsels and instructions Let your words be savoury and your works be gracious Let lip and life speak the same things and lead on the same way Christians By your nursing up the Souls and Fruits of others you will ripen and encrease your own If you should look on all the Fruit as little which your selves have brought forth to God you will have this to comfort you That you have born more upon your Brethrens knees the Fruits of those Fields which you have planted or watered will abound to your account Bring forth much Fruit unto God and be much in immediate converse with God Phil. 3. 20. Our Convetsation is in Heaven Be more elevated and raised in your Spirits daily above things sensual and carnal Above Carnal Delights Above Carnal Discouragements 1. Above Carnal Delights live more purely in the Spirit let your Hearts be wrought up to such a spiritual frame that all the joyes pleasures and comforts of your lives may be spiritual Let the Lord be all your delight Psal 37. 5. Let it be with you as much as may be as it is with the Saints already in glory to whom God is all who being changed into his Image and dwelling in his presence are satisfied in him Let God alone be as much to you as God and all the world Let the Fashions and Pleasures and delights of this world be so much beneath your Spirits that it may neither be an abatement of your joy to want nor an addition to your content to possess them Let the light of all these lower sparks be swallowed up in God when the Sun shines all the Stars dis-appear and are not needed Lift up thine eyes Christian and see what pleasures there are within the Veil Come drink thy fill of this new wine let thy Faith draw the Curtains of Eternity and take a view of those heights and depths and lengths and breadths of that Glory and Joy which there it may discover Look on him that fits on the Throne and those everlasting Treasures of Light Holiness Goodness and Mercy which are streaming from his Face on those over-flowing Bowels of kindness and compassion on those Rivers of pure and eternal Pleasures Rest Peace that rise from that glorious Throne and run through the City of God Behold the Tree of life and feed thy Soul on its precious fruit whose very leaves are for the healing of Nations Hearken to and fill thine Ears and Heart with those Tryumphs and Exultations those Raptures and Extasies of unspeakable and glorious joyes those blessings and praisings those Hallelujahs that are tuned upon the hearts and tongues of the Heavenly Chore the glorious Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect by the vision and fruition of thy God the God of Glory Look on and possess this Joy and Glory say to thy Soul as God to Abraham Gen. 13. 14. Lift up thine eyes and look from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward through all the Coasts and all the Dimensions of the blessed Land of Promise and holy City and then say Come Soul take up thy rest here all this is thine Look and love love and long long and hope hope and rejoyce in hope of this glory of God Look on thy God and never leave looking till thou art changed into his Image and satisfied with his Image And here let thy delight and thy dwelling be 2. Above all carnal discouragements from any adversaries or dangers wherewith you are baited and affrighted as you walk in the Lord let the joy of the Lord be your strength let your Sun be your shield let your hope be your confidence and fear not your dutie nor danger Look to your hope and you will laugh at fear Dwell in your reward and you will not be afraid to dwell in your dutie But of this a word more by and by Thus much for general Directions 2. I shall next give you some special Directions for you daily work General necessarilie depend on and subsist in particulars As there can be no Religion in a Kingdom unlesse it be first in particular Families nor none in Families unlesse it be in particular persons so a general course of Christianity there cannot be unless it be supported in our particular daily walk The advice I
compassionately that I might the better win upon them 3. Concerning Providences Q. 1. Have I diligently observed all the remarkable Providences of God towards me especially such as have come in as the returns of Prayer 2. Have I been thankful for my daily mercies 3. Have I born this dayes crosses 14. Concerning the use of your Liberty Q. Have I kept my self far enough within my bounds In Sum Q. 1. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 2. Have I led this day A Diligent Watchful Self-denying Life Directions for the Morning 1. If through necessity or carelesness you have omitted the reading and weighing these Questions in the Evening be sure to do it now 2. Ask thy self What Sins have I committed What duties have I omitted Against which of these Rules have I offended the day fore-going And renew thy repentance and double thy watch 3. Examine whether God were first and last in thy Thoughts Morning and Evening 4. Be careful to set thine ends right for all the day An Advertisement If you want time to make daily enquiry upon every one of the fore-mentioned particulars they being so many set a mark upon or write out such of them as most especially concern your case and let not them be forgotten Think not thy self excused from this course because 't is too long when if need be thou mayst thus make it shorter Better cut short than wholly give out For the help of the weaker I shall gather out these few of the chief Interrogatories which when they are straitned for time they may only use and to which they may add more as they have occasion and opportunity Q. 1. Was I serious and had I any sensible Communion with God this day in my secret and Family Duties 2. Hath it been my care to keep mine heart in an holy Frame from Duty to Duty 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the working of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience nor so much as to vain thoughts 5. Have I not inordinately minded earthly things 6. Have I kept me from Mine iniquity and not lived in any known sin 7. Have I wronged no man in word nor deed 8. Have I been temperate and self-denying in the use of the Creatures 9. Hath the Law of the Lord been much in my mouth 10. Have I not sent Christ away without an Alms when I had it by me 11. Have I not lost an opportunity of doing or receiving good 12. Have I not neglected nor done any thing against my duty to my Relation 13. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 14. Have I been diligent and watchful Christian here is a course prescribed which by the ordinary assistance which the Lord doth not deny you may take up if you will and which if you conscientiously observe will be without doubt through the blessing of God attended with great success And those that do not take up this course or some other equivalent to it let them never think to ease their hearts by idle complaints I can't attain to such a holy even fruitful heavenly life as I desire I would but I cannot God will abhor such lazy complaints and look upon them as they are a meer device to keep you quiet under a slothful heart Set your whole Duty daily before your eyes charge it upon your hearts take an account of your selves how you discharge it set upon it as that which is no other than you have vowed to the Lord commit your selves and your wayes to him for success and if this doth not mightily conduce to advance you in point of holiness and establish you in point of peace then say that both the Precepts and Promises of the Gospel have deceived you And thus I have set before you that holy conversation which becometh the Gospel Take up this holy course let this be your Life you mean to lead and let it be carried on In an holy Union In an United Contention In an Holy Boldness 1. In an holy Union So the Apostle there adds stand fast in one spirit with one mind Never look to thrive in Grace if you do not live in peace The decays of Christianityly much upon the score of the divisions of Christians The Devil hath also taken up that Maxim Divide Impera Rent them and ruine them The reason why our Love is so cold is because our Differences are so hot The reason of so little zeal against sin hath been the great strife among Brethren The combinations of Sinners have not so much prejudiced the power of holiness as the contentions of Saints There are not a few who go under the name of Saints that have maintained disputes about Religion so long till they have disputed themselves out of all Religion their searching for truth hath been the loss of both love and life Christians if ever you would be any thing be one be of one heart of one mind holding the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace It were greatly to be desired that the people of God were both of one heart and of one way But if this may not be if there cannot be Vniformity yet let there be Vnity betwixt all that fear the Lord in truth A few words I shall leave with you for your direâ—â—on herein 1. Divide not from the Head to unite with any pretended Members hold not with them that hold not with the Head Sell not Truth clear fundamental Truth to buy Peace 2. Divide not from real Members lest you hereby prove your division from the Head Christ hath but one body if you be not in union with the body you are divided from the Head 3. See the Head in every Member see Christ in every Saint 4. Prize Christ where-ever you see him Love Christ and love his Image if you will not slight Christ slight not any Saint See'st thou an humble mâ—â—â— patient broken-hearted self-denying mortified Christian in whatsoever unpleasing form as to matters circumstantial he appears despise him not reject him not 5. Prize Peace and Union aâ— the strength and honour of the body 6. Pursue Peace and Union with the utmost strength of thy soul And that you may obtain it 1. Let all parties that are named of Christ be humbled under former Divisions What peace so long as God is angry Oh how have we provoked the Lord by provoking one another Let him only who hath been without sin in this matter be without sorrow and shame Sure they are hard hearts who are not broken under such breaches Let us not mistake our selves nor mis-call that zeal for God which God will call pride and peevishness I speak not against our being offended either with errour or iniquity we may not call evil good or darkness light for peace sake but at our unreasonable passions against whom we suppose erring Brethren If
the reproach of the Gospel the hardâ—ing of the perverse the stumbling of the weak if the hindring of edification the promoting of confusion and every evil-work which have been the sad effects of our Divisions if Pride and haughtiness if Vanity and Wantonness if Envy and uncharitableness which have been the Womb from which our contentions have spâ—ung be matter of Humiliation then sure we had need be brought upon our knees We must be melted e're we can be moulded up into one 2. Let all parties unite sincerely in their ends Let the honour of Christ the advancement of practical godliness the destruction of the interest of the flesh the edification of the whole body in faith and holiness be looked at with a single eye and pursued with a plain and honest heart let not the interest of a party the affection of superiority and dominion the carrying on of selfish or fleshly designs let the God or the Christ you are driving for unbiass your spirits take the right mark and let your motions be sincerely levelled at it If we were once set right in our ends an accommodation of all our-differences about the means would be more facile and feisable Prov. 11. 3 5. The integrity of the upright shall guide him the righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way Humble single honest hearts are most like to hit upon the good and honest way If we had nothing to do but to please the Lord we should not have much to do to please one another 3. Let all parties unite in this Rule Do as you would be done by that is as being well informed and advised and freed from evil and discomposed affections for so the Rule is to be understood you would that men should do unto you Allow to others what you challenge to your selves or would if you were in their circumstances Deny not what you would demand The same liberty the same charity that you would expect from other Christians allow to them 4. No longer tie up Christ to a party Say not Lo here is Christ and not there Say of all Believers though of different Forms As we are Christs so they are Christs Of all the sub-divisions of Protestants that are considerable amongst us there 's no party the union with which makes us or the separation from which unmakes us Christians We had need to have more to shew for our Christianity than that we are Presbyterians Independants Anabaptists Episcopal or Erastians and the Devil must have more to prove us no Christians than this that we are in union with either of these or inseparation from them 5. In matters circumstantial be not over hasty in stamping a Jus Divinum on things disputable and doubtful Put no more weight nor a greater necessity on any thing than God hath evidently put on it and spend no more of your zeal about it than is proportionable to its weight and evidence 6. Allow for the imperfect state the Church is in We know but in part and till that which is perfect is come and that which is imperfect is done away we must bear with one another if in any things we be otherwise minded 7. Stretch not your Authority beyond your Line take not too much upon you Think not to bring all others in every thing to your Standard impose not your consciences as a Law upon others 8. Put not conscience to the ill office of being a meer Make-bate catch not up every Notion and presently charge it upon conscience as that which must be maintained though to the greatest prejudice of the whole interest of Religion and so rent and run away from all those that agree not with you Be not rash be not headie be tender but be warie be well instructed if you will be trulie tender first catefullie inform thy conscience and then peaceablie follow it Of what is that conscience tender that is not tender of making wounds and rents in the bodie of Christ 9. Beware of Câ—nsurings and Judgings of biting and devouring one another If ye bite and devour one another ye shall be consumed one of another Let him that is without fault cast the first stone at his Erring Brother Be not bitter against the bitterness of others if others sowerness offend thee yet let it not leaven thee Be not reviled into a Reviler scoffed into a Scoffer overcome evil with goodness 'T is not seldom that our invectives against others bitterness are more keen and cutting than that we complain of Justifie not what thou judgest Practise not thy self what in the same Breath thou condemnest in thy Brethren Throw not back thy Brother's Fire-balls in his Face lest in censuring him thou be also thine own Judge Pursue not matters in difference over hotly but learn modestlie and meeklie to differ where you cannot agree 10. Let your conversation be so holy humble and heavenlie carrie your selves in such simplicitie and godly sincerity towards God-towards one another and towards all men that you may command each other to believe that however you agree not about your Mother yet you are all the Children of the same Father that you are of God and that the Spirit of the living God dwelleth in you 11. Hold Communion in the things wherein you agree and Charity where you differ May you not pray and fast and hear and hold Christian Conferences together Sure there is not overmuch of Gospel Spirit where this will not be granted 12. Impose not on each other any hard and unnecessary conditions of your Communion Suppose upon your differing Judgments there be in some things different practises which some of you judge less warrantable whilst the consciences of others allow and use press not the reliâ—quishing such questionable practices as the condition of your communion especially if they be not mingled with the Duties wherein you joyn but are used by any of you at other times or in other Assemblies Excommunicate not them from you excommunicate not your selves from them with whom Christ holds Communion Judge not that Christ withdraws from all those who are not in every thing of your mind and way Destroy not all communion by seeking after a pureâ— than in this our imperfect state we shall ever attain According to this principle no communion at all if not in all where shall we rest In all Societies something will offend 13. And lastly in your communion receive not one another to doubtful Desputations Let your prayers conferences and all holy Exercises be studiously so managed that there may be a sweet Accord of your Spirits therein Come not together to strengthen parties or propagate opinions Let all matters of controversie be waved and hereof let there be such mutual assurance given aforehand that you may be together without fear of becoming thorns or snares one to another Which if it be not unanimously consented to and inviolably observed your Communion will be impossible or dangerous Christians are the clear and fundamental truths of
worse and worse every spoke of the Wheel every turn of the wheel renders our condition more helpless and hopeless Our adversaries are become rampant our Soul is filled with their scorn and fury our friends are as a broken tooth or a foot out of joynt our hopes are a Spiders Web or as the giving up the Ghost the Almighty causes all his storms and billows to pass over us one day telleth another one night certifieth another and prophesies to us nothing but destruction upon destruction desolation upon desolation and where is the promise of his coming the hope of Israel is asleep her Saviour is a stranger the Ark of God is taken the glory is departed yea and God himself seems to be gone over to the Camp of the Philistines and marching against us we have waited for light but behold obscurity for brightness but we walk in darkness the Harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not saved neither is there yet any to tell us how long Suppose you should have stood by and have seen or heard any such things any where in the World would you not have said can any good come out of such a dark abyss out of such a concatination of so many dreadful and dismal Providences Why by what hath been already said you might have answered thus Stay but a while till the whole wheel be come about till God hath brought off his work from the wheel and then you shall see Providence and the Promise meeting together and kissing each other and shall be able to say in this case what Solomon did in Israels 1 Kings 8. 56. Blessed be God that hath given rest to his People Israel according to all that he promised there hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of his Servants Christians whatever may come upon you at any time while you live in this World diâ—trust not your God nor be at all dismayed you shall see the day either here or hereafter and 't will be never the worse if it be not till hereafter take it upon the credit of this word All things shall work together for good You shall see the day when your hearts shall rejoyce and say Oâ— 't was happy for us that matters went so cross with us 'T was happy we were so poor and brought so low and laid in the dark and strip'd so naked of all that we either took pleasure or put confidence in Now we see that the Lord hath a more glorious design that he was carrying on for us step by step by every thing that came upon us than we were aware of or could have imagined It 's true the Shimei's have been cursing the Ishmael's have been mocking the Rabshaka's have been railing the Ploughers have been ploughing the Hunters have been pursuing and had almost overtaken overcome and swallowed us up quick but blessed be our God that hath not turned our captivity and saved us by a mighty Salvation but hath done us good by all their mocking and cursing and raging against us Now we see there was such light sowing in our dark dayes such a Peace a sowing in those deep furrows such an Harvest of joy sowing in the dayes watch is over your race is run come and enter into my rest The first Come is Come down with me from the pride from the pomps and jollities of this present World come with me into the Wilderness into the valley of tears come and suffer with me come and dye with me The second Come is Come up with me up out of the Wilderness up out of your Prisons up from your bonds your Jubilee is come come up with me Come put off your prison-garments and put on your robes shake off your fetters and take up your palms lay down your Cross and take up your Crown from your Prisons to your Palace from the Stocks to the Throne You that have descended with me are the same who shall now ascend with me to my Father and your Father to my God and your God The first Come is the Come of a Suitor Come grant me your love give me your hearts and accept of mine This is the Errant upon which his Ambassadors are dispatched As Abraham's servant to take you as a Wife for your Lord. This is the meaning of all those Jewels and the Bracelets they bring in their hands the Lord sends Servant upon Servant Epistle upon Epistle Token upon Token and all speak the same word Come come come away and accept of your Lord and be married to him The second Come is the Come of the Bridegroom Come home with me into my holy City into my Royal Mansion come into my Chamber come into my Bosom come and lodge between my Breasts live in my presence and rest in my love for ever Christians my business while I have been with you hath been to bring you to God to espouse you to Christ and you that have already or will yet at last be perswaded to give your consent and wil give me leave to make up the Match I can give you assurance That he will shortly come and make up the Marriage and must say to you as Naomi to Ruth Ruth 3. 10. Sit still my Daugther till thou see how the matter will fall for the Man will not be in rest till he have finished the thing this day Sit still Christians till you see how matters will fall and however they fall know your Lord will not be in rest till he have finished this thing and brought you home to be with him where he is I am now parting from you in this confidence that however after a few dayes I shall see your faces no more in this world yet I shall shortly meet you in the Bride-Chamber of Glory where we shall ever be with the Lord. Beloved in the Lord I must now leave you but give me leave e're I go to deal freely with you and yet a little farther in the close of my day this once more to open my heart to you and to tell you 1. What my parting Feares 2. What my parting Wishes for you are which I carry upon my spirit 1. My parting Feares I go off from you with are especially these 1. I am afraid that there are many of you upon whom I have bestowed my labour in vain I am afraid that I have instructed you in vain exhorted perswaded beseeched and reproved you in vain 'T was the Apostles case and his fear concerning the Galatians Chap. 4. 11. It is my grief that when I would have no more to speak but an healing word a comforting word I must yet drop down a bitter word on some of you that when I would speak only from Mount Geriziâ— I must yet again speak to some from Mount Ebal that when I would leave a Blessing behind me upon you all I am like to leave some bound under a Curse It 's grievous to me thus to speak
yet for the discharge of my duty and for your own necessity bear with me I am afraid that whilst I have been preaching to you of an incorruptible Crown of an everlasting Rest a Kingdom of Joy and Glory I am afraid there are many of you That have no part nor lot in this matter but are still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity If the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost And are there none among you from whom this Gospel is hid hid as to the light of it hid as to the saving power and efficacy of it I am afraid there are too many I am afraid there 's many a blind eye many a hard heart many a Spirit still in Prison under the Power of their Lusts and Bruitish Sensuality I am afraid there are many such among you and are not you afraid so too Oh that you were 2. I have a greater fear than this I am afraid of some of you that not only all my past Labour but this last will be lost also Those that stand it out to their last day do usually stand it out in their last day Blessed be God that there are amongst you those over whom my Soul is comfoâ—ted To whom I can speak in the words of the Apostle Rom 6. 17. God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that from of Doctrine that hath been delivered unto you and being now made free from sin you are become the Servants of Righteousness Oh that I could thus speak Oh that I could thus rejoyce over you all But as the Apostle said to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 20. I fear left when I come I shall find you such as I would not So must I say with a grieved hearâ— I feaâ— that now I am going I shall leave you such as I would not I would not leave one blind person one vain person one loose liver not one unbeliever or impenitent amongst you an Oh what a good day would this day of my departure be what Light would there be in this dark Evening were it thus with you If I might see you all recovered out of the Snares of the Devil every man's Eyes open'd every man 's Fetters off every man's Prison broken and his Soul escaped from that deadly bondage if every poor deadly Creature among you who yet lies bound hand and foot in his Grave Clothes might now at last stand up from the Dead and live the Life of God this would be mine and your great rejoycing But oh I fear with this Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 21. My God will humble me and grieve me and afflict me to see in what a woful plight I must leave divers of you Oh ye sons of the Night you poor ignorant and dark Souls upon whom the Light hath shined but your Darkness comprehendeth it not Oh you poor obstinaâ—e hardned Souls upon whom I have been ploughing as upon Rocks hewing as upon Adamants who still remain under as great hardness as if no Dew nor Rain had ever fallen on you Oh you poor half-bakâ—ed almost Christians that have taken up your stand in your present Attainments my Soul is under great fears and must weep in secret for you whilst my Tongue must be henceforth silent Oh every Soul that is without fear of himself my Soul is afraid for you the fearless Soul is in a fearful state Sinners let my fears be your fears What is there such astonishing guilt upon you and yet not afraid Such a dreadful Roll writ against you and yet not afraid So many Sabbaths Sermons Warnings lost and never to be recalled nor any Assurance left of one Sermon or Warning more and yet not afraid Such a subtil Devil such a deceitful heart such a tempting world that you have to deal withall such a black and bottomless Pit into which you are falling and yet not afraid Oh what Stocks and Stones hath the Gospel to deal withalâ— Beloved have laboured much with you both publickly and from house to house to bring you under a due fear and jealousie of your selves but hitherto your hearts have been too hard for me Oh yet for trembling hearts tremble and sin not fear and pray fear and hope fear and repent Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Oh if my fears were once become your fears your fears would become my hopes Oh what a Day-spring of hopes would arise from the shaking of secure hearts These fears would be as the thicker Darkness forerâ—nners of break of Day 2. My parting wishes and desires for you are 1. That the good Seed which hath been sown amongst you were well rooted in every heart I wish that my Twenty years Ministry among you may not be lost labour to any of your souls 2. I wish that your next Seeds-man may be more skilful and successful that the good Lord will provide you a man that may teach you in wisdom gain you in Love lead you on to life by an holy Example and if the Lord grant you this mercy I wish that such a one may be dearly priz'd and chearfully accepted by you God keep this Flock from a Ravening Wolf and a deceitful Shepherd 3. I wish that there may be no Root of Bitterness springing up amongst you that there be no Divisions or Contentions but that you may live in peace and love that the God of peace and love may be with you 4. I wish that this place where so much good Seed hath been sown may become a fruitful Field that the Fruits of Faith and Repentance the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness may be in you and abound that you may be neither barren nor unfruitful that Religion in the power and practice of it may so visibly flourish in the several persons in the several Families of this Congregation that they that go by may see and say This is the Field which the Lord hath blessed 5. I wish that whatever Clouds may at any time gather over you may not fall down in a withering Storm or a sweeping Floud but may pass away in a Mist or dissolve into a fruitful Dew that no Persecutions or Temptations may ever carry you down the Stream with evil men nor blight any hopeful beginnings that are budding forth in any of your Souls If Tribulation should be any of your Lots I wish that it may not be to you as the Hail of Egypt but as the Dew of Hermon 6. I wish you a joyful Harvest that you may reap in Eternity what hath been sown in time may you now sow in Righteousness and therefore reap in Mercy May every one of you that is now sowing in Tears for ever reap in joy May you that go on your way weeping bearing pretious Seed return with joy and bring your Sheaves with you May the Showers of this day be the watering of your Seed that it may spring up to Eternal Life Brethren My
for you I must not damn my soul to please my flesh Touching the practice of this Duty take these two further Directions 1. Every day morning and evening set apart sometime for secret prayer and when you go to pray do not rush inconsiderately upon it but first sit down and take one of those Heads meditate on what the Scriptures speak upon them and then propose the several questions to your hearts and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by these Meditations then fall to prayer 2. Let each mornings Meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts to work on and for discourse that day unless providence cast in and calls you to some other profitable subjects The matter of Meditation is purposely divided into seven Heads to the end you may take one of the Heads for each dayes Meditation and so in every week you may go over the whole being the chief things of Religion And thus continuing from day to day from week to week you will be both more thorowly acquainted and more deeply affected with the things of God and will find through his blessing more liveliness and enlargement in Prayer and more comfortable successe Only take heed of formalitie of resting in the work done of going on in a round of Duty without a due regard to the end of Duty Let this be your aim in all to get your hearts more fixed upon and affected with the things of the world to come more enlarged and quickned and more effectually carried on in that course of holy and heavenly walking the end whereof is everlasting life But now least any should complain that this course is too tedious and that which they cannot have time daily for or that by reason of ignorance or want of helps they cannot perform it I shall adde this that such persons who are weaker in their understandings and thence unable to go through with this course and all others at such seasons as they are unavoidably straitned for time nay instead of the larger take this shorter course When ever thou settest upon the Duty of prayer sit down and ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. What am I am I a Believer or an unbeliever converted or unconverted do I think in my Conscience I belong to God or do I not fear I am yet the child of the Devil Quest 2. What do I what are my wayes are they such as please the Lord and tend to the Salvation of my Soul or are they the wayes of death and damnation Quest 3. Before whose presence do I now stand Is it not before the Lord the Almighty God who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and the avenger of those that slight or rebel against him Quest 4. What am I come before the Lord about Is it not to plead with him for my soul to beg my life at his hands to beg my pardon and redemption from everlasting death and to obtain grace for the salvation of my Soul This short and 〈◊〉 course would be some advantage thou 〈…〉 that are able and can redeem so much 〈…〉 would commend the constant use of 〈…〉 â—rections THe third special Duty I shall direct you in is Self-examination It is of great use to the carrying us on in an holy course to know our state For By the knowledge of our state we shall the better know our work when we know what we are we shall the better know what we have to do If the question be What must I do to be saved The answer of that will depend upon another question How far forth am I come already Am I converted or unconverted in a state of sin or in a state of grace Let that question be first answered and the answer of the other will be easie 2 By the knowledge of this that we are in a good estate we shaâ—l have much encouragement to hasten on Assurance will quicken and encourage us on in the way of holyness Those that aâ—firm that the Doctrine of assurance is a licentious Doctrine and serves for nothing but to maintain men in a loose lazy and idle life understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm 'T is all one as if they affirmed That the more assurance any person hath of the love of God the less he will love God or that the more he loves God the less care he will take to serve or please him Those that know no other motive to Duty but fear may preach such Doctrine but those that have found the quickning and constraining power of love must lay down both their reason and sense too before they can believe it The way to know our selves is to search and examine our selves 1 Cor. 13. 4. Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves Now to help you in this duty of Self-examination I shall give you these two Directions 1. When you set to examine your selves by any marks or signs In the first place examine your Marks that you would try your selves by If you would prove your selves whether you have true grace or no by any mark that 's given examine that Mark by the Scriptures whether it be a certain and infallible sign of grace so that you may be bold to conclude that if you can find this Mark in you you are undoubtedly in the state of grace That 's a proper mark of true grace which whosoever hath it hath grace and whosoever hath it not hath not grace If you take that for a mark of true grace which is common to Saints and Sinners you may take your selves to have grace when you have none And if you take a mark to try your selves by which is proper to Saints but is not common to all Saints you may take your selves to have no grace when you have The former mistake may lose you your peace this may lose you your souls therefore Christians be wary here try your marks before you try your selves by them 2. For the matter of your enquiry let it be 1. Whether you are gotten into the way of life or not or whether you are translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of grace and salvation And if so then 2. Whether you be in a thriving or flourishing state or in a languishing or decayed state To help you in the former tryal I might only send you back to those directions formerly given concerning your closure with Christ whence it will not be difficult to gather some certain marks to try your selves by but I shall add two or three more wherein let it not be offensive to any that I follow that light which I have received from the worthy labours of that faithful Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter whence I confess my self to have through mercy grown into the fuller acquaintance with mine own heart and which I shall therefore the rather make use of for the help and benefit of others 1. Mark 1. Wheresoever there is true