Flesh and Fleshly Relations fail us our Outward-man perisheth daily our Bodily strength decays our Friends fail us our own Hearts fail us this should comfort us that our Lord is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us and he is now preparing us for that place by his Spirit by his Word and Rod and when he hath prepared us he will come again and take us to himself that where he is we may be also And where is that but at his Father's right hand in Glory Col. 3. 3 4. 2. The second Preparative to this far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory is that great and glorious Work of Christ in raising our Bodies from the Dust and uniting them again to our Souls the wonderful Effect of Almighty Power and Love Read 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thess 4. 15. Death shall not dissolve the Union between Christ and us not turn away his Affections from us but in the morning of Eternity he will send his Angels yea come himself and roll away the Stone and unseal our Graves and awake us out of our long sleep and call us forth to receive our own Souls again and oh what a joyful Meeting will that be and what unspeakable comfort will that produce The Devil had the power of Death till he was overcome by Death Heb. 2. 14 15. but he that liveth and was dead and is alive for evermore hath now the Keys of Death and Hell Rev. 1. 18. The Saints Resurrection to Glory is only the fruit of Christ's Death and this fruit they shall certainly partake of The Promise is sure Joh. 5. 28. All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth Joh. 6. 39. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Christ that of all which he hath given him he should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day So Ver. 40. Joh. 14. 19. As sure as Christ is risen we shall rise also because he lives we shall live also Besides this mortal life we now live we have a life that 's hid with Christ in God And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 3 4. Oh then beloved Fellow-christians Let us be stedfast unmovable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Let us never look at the Grave but let us look to the Resurrection beyond it Let us contentedly commit these Carcasses to the Dust that dark Prison shall not long contain them Let us lye down in Peace and take our Rest it will not be an everlasting Night nor endless Sleep no no there will come a most joyful and glorious Morning What if we go out of the Stirs and Troubles of this World and enter into those Chambers of Dust and the Doors be shut upon us and we hide our selves as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast as sure as we awake in the morning after we have slept out the night so sure shall we then awake And what if in the Grave we become loathsome Dust cast out of the sight of Men as not fit to be endured among the Living What if our Bones be digged up and scattered about the Pits brink and Worms consume our Flesh yet we know our Redeemer liveth and we shall see him with these Eyes And why should we be loth to lay down these Bodies of Flesh how comely or fair soever they are they have been but the Prisons of our Souls Clogs and Hinderances to our Souls in the Work of God and Way to Heaven What care labour grief and sorrow have they cost us How many a weary painful tedious Day and Night Grudge not O my Soul that God should disburthen thee of all this and free thee from thy Fetters and break open thy Prison door remember that when this Earthly House of thy Tabernacle is dissolved thou hast a Building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens O my Soul labour now to have thy part in the first Resurrection now labour to get into Christ and to live in him by Faith and Love now labour to know O my Soul the Power of his Death and Resurrection in thy dying to Sin and living to Righteousness now act thy Faith on Jesus and thy Love to him and let Jesus live in thee and manifest his Life in thy mortal Flesh and let thy Thoughts and Affections be set on things above let thy Conversation be in Heaven and let thy Heart be where thy Treasure is now live to him that dyed for thee and rose again and then fear not Death but be confident that as sure as Jesus dyed and rose again so sure shall all they that sleep in Jesus rise also and that altho' thy Body be sown in Dishonour it shall be raised in Glory 1 Cor. 15. 43. This is the Second Preparative 3. The Third Preparative to this far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory is that great Assize and general Judgment when the Lord Jesus shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory with all the innumerable Host of glorious Angels about him and all the Sons and Daughters of Men that ever lived upon Earth shall stand before him Rom. 2. 16. 14. 10. to be judged by him and to receive their final Doom Rev. 20. 12 13. Matth. 25. 31. at which time there will be made an exact separation between the Sheep and the Goats between the precious and the vile and then the Saints shall be first acquitted and justified and then with Christ shall judge the World Those that have truly repented and sincerely believed in the Lord Jesus they that have chosen the Lord for their God and Chief Good and Portion placing all their Happiness in him and have unfeignedly accepted of the Lord Jesus for their only Lord and Saviour and have unfeignedly given themselves wholy up to his Government by his Word and Spirit and entred cordiasly into Covenant with him and became entirely his these shall sit on his Right hand these have often judged themselves iâ— Heart-breaking Confessions and therefore shall not be then judged to Condemnation by the Lord for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh hut after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect Shall the Law These are not under the Law but under Grace their Surely hath fulfilled and satisfied the Law for them the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of Sin and Death it is God that justifieth who shall condemn The Judge himself hath said That he that believeth is him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life he shall not come into condemnation Joh. 3. 16 17 36. but will say to all such You have confessed me before men and
the Spirit 's help and do no longer delay this Work lest thou be cut off before thy Work be done and what will become of thee then That this with all other Helps to thy Soul in the way to Heaven may do thee good is the unfeigned Prayer of thy unfeigned Friend James Bardwood The Reverend Author having preached many profitable Sermons on the 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith c. in which he industriously and clearly shewed the necessity of Self-examination the nature of the Duty consisting in a secret Debate of our eternal estate and conditions within our own Bosoms wherein the Mind of a man ponders and weighs all that makes for him or against him in an even Ballance The Object-matter of this Debate is things eternal the eternal concernments of his Soul as likewise the manner of the performance of this Duty with greatest seriousness and solemnity setting the perfect Law of God before us and humbly imploring the special Assistance of the Holy Spirit Men are to debate these two things 1st Whether they are in Christ or in the state of Nature a great Question indeed upon which hang all our Hopes of Heaven Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. 2dly If we be in Christ what condition we are in whether thriving in Grace or decaying In the first of these Questions the painful Author spent many Exercises in the resolving of in laying down opening and answering eight several distinct Rules of Tryal of a Saving Interest in Christ with the several Objections that poor doubting Souls might make against themselves things highly worth the publication as I perceive by some imperfect Notes taken from him which because I cannot attain to a more exact Copy of them I must omit them the more is the pity But for the ninth and last Mark I find more full and perfect and therefore only offer this one to your consideration concerning which hear his own words As to this ninth Mark of a Saving Interest in Christ I have this to say That if the Lord shall clear but this one Tryal I do not value whatever Objections you have against any of the former This will undoubtedly speak your Souls Interest in the Lord Jesus without any more ado and as far as the Lord shall clear it to you you may venture your Souls into Eternity upon it And therefore try your selves by this if any of you be sincerely and fully resolved upon full conviction of your sinful and miserable state by Nature and the answerableness of Christ to all your Wants to let go all that hinders the enjoyment of him and embrace all that furthers the enjoyment of him You need not make any Doubt or Question after this Whether Christ be yours or you be his Consent is essential to Marriage there can be no Spiritual Marriage to Christ but by consent of the Will Knowledge is essential to Consent he that doth not think and know cannot consent If you be therefore consenting and willing to be Christ's upon his own terms there remains no Doubt whether Christ be yours after that Consent Hos 3. 3. Thou shalt be for me so also will I be for thee Christ is for vou if you be for him And when the great Work of Conversion is exprest in Scripture you find it exprest under the Act of the Wills Consent in the 110th Psalm 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth That is of thy Spiritual Off-spring and this is brought about by consenting to take Christ upon his own terms But Beloved don't mistake your selves I am not about to shuffle over so great a concernment as this is rashly I am well aware my own and your Salvation too is carried in the matter I am to discourse and therefore I resolve in the Strength of Jesus Christ to be impartially faithful between God and us in this great matter I would not for ten thousand Worlds a word should drop from my Lips to the ruine of any Soul nor yet to disturb the Peace of any gracious Soul and therefore let me explain what I have to say clearly There are three things of absolute necessity for the gaining of a solid Scriptural Interest in Christ the two first I hope will pass current with most of us yet some may stumble there 1. The first is this There must of necessity be a full and serious conviction of Sin and Misery without Christ there 's not a Soul that comes to him without such a conviction The Spirit when he cometh he shall convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness John 16. 9. that's the Spirit 's first Work and 't is fundamental to all his After-works And therefore you shall find in all the Converts in Scripture the Lord has been dealing with their Understandings first to convince them of their sinful and miserable state by nature And the Lord Jesus professedly tells us He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Convinced Sinners not those that think they have Righteousness of their own and that the whole have no need of a Physician but they that are sick And it must needs be so that Christ must take his course because his Commission leads to it Isa 61. 1 2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he hath sent me to preach glad tydings to the meek to bind up the broken in heart and proclaim liberty to the captives These are the persons upon whom Christ is to act the great work of Salvation they are said to be such as are bound with the sence of Sin such as are broken hearted through the sence of their Sin and Misery And when he invites Men and Women to come to him see how he doth it in the 11. Matth. 28. Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest These are the persons Christ bestows himself upon So that there must be such a conviction of Sin and Misery by Nature as leaves us without Hope without Christ I don't speak of the degrees of spiritual Trouble but I take this to be an unquestionable Truth that so much Conviction as unbottoms the Soul from Self-righteousness and False hopes is absolutely necessary and before this is there can be no Match between Christ and the Soul If any man be married to his own Righteousness Duties and Performances that Soul hath nothing to do at all with Christ nor can that Soul be married to Christ for 't is married to the Law another Husband as you may see in the Sixth of the Romans the Apostle in that Chapter proves to us that we can have nothing to do with Christ until we are divorced from our own Self-righteousness That 's the first thing and this I hope the Lord hath wrought upon many that are here before him The
for the flesh and blood the Scripture gives us many Epithetes of it as Houses of Clay Earthly Tabernacles Dust and Ashes earthen vessels c. And these Bodies are 1. Vile bodies Phil. 3. 21. because made of vile and base materials subject to vile diseases to vile abuses to vile abominations and to a vile dissolution at last sowen indishonour shall end in Corruption great hinderances to the Soul many waies 2. The outward Man is the mortal Man that of Necessity must dye and return to dust from whence it came this cannot possibly live alway There is an irreversible Sentence of Death past upon it Hebr. 9. 27. and for these reasons the Body is the worst part of Man the worst by far and should be least esteemed and such as is the Body even such are all bodily Comforts and Accommodations Health Strength Beauty Liberty Friends Honours Estate c. all mortal mutable decaying fading dying things daily experience confirmeth this I need say no more 2. But for the inner Man the Soul that is 1. Precious so precious that it is more worth than all the World Math. 16. 26. Psal 49. 8. having the blessed Image of the glorious God stamped on it at first being capable of knowing and injoying the true and living God and when sin had spoil'd and captivated it it could not be redeemed but by the precious Blood of the Son of God So are all the Concernments of the Soul precious also 2. It is immortal also it never dies it lives for ever None can nothing can kill the Soul that is cause it not to be and for these reasons it is the noblest chiefest and best part of Man and hence also the Concernments of the Soul are more excellent more noble and precious than those of the outward Man the Graces and Comforts the Strength and Beauty of the Soul the Priviledges and Peace and Wellfare of the Soul are more excellent and precious as will more appear in the next particular 2. The second thing to be considered is That the outward Man is subject to decline and perish The Body it self all its Beauty Strength Health c. is subject to decay The Bodies even of the best Saints that shall one day be made like unto Christ's glorious Body are subject to vile Infirmities and Diseases What is become of Sampson's Strength and Saul's Beauty Job and David will tell us of their decays in all these their Friends Estates Relations their Health and all their outward Comforts failed them and how can we possibly hope that we shall keep them All outward things are dying Vanities we are all of us travelling to the Land of forgetfulness They that live longest go the farthest way about and they that dye soonest gâ— the shortest way home Our greatest Care should be to be sure that we are in the right way to Eternal Life But now the inner Man is capable of growing increasing and renewing our inner Man is reneweâ— day by day saith the Text Grace and Peace Spiritual Life inward Strength and Comfort are capable of increasing For 1. This God commandeth That Christian should grow and increase 2. Pet. 1. 5. and 3. 1â— and that they should abound and go forward and be strengthned 2. This is God's Promise to his People that they shall grow and flourish Psal 92. 14. Isa 14. 40. 29 30 31. They that wait on the Lorâ— shall renew their strength 3. This is the Character of a gracious Soul Prov. 4. 18. and 24. 5. Coll. 1. 10. and 2. 1â— Eph. 4. 16. And this the Apostle prays for 1 Thess 3. 12. and 4. 16. 3 Epist Johnâ— This the Soul is capable of being deformed iâ— sin and God's Image defaced on it it is capable of being renewed and of having God's blesse Image repaired on it which is begun in Regeneration and is still carried on and promoted â—â— God 's Ordinances and his Providences his Spiâ— working in them and with them upon his People All afflictions being intended for and sanctifie unto this end to make Souls more and more 〈◊〉 unto Jesus Christ Those weaknings and pershings of the outward Man being by the love at wisdome of God designed to strengthen repair and better the inner Man that the Soul may bâ— made and must be made more holy more humble more heavenly more like God it must group in all things like unto Christ Ephes 4. 12 13. The Soul the inner Man may and must get more strength against Corruption and Temptation it must get more Victory over the World and over it self it must grow in self-denyal in faith in patience in hope in Communion with God it must increase in knowledge and experience it must get nearer God and more weaned from the World and better prepared to put off this earthly Tabernacle of the Body Wherefore is the Christian train'd up in Christ's Schools his School of Ordinances and of Providences but that the Soul the inner Man may be made better That Grace may grow for it is the Growth of Grace that evidenceth the Truth of it And why doth our heavenly Father chastise us in our outward Comforts but to better us in our inward Man But before I proceed let me pause a little and commune with my own heart O my Soul Thou hast been under the blastings and witherings of thy outward Man these many years thou hast been in the School of Correction Thy God hath made many breaches upon thy earthly Comforts stript thee of thy dearest Relations of thy Liberty of thy Estate of opportunities of serving thy God in thy place deprived thee of thy Health and Strength c. yet hath he dealt with thee infinitely better than thy Sins have deserved It is his mercy thou art not consumed not in Hell not in thy Grave but O my Soul what art thou the better for all those stroaks upon thy outward Man What hast thou gained by all thy losses It is true Afflictions are dry Rods and my heart a dead heart there can be no blossoms nor fruit without God's Blessing and the Word and Spirit 's working in and by Affliction but what blessing upon all thy troubles canst thou discern What good to the inner Man have these afflictions done thee Art thou more sensible of the evil of Sin more weary of it and more grieved with it Is thy Heart more tender thy Spirit more humble thy will more subdued to Gods will Art thou more Crucified to the Creature thy inordinate Affections mortified thy unruly Passions subdued Art thou more meek and patient Are thy Affections raised and more inlarged after God and Christ and Heaven Is Jesus Christ more precious to thee And dost thou pant and thirst more after the manifestations of his Love to thy Soul Art thou more watchful over thy thoughts words and actions More careful to please God more fearful to displease him More tender of his Honour More sensible of the Afflictions of Joseph More diligent in holy
own hearts more than ever they saw before then they find and feel their Spiritual Wants Diseases Dangers the treachery falseness deceitfulness of their own Hearts their often grieving quenching resisting of God's Spirit in time of Prosperity their inordinate Self-love Flesh-pleasing and Gratifyings then they see their former spiritual sloth and negligence their backwardness to and weariness in God's Service their formality deadness customariness in holy Duties their impatience of reproof their hastiness of Spirit their want of tenderness towards and of sympathy with those that were afflicted not weeping with those that wept their censuring and judging others their want of Charity then they see how badly they improved their healthful and youthful time their Talents and their Enjoyments with many other Evils are discovered As also in times of Affliction there is a discovery of the vanity and emptiness of the Creature when all Comforts of Life fail as Health Wealth Friends Liberty Estate c. then the Soul is convinced of the vanity and uncertainty of all these The Rod discovers both Heart and Life and what the Creature is And also then the Souls of God's People come to see the surpassing Excellency of God and Christ and of the Promises and of the great Importance of the things of the World to come O now the Soul can prize an Interest in God and in his Christ and his Covenant and is hereupon stirred up to mind God more and Heaven more and to bestir it self in the use of all Means and to get Assurance of an Interest in God Now all this tends very much to the Welfare of the inner man and if we well and wisely consider this Benefit which our merciful Father grants us by blasting and withering our outward Comforts thus to enlighten and convince us of all those things we shall have cause to Adore and Admire his Goodness towards us in taking such course with us and to cry out with Job 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment Thirdly The Adversity of the outward man promotes the Prosperity of the inner man by taking away the Idols of the Soul which divided the Soul from God The best of us are apt to make Idols of every Creature-enjoyment very apt to let out our Hearts in inordinate Affection to Husbands Wives Children c. and suffer them to have more of our Hearts Loves and Delights than God and Christ and Heaven over-prizing and over-loving them taking too much content in them and expecting too much from them and so make Idols of them and then God withdraws his gracious Influences from us those quickning strengthning and comfortable Influences of his Spirit from us and hides his face and then our poor Souls languish and we grow weak and feeble so it was with David Psalm 30. 6 7. but this withdrawing of God from us we do not many time perceive and feel while our earthly Comfort continue with us though our Graces be weak Faith and Love weak our Passions and Corruptions strong and are too often too hard for us and we are carried captive by them and although wâ— decay in spiritual strength and grow dead in holy Duties careless and watchless in our Conversations and want that vigour spirit and life which sometime we had which are the effects of the absence of God's Spirit that we grow cold in on Affections to heavenly things I say these saâ— effects of God's withdrawment from us are noâ— perceived and felt by us so long as our bodiâ—â— Comforts continue with us but then it pleased our gracious God to send some awakening Providences upon us he sends Adversity and remove these our Idols and then through God's assisting Grace we come to see our sin and the fruits of it then we see our folly in letting out of our Hearts upon the vain Creature and that then God did withdraw and that our Souls did wither and languish upon which by the special Grace of God we lament our folly beg forgiveness through the blood of Christ and the Lord being gracious and merciful returns to the Soul again and then the Soul begins to recover it self and to grow better Fourthly Adversity is a means of bringing afresh to our Remembrance those particular special Sins which in Prosperity were forgot and which while they lye on us without Repentance they waste and weaken hurt and corrupt our Souls Adversity as was said before puts God's People upon the search of their Hearts and Lives now they say unto themselves what have we done now their Spirits do or should make diligent search now they do or should commune with their own Hearts and examine their ways and seek for the plague of their Hearts their Dalilah's their Jonah's their darling their beloved Sins which they did not or would not see in their Prosperity nor were willing to be reproved for but did over-look them or forgot them or look'd on them as little ones and common Infirmities humane Frailties and could study shifts to cover and excuse them Such as Pride and Passion inordinate Affection Unthankfulness Hypocrisie Covetousness Selfishness vain Thoughts idle Words Omissions Unfaithfulness breaking Vows and Promises Earthly mindedness Security hardness of Heart unprofitableness under the means of Grace and many other Heart-evils that scarce appear in time of Prosperity that in time of trouble upon a through search we may find out as our Unbelief want of love to God and Christ want of love to God's Word insensibleness of Sin and want of hatred to it want of fervent Charity to others with many others which upon a consciencious search and by the help of God's Spirit we shall find out in our selves which lay hid in us corroding and putrifying our poor Souls which were never so heartily confess'd and lamented as they should But when the Spirit and the Word comes with Affliction there is a discovery made of those lurking Lusts the filthy corners of our false Hearts opened and every gracious Soul is willing to be convinced of every sin and begs God heartily to search him and to rip him up and to shew him all the Evils of his Heart and Life with all their aggravating Circumstances being committed against much Love and Light against Conscience Conviction Resolution after many Confessions of them before the Lord and many times those Sins are brought to remembrance which were quite forgotten as sins of Youth fleshly Lusts excess in Meat Drink Apparel Disobedience to Parents mispending Time foolish jesting rash Anger sinful Silence Cowardize in God's Cause neglect of Reproof neglect of relational Duties Sabbath-sins with multitudes of others which will appear upon a diligent search many omissions of Spiritual Duties as Heavenly Meditations Self-examination self-denial Watchfulness all which the gracious Soul being convinced of repents of mourns for before the Lord and by Faith in the
Fruits of the Spirit in us as the Work of true and sound illumination true Conviction of our Sin and Misery and of the Creatures Vanity of our own impotency and utter insufficiency to help 〈…〉 our selves and of Christ's Excellency All-sufficiency and willingness to save all such as come unto him and are heartily willing to take him for their onely Lord and Saviour all this is the work of the Spirit As also sound Conversion from all Sin unto God as the chief good the Spirit enabling the Soul to repent and turn to God and also working in the Soul the Grace of Faith enabling it to come to Christ to receive him accept of him rest upon him and to resign it self up sincerely to him and to his Government by his Word and Spirit The Spirit works Sanctification in the Soul destroying the old corrupt Principles of Nature and implanting new Principles of spiritual Life making it partaker of the Divine Nature mortifying in it the lusts of the flesh and quickning it to newness of life repairing the Image of God upon it and working all those other Graces which are the Conditions of Pardon and Justification as true love to God and Christ to his Word and People true Fear of God sorrow for and hatred of Sin producing those Fruits mentioned Galat. 5. 22 23. as Patience Meekness Humility and the like Also the Spirit helps the Soul to act those Graces and to perform those Duties required of us in order to our Salvation It guides and leads and teacheth us helps our Infirmities teacheth us to pray and carrieth on the whole work of Sanctification in us And this I take to be the Seal of the Spirit when those saving Impressions and Habits of Grace and Holiness are wrought in and upon the Soul whereby the Soul is made in some measure like unto Christ Jesus being by the Spirit united to him planted and grafted in him and by vertue of its union with him made partakers of his Life and Grace whereby it lives and grows until it come to the State of Perfection in the other World This Spirit thus savingly working is God's Seal upon our Hearts the Seal of his everlasting love to our Souls and of his everlasting Covenant which he hath entred into with us which he will never deface or blot out and it is also the Earnest of our Inheritance that thereby we may confidently conclude to our great comfort that as sure as he hath given us his Spirit thus savingly to work in us those gracious Works this gracious Change this true Repentance and Faith and Love and Holiness and other Graces even so sure he will give us the Inheritance in Heaven at last as surely as he hath sanctified us so surely he hath justified us and will glorifie us For this is the Seal this is the Earnest And upon this account saith the Apostle Having this Seal this Earnest this comfortable Assurance of a better state and of a better life after this we groan earnestly to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven That we may possess that glorious purchased Inheritance of which we now have the earnest we long to enjoy the full Harvest of which we have received the First-fruits and consequently we that have received these First-fruits this blessed Earnest have no cause to be troubled or disquieted when these our earthly Tabernacles begin to decay and perish because we are wrought by God's Spirit for a better state and as was said not only the Spirit of God worketh this willingness to die by working those Graces in the Soul as you see but also accompanying Afflictions and blessing them to crucifie our Affections to earthly things and helps to Holiness in order to our eternal Happiness and therefore also ought the more patiently to be endured Seventhly Then it is the chiefest wisdom in the World for every one of us to labour to become real Saints to get into a state of saving Grace and often to search and try our selves and never to give over searching and trying until we come to some well-grounded Assurance That we are indeed truly Regenerated and that we have a real Interest in Jesus Christ for this Assurance may be attained and we are commanded to give all diligence to attain it 2 Pet. 1. 10. It is not bare wishes or desires will serve the turn but we must labour and strive after it and be much in self-examination 2 Cor. 13. 5. How is it possible we can have any true comfort living or dying if we have no Assurance of a better Life and so long as we know not whether we shall go to Heaven or Hell when we die We all have been too negligent in labouring after this Assurance let us lament it and let us all now begin to bestir our selves and in God's strength lay out our utmost care and pains in the use of all means to get the clear evidences of our peace with God and that we are in a pardoned and reconciled state for upon this Assurance we shall have this Advantage above all others that we shall not be troubled nor much disquieted when our outward man doth decay and perish our earthly comforts fail us our bodily Members wither because all these decays and wastings do but make way and prepare us for the happiness of our Souls Whereas on the contrary it must needs be an uncomfortable thing to look upon a decaying Body and be altogether uncertain what will become of the Soul when it leaves this Body It must needs make Death terrible But when we know that our Souls at death shall enter into our Master's joy we shall bid Death welcom The Eighth Inference From what hath been said we may draw one Rule of Tryal to us all whereby we may know whether we be true real Christians or no or only nominal and but formal Professors viz. by the real good to our Souls that our Afflictions have done us we all have had Afflictions of one kind or other let us examine what spiritual good we have got by them look over the former Particulars and apply them It is a true sign of a Child of God to be the better for Prosperity and Adversity and commonly more the better for Adversity than or Prosperity But lest we should be mistaken I grant that Affliction may work some good in the hypocritical Professors as on Ahab and Nineveh But note these Differences First On the Godly Afflictions work good mostly on their inward man on their Souls although they work good also on their Conversations the sweet fruits of Afflictions appear also in their Lives But on others if Afflictions do work any good at all it is mostly on their outward man they may by them be outwardly reclaimed and reformed but not inwardly renewed and sanctified Now there is a vast difference between outward Reformation and inward Renovation 2dly The fruit of Affliction on the Godly is continually increasing and growing
Souls better to draw us off from all our Idols and to draw us nearer to himself and to prevent our sinning here and our condemnation with the World hereafter O blessed gracious Ends our heavenly Father hath in all his Chastisements of us now it 's our Duty to comply with these his Ends and pursue them with utmost diligence Quest But how shall we pursue those Ends Answ First by deep and serious Meditation upon those few special things fit to be thought on in Affliction 1. Think seriously on the meritorious Causes of your Affliction search for your Sins let your Spirits make diligent search for your Sins for now God is searching for your Sins Job 10. 6. and we should set in with him and think how greatly you have provoked him how unkindly you have dealt with him against what Light and Love and Mercy you have sinned and think also upon the desert of your Sins you are now under outward Afflictions but where had you been â—f God had dealt with you according to your Deserts Call to mind your Sins and repent and reform 2. Think seriously on the Designs of God in all your Troubles what good Intentions God hath in them that he aims at nothing but your real spiritual and eternal good It he break your earthly Comforts waste your Estates and Bodies it is for the good of your Souls be perswaded of this consider it and lay it to heart 3. Think seriously of the Love of God in Christ to you in all your Afflictions they come from his Fatherly Love he sees that you need them that your Souls will perish without them and that he doth chastise you because he loves you and because you are his Children 4. Think also how infinitely better God deals with you than with others whom he chastnâ—â— not here but reserves them for the Wrath to come unto everlasting Destruction in comparison of which all your heaviest Afflictions here are not as much as Flea-bitings 5. Think also upon the many exceeding great and precious Promises which God hath made tâ— you for your support As that he will be â—â— you will never leave you that all shall work togethâ—â— for your good that he will uphold you and maâ— such 6. Think seriously and deeply on that â—â— more exceeding and eternal weight of glory for whiâ—â— all your Afflictions do prepare you Thus be mâ—â— in Meditation on those things Lastly Think upon the Sufferings of Christ foâ— you his bitter Agony and bloody Sweat in the Garden his cruel cursed shameful painful Death on thâ— Cross Isa 53. 10. Thus if we exercise our Thought in these Considerations it will help us to thâ— attaining the gracious Ends of God in his Chastisements Secondly As by Meditation so by Prayer we must pursue God's Ends Now pray pray continually pray without ceasing pray most earnestly most fervently strive and wrestle with God in Prayer as Jacob did for the Blessing so should we pray and continue instant in prayer that God would accomplish all his blessed Designs upon our Souls and perform his whole Work Thirdly By Faith in Christ and in the Promises for no Blessing comes to the Soul any way but in and by Jesus Christ and only in and through him are the Promises fulfilled Therefore in all our Afflictions we must look unto Jesus as unto him through whose hands the Affliction comes upon us for all our Afflictions come through his hand and the blessing of them comes through his hand also act Faith on all that Jesus hath done and suffered for you and upon what he is doing for you in Heaven and upon what gracious Promises he hath made to you and the more you can act Faith on Christ the more you will love him and the more you love him the more patiently and comfortably you will bear his Chastisements as knowing that they proceed from his Love to you Rev. 3. 19. III. The last Vse is for Consolation The Text and Doctrine is very full of Comfort If this be a Truth that I have held out That the perishings and wastings of the outward man of the People of God tend to the renewing of their inward man then let none of God's People be discouraged or dejected whatever Afflictions befal them Poverty Sickness Restraint loss of Relations Estates Remember and consider what great Spiritual Good all shall certainly produce to you and what a gracious issue all your Afflictions shall have upon you and therefore faint not nor be weary but be quiet and comforted Quest But when may we take Comfort in our Afflictions Answ 1. When God's smiting you works iâ— you true turning unto God Isa 9. 13. Jer. 31. 1â— 19 20. for then Affliction proceeds from God Love and turns to your good O the yerning Bowels of God towards returning Sinners 2. When by Chastisements we are made partakers of God's Holiness made more holy anâ— more conformable to Christ than formerly Heâ— 12. 10. 3. When God's Soveraignty works in us Sâ—lence and submission as in Eli David as others 4. When God's Rods on us make us morâ— obedient to his Law Psalm 94. 12 13. as 119. 67. 71. 5. When God's Righteousness in what he doth gives quietness and satisfaction to the Soul a Dan. 9 14. Nehem. 9. 33. 6. When Afflictions put us upon Self-examination and searchings for our Sins Lam. 3. 4. Gen. 42. 21. 7. When in Afflictions we can see God's faithfulness making good his Promises Psalm 119. 75. He hath promised to withhold no good thing 8. When we hope and believe that God wilâ— give us more and better things than those he takes from us 2 Chron. 25. 9. Psalm 90. 14 15. Isa 35. 6. 9. When God's Wisdom contents us that because God is only wise and knows best what is beâ—â— for us this contents us Isa 28. 27 28. Infinite Wisdom hath ordered it 10. When we can firmly believe that God's Love is in all his Chastisements Heb. 12. 6. All these things will produce Comfort in all our Afflictions especially when we can see these Effects in some measure brought forth in us we may conclude that God's gracious Design prospers in us Could we but find that our inward man grows better and that we grow and flourish in Grace when our outward man doth decay and perish we should not faint The good Lord grant that this may be the good Effect of all my Afflictions Amen So much of the First Part. PART II. Orthodox Paradox OR THE Greatest Temporal Evil working the greatest Eternal Good 2 COR. iv 17. For our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory THIS the Apostle brings in as a Reason of that holy Courage that he and the Primitive Christians had under all their Troubles that they did not faint but rather they got strength and as their outward man perished their Souls their better part flourished and prospered as in the foregoing Verse
For saith he our light affliction c. In which Reason or Argument we may observe 1. The Nature of the Saints Troubles they are Afflictions 2. The Qualities of them they are light and but for a moment 3. The Tendency of them or their subserviency to their eternal good through God's blessing on them they work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 1. For the Nature of the Saints Troubles they are Afflictions and our Afflictions All the Saints Troubles in this Life are Afflictions and but Afflictions they are not properly Punishments inflicted on them to make Satisfaction for Sin They are not Destructions no they are but Afflictions The original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a pressing from the effect of them on the Saints for they are sent to press out their hidden Corruptions that were in the Heart undiscovered to make manifest that which lay hid before Affliction is as God's Wine-press also to press out the sweet Wine of Grace that it may appear in Act and Exercise It is also God's Fullers-press to press out the inward spots and defilements of their Souls Afflictions are not to the Saints Executions of Vengeance not Destructions as they are to others Destruction upon Destruction that is one Trouble and Distress upon another so they are to the Wicked 2. They are our Affliction too this may note first the commonness of them to all men 1 Cor. 10. 13. No Temptation befals us but what is common to Men to all Men and mostly to all Saints it is their Lot their Portion yea it is God's Gift to them Phil. 1. 29. Secondly It may note the Propriety the Saints have in their Afflictions and Benefit they have by them These Afflictions are ours 1 Cor. 3. 22. All things are yours things present the present Afflictions are ours that is they are sanctified and made profitable to us they are our Friends Friends to our Souls not our Foes they are our Helps not our Harms they are ours in common also they are the Churches Troubles others sympathize with us and they count our Afflictions theirs And if this be so what reason have we to faint and sink under our Troubles seeing they are but Afflictions not Destructions and seeing they are ours also for our good and advantage appointed and ordered to us by the loving Hand of our only-wise God and gracious Father and seeing all the People of God have a share in them by way of sympathy and we have a share in their Prayers for us therefore we faint not 2. The second Branch of this Argument is the Quality of those Afflictions expressed here by two words 1. They are light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leve the same word in Mat. 11. 30. My burden is light that is it is tolerable sufferable such as may be endured and suffered Christ's Government is not intolerable neither are the Afflictions of his People Object But how can that be that the Troubles of God's People are light Were David's Troubles light from whom we often hear such sad and bitter Complaints And were Job's Troubles light Job 6. 3 4. And were the Primitive Christians Troubles light See the 7th and 8th Verses of this Chapter and elsewhere the Apostle complains that they were pressed above measure and despaired even of Life Answ The meaning plainly is comparative Afflictions are light not simply considered in themselves but by way of comparison as thus 1. They are light in comparison of what our Sins have deserved Sin deserves Eternal Death everlasting Flames in Hell everlasting Destruction easeless endless remediless Torments The Wages of Sin is Death eternal Damnation 2 Thess 1. 8 9. Now in comparison of Hell and Damnation all our Afflictions are but light but as Flea-bitings to those eternal Torments Oh what is the Wrath of Man to the Wrath of a GOD What is the Displeasure of a Father to the Revenge of an Enemy Oh what is Sickness Poverty a Prison Losses c. to Hell-fire 2. They are light in comparison of the cruel bitter dreadful Sufferings of Jesus Christ the Son of God He upon whom the Spirit of Might did rest was even sunk by them if we do but duly consider Christ's Sufferings his bloody bitter Agony in the Garden when his Soul was exceeding sorrowful even to death he was sore amazed when all the Sins of the Elect were laid on him made to meet on him Isa 53. 6. all the Wrath of Men and Devils on him yea and which was heaviest of all his Father's Wrath was on him it pleased the Father to bruise him and to put him to grief Isa 53. 10. All this would have sunk Ten thousand Worlds this made our dearest Lord sweat great drops of Blood c. Oh the inconceivable love of our Blessed Jesus O the cursed nature of Sin But what are all our Afflictions all our Sufferings in comparison of Christ's He was afflicted he was oppressed infinitely more than ever any man was or can be 3. Light too in comparison of what the Wicked shall suffer hereafter see Psal 11. 6. 2 Thess 1. 9. Revel 21. 8. Our Afflictions are light surely very light in comparison of these 4. Light also in comparison of the Glory that God's Suffering Saints shall afterwards enjoy This our Apostle affirms Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in vs. Not worthy to be compared with that far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Thus are our Afflictions said to be light 2. Another Quality of our Afflictions noted here is That our Afflictions are short also as they are light so they are short too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 momentany for a moment Object But how can this be Did not David complain that he was afflicted from his Youth and the Church in Affliction four hundred years at once How then are their Afflictions short Answ This for a moment or short time must be understood comparatively also Our Afflictions are short and for a moment in comparison of what the Damned must suffer for their Death is eternal their Destruction is everlasting everlasting Damnation in Hell the Fire never goeth out the Worm never dyeth But especially our Afflictions here are short as well as light in comparison of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory that the Saints shall possess hereafter Observe the Antithesis or opposition here in the Text which duly considered and Faith acted on it is enough to support a Christian under all his Troubles Mark it well For Afflictions here he shall have Glory hereafter for light Afflictions he shall have a weight of Glory for short Afflictions an eternal weight of Glory yea a far mâ—â—e exceeding and eternal weight of Glory in comparison of which Afflictions all our Afflictions may well be termed light and short Let us seriously consider how strangely and wonderfully the
real Union of the Saints with the Blessed God and the Blessed Jesus such a Union as is between the Head and the Members and between Husband and Wife yea such as is between God and Christ and a participation of the same Glory that Christ himself doth possess and an enjoyment of the same Love that Christ himself doth enjoy yea the Saints shall then be made like unto Christ both in Soul and Body Lord help me to believe all this and to be fully perswaded of it that my Heart may be kindly affected and filled with enflamed affections towards my Blessed Jesus who hath purchased all this Glory for us with his most precious Blood Oh let me attain the full assurance of my true Title thereto that I may praise thee and may long for the full possession of it O my base unbelieving Heart Lord subdue my unbelief Oh what pains should we take to be assured of this Glory and how patiently and cheerfully should we bear our Afflictions that are designed to prepare us for it But I cannot break off here This weight of Glory is by the Holy Ghost in the Scripture represented to us by all the most excellent and delightful things among Men speaking to our Capacities and after the manner of Men. Hence it is called a Kingdom It is your Father's good pleasure saith our Lord to give you a Kingdom I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me a kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven a Kingdom that cannot be moved a Kingdom of Glory a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to God Here in this World the Saints have the Cross Fire Faggot Halters Gibbets c. let them wait but a while and they shall hear the Judge of the whole World say unto them Come ye blessed of my Father enter into the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Now you are abused reproached imprisoned impoverished despised shortly you shall all be crowned This Glory is called the Inheritance of the Saints in light an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you You that now may have no House nor Home of your own no certain Dwelling-place and you that now dwell in Houses of Clay tottering every moment being the Children of God you shall shortly enter into everlasting Habitations and possess those glorious Mansions in the Father's House you shall shortly inhabit that House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens God hath prepared for you a City that hath Foundations of his own building and making Hold out Faith and Patience you shall shortly be translated into the Paradise of GOD above the reach of Men and Devils Moreover for methinks it is good to be here when Christ who is our Life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory with Palms in our Hands and Crowns on our Heads and with everlasting Joy and Songs of Praises in our Hearts and Mouths This Glory is called Life Everlasting Life Eternal Salvation Everlasting Peace and Everlasting Rest the purchased Possession that which cost the most precious Blood of the only Son of God to procure surely it must be a far more exceeding weight of Glory that cost such a price this Glory is the Fruit of Christ's Blood and of all his cruel Sufferings Oh that some Beams of it might be darted in upon my dark Heart by the Spirit while I am writing this to quicken and enlarge it It is Everlasting Rest Rest from all Sin the greatest burden to a gracious Soul and from all Sufferings from all doubts of God's love from all sense of God's Displeasure from all Temptations of Satan of the World and Flesh Rest from all Persecutions Now they that have suffered with Christ shall be glorified with him no Prisons Banishments Burnings Hangings Quarterings then Rest from all our sad and sinful Divisions and from all our personal Sufferings Pains Diseases Losses of dear Relations ill Tydings Rest from all Vain Thoughts from all the pain of Duty from all our Labours Let us a little further consider I. The Preparatives to this Glory and II. The Properties of it that so our Hearts may be the more affected with it and the more carried out with all Love and Desires after him that purchased it for us and with all labour and diligence to secure our title to it and may also the better bear all our Afflictions which prepare us for it and lead us to it I. Of the Preparations to this Glory and these are 1. The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 13. Our blessed Lord will most certainly come again from Heaven with Power and great Glory attended by his mighty Angels to receive his People to himself that where he is there they may be also Joh. 14. 3. to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all those that believe 2 Thess 1. 10. Alas what Comfort should we have in this life if it were not for the Hope of Christ's second coming He will not leave us here still sinning suffering groaning dying no no the day of our full Redemption will come our Lord will come again and set all his poor Captives free but a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry He will come for our Salvation Heb. 9. 28. And for our great Comfort let us know and believe that however we now live as Lambs amongst Wolves when our glorious Lord Jesus the Lord of Glory and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth the chief Shepherd shall appear we shall receive a crown of glory that fedeth not away 1 Pet. 5. 4. It should be then the Character of a Christian as it is his Duty to love to long and look and wait for the Son of God from â—eaven even Jesus whom he raised from the dead which by bearing the most dreadful Wrath of his Father hath delivered us from the Wrath to come 1 Thess 1. 10. Act. 1. 12. And while we are on Earth we should have our conversations in Heaven and from thence look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body Phil. 3. 20 21. being assured that then we shall receive that Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give at that day to all those that love his appearing 2 Tin 4. 8. Oh then seeing we look for such things what manner of persons ought we to be in all manner of holy Conversation and Godliness giving all diligence that we may be found of him in Peace without spot and blameless O what unspeakable Comfort will the Coming of Christ bring to all his poor suffering Saints the fore-thoughts of which should support us under all our present Troubles Although it may be now we are destitute of all Creature-comforts our
day enjoy it It will be but small Comfort to hear of all this Blessedness and Happiness if we our selves have no right to it And of this briefly Certainly this most blessed state is not for all not for most but only for a few Few saith our Lord shall be saved and those are the Children of God only they are Heirs to this Glory Rom. 8. 17. If Children then Heirs not else and such we are not by Nature Joh. 8. 44. Eph. 2. 2 3 12. But all that are the Children of God are made so by Grace they are made so by Faith in Christ Gal. 3. 26. We are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ And if we are Christ's by Faith then are we the Heirs of the Promise ver 29. That is we are Heirs of this promised Glory So Heb. 6. 17 18. Also we are made the Children of God by Regeneration by the blew-birth Full is that Text John 1. 12 13. As many as received him that is Christ to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to as many as believe in his name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. we are said to be begotten to this Inheritance Jam. 1. 17 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth So 1 Pet. 1. 23. And our Lord who is Truth it self hath assured us that except a man be born again he can never see the kingdom of God that is he shall never inherit this Glory It is prepared for none but God's Children and none are his Children but true Believers in Christ none but such as are truly regenerate and born again by the Word and Spirit now all such as are in Christ have his Spirit living and ruling in them Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his And 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature all old things are past away and all things are become new And such as are born again they have the Image of God repaired in them the Divine Nature communicated to them the Life of God planted in them and are thereby enabled to live unto God and to walk as his Children in sincere Obedience to all his Commandments in resemblance of their Heavenly Father in most hearty and superiative love to him and in an holy confidence in him and entire dependance on him as their most gracious Father Almighty in and through their most dear Lord Jesus Christ These are the Persons and these only that shall be advanced to this exceeding weight of glory Moreover we are made the Children of God by Covenant God the All-sufficient Good of his infinite Love and Grace condescends to poor Sinners and freely bestows himself upon them becomes their God in Christ and takes them into Covenant with himself and makes them his Sons and Daughters 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. communicating to them his Spirit working in them all sanctifying Graces pardoning their Iniquities giving them new Hearts new Spirits soft and tender Hearts Hearts to tremble at his Word to mourn for Sin their own and others tender of God's Honour Hearts to love him Hearts to fear him c. and enabling them to give up their whole selves unfeignedly and unreservedly unto the Lord Jesus Christ taking him for their only Lord and Saviour and as the only way and means to bring them unto God and to his glory submitting themselves to his gracious government in all things and trusting in him for Life and Salvation These are the Children of God which shall certainly inherit this far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory They are the People of God that shall possess this glory who are described by a famous Divine thus They are a part of the Externally called who being by the Spirit of Christ throughly though imperfectly regenerate are hereupon convinced and sensible of that evil iâ— Sin that misery in themselves that vanity in the Creature and that necessity sufficiency and excellency of Jesus Christ that they abhor that evil bewail that misery and turn their Hearts from that vanity and most affectionately accepting of Christ for their Saviour and Lord to bring them unto God the Chief Good and present them perfectly just before him do accordingly enter into a cordial Covenant with him and so deliver up themselves unto him and herein persevere unto their lives end Now all thâ— Children of God all the People of God may be assured of this glory for First God hath ordained and prepared this glory for his People This Kingdom is prepared before the foundation of the World Mat. 25. God hath predestinated his Children to this glorious Inheritance Eph. 1. 5 11. Rom. 8. 29 30. 2 Thess 2. 13. God hath prepared for them a City Heb. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Matt. 20. 23. The Saints are Vessels of Mercy before prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. And those in time he translates out of Satan's Kingdom into the Kingdom of his dear Son and by his Spirit of Grace by his Word of Grace by his Fatherly Chastisements by his Mercies he doth by degrees make meet and fit for this glorious Inheritance with his Saints in light Col. 1. 12 13. And surely God's Counsel shall stand and his Decrees be fulfilled Therefore blessed are they whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his Inheritance Psal 33. 11 12. Secondly This Glory is purchased also as was said before It is alone by the Blood of Jesus that we have entrance into Heaven therefore do the Saints sing forth his Praises for that he hath redeemed them out of every Nation by his Blood and made them Kings and Priests to God Rev. 5. 9 10. So that either Christ must lose the price of his Blood and Sufferings and never see the Travel of his Soul but all his pain and expectations be lost or else for certain there remains for the Saints this far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Thirdly This Glory is promised also God that cannot lye hath promised Eternal Life Tit. 1. 2. Luk. 12. 32. 22. 19. I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me a kingdom 2 Thess 1. 7. Matth. 25. 34. Jam. 2. 5. Rev. 2. 7 10 11 17. Heb. 10. 34. with many other places So that if the Purpose and Decree of God be certain if the Purchase of Christ be certain if the Promises of the faithful God be certain all which are most sure and certain then also it is most sure and certain that the Children of God shall most assuredly one day receive this far more exceeding and eternal weigh of glory And now O my Soul how long shall thy foolish Heart deceive thee how long wilt thou set thy Affections on things below upon lying dying Vanities When wilt thou draw
off and mind thy Everlasting Rest in good-earnest and lay out thy self to the utmost to secure thy Title to it Lord be merciful to me according to thy loving kindness and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out all my Transgressions Thus have I said a little concerning this far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory of the Preparatives to it of the Properties of it and of the People that shall certainly possess it to their everlasting consolation And what shall I say now but that Shame should cover my Face and Sorrow fill my Heart for that I am so little oh so little affected with these great things Oh what a hard earthly Heart have I Oh that all those that shall read or hear what I have written may have their Hearts more affected with these things and that they may be perswaded and enabled in the strength of God to put forth all their Power in the use of all means while they have time to be assured on good grounds that they are the persons designed for this Glory And oh that you and I would now examine our Hearts and States about this Let us in the presence of God ask our selves these few serious Questions Are we the Children of God they only are Heirs to this Glory Have we out of a true sense of our Sin and Misery heartily accepted of the Lord Jesus Christ for our only Lord and Saviour really yielded up our whole selves to his government Are we truly regenerated our Natures changed God's Image repaired on us and his Spirit living and ruling in us Do we hold out the Life of Christ in our Life and are we like God Have we actually entred into Covenant with God in Christ and chosen him for our only Happiness and Portion giving up our selves unfeignedly to be the Lord's Let us deal uprightly with our selves and if our Consciences can witness for us that it is thus with us then may we be confident that all our Afflictions shall work and prepare us for that Glory I proceed now to shew how those light and short Afflictions of the People of God in this World are singularly useful and influential to work them for and to work for them this far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And that these waies First By discovering imbittering curing and removing those things which undiscovered uncured and uncleansed would utterly deprive us of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory What those things are you may easily judge they are our Sins our Corruptions our Iniquities the Evils of our Hearts and Lives the filthiness of Flesh and Spirit these not purged away will most certainly exclude from Glory as 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Col. 3. 5 6. Rev. 21. 27. No unclean thing shall ever enter into the New Jerusalem Now Afflictions are useful to discover Sin to aggravate and imbitter Sin to cleanse and cure the Soul and so to prepare it for Glory 1. To discover Sin Afflictions enlighten mens Eyes One calls Afflictions the Christian's Eye-bright Man is full of Self-love and this Love is blind and blinding and Man's Heart is deceitful and ignorant his Mind is dark Man is born blind spiritually blind Men see not their Sin and Misery Rev. 3. 17. until God discover their Sins to them which He doth as by his Word and Spirit so by Afflictions Deut. 8. 2. Gen. 42. 22. 1 Kin. 17. 18. God doth by his Rod shew Men their Iniquities A very Pharoah sees and acknowledgeth his Sin in his Affliction So did the Jews Isa 59. 11. And it 's usual for men to cry out on their Sins in their Trouble Oh then my Pride my Covetousness my Prophaneness my Frowardness c. of which they would not hear before 2ly Afflictions are very useful to aggravate and imbitter Sin Those Sins that were sweet in time of Prosperity and seemed small or nothing but Mole-hills as it were light and little prove bitter and grievous even as heavy as Mountains Were not David's Sins so to him See Psal 38. 3 4 5. Our Lord Jesus in Matth. 11. 28 29. maketh this sense of the bitterness of Sin a fit qualification of Souls to come to him that in him they may find Rest which Rest is the beginning at least of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory When and where Sin is aggravated and becomes bitter and burdensome to a Soul then and there Christ Grace and Glory becomes sweet and amiable Usually in Prosperity Sin is sweet or at least accounted small Is it not a little one Oh the Excuses Shifts Evasions and Pleas that in Prosperity men study to extenuate and lessen Sin They feel but little weight in great Sins the Sins of Youth Vain-talking Jesting officious Lying neglect of Duty worldly Talk on the Lord's day c. who feels the ponderous weight of such Sins in time of Prosperity Now Afflictions serve to imbitter sweet Sins and to aggravate small sins Job 13. 26 27. then he remembers the Sins of his Youth and looks on them otherwise than he did before In Youth great Sins seem small as Disobedience to Parents wasting time prophaning the Lord's day Lying c. but in Afflictions they lyo heavy as we see in Joseph's Brethren Gen. 42. 22. 3ly To cure and cleanse Sin Psal 119. 67. Jerem. 31. 18. Eminent is the Example of Manasses on whom Afflictions wrought a wonderful change 2 Chron. 33. And this comes to pass in that Afflictions when God blesseth them they work Repentance This is one of God's ends in sending Afflictions upon his People his Children whom he loves dearly Dan. 11. 33 34 35. It is to make them white and clean to purge away their Iniquity Isa 27. 9. And thus Afflictions are influential on God's People to work them for and to work for theâ—â— a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory for none are fit for this glory until sin be imbittered to them and they purged and cleansed from their Sins in the Fornace of Affliction but all through the vertue of the Blood of Christ 1 Joh. 1. 7 9. Secondly Afflictions are useful to prepare for Glory by being means of God's Appointment and Blessing to work gracious and happy Changes on men without which they can never come to glory All men must have mighty great and wonderful Changes made upon them before they can be glorified Now to effect these gracious Changes God useth various means as principally his Spirit his Word his Rod and many times he makes his Rod to do that and to work that great Change on Men which his Spirit and Word without the Rod could not do because of Mens resistance of the Spirit and Word but when the Rod comes they cannot resist that By the Rod he makes the Proud to stoop and become humble as in Nebuchadnezzar's Case c. The Rod and the Word work Wonders when God by his Spirit works in them and with them
we must not despise them II. The second is That we must not faint under them nor grow weary of them This is the other Extream that we must carefully avoid Seeing Afflictions which are but light and short work for us and work us for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory therefore we must not grow weary under them By this weariness in general I mean a sinking of Spirit a despondency of Heart under the Rod when a man is as we say Crest-faln and without Spirit so that he cannot bear up his Spirit fails in the day of Adversity when a man is willing to throw off the burthen before God takes it off is Job 4. 5. Psal 88. 14 15. I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me by terrors have cut me off Thus spake Heman a choice Saint Here I shall briefly shew 1. the Cause 2. the Cure of this Weariness that we may the better avoid it 1. First the Cause and that is manifold as first from Man himself we our selves are the Causes of this Weariness in a threefold respect as 1. Our not expecting Troubles In Health we look not for Sickness and when Troubles come unexpectedly they make us weary 2ly Our over-valuing of our earthly Comforts 3ly Because in truth we are more sensible of our Losses than of our Enjoyments 2. In regard of the Affliction it self 1st When it swells to any great height 2ly When Afflictions are multiplied one upon the back of another 3ly When they be of long continuance 4ly When inflicted on the nobler parts and upon the Spirit 5ly When but little support but few Comforters or miserable Comforters few to help to bear the burthen 6ly When they are heavy and ordinarily they are heavy because Sin is light and Glory is light for when Sin lies heavy on the Soul and Heaven much in the Heart Afflictions are much lighter on the Body Nil sentit in nervo cum aniâ—â— sit in Coelo 3. In regard of God He puts Lead into sonâ— mens Burthens sometimes he sets home Sin and Wrath upon the Conscience and then men grow weary 4. In regard of the Devil he doth his utmost to imbitter every Trouble and adds his Tempations to make it more intolerable So much â—â— the Cause of Weariness 2. Secondly for the Cure We must labour to avoid this Weariness under Affliction and thaâ— we may take these Directions 1 Direct 1st Let us urge our Heavenly Father Command upon our own hearts and the Command of our Lord Jesus upon our selves See the express Command of God Prov. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 5. Be not weary of his chastisements faint not when thâ—â— art corrected Thus speaks our Heavenly Father to his Children And the Command of our Lord Christ is express also John 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled Whatever affliction befals you let not your Hearts be troubled Let us urge these Commands upon our selves Consider we 1. Is there any cause of Heart-trouble when our Heavenly Father the great Lord of Heaven and Earth hath his will which we daily pray for All our Troubles are by the Will of God 2. When the great Proprietor and Owner of all things doth most wisely and most righteously dispose of his own 3. When we are called to render back but what we had borrowed Our Health Estates Liberty Relations Life it self all were but lent us 4. When lesser Mercies are removed that greater and better may be bestowed 5. When we have our Iniquities purged which is the sure Evidence that they are pardoned and that we are made more conformable to Christ and so sitted for nearer and fuller Communion with God 6. When our Graces are tryed and acted and so made more apparent and illustrious 7. When by all our Afflictions we are prepared for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Let us weigh all these things well and they will help us against Weariness And for our further help against Heart-trouble see my Discourse on John 14. 1 2 3. 2. That we may not grow weary of God's Chastisements let us urge Reason also upon our selves as thus If I grow weary I break the express Command of my Heavenly Father and disobey the Counsel of my Dear Lord 2. If I grow weary it argues my Unbelief for who would grow weary of long and grievous Afflictions that did fully believe the gracious ends and designs of God in them and his sweet Promises to his afflicted People and that Afflictions are in the Covenant that they are the Fruits of God's Fatherly Love and shall surely work for our good that the Cross is the way to the Crown Who believes these things and yet is weary Again By Weariness we make our Burthens heavier than God intends them to be Cheerfulness and Patience makes them lighter The like Affliction to a patient humble contented Christian is much lighter than to another fretful weary and discontented person Now it is possible we may make our Burthens heavier than God intends them thus 1st When we think no Trouble like ours Consider Job's Case Trouble was upon all his Relations all his Estate upon his Body Soul and All. 2ly When we let loose our Passions to run whither they will without any restraint 3ly When we refuse the Comforts that God sends us So did good Jacob Gen. 37. 35. 4ly When we continually fix our Thoughts on our Afflictions and are always poring on them so that all the Mercies that we enjoy are quite swallowed up And have we any reason to greaten our own Burthens And again by our Weariness we dishonour God and discomfort our selves and discourage others 3. Thirdly Serious Consideration laying to heart and pondering upon several things that may prevent this weariness as 1. Consider what this Weariness signifieth and implies it hath very ill significations for to be weary signifieth a want or at least a great weakness of Faith for he that believeth maketh not haste want of Hope for we must hope to the end want of Patience for Patience must have her perfect work which is to last as long as Trouble lasts want of Love for Love endeareth all things or at least a great weakness of those Graces 2. Consider God is long-suffering He hath waited long on us 3. It hath been the Practice of all the Saints in all Ages to wait on God 4. That by our weariness we limit the Holy One of Israel and do indeed call in question all the glorious Attributes of God his Power Wisdom Faithfulness Let us consider these things 5. Consider that they that suffer without weariness they are blessed and happy Job 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. Jam. 1. 12. Blessed are they that endure that is that suffer without weariness 6. Consider that Afflictions are signs of our Sonship Heb. 12. and signs of God's Fatherly love 7. Consider God's good and gracious Ends Isa
out more after God to love God more to fear to please to follow after God more it is in love If thou are more fearful of Sinning against God and more careful to glorifie him it is in love Psal 116. 1 2 3 4 5. 2. If you enjoy the gracions Presence of God with you in your Affliction his teaching strengthning sanctifying quieting satisfying humbling comforting Presence with you then you may conclude it is in love Isa 43. 2. Psal 94. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 16. when your inward man is renewed as your outward perisheth 3. If your Afflictions make you more conformable to Christ in Meekness Humility Heavenlyness Patience Self-denyal c. 4. If you be taught by the Spirit and Word when afflicted by the Rod how to hate Sin more to dye to Self and the Vanities of the World more how to dye to all Relations and Creature-Comforts mâ—re and how to list up Christ more and love him more to prepare for Death more and mind Heaven more then you are afflicted in Love Blessed are they that are thus taught by Affliction Psal 94. 12. 5. If God lay no more on you than he enables you to bear Isa 27. 8. Jer. 30. 11. 46. 28. 1 Cor. 10. 13. 6. If you can be willing to lye in the Furnace until your dross be consumed Job 23. 10. Mic. 7. 9. Can you cry out Lord remove the Cause rather than the Effect take away my Corruption rather than my Affliction A Cure Lord a Cure of the Distempers of my vile Heart good Lord a Cure 7. If you can live by Faith on the Promises in your Affliction Isa 41. 10. 43. 1 2 3. 57. 15. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Psal 50. 15. Joh. 10. 17 27 28. Isa 26. 3. Matth. 11. 28 29. Heb. 12. 10. Hos 2. 14. Heb. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 28. Zech. 13. 9. Psal 34. 8. 84. 11. Let us labour to find these sweet Fruits of God's Fatherly Love to us in our Afflictions and then we shall not grow weary 2 Obj. But my Afflictions have been long upon me Ans 1. Not so long as thy Mercies have been Canst thou number the days of thy Health Have not thy good days been many more than thy evil days 2. Nor so long as thy Sins have been Thou hast been a Transgressor from the Womb a Sinner from thy Conception Psal 51. 5. 3. Nor so long as the Afflictions of others it may be far better than you See the 77th and 88th Psalms Gen. 15. 12 13. Four hundred years Exod. 12. 40 41. Job 21. 25. Some have not had a day of health or pleasure many years no not in their Lives Oh how should this quiet us under our Troubles that we may not complain that they are long 4. The longer thy Afflictions have been on thee the sweeter will Heaven at last be to thee Psal 126. 1 2 5 6. compared The longer the Storm the sweeter the Calm the longer in the Tempest the more welcome the Harbour 5. Thy Afflictions are not long but short if compared with that Eternity of Glory reserved in Heaven for you as in the Text Everlasting Habitations Eternal Life a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away Have an Eye fixed on the Crown while thou bearest the Cross One moments being in the Bosom of Christ will make thee forget all thy Misery oh long for that good hour 6. The longer you are in Afflictions the more spiritual Experiences you have of the Love and Care of Christ towards you 2 Cor. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 5. O the Love-tokens that Christ sends his Spouse in the Furnace of Affliction then he speaks most kindly to her The blessed Martyn found it so 7. Long Afflictions are but Preparatives sometimes to long-liv'd Mercies as in Joseph and David Isa 54. 11 12 13 14. If by my long Affliction God make more room in my Heart for himself Son and Spirit his Word if he crucifie my Affections more to the World and make me more conformable to Christ I shall for ever bless his Name for them 8. The more Afflictions here the more Glory hereafter 2 Cor. 4. 16. Matth. 5. 10. For 1st the more Affliction the more Grace is exercised and the more Grace here the more Glory hereafter 2dly The more Afflictions the more religious Duties will be performed Psal 109. 4. Isa 26. 16. Psal 42. 1 2 3. Now God will reward every into according to his works though not for them 1 Cor. 15. last 2 Cor. 9. 6. 9. Impatience will but lengthen our Affliction God's time is the best for deliverance Affliction shall last no longer than need Act. 27. 13 15. Psal 23. 1 2. 94. 9. Rom. 8. 28. Moreover that we may bear up as Christians and not grow weary and so may find that all our Afflictions are blessed to us to prepare us for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory let us dwell on a few more Considerations 1. That these our Troubles are all the Hell we shall have 2. Think much on the real spiritual Advantages we shall have by Affliction Have we not had some bless God for them 3. Your choicest and chiefest Treasure is safe your God your Christ your Portion your Crown your Inheritance is safe your Graces your Souls are safe 4. Consider it is our unmortified Lust that is the sting of all our Afflictions its Sin adds gall to our wormwood Let us set our selves in earnest to the mortifying of our Sins apply the Blood of Christ beg his Spirit Rom. 8. 13. 5. That all our Afflictions come to us through the Covenant of Grace Psal 89. 30 c. 6. That they do but reach our worser our baser part our Bodies 2 Cor. 4. 6. our Souls may grow better 7. Labour to live by Faith and keep it as much in exercise as possible for Faith in exercise 1st shews the extreme vanity of all earthly things for the Soul by Faith seeth them as God seeth them to be all vanity and vexation and so it overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5. 4. 2dly Faith presents to the Soul greater sweeter better things in God and Christ than can possibly be found in the Creature Faith looks and feeds on Invisibles 3dly By enabling the Soul to center it self on God and to be satisfied with the naked enjoyment of him God is All to the Soul that trusteth in him Joh. 14. 8. Psal 17. 15. Phil. 3. 8 9. 8. Labor every day to be more humble low and little in your own Eyes Who am I I am not worthy of the least of God's Mercies I have forfeited all I have improved none it is Pride only that brings Discontent 9. Consider the worst that God doth to his People here is but to do them good in the latter end Hos 2. 14. Heb. 12. 10. 10. What God wills is best God is Wisdom it self and he is Goodness it self when he sends Sickness Sickness is best 11. That God will be with us
We see how bravely the Primitive Christians carried themselves in all their Sufferings by looking unto minding and thinking upon those invisible eternal things Oh could we keep them in our view and keep our Eye on them we should not faint nor sink under any of our Troubles We look too much on and mind too much those visible temporal things and look too little to the Invisible God to our Blessed Jesus and Eternal Glory Oh that God would encrease and strengthen our Faith and help us to live in the lively actings and exercise of it By it we stand Oh that we could live more by Faith and less by Sense 2 Cor. 5. 7. Fifth Vse for Instruction If we would set our Hearts and Minds on those invisible eternal things we must 1. Be much in Prayer Pray oh pray for new Hearts old Hearts will not hold heavenly things Pray for Saving Light and Knowledge Ephes 1. 17 18. Pray that ye may clearly apprehend and understand those things Pray for Faith that you may really believe them and may be fully perswaded of the Truth and Excellency of them Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Pray for Love that your Hearts may be throughly and truly affected with them that you may relish and savour them and may feel taste and see the goodness of them Pray for strength of Faith and Love that you may act those and other Graces as Hope Joy Desire and Delight upon those heavenly things Pray without ceasing pray fervently for these things and never leave praying till you obtain Tell God that an earthly empty carnal Heart you have and how impossible it is for you your selves to make â—t heavenly Complain to the God of all Grace who can make all Grace to abound 2. Search the Scriptures diligently Read the Word of God conscientiously for there all those great and glorious things are discovered And labour to believe what you hear and read and to get the power and efficacy of God's Truths on â—â—our Spirits 2 Cor. 4. 4 6. 3. Be watchful against all Sin and against the World and the Lusts of the Flesh Be much in mortification of your inordinate Affections Col. 3. â—1 2 5. compared Watch against vain thoughts and strive in God's strength to draw up your â—earts to Heaven and hold them there 4. Seriously and often consider the great and â—â—al difference between visible and invisible things between temporal and eternal things uncertain and certain things transitory and permanent things between those things that respect the mortal Body and those that concern the immortal Soul between those things that are the Portion of Reprobates and those that are the Portion of God's Elect. Oh consider the great difference between those things which are the Effects of Common Providence and those that are the Fruits of God's everlasting Love and Christ's most precious Blood Surely a due and deep consideration of the vast difference which is between these things would help us to mind eternal things 5. Consider what taste these visible temporal things will have in a dying hour surely either none at all or a bitter one Oh then what will Honours Riches Pleasures signifie Oh then how much better and sweeter will those invisible eternal things be to a poor Soul Oh then an Interest in God and in Christ a Pardon a Title to Eternal Life Assurance of Salvation will be things of value And why should they not be so now 6. Converse much with heavenly-minded Christians but alas where shall we find them Let us all bewail our horrible Earthliness our Earthly Discourse all Earth in our Thoughts Earth in our Mouths and yet hope to go to Heaven at last and live in Heaven for ever O how unlikely Surely if I am not very much mistaken I think a great many of our Professors will be mistaken at last and that will be dreadful because irrecoverable O Lord give thy poor Servant an heavenly Heart Sixthly The Last Vse is for Comfort to those that do mind and look unto those invisible eternal things in good earnest For your Comfort consider 1. This is to you an Evidence of your Interest in all those great and glorious things That you do thus mind and converse with heavenly things with God and Christ and Glory it is a good sign that these are all your own that you have a good Title to them An heavenly Mind is a very good sign of one that belongs to Heaven 2. You shall shortly enjoy and possess them all Where Christ is there shortly shall his Servants be He will not always dwell in Heaven without you nor will he always be absent from you no but he will come again and receive you to himself that where he is there you may be also John 14. 1 2 3. And where is he but at the right hand of the Throne of his Father and there you shall be also when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall appear with him also in glory Col. 3. 3 4. Now you can see and think on those invisible eternal things but darkly and confusedly but then you shall see clearly yea possess and enjoy them for ever 3. This your minding of heavenly things will very much sweeten your present Sufferings And this brings me to the consideration of the last thing in the scope of the Text namely the help or benefit those Primitive Christians had by their looking unto those invisible eternal things which was that thereby they were supported under their present Sufferings Ver. 16. We faint not while we look not on things that are seen but on things that are not seen Hence may we observe this Doctrinal Conclusion Doct. That a believing sight and serious minding of unseen eternal things is a singular means of sweet support to poor Christians under all their Troubles This flows from the scope of the Text We faint not say they but rather we gather strength and courage and our inner man is renewed day by day while we look not at those things which are seen but at those c. Looking off from visible temporal things doth much help to support God's People under their Troubles but looking on upon invisible eternal things doth help more Crucifixion of our Affections to visible temporal things is very useful but the fixation of our Affections on invisible eternal things is more useful to our Support and Comfort Psal 27. 13. I had 〈…〉 believed to see the goodness of God in the land of 〈…〉 Ver. 14. So Heb. 11. 26 27. By Faith Moses endured as seeing him that is invisible Moses could never have endured all those hard things if he had looked only on those things which are seen but he looked on the invisible God and the unseen Jesus and on the Promises the Recompence of Reward he had a fixed Eye to those great things his mind was setled on these and that carried him through all
So Heb. 10. 34. They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves they had in Heaven a better and a more enduring substance So Heb. 11. 9 10 13. they endured the condition of Strangers and Pilgrims usually a sad and troublesome condition because they looked for a City an invisible eternal City They embraced the Promises and minded them And to this our Lord leads us in pronouncing those Blessings Mat. 5. 10 12. That great should be their reward in Heaven Reas 1. Because the blessed tendency the powerful efficacy and sweet fruits of all a Christians Troubles as to our part much depends on this Work and Duty performed by us Let us mind this What is the tendency and fruit of a Christian's Troubles See the foregoing Verse They work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory A blessed tendency indeed sweet fruit Q. But how are Afflictions useful and effectual to produce those sweet fruits Ans Some things are done on God's part and some on our part On God's part He makes Afflictions useful to fit us for that weight of Glory as was shewed before by following those Afflictions with the Blessing of his Word and Power of his Spirit and so makes them useful to those happy ends Psal 94. 12. as 1st By discovering imbittering and cleansing them from Sin Deut. 8. 2. Gen. 41. 21. 1 Kin. 17. 18. Isa 59. 11 12. 2ly By drawing Souls nearer to God Psal 142. 4 5. Psal 31. 11 12 13 14. 3ly By crucifying their Affections to the things of this Life 4ly By making them more diligent and serious in their preparation for that state of Blessedness Thus God blesseth Afflictions But all doth not lye on God's part this Blessing is attained by us while we look not at those things which are seen which are temporal but at those things which are not seen which are eternal Those Blessings of Afflictions are not received nor those Benefits and Advantages obtained by us while we stand looking and musing poring and pondering open those things which are seen So long as our Hearts and Minds are still fixed upon our visible Losses and Crosses and upon the earthly Comforts that we are deprived of and so long as our Thoughts and Affections are still set on and glued to those visible temporal things so long we go without those Blessings and Benefits But we must look off those things and look up and mind and meditate on those invisible eternal things we must set Faith and Love and Hope on work in viewing and reviewing in considering and contemplating in apprehending and applying that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Now while we do so we are in the right and realy way to obtain the rich Blessings of all our Afflictions and so we receive Comfort and Support under them all It is the plentiful Harvest hoped for and believed that sweetens the stormy Seed-time It ' is a dangerous mistake to expect too much from the Creature and too much comfort here in this World for here is not our Rest All men would have Peace Comfort and Happiness but they would have it from the Creature rather than from God Psal 4. 6. Believers themselves that would have their Comforts from God yet would have them here also and would not stay for them till hereafter saying with the Disciples upon the Mount It is good to be here whereas here in this World we are to have but sips crumbs drops glances glimpses at most but some First-fruits of Canaan that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory is reserved for the other World The Inheritance is reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. and we must wait for our Harvest is not here we are not come home It doth not yet appear what we shall be the quiet and peaceable Fruits of Righteousness come not till afterwards the great Reward the full Reward is in Heaven not here 2d Reason is Because as I think the Work of Saving Faith by which mainly we are supported doth not consist only in looking backward on the Cross of Christ and his payment of our Ransom by his precious Blood but also in looking forward on the Crown of Christ and the Glory he hath purchased for us Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Saving Faith is not only to believe what our dear Lord hath already done on Earth for us in the great work of Redemption but also unfeignedly and firmly to believe those things which we never saw nor did ever Man see and to hope and look for them so really as to let go all worldly Hopes and Happiness rather than hazard the loss of those invisible things This is an eminent part of Faith whereby the Just do live 1 Pet. 1. 8. It is upon our clear Apprehensions and firm Expectations of that unseen and eternal Felicity in the full enjoyment of the Blessed God that both our Peace and Safety doth depend We can have no solid Peace while we look for much Comfort and Content from the Creature in this our present Pilgrimage and Prison for in doing so we looking for more in the Creature than is in it we lose our Comforts and then complain for want of them for our looking for so much from them and looking so much on them provokes God to take them from us and when they are gone we are troubled If eternal Joys and everlasting Consolations were more in our Minds if the Joy of our Lord Matt. 25. 21. were more in our Thoughts and Affections surely spiritual Joy would more at present abound in our Hearts Rom. 15. 13. The God of consolation would fill us with joy and peace in believing Believing Apprehensions of those invisible eternal Joys would breed in us some refreshing Joys for the present So 1 Pet. 1. 8. No wonder we are so comfortless and walk so sadly while those things which should raise us and comfort us are so little in our Minds and Thoughts and we such Strangers above We must needs faint when we lay by our Cordials and make no use of them and when we lay by our Supports and mind them not Temporal things most needs affect us and afflict us when eternal things are out of sight and out of mind Mark this When Christians do not only let fall their expectations and hopes of the unseen promised Glory and let the thoughts of them decay and dye away in them but also heighten their hopes and expectations from the Creature and earnestly and eagerly pursue the same then do they most certainly prepare for their own Disquiets Fears and Troubles and with both Hands draw Calamity on themselves because they forsake the fountain of living waters and hew out to themselves cisterns broken cisterns that will hold no water All Creature-comforts are at best but Cisterns and when too much loved but broken Cisterns in which are no Waters of
promises is both the breeder and feeder of Patience let Faith live and Patience will not dye let Faith be present and Patience will not be absent and through Faith and Patience we shall inherit the promises Oh then let us labour to live by Faith and strive to keep up our â—aith in Act and Exercise and in special upon the real Spiritual Good that our good God will bring to our inner Man by the decays and perishings of our outward he having promised so to do and he being faithful who hath promised and let us also labour to live in hopes and expectations of that good praying also constantly for increase of our Faith and Hope so shall we be able with Patience to endure to the end and be saved Certainly it is every ones concernment to know and consider that Man consists of two Parts the inner and outer Man and which of the two is best and ought to be most minded and principally looked after for most live as if they had Bodies only and no Souls or if they have Souls that they need not much minding but say they leave the care of them to God whereas indeed it is the welfare the safety and salvation of our Souls that we all should be most solicious about What shall it profit a Man saith our Saviour if he gain the whole World and â—ose his own Soul Sin is the Disease of the Soul and Holiness the health of the Soul and afflictions are God's Physick to effect this Cure by surely then we had better take the Physick the Remedy tho' it make us sick than keep our Disease which will make us Die and that eternally the Remedy is better than the Disease So that when our merciful Father the only wise God sees that the blastings and breakings of our outward Comforts are proper means to keep us from and to purge from 〈…〉 Spiritual Diseases our sins which not purged would destroy our inner Man our Souls and therefore useth this means what cause have we to endeavour in God's strength patiently quietly and comfortably to bear all our breaches and perishings of our outward Man yea and to praise and bless the Lord that he will take this course with us thus to chasten us here in this World that we may not be condemned with the World hereafter 1 Cor. 11. 32. Fourthly It follows also from the Premises that wicked Men are fools very fools yea mad fools and cruel to their own Souls because all their caâ—â— is for their Bodies and none at all for their Souls they provide for the Servant but neglect the Master provide for the Horse but forget the Rider Eccl. 10. 7. We have seen how little care God takes of the outward Man but beats and break that many times that he may secure and preserve the inner Man of his People And also wicked Men are cruel to their own Souls Prov. 8. 36. He that sinneth against God wrongeth his own Soul Is it not a madness carefully to preserve the Box but lose the Jewel to spend precious time strength thoughts cares pains all Mans days in feeding cloathing preserving the outward Man but let the poor Soul starve perist and be eternally lost if there be any cruelty outâ— Hell this is a great piece of it Fifthly It follows also that the continuance oâ— outward Comforts is not to be expected Theâ— will be witherings decays perishings of our ouâ—ward Man it cannot be avoided our health at ease and peace will not abide always with us our dearest Relations must bid us farewel this on earthly Tabernacle must shortly be put off wâ— cannot live always all things here are mutable and changeable we see this by experience everâ— moment our pleasant and lovely Companions in the flesh our dearest friends in Christ our Yoak-fellows the desires of our Eyes the comforts of our lives they and we must part Psal 39. 6. This fully believed and seriously considered would unglue our affections from these things and prepare us to part with them that our parting with them be not so grievous to us as usually it is Could we use these things as we do our Gloves on our Hands which we can with ease pluck off and not as the skin on our Hands which cannot be pulled off but with much pain and smart It were good wisdom for us often to look on all our earthly comforts as things that we cannot long enjoy as things that we must needs shortly part with this my health my estate my ease my relations I must part with and I know not how soon a parting time must come This Soul and Body must part and to keep such thoughts in our minds and often to consider of it would help to moderate our affections to them while we enjoy them and to imploy them for God and also it would prevent our immoderate sorrow for the loss of them because we expected such losses and made account of them before they came but we are too often surprised and therefore too often overcome with sorrow Sixthly It follows from the premises that the Servants of God have no true cause or reason to be discouraged disquieted or dejected when their outward Man perisheth their outward Comforts wither their old House begins to totter and decay because by all these witherings and perishings of their outward Man their inner Man is renewed day by day and therefore no cause of fainting Such as know that is are assured by Faith that when this their earthly Tabernacle shall be dissolved that they have a building with God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens such will not be troubled when their Houses of Clay begin to totter no but rather they groan earnestly to be cloathed upon with their House which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. And that God's Servants may thus be willing to put off their earthly Tabernacles and exchange them for Heavenly Houses God is working upon them and in them this willingness as Verse 5 by his Spirit his Word and by his Chastisements breaking and blafting their earthly Comforts weakning their bodies to make them willing to leave them and to long for those everlasting habitations which their dear Lord hath prepared for them John 14. 1 2 3. And for the more effectual working of God's People to this willingness he gives unto them the earnest of the Spirit which is the earnest of their Inheritance untill the Redemption of the purchased Possession Eph. 1. 13 14. and Rom. 8. 23. We which have received the First-fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies Now this Earnest or First-fruits of the Spirit which in some measure God gives to all his people here in this life to prepare them for Glory is called also the Seal of the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. After ye believed ye were sealed Now this Seal of the Spirit I take to be the saving Works Graces and