for one therefore to be able to order and dispose of means so as not to miscarry in such a high end as this such a glorious and great work as this it must be wonderful wisdom The men of the world think themselves wise men and bless themselves in their wisdom because they can order and dispose of means to get money and fine cloaths they are poor and base and low spirits who minde and regard no higher and no better things then these base things that are below whereas the godly because God hath let the fear of eternity fall upon them and they regard nothing but in subordination to that therefore they sometimes miscarry in the things of the world hereupon the men of the world looking at them and seeing no higher end but the enjoyment of pleasure and the like they count them a company of fools that will undo themselves and prove to be beggers and so slight them in that respect But there is an infinite mistake in this were it that Gods servants did propound that end to themselves and had no higher then that which other men have they would shift as well as they but because they have a higher end therefore their thoughts in wisdom are drawn out about that As St. Paul said 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have not received the spirit of the world we cannot shift and plot in the world but we have received the Spirit of God that spirit that shall order us and dispose us to enjoy communion with God and his Angels for ever A swine that wanders up and down can make better shift to get home to the trough then a sheep that wanders to get home to the fold The men of this world are indeed wiser in their generation then the children of light but the children of light have their ends and ways wherein their wisdom appears to be full of excellency and glory The wisdom of Politicians is seen in this They will let go things that are low and be content to be crossed in things that are mean if their great plots may go on so it is in all true spiritual wisdom A gracious heart when it looks at the enjoyment of God in the way of godliness so be it that great plot may go on it does not so much look at things that are under and therefore let men know that there is a mistake in this one day God will make it known who are those that are wise on the earth Surely the world did not commend Daniel for his wisdom that he would not omit prayer one day to save his life but had rather lose all Would not the worldly-wise say What a foolish thing is this not to omit prayer one day to save a mans life and he must open his window too that spiritual wisdom which God gives unto his people it is foolishness to a carnal heart and therefore you shall have some Parents themselves when children come to be strict in their way will say What shall we have a fool of you And one neighbor to another when they see any have a tender conscience who before gave himself to the pleasure of the flesh We shall have a fool of you now Though you count them fools they know your way is folly They think the matters of Religion are but niceties and and to venture the loss of so much for such niceties what a foolish thing is it As Pilate wondered at Christ when his life was in question he talks of truth What is truth Your life is in danger and do you now talk of truth That which is honest and vertuous is vile and contemptible to him whose body and sensual part is dear to him says Seneca I remember Lactantius brings in a Heathen scorning at the ways of Christians in this maner thinking Christians to be fools when they see they should endure such things and yet they would be Christians says he Scorn us contemn us and despise us we know our foolishness profits us let us alone with our foolishness we do not envy your wisdom We do not care though you count us fools so you disturb us not in our way True wisdom says he lies hid there where there is the title of folly for God with affliction and with the name of folly doth hide the beauty of godliness from the eyes of men but this is the onely wisdom to know God to worship God to be Religious and for this says the same Author with the greatest voyce that I can speak I testifie and proclaim and denounce That this is the greatest wisdom Let us be established in this that it is the onely wisdom to choose the ways of God upon any terms let come what will come let all sorrows and afflictions to the outward man come that possibly can come this is the absolute wisdom and this says he is my opinion and judgement it is that I am throughly convinced of and shall for ever rest and be setled in Mark how Solomon so glorious for wisdom testifies of grace Prov. 1. 2 3 4 5. he heapeth up several expressions to manifest what wisdom comes to the heart by godliness for that is the scope there it causes 1. To know Wisdom 2. Instruction 3. To perceive the words of Understanding 4. To receive the instruction of Wisdom Justice Judgement Equity 5. To give subtilty to the simple not onely understanding but subtilty and that notwithstanding all natural simplicity in those who the world accounts simple ones yet are by grace made subtile they can descry the danger of subtile temptations they will not be undermined for their souls they will not be cousened and cheated by the subtile policies of Devil or World in the matter of their souls and the great things of eternal life so as the great wise men of the world are 6. Knowledge and discretion to the yong man of all men yong men are most ignorant most rash and heady but grace gives knowledge and discretion both even to the yong man How many gracious yong men have more understanding in the ways of God and can guide their way to Heaven more discreetly then many ancient men who have repute in the world for wise and understanding men Yea 7. grace teaches wise counsels their counsels about their spiritual estates are wise Who now dare accuse the ways of godliness of folly when the holy Ghost hath honored them with so many several expressions of wisdom in them This then is true wisdom to choose with Moses rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Secondly here is much encouragement to all Gods people in their way and choice that they have made Hath God given you a heart to make choice of his ways O bless God! There was a time when you went on in giving pleasure to the flesh and you saw then no better thing then such a kinde of life and the Lord hath been
and rules and have the same ends and affections hopes and desires and joys and where there is such a suitableness surely there must needs be a great deal of comfort for all comforts come from a suitableness between the heart and the object if the thing be never so good if there be not a suitableness between the heart and it there is no comfort but no such suitableness as between Gods people and therefore no such comfort Fifthly no such joy as is to be had in communion with them because of their entireness of love entireness of love is a lovely sight Dionisius seeing two entire friends together wished himself the third Cant. 6. 9. My Dove is but one and it follows the daughters saw her and blessed her an oneness of heart is a blessed thing no such entireness such oneness any where as amongst the Saints their love is spiritual and not upon base grounds as the love of others is there is not that base aiming at self as in others a carnal heart cannot love another but in some base respect to himself but now it is not self self that is the the ground of the love between those that are truly gracious and godly but God that is between them and with them the ground of their love is more spiritual and therefore it is a kinde of divine love and not so drossie as others Sixthly no communion so comfortable in regard of their faithfulness they dare trust one another They call themselves brethren and they will dye for another says Tertullian the men of the world cry out Of all men I would not trust those that are so precise Indeed if you do take all refuse that make profession you may say so but a gracious heart can savor who is godly and will not trust every one that talks of Religion but such as are truly godly they dare trust them and venture their lives with them no communion in which we can ease our selves of our burthens as where there are a company of true gracious humble Saints in communion one with another So that put these together and you see the second reason why it is worth the enduring so much affliction to have communion with the people of God Thirdly it is worth the enduring a great deal of affliction to have communion with them because it is in their communion in which the solemn worship of God is set up now it is worth the enduring of a great deal to be where that is In Judah is God known and his name is great in Israel he hath honor by others but his name is great in Israel in his Church What a comfortable thing is it and blessed and worth the enduring of much to have multitudes of Gods people joyn with one heart in setting out the praises of God sitting at his Table sitting before him lifting up the name of the great God making his praise glorious When the Saints are gathered together for this end in this work Christ is there present with them praising God he joyns with them in this work Heb. 2. 12. In the midst of the Church will I praise thee this is spoken of Christ it is quoted out of Psal 22. 22. which is prophetical of Christ who would not be in such acts of worship to joyn with such as Christ joyns with If God be our God and dear to our souls his worship is dear to us and if there be any people in the world among whom God is truly worshipped it is a great affliction not to be with them It is the observation of one Interpreter upon that place in Isa 6. where the Cherubims cryed Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts the earth is full of thy glory the Prophet cryes out Wo unto me I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips unfit to joyn with those that are praising of God howsoever the meaning of that place be yet thus we may make use of it to be a great affliction and cause there is to cry out Wo to our selves when we hear of Gods people crying out Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts if we be not amongst them though it be in the wilderness yet if Gods worship be set up the people of God have a feast When the Israelites were to go from Egypt into the wilderness Moses says they must go thither to keep a feast unto the Lord What was that feast in the wilderness but the setting up the worship of God Fourthly no communion no society in which there is so much profit and benefit as to be amongst these As Abigail said to David The Lord shall binde up the soul of my Lord in the bundle of life to be amongst Gods people is to be bound up in the bundle of life much good we enjoy in them and the more communion we have the more interest we have in all their gifts and graces and prayers and therefore we read of Daniel when he had a great work to do how he makes use of that interest he had in the prayers of the godly Daniel 2. 17 18. It is a great blessing to have an interest in the prayers of the Saints and so in all their gifts 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas c. all are yours and you are Christs as if he should say there need no such envying one at another to say I am of Paul and another of Apollos and another of Cephas for all are yours all the gifts and graces of all the worthies of the Lord are all yours they are all for your good and you have interest in them all in communion with the Saints there is watching over one another and quickning one another and admonishings and wholesome counsels and stirring up the graces of God that are in one another Have you not felt your selves when you have come away from a spiritual communion to come away with hearts raised and spirits inflamed for God and so strengthened that your resolutions have been up to do or suffer any thing for the Lord as in Mal. 3. 16. Those that feared the Lord spake often to one another quickned the hearts of one another and so in Acts 18. 5. And when Silus and Timotheus was come from Macedonia Paul was pressed in spirit and testified to the Iews that Iesus was Christ Certainly in their converse together S. Paul found his spirit wrought upon and refreshed so that the Text says when Timotheus was come Paul was pressed in spirit Fifthly it is good being with Gods servants though it be in suffering affliction because God takes so much delight in them if God takes delight in being with them certainly there is great cause we should take delight in them there are admirable expressions of Gods taking delight in them Zeph. 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save thee he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love
in this communion labor to satisfie your selves in it so as to take heed of breaking from it the forsaking the assemblies of the Saints is made by the Apostle an argument of Apostacy Heb. 10. 25. Not forsaking the assembling our selves together as the maner of some is Do not think to go and make up your comfort with going and joyning with the world Certainly when men that are members of a Church shall for form come and joyn with Gods people but their consciences tell them when they are in the world their hearts are more content and satisfied this is an argument of a carnal heart that hath dallied with God It is a dishonor to godly men as men that are raised to high priviledges count it a dishonor to company with those that are mean Those who were free of the City of Rome were not to be free of any other place It is enough that we are Citizens of the new Jerusalem let us satisfie our selves in this Godly men though never so poor are to look upon those who are carnal as base and vile especially to think to take satisfaction in eating and drinking and playing with them when as there are such holy Ordinances and high priviledges with Gods people to satisfie your selves in and in those your hearts withdraw from them Certainly your hearts must needs be very carnal and sensual Can God take it well at thy hands to go and shake hands with his enemies Job 8. 20. God will not take the wicked by the hand so it is in some of your books Why then will you Canst thou be in any place where thou seest God dishonored and be merry Certainly the sight of sin wheresoever it is committed should cause horror in the heart thus it was with David Psalm 119. 53. Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy Law It should make men forbear to come into such company where they see sin committed It is reported of Mezentius the Hetrurian Tyrant that he devised this torment to chain a live man and a dead man together and so wheresoever he went he should have the dead man to rot before him and stink in his nostrils till he was poysoned with it Surely this was a great misery a most grievous death And Gods people should count it as great an evil to have filthy dead wretches that are unsavoury in any thing that is good to be joyned with them David prays in Psal 26. 9. Gather not my soul with sinners Would you not have your souls gathered with sinners hereafter for the present take heed of joyning with them It was the prayer once that I have heard of a good Gentlewoman when she was to dye being in much trouble of conscience O Lord let me not go to hell where the wicked are for Lord thou knowest I never loved their company here She prayed with David Lord gather not my soul with sinners If you would have evidence that God will not gather your souls to sinners but that he will gather them to the godly labor to satisfie your souls with Gods people Seventhly if there be so much good in this way labor to improve it to the utmost Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool This is a great price if many had seen the days that we have seen how would they have blessed God what use would they have made of them Seeing God therefore hath given you this opportunity improve it if you have any advantage in your trading you will improve it Take heed of such things as may hinder that good you may have in communion with the Saints What are they The first thing that I would forewarn Christians of it is sullenness of spirit that makes them love solitariness rather then communion and this is amongst many that have true grace and certainly it comes sometimes from abundance of pride for if they come among others they think they shall discover their weakness and rather then they will discover their weakness they will deprive themselves of all that good which they might have Consider how unfaithfully you deal with God God hath given you a talent and you are not to wrap it up in a napkin but to use it for God Again it is a wrong to the Church for your gifts are not your own but the Church hath an interest in them and therefore you are to use them for their good Again you do much wrong to the Ordinance of God when you do prefer the contenting of a pettish humor before the Ordinance of God God threatens it as a judgement Hosea 4. 16. To feed his people as a Lamb in a large place that is to scatter them from the fold that they should go one and one as a Lamb bleating alone in the wilde wilderness take heed you do not bring it upon your selves Again there is a great deal of danger in this solitariness of spirit First there will soon grow a wonderful driness and barrenness of spirit It is just with God to deprive men of gifts that have not hearts to improve the gifts that God hath given them Again you will be ready to run into error and strange conceits for if you observe the workings of your hearts you have strange opinions of things and think you are sure of them and when you come amongst others though you could not see the weakness of your opinions others can quickly see them whereas if you will not come amongst them but be stiff in your opinions you may run into errors Again you will be lyable to the temptations of Satan immoderate solitariness is joyned with immoderate melancholy which is the common shop of the Devil for to forge his temptations in and it is a great evil to keep the Devils temptations close and therefore come into communion with the Saints And secondly when you do come into communion take heed of pride pride sometimes keeps away from communion and pride is a great hinderance to the benefit of communion As round things do not joyn but onely in one point but take flat things and they joyn in every point and so hearts swoln with pride cannot joyn with others but onely in such particulars as will serve their turns but if we have plain hearts we will close in all things If a bladder be blown with wind when you touch it or handle it it goes away but when it is pricked it falls and you may handle it so hearts that are swoln with pride will not close as low humble hearts will A swoln member is fit for nothing but all members must serve that As a gouty leg all the members must tend that but it is unfit to be serviceable to any and so a proud heart it expects every one should attend it but when it comes to be serviceable to any it is unfit Thirdly take heed of envying at the gifts and graces of one another the wicked men
have felt the work of God regenerating your souls upon which you have followed me you shall sit upon twelve thrones Some do interpret this place Regeneration the estate of the Gospel and so make it not to be the work of God upon the soul but the work of God upon the world to make a new world as the glorious estate of the Church under the Gospel is called a new heaven and a new earth and so take it Ye that have followed me in this new world ye shall sit upon twelve thrones c. but I rather take it the other way not wholly excluding this they are onely those that follow Christ in the Regeneration that shall have this reward It is called the new birth because there is such a strange change there is a new spirit and a new life put into a man Suppose a rational soul were put into a beast what a change would be in that creature Suppose an Angelical nature were put upon us what a change would there be By the change that is wrought in regeneration there is a greater difference the highest degree of glory in heaven is not so different from the lowest degree of grace here as the lowest degree of grace here is different from the highest excellency of nature because the difference between the highest degree of the glory of heaven from the lowest degree of grace is but a gradual difference but the difference that is between the lowest degree of grace and the highest excellency of nature is a specifical difference Therefore you that hope for glory know there must be a regeneration that work of God upon your souls that must cause a greater difference in you from that you were by nature then there is in the glorified Saints that have the highest degree of glory from the meanest Saint in the world as the reward is a mighty glorious thing so the work of God in preparing a soul for this reward is a mighty glorious work And therefore do not content your selves in every poor slight thought of heaven know heaven lies upon that which is a mighty work of God in you Thirdly if you ever come to Heaven there is a principle of heaven put into your souls here that is a heavenly principle that carries you heavenward I mean the work of God causing you to have heavenly mindes and heavenly hearts Our conversation is in heaven says the Apostle In Cant. 3. 6. the Church is compared to pillars of smoke that ascend upward to heaven Though the Church be black and dark in regard of her infirmities yet it hath a principle to carry it upward to heaven The Saints are compared to Eagles that fly aloft towards heaven though their bodies are not there their hearts and souls are there if our treasures be in heaven our hearts are there already I read of Edward the first who had a mighty desire to go to the holy Land to Ierusalem and because he was hindred and could not get thither he gave his Son a charge upon his death-bed to carry his heart thither and he prepared Two and thirty thousand pound to carry his heart thither So the Saints though they have not their bodies in heaven their hearts are there and they take much pains and are at great charges to get their hearts thither All things in nature have a principle to carry them to their proper place because the place of fire is on high therefore fire hath a principle to carry it on high and because the place of earth is below therefore earth hath a principle to carry it downward So if the place and center of the heart be in Heaven then certainly it hath a principle to move naturally thither to move upward to heaven and therefore that soul that hath nothing but a principle to carry it downward to the earth and to the lusts of it to these things below heaven is not the proper place for such a soul and when the soul goes out of the body it wil not go to Heaven Take earth and close it in a vessel and take fire and put into a vessel open the vessels and let them out and they go both to their places so the souls of men when they are gone out of the body they go to the place whither they had a principle to carry them therefore do not think the principle shall be put into them when you dye but you must have a principle before if your hearts be prest down by earthly things when you dye they will fall down and therefore observe which way your souls work Can you say as in the presence of God My soul works heavenward though I have weights of corruption that would weigh me down yet I have a principle that does work to Heaven But the consciences of many tell them their souls work downward to vanity and sensuality and you have no other principle and therefore when your souls depart they fall downward Fourthly what soul soever hath an interest in heaven heaven is in that soul already The kingdom of God is in them and they have taken hold of eternal life now eternal life abides in them Whom he hath justified he hath glorified already they have the glory of heaven begun you heard what that was In heaven there is the perfection of our natures the image of God shall be renewed now is the image of God begun hath God marked you and set the stamp of his image upon you There is no soul that God does intend to put glory upon but he marks that soul and stamps his image upon it in the work of conversion and says Here is a soul I set the stamp of my image upon because I mark it out to glory if ever you come to Heaven God must see his own Image and Superscription upon you As the Beast set his mark upon men and would suffer none to trade but those that had his mark so God will set his mark upon his people and none shall come into his Kingdom but those that have his mark now a mans Image is upon a thing when by beholding of it I am put in minde of him that it is an Image of so if you have this Image and stamp of God a man that knows God as soon as he looks upon you as soon as he beholds your conversation he is put in minde of God and he says I have heard and read much of God of the holiness and righteousness of God and by this mans conversation I am put in minde of that holiness and righteousness of God the brightness of which I see shining here Again in Heaven you know God himself is the portion of the Saints they have the presence of God What presence of God do you enjoy here Were your souls ever acquainted with the presence of God in the Ordinances What blessed vision have you of God here Those who come to Heaven God gives a sight of himself here