fear God why if you fear God if it bee the right fear of God you will fear God more for what you see in God himself than for any works of God than for any works of his judgements or threatnings and the like And so in the desires of the heart after God why where the heart is gracious it works after God for himself and not for his gifts It is an argument of a false love a whorish love for the wife to love her husband for that shee shall have by him and not to love his person more And so it is a sign of a base slavish spirit for a childe to love his fatheâ— because hee gives him meat and drink and cloaths and will leave him an inheritance and not rather to love the very person of his Father so the heart is but false with God that loves God and that desires after God more for any thing that God doth than for what God is and as these workings of heart love and fear and desire are more in respect of God himself than of his works so praises of God and delighting in God where it is from true grace it is more from what the soul sees in God than from the manifestation of all the glory of God in all his works for Praise the Name of the Lord For his Name is excellent his glory is above the earth and heaven but wee shall let this pass The main Point in the Text which wee are to pitch on is this That God is a most excellent being above all things Doct. 2 This is the work that now I have to do to endeavour to present God in the excellency of his being to you onely you must by way of caution know before wee do begin That God dwells in that light that is unapproachable 1 Tim. 6.16 That it is but little that wee do or can know of God And before wee begin to set forth the excellency of Gods being to you you must know that there is infinitely more than either the tongue of Man or Angel can express when wee have done all wee can there is more in God that is beyond what wee can say or Angels could preach unto you I say more than the glorious light of the Sun is more than a little glittering of a gloe-worm in the night more than all the Sea is beyond and above a spoonful a drop of water And further by way of Caution you must know this that it is impossible to set before you the excellency of Gods being and yet to speak so as every thing should bee plain to every one Many things in the opening of Gods Nature to you must needs have some difficulty in them because the subject that wee are speaking of is so high above us especially it must needs bee difficult to unclean spirits to spirits that have alwayes been groveling below in the dirt to drousie spirits that think nothing to bee excellent but onely to eat and drink and satisfie their flesh when they hear the excellency of Gods Being set out unto them it must needs bee an argument above their reach it cannot bee expected that it is possible to speak so as their hearts should close with what is said to apprehend it But howsoever wee do not know what God may do in going along with his word how hee may come by his Spirit even to those that are of the weakest capacity therefore I shall endeavour to do that that is my work that is to shew you somewhat of God what an excellent being hee is and so leave the work of the Spirit of God to himself to make known those things that shall bee propounded and to settle them upon your hearts Wherefore then God is an excellent being above all things First Hee is and there is none else besides him The truth is wee can scarce say that any thing is but God Exod. 3.14 When God came to Moses to send him to Pharaoh and Moses would know the Name of God hee bid him say I am that I am I am hath sent mee and God only describes himself thus unto Moses I am I am a being and so the name Jehovah is a name proper to God that signifies Gods being Now might Moses say Lord is this a name that will distinguish thee from any thing else to say I am cannot any man say so I am but yet God gives this name of his as his proper name meerly I am a being and I am that being that I am and that is all the name God would tell Moses when Moses did desire to know so much of him and how hee might express him that did send him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am that I am Vt haereditare faciam id quod 〈◊〉 est from thence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentia substantia For indeed Gods being it is that that is proper and all other creatures in comparison of this God have but a shadow of being therefore in Prov. 8.21 saith Wisdome there that is Godliness I cause to inherit substance the words are translated by the Learned that which is Grace carries to God and so by Grace being carried to God wee come to inherit that which is as if all the while wee inherited any thing in the world wee did not inherit that which is God himself properly is So in Isa 45.5 6. I am Jehovah and there is none else besides mee There is nothing that hath a being besides mee that is not such a being as we shaâ—l further open yea and in comparison no being therefore in Isa 40.15 17. Wee have a most excellent expression of the excellency of Gods being in comparison of all other things All the Nations of the world they are as the drop of the bucket and as the small dust of the ballance in comparison of God Yea they are all nothing less than nothing What an expression is here take all the Nations of the world put them all together they are all but as the drop of the bucket that you shall see hang a little at the bottome but as a little dust of the ballance how soon may you take your finger and wipe off the drop of the bucket why so even all Nations of the world may as soon perish in respect of God yea as if the Holy Ghost had said too much when hee compared the Nations of the world to God as if hee should say what did I say they were as the drop of the bucket and as the small dust in the ballance nay they are nothing at all nay and I must go lower they are less than nothing And thus you see the Name of God is alone excellent because indeed hee is such a being as in comparison of him there is nothing that is worthy of the name of a being That 40. of the Prophecie of Isaiah when you come home it will bee a good Chapter to read in your Families to set out the greatness of God
give all the respect that may bee to him because hee is the onely Saviour of souls And for the blood of the Covenant take heed you sin not against that let it not bee accounted as a common thing Oh do not prize the satisfying of your own lusts rather than the blood of the Covenant and all the good that was purchased by that blood when any wretched sinner shall hear the Gospel preached to him and yet shall prize the living in any base wicked way of sin I say such a one doth trample the blood of the everlasting Covenant under his feet and the language of his heart and actions is nothing but this whatsoever is spoken concerning the blood of the everlasting Covenant revealed in the Gospel I do prize the satisfying the lusts of mine own heart more than all the good that is in the Covenant now do you think can such a soul as this bee saved now you sin against the blood of the Covenant when you come hand over head to the Sacrament and thereby you come to bee guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ People are mighty earnest about coming to Sacraments now do but read 1 Cor. 11. It is a Scripture which I know you that are acquainted with Scripture are not unacquainted with vers 27. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall bee guilty of the body and blood of the Lord And what then vers 29. Hee eateth and drinketh his own damnation When you would have the Sacrament as the seal of the blood of Christ and yet come in your sin and filthiness and do not discern the Lords body you come to bee guilty of the blood of Christ and so to bee guilty of your own damnation and so many think to seal their souls by eating and drinking the damnation of their souls for there is nothing set out in Scripture that furthers more the damnation of a soul than to sin against the blood of the Covenant I know some make that Scripture their damnation to themselves that is that they are onely to bee reproved and condemned for doing so but wee are to inlarge Scripture to the uttermost that may bee and seeing the Scripture hath made the sin against the blood of Christ in other places so dreadful wee may very well understand that place in the most dreadful sense that may bee Now if in case you come unworthily you hear what the Scripture speaks it is guiltiness of the blood of Christ and eating and drinking your own souls damnation And then take heed of sinning against the mercy of God let not mercy harden you but let it soften your hearts Oh that soul is in a good forwardness to bee saved that every time it thinks of the mercy of God it findes it self to melt before the Lord and mourn bitterly for sin when as it applies the mercy of God to it self I that is a good evidence but now when you think or speak of Gods mercy you finde your hearts the more hardened in sin Oh this is dreadful for how can such a soul be saved that sins against the mercy and love of Jesus Christ for who shall hear and plead for thy soul before God when as thou art guilty of the blood of Jesus Christ and what is it that shall bee thine attonement before the Father It must bee blood Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin And what blood must bee for the remission of thy sin when as thou tramplest the blood of the Covenant under thy feet and when thou sinnest against mercy what is it that must recover thee but the mercy of God when thou comest to God in the anguish of thy soul Now if thy case bee thus that Jesus Christ shall plead against thee and say Oh Father Father avenge thy self upon this wretch that hath not onely sinned against thy work of Creation but against the work of Redemption that I went into the world to work Father let this soul perish eternally that hath rejected mee and received every base wretched lust before mee now shall that soul bee saved that shall have the blood of the Covenant cry against it and mercy it self cry to the Lord against it Lord avenge my cause for I have been most abominably and cursedly abused by this wretch when not onely the Law of Gods Justice and Satan accuses thee but Christ and his blood and the Gospel it self how shall such a soul bee saved now then if you would have your souls saved take heed of sinning against Jesus Christ against the Gospel and against the blood of God and against the mercy of God Eleventhly If thou wouldest have thy soul saved take heed of sinning against the Spirit of Grace the good Spirit of God that must draw thee to Christ and guide thee in the way of salvation if ever thou beest saved Now take heed of sleighting the motions of Gods Spirit oh do not sleight any motion of the Spirit of God how dost thou know but when there comes in any motion of Gods Spirit it comes in to save thee at this time thou canst not tell but that at any time when Gods Spirit doth assist his Word thy soul may depend upon that time so as God may say had this soul followed on the work at this time it might have been saved but upon it s not following it on it shall not bee saved doth Gods Spirit begin to move thy soul when thou art hearing the Word Oh do not go into wicked company and so lose all again but get alone in thy closet and fall down even upon thy face and cry to God that hee would follow on the work of his Spirit that hee hath begun in thee Oh Lord I lived a long time in a dead-hearted condition never minding the good of my soul but thou hast begun to stir mee and Lord I hope it is the beginning of thy saving work upon my soul Oh that thou wouldest go on with it How many upon their sick-beds and death-beds would give a thousand worlds if they had them that they could have such stirrings of the Spirit of God as sometimes they have felt Oh now when the Spirit stirs and temptation stirs take heed of listening to temptation and rejecting the motions of Gods Spirit but think of that that wee read on of the people of Israel when they were going to Canaan they were very near Canaan and when they were upon the borders of it they refused to go into the Land when God would have them and upon that The Lord did swear in his wrath Psal 95.10 that they should never enter into his rest So when the Spirit of God begins to bring thee near to salvation that it may bee said of thee as Christ to the young man Thou art not far from the Kingdome of Heaven O take heed of hearkening to temptation lest the Lord swear that thou shalt never enter into
things of the world those men that have the dullest capacity to understand the reason of things in the world those that are the most ignorant people in the world why Jesus Christ chuses out them and makes them to bee apprehensive of the mysteries of the Gospel such things as Angels themselves desire to pry into 1 Pet. 1.12 Here is a wonder that such poor weak dull ignorant creatures sometimes that can scarce be able to speak two or three sentences in good sense together to a man yet that they should have the clear understanding of the chief mysteries in the Gospel and such things as Angels desire to pry into here is a wonderful work and therefore wee read in Matth. 21.15 when the poor children came to understand somewhat of Christ When the chief Priests and Scribes saw the wondeful things that hee did and the children crying in the Temple and saying Hosanna to the Son of David ☞ they were sore displeased Mark how this is joyned to the wonderful things they saw the wonderful things that Christ did and the children crying in the Temple Hosanna to the Son of David they were displeased It is one of the most wonderful things in the world to see that sometimes poor young children and such as understand but very little in the matters of the world and yet that these shall come to understand the deepest mysteries of godliness those things that exercise the understanding of Angels and shall exercise them to all eternity yet poor children and youths shall come to understand these things further than the great Rabbies and Doctors of the world is not this a wonderful thing in the dispensation of the Prophetical Office of Christ You make this use when you see poor youths come to have understanding in the great things of the Gospel you think surely it is but a conceit Oh but rather make this use let your thoughts bee carried to admire at the wonderful dispensation of the Prophetical Office of Jesus Christ and so in Matth. 11.25 27. you shall see what a wonderful thing it is made even this dispensation of Christs Prophetical Office in vers 25. and so on At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee 0 Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Now that the Father did hide them from the wise of the world and revealed them unto babes it was by Christ though hee thanks the Father and that it was done by Christ it appears in vers 27. All things are delivered to mee of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and hee to whom the Son will reveal him All things are delivered to mee so that Christ here makes the revelation of God unto babes to bee the fruit of Gods delivering up all things to him All things are delivered to mee and no man knoweth the Father but the Son and him to whom the Son will reveal him so that Christ having received all power from the Father upon this it is that these babes come to have such understanding in the mysteries of godliness and the wise of the world never come to understand And then that is very remarkable as wee go along that upon this ground Jesus Christ doth invite souls to come to him Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest As if hee should say thus Conceive now as if Jesus Christ were preaching now personally to you and hee were saying thus to you All power is committed to mee by the Father and as a fruit of this that the Father hath committed to mee I do reveal him to whom I please and none can know the Father but by mee I have the dispensation of all the treasures of wisdome and the revelation of all the mysteries of eternal life from my Father Oh therefore come to mee come to mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden you labour under the burden of your ignorance perhaps you complain alas I do not know God nor understand the great mysteries of salvation I pray and hear and yet I cannot come to understand what God is Why come to mee saith Christ for all things are given to mee and if I reveal the Father you shall know him therefore all you that labour and are heavy laden all you that see the need you have of the knowledge of my Father and of the way of eternal life come to mee and I will reveal these things unto you and so will bring rest unto your souls Wonderful is Christ in the way of his Administrations and that is another consideration in the Prophetical Office of Christ 5 But further Christ is a wonderful Prophet in this that hee reveals things many times suddenly hee is not bound to those wayes that any man or Angel is bound to if a man or Angel would come to instruct others in the truths of the Gospel they must instruct them by degrees to understand one thing at once and another at another time and so deduct one thing from another in that way but Christ hee can make known the things of eternal life in an instant to the soul Whosoever comes to Christ must bee convinced of sin and bee emptied of himself and bee humbled all these things are in every soul that comes to Christ now all these things may by one beam of light bee wrought that Jesus Christ shall let into the soul As an Apothecary may get the very quintessence of all herbs in one drop though you cannot see the herbs so Jesus Christ I say sometimes by one beam of light lets in a hundred truths into the soul so that they do apprehend the substance of all those particulars that are spoken of and there is a proportionable work upon their hearts to bring them to Christ is not this a wonderful work of Christ that a man that hath been an ignorant sottish blinde creature a prophane ungodly man hating all godliness perhaps hee comes to hear a Sermon meerly to scorn as many have done this man comes in the very heat of his wickedness so that a man would wonder that some fruit of Gods wrath comes not from heaven to strike him into the bottomless pit yet it may bee at this very Sermon there shall bee some one beam of light darted into his spirit that may work his soul to heaven possibly if hee should dye at that instant though it is true ordinarily God begins to stir first and doth it not all at once but yet sometimes some that come into a Congregation most ignorant and sottish and know no other God but Mammon and lusts and yet coming to the word at one instant God darts in that light into his spirit as this man comes to have his heart turned to God and comes to know his misery and to know the way of
as if there were no other saved in all the world but thy self yet Jesus Christ will manifest himself wonderful in thy salvation for indeed that is that that hee aims at to bee wonderful in the salvation of his Saints in bringing them unto glory and that is the comfort of all Beleevers from this title of Christs being wonderful But now then as thy comforts art great from this title so thy duties should bee some way proportionable too thou shouldest therefore honour God the Father of Christ as a wonderful Saviour Labour therefore first to search into this deep mystery of the Gospel Oh what a shame is it that those that do profess themselves Christians should understand so little of Jesus Christ this is that that God expects I say that wee should study the Gospel search into the Gospel that wee may see more of Christ the more wee see the more still wee shall wonder for Christ is an infinite depth and the more wee search into him the more wee shall see cause to wonder In the first of the Ephesians mark what a prayer Paul makes for the Ephesians in the 17 and 18. verses hee told them before that hee did not cease to give thanks for them making mention of them in his prayers to what end That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of him Hee doth not onely pray that they might have some knowledge of him but that they might have a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ and this from the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and from the Father of Glory Mark what titles hee gives to God when hee prayes for them that they might have the knowledge of Jesus Christ it must bee the God of our Lord Jesus Christ that must do it and the Father of Glory God doth never shew himself to bee the Father of Glory so much as when hee gives the knowledge of Jesus Christ to a soul then God doth make himself to appear indeed to bee the Father of Glory And further The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that yee may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who beleeve And in the third of the Ephesians from the 14 verse to the 20. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named that hee would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to bee strengthened with might by his Spirit in the Inner-man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that yee being rooted and grounded in love All this now is but a preparation to what hee would desire further and that is this That so you may bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that yee might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God This is a most admirable Scripture surely the Spirit of Christ filled the heart of Saint Paul and such kind of Scriptures as these are mighty strong Arguments to evince the Scripture to bee the Word of God when wee read such passages as these that have a spirit in them beyond the spirit of any man certainly it was beyond the spirit of any man to expresse himself in such a manner That hee bowed his knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that they might comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God and that is that which I would especially observe that Christians should not content themselves with a little knowledge of Christ but they should labour to comprehend what is the length breadth depth and height they should labour to dive into the Mâ—steries of the Gospel as it is said of Moses when hee saw that wonderful work in the wildernesse saith hee I will now turn aside and see this great sight you have it recorded in the seventh of the Acts and 31. vers There appeared to him in the wildernesse of Mount Sina an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush When Moses saw it hee wondred at the sight and as hee drew near to behold it c. Hee had a sight of it at a distance and yet so much as hee wondred at it and then hee drew near and the Lord spake to him So it should bee with us wee have some sight of Christ but is it not at a distance wee hear a Minister speaking of Christ to us the great wonder of the world and it may bee at the hearing wee are ready to think there is somewhat in Christ beyond what wee have apprehended heretofore I but I beseech you Brethren let it not passe away so those things that have been spoken concerning Christ God will require an account of and know it is a dangerous thing to have the glory of Jesus Christ to pass by any soul and to do it no good If wee had been preaching to you of Moral Virtues or any deep discourse about any point save about Jesus Christ there had not been so much danger of letting it passe without profit but when God sets before you the glory of his Son know there is a great deal of danger upon the hearing of such things without profit therefore you had need say upon the hearing of such things as Moses said That you will draw near you will go and pray over these again and beseech the Lord that hee would reveal these things unto you Pray with David O Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law By Law there is meant those things that were revealed in the Word of God and surely upon our hearing what God hath revealed in his Word wee have cause to pray with more earnestnesse Lord open our eyes that wee may see the wonderful things of thy Gospel but mark When Moses drew near Then God spake to him and revealed himself further to him If Moses had stood wondring at this sight and went no further it may bee hee had not had God revealing himself so clearly to him but when hee draws near then God speaks to him So if your hearts bee taken with what you hear of this wonderful Saviour and then you draw near and take pains in your closets by meditation and prayer to see what is the meaning of this wonder Why Lord shall I hear of such things and not understand them they are things that do nearly concern mee and shall I not understand them If you labour to draw near God will speak and reveal further of his mind to you But further of
this Text in the Ephesians Wee must labour to comprehend the heights and depths and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge You wiâ—l say these are too wonderful things for us to know Nay The Apostle praies that they may know that which passeth knowledge Though the fulnesse of the glory of it passeth all knowledge yet still there may bee so much of the knowledge of these things as may help you to sanctifie Gods Name and make your hearts spiritual for saith the Text That yee may know the love of God which passeth knowledge that yee might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God It is a very strange phrase for the creature to bee filled with God and had wee it not in Scripture wee should not have dared to have used such an expression But here it is to bee filled with all the fulnesse of God This phrase is a great deal higher but how comes this to passe by comprehending the height and depth and length and breadth that is by understanding Jesus Christ and the Glory of God in him by this means doth the soul come to bee filled with all the fulnesse of God What is the reason that Christians are so empty in their spirits in their conversations but because they know so little of the Mystery of the Gospel If thou didst but understand the Mystery of the Gospel but how the Lord makes known himself in the face of Jesus Christ this would fill thy heart with all the fulnesse of God those Christians are the Christians filled with excellency indeed that do comprehend the height and depth and length and breadth of this wonderful work of God in Christ There is nothing sanctifies the heart so much as the knowledge of Christ in a right way Seneca hath such an expression concerning the Heavens Oh the Heavens are a wonderful spectacle and a spectacle fit for a reasonable creature to bee imployed about Though wee should get little benefit by knowing the Motions of the Heavens the Sun Moon and Stars yet the beauty and excellency that is there and the wonderful work of God in the Heavens it cannot but take a rational creature Now if the wonderful work of God in the Heavens bee such as it must needs take a rational creature Oh what is the wonderful work of God in Jesus Christ therefore let us make it the chief of our study to study the Lord Jesus Luther hath an expression to the same purpose O saith hee I vehemently I extreamly am displeased with my self and displease my self yea saith hee I hate my self because I cannot get that great benefit that great work that there is in mans Redemption because I cannot get it to bee transfused into my very bones and marrow I would fain get it in there Saint Paul in Gal. 1.15 16. said hee was separated from his Mothers womb and called by Grace and had Christ revealed in him O blessed is that soul that the Lord hath separated for himself that Jesus Christ might bee revealed in it that is a blessed soul You know how Paul accounted the knowledge of Christ The excellent knowledge the excellencie of knowledge and accounted all things dung and drosse in comparison and so David in Psal 119.27 Make mee to understand the way of thy Precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works When you come together you can bee talking of this News and the other News but were your hearts filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ you could not but talk of the wonderful things that God hath done for your souls in Jesus Christ And as wee are to labour to search that wee may know more so to give God the praise of this his wonder that hee hath done In Psal 107.8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for the wonderful things that hee hath done for the children of men It is meant there I confesse of the wonderful works of Gods providence but surely if God bee to bee praised and magnified for his wonderful works of providence much more for the wonderful works that hee hath done for the soul in Jesus Christ And so in Psal 86.9 10. You have an expression there to the same purpose All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall gloâ—ifie thy Name for thou art great and dost wondrous things Oh that this Scripture were fulfilled that all Nations might come and worship the Lord and glorifie God upon this ground because God is great and doth wonderful things The wonderful things of God in his works of Creation and Providence are nothing so much regarded of God himself as the wonderful things hee hath done in Christ and therefore the Lord expects that the Saints should glorifie him more for that than for any thing else And the truth is God reâ—ects all the glory that hee hath from his creatures except hee hath it because of the wonders that hee hath done in his Son And as wee should study Christ and praise and bless God and have our hearts enlarged for Jesus Christ So this is the duty of beleevers to whom God hath revealed Christ as wonderful that in their conversations they should hold out the wonderful Glory of Jesus Christ thou shouldest so walk before men as to manifest to all the world that thy Saviour is a wonderful Saviour And thou shouldest manifest it by thy wonderful change that soul that hath part in Christ whose Name is wonderful honours Christ in this If hee doth manifest that since hee came to know Jesus Christ there is a wonderful change made in him what a change is there made in this youth or childe young-man or neighbour or friend Not long since what an ignorant sot was hee but since hee went to hear the Word Oh the understanding in a little time that such a one hath got in the Mysteries of the Gospel such a one was not able to go into Gods presence to expresse himself in prayer any otherwise but upon a book but now Oh what a spirit of prayer hath God given to such a poor wretch that was so ignorant the other day Now O how can hee pour out his soul before the Lord Such a one that not long since was a prophane and loose liver and sensual and base in his life and conversation now oh how holy how heavenly how spiritual and would not commit the lest known sin if hee might gain a thousand worlds for it such a one that was false in his service before now how trusty one may trust ones life and all that one hath with him now such a one that heretofore was a swearer oh how doth hee reverence the Name of God! such a one that was a froward passionate spirited man or woman now how meek and gentle are they what a mighty change is there in the spirit of such a servant or wife or husband or neighbour And such a one that was altogether for himself and proud and haughty but now
end Use last Minde that serious question What you shall do to bee saved 299 Object But wee must inquire after all truth Answer Yes but seasonably and in its due time 300 301 Rules about our inquiring how to be saved ib. 1 Do it timely 2 Do it earnestly 202 3 Do it sincerely 4 Do it constantly 203 Reasons why wee should thus inquire ib. Because 1 By nature wee are in a lost condition 2 Salvation is a difficult thing 3 There are but few that shall bee saved ib. The true Question of what wee should do to bee saved Answered 306 1 If you would have your souls saved joyn with God in what hee hath revealed to you concerni g your own condition ib. 2 Break off the acts of thy sin at least 308 309 Wherein is shewed the reason of this Rule 3 Take off your heart as much as you can from the world 310 4 Acquaint thy self with the mysteries of the Gospel ib. Quest What is there in the Gospel and Covenant of Grace wee must inform our selves of 311 Answ 1 Informing our selves of the necessity of satisfaction to Divine Justice ib. 2 Of a necessity of peâ—fect Righteousness 3 Of an absolute necessity of the application of Christs Righteousness 313 4 Of the necessity of Regeneration ib. 5 The fear of God must bee mighty and strong upon your spirits 314 6 Attend upon those means that God hath appointed to save your souls 317 Quest Can wee do any thing towards the working our own salvation Answered 317 318 319 7 Take heed of resting upon false hopes of thy salvation 320 Question What are those hopes Answer 321 1 Such hopes as are not Scripture-hopes 2 Such as are not wrought by the â—pirit 323 3 Such as are not lively hopes 324 4 Such as are not purging hopes 325 Next thing is by laying the foundation sure of salvation Where that Question is answered what it is 328 9 Keep thy soul under the authority of the word 331 2 The authority of conscience 332 10 Take heed of sinning against the price of thy soul against the good of the Covenant and against mercy 333 334 335 11 Take heed of sinning against the Spirit of Grace 336 12 Account the preciousness of the time of your lives to consist in this that it is a day of salvation 337 13 And lastly Bee sure to go with those that go in the streightest and in the safest way 337 338 339 The last thing treats of the transcendency of the Souls loss above the worlds gains 340 Sheweth Three things that may help a natural man to see the things of the world to bee as nothing ib. 1 If God wound his conscience and terrifie him 2 When God laies his hand upon him in afflicting of him 3 Even strength of Reason 343 As 1 Though thou shouldest gain the world and yet bee a man like to perish at last thou hast gotten but little ib. 2 Hee is never a whit the better for any thing in the w rld 346 3 All these are things beneath the soul 347 348 4 They are such things as God hath denied to the choicest of his servants 349 5 They may stand with Gods eternal hatred of his creature 350 6 They have no real good in them ib. 7 There is nothing that can satisfie the heart 352 8 What ever a wicked man hath of the world hee hath it without God ib. 9 All these things turn upon a wheel of uncertainty 353 354 Use It shews us not to envy at the prosperity of the wicked 357 2 Let all those that seek the world in those waies wherein they are like to lose their souls think upon this truth 360 The Souls Excellency The Worlds Vanity 3 It shews the way to answer all Temptations 365 By thus comparing the World with the Soul 365 4 And lastly Incouragement to those that will rather venture all in the waies of God than to hazard their Souls Mr. BVRROVGHS on the BEATITUDES The First SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul I Have endeavoured to shew somewhat unto you about the Excellency of the Name of God and likewise the Excellency of Jesus Christ and what hee is that so you might have right apprehensions of God and Christ Now in the third place I shall desire to shew you somewhat about the Excellency of your own Souls And to that end attend to Matth. 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul The Text. or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul OUr Saviour going himself to suffer tells his Disciples what they must expect in the following of him Vers 24. If any man will come after mee let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow mee These are the tearms saith Christ upon which you must follow mee you must bee willing to deny your selves and to take up your cross to suffer hard things if you follow mee Christ would have his Disciples know the worst at first and not please themselves in a fools Paradise thinking that by following of him they should get great matters to themselves in the world no saith hee expect no such matter but deny your selves and take up my cross But this may seem to bee hard it may bee our cross may bee the loss of all the loss of our lives and must wee take up that yes saith Christ in the verse before my Text bee not solicitous what your cross is like to bee onely bee willing to take it up And the truth is the more willing you are to take it up the better will it bee for you and you will get nothing by seeking to shift for your selves For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it Vers 25. It may bee when you meet with sufferings in the world you will think to shift this way or that way but you will get nothing If you would save your lives by forsaking the truth it is the onely way to lose your lives But if you bee willing to lose your lives for my truth you shall save them or what if by forsaking mee and my truth when you meet with suffering you should save your lives and your estates and live bravely in the world do you think you are any gainers by this you are infinitly mistaken If you cast up the account you will finde that you have gotten nothing all For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul And thus you see how the words come in These words that I have read unto you are of exceeding serious consideration And indeed they should bee as Thunder in every mans ears Some Scripture that a Minister may preach on may concern some particular person in a Congregation more than others But here is a Text concerns every one that hath a soul Man and woman high and
many ignorant people that pervert the Word to their own destruction If God bee not merciful to them therefore why should wee pray or read or hear or use any means let us lay aside all wee can do nothing wee are dead in sins and the like Now wee are to know that though nothing can bee done by us till God bring us into a state of grace and salvation that is acceptable so as certainly shall bring us to Heaven yet if it bee but that that shall stop us in the contrary way a little it is worth our labour If it be but that that any way may tend towards the bringing of us unto any means that may do us good why it is worth our labour and all our pains but especially if wee consider this that though wee are not able to do that that shall save us yet God is pleased often to convey his strength to those hee doth intend to save through the use of those means rather at that time when they do improve their natural abilities than at that time when they sit idle and do nothing and therefore you must bee up and bee doing Wee read in the Gospel concerning the young man that I told you came to Christ and inquired what hee should do for eternal life Christ profest to him that hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven hee was not so far as others It is true if a man abuses his doing and rests in his doing that sets him as far from the Kingdome of Heaven as prophane ones and therefore Publicans and Harlots may enter into the Kingdome of Heaven as soon as Scribes and Pharisees But there may bee many actions done by a common assistance of Gods Spirit that may bring some nearer to the Kingdome of Heaven than others and the denial of such a thing as that is would bee an extream boldness in any for they are the very words of Christ to the young man That hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven and therefore notwithstanding your inability and notwithstanding the things that wee do are not the things that save us yet wee have ground enough to put on men and women to do Now the meaning of this great question is this What is the way that God ordinarily takes to bring men and women to salvation by or how should I follow God on in his way that is a certain truth of the Antients Though God made thee without thee yet hee will not save thee without thee God works upon us as upon rational creatures and therefore it doth concern all the children of men that would have their souls saved to observe the work of God and to stir up what is in them to joyn with the work of God in the way of salvation and certainly whatever conceits there are to the contrary they are not onely foolish but extream dangerous and Satans policy and cunning is exceedingly much seen in them A further thing that I would premise before I come to particulars is this when I speak of any thing that should bee done I prescribe no particular order knowing that the works of God are various And sometimes God stirs up a soul to do one thing and sometimes to do another thing but take them in what order you will yet wee must name them for memory sake in some order and God expects them from you and you are to joyn with God in those works if you would have your souls to bee saved The great Question of what wee should do to bee saved answered First If you would have your souls saved do you joyn with God in what hee hath revealed to you concerning your lost condition labouring to understand those truths clearly that are delivered in the Word concerning the lost condition of souls by nature and to work those truths upon your hearts to bee sensible of them Those whom God intends to save hee shews unto them what this salvation is hee shews them from what it is they are to bee saved that so they may not run away vvith the meer word Salvation and saving of souls now God reveals this in his Word and when hee intends to save a soul hee doth by his Spirit stir it up to joyn with the Word of God and work those things upon its self so as to bee made sensible of them As thus the soul being solicitous how it should come to bee saved it searches the Scripture and there it findes how wee are by nature the children of wrath there it findes that God had made man according to his own Image at first but man hath sinned against God and broken the covenant upon which his eternal state did depend and in the sin of the first man all men have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God and now are conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity so that there is a most dreadful breach between God and the soul and that man by nature is become an enemy to the Infinite God That now hee hath the seeds of all kind of sin in him and that all his life while hee continues in his natural estate here is nothing else but a fighting against God a flying in the very face of God Hee findes that by sin hee is brought under a most dreadful curse the curse of the Law and that hee is bound over by the bonds of the Law even to death to eternal death as the wages of sin these things the soul findes in Scripture now if thou wouldest bee saved when thou findest God revealing such things labour thorowly to convince thy soul of the truth of them and are these things so indeed is this my condition am I thus and thus naturally Oh what good then will it do to mee to have all the world and bee in such a condition as this is Oh my soul when wert thou sensible of this condition dost thou walk as it becomes one that is sensible of such a lost estate as this is Oh! labour to drink in these truths and to work them upon thy heart and cry to God to set them home upon thy spirit to make thy soul thorowly sensible of them as hee uses to make those whom hee hath a purpose to save Here 's the first thing And yet one thing about this further is That you must come to a conviction not onely of your lost estate but of your inability to save your selves and the inability that there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth to save them that thy fall from God is so dreadful that all the created power in Heaven and Earth cannot help thee yea and that thou thy self now art unable to help thy self to save thy soul bee convinc'd thorowly of this This was the way that Christ took with the young man hee tells him of the Law first and then afterwards because hee was conceited that hee had fulfilled the Law and done it Christ puts him upon a duty that might convince him
of the Scripture how doth the hopes of those that shall bee saved arise Why they rise thus either by reading or hearing something out of the Word of God and God darting some light some truths into their souls through his Word they come to receive it and there it lies working in them till at length their souls relish it and they taste the sweetness of the Word and come to have comfort in it and so through patience and comfort of the Scriptures their hope comes to bee raised the Scripture in raising hopes first it works patience it usually beats down the soul first and speaks hard things to it and the soul that God over-powers to himself it is willing to lye under the power of the Scripture and bee patient notwithstanding the Scripture doth reveal such hard things and puts it upon never such hard duties the heart I say yeelds to it and at length the soul comes to finde sweetness out of the Scripture and so hopes comes to bee raised that is the soul sees some eternal truth out of the Word of God the truth of God himself that is eternal a divine truth that it dares venture its eternal estate upon and upon this it doth raise its hope it is able to give an account from some place of the Scripture upon what grounds it doth hope I hope that God will shew mercy to mee and save my soul in the day of Christ will some say I but what ground have you for your hopes Now if your hopes bee right then there is somewhat in this Book of God to bee shewed as the ground of this and indeed you can have but little comfort of your hopes except you bee able to hold forth some Scripture of other upon which you build your hopes for when you say you hope you may not mean that you think and aâ—e perswaded that it is so but what Scripture have you for iâ—â—â— you will say what Scriptures have any to ground their hopâ—s of salvation upon what Scriptures a great many I will give you but this one that many have to ground their hopeâ— upon Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Upon this now saith a soul that God brings to himself What doâ—h God say in his Word that word upon which my soul stands and must bee cast one day for eternity that those that are in Christ Jesus shall never bee condemned I but who are they such as walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit such as the bent of whose hearts and the indeavours of whose souls are not after fleshly things the comforts of this world but after spiritual things such whom the Lord hath made to be sensible of spiritual things and such as the Lord doth act and guide by his holy Spirit in their waies and conversations God saith such shall never be condemned then upon this I will build my hopes for I feel that the Lord hath been pleased to work so on mee as to bring mee to Jesus Christ to see him to close with him and to relye upon him and I feel the fruit of the Spirit of Christ in mee that whereas before I walked after the flesh and spiritual things I did not savour now I finde that the lusts of the flesh are mortified and I should wrong the grace of God if I should deny the actings and the guidings of the Spirit in my soul and therefore I will build my hopes and rest upon this Scripture And the more any soul rests upon any Scripture if it rests truly the more shall it finde the power of that Scripture upon it Therefore you shall know the difference between an hypocrites resting upon Scripture and one that rests through the work of Gods Grace an Hypocrite rests upon such a Scripture and conceits that his heart is according to the Scripture but now hee doth not finde that the more hee rests the more his heart is wrought upon by the Scripture and daily grows to bee liker and liker to the Scripture to come nearer and nearer to what is required in the Scripture but now when a gracious heart doth rest upon Scripture it findes that daily it doth grow nearer and nearer to the Scripture and that works daily more and more upon it and indeed this is the way to grow in sanctification and to make our hearts like to the Scriptures Fall upon several places and let your souls rest upon them for eternity and so you will finde your hearts to grow more and more like to those Scriptures and the power of those Scriptures will appear more and more in your hearts and conversations This is the way of the Saints that have hopes to bee saved Secondly Again those hopes that are to be rased are hopes that are not wrought in the soul by the power of the Holy Ghost in the forenamed Chapter The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost That hope that is right for salvation is such a hope as is wrought through the power of the Holy Ghost Now then that hope that is in men and women which is born with them and hath lived with them all their daies that springs from the root of nature for so that that is born with us and grows up with us all the daies of our lives I say it springs from a root of nature and so the hopes of most people they are no other but such as springs from a root of nature come from one to another and ask them do you think to bee saved I I hope so how long have you hoped so ever since I can remember I thank God I I thought so it is a hope that springs out of the root of nature and therefore you have had it alwaies whereas the true hope of the godly for salvation it is a hope wrought in their hearts by the Almighty power of the Holy Ghost And I appeal to you now what Almighty power of the Holy Ghost have you felt in your hearts to raise up those hopes that you have in you For certainly the grace of hope hath a difficulty in it as well as any grace whatsoever now all people almost finde an easiness in that but here the Scripture makes it to bee the glory of the Holy Ghost to raise hopes in any creature therefore those hopes that arise from a root of nature that are not wrought by an Almighty power of the Holy Ghost in the heart must bee rased down Do but put your souls to this question I have hopes to bee saved but Lord how are they wrought what power of the Holy Ghost hath been in my heart to raise these hopes Suppose there were no Holy Ghost as they said in the Acts that they had not so much as heard whether there were any Holy Ghost or no
the fire burning I and if God should have said thus unto us from Heaven wee had all cause to have fallen upon our faces and have blessed God for his mercy towards us but now God doth not require any such thing as this at your hands but requires the abandoning of your lusts and the attending upon him in his Ordinances and hee requires the keeping of your souls under his Word and Conscience and the following of the motions of his Spirit and the beleeving in his Son such things as these the Lord requires upon which your souls may eternally bee saved and will not you accept well that soul that God intends to save hee will perswade and the Lord perswade your souls in these things that so you may bee saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ The Tenth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matthew 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul NOw then having done with that point wee are to come to the last thing That as the loss is great as in all the respects I opened so it is such that suppose a man to have gained the whole world in a way of the loss of his soul yet that gain will never recompence it Job 27.8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite though hee hath gained when God takes away his soul There are some men that seek the world and yet lose both the world and their souls they neither gain the world nor their own souls and some there are that do gain the world and their souls both But there is no necessary connexion between either gaining the world or losing ones soul or losing the world and gaining the soul but one may bee severed from the other But suppose God should let a man gain what hee will though many men seek for gain by sinful waies and God crosses them in it they have not their gain and yet they are damned eternally for seeking gain but suppose a man had gotten all the world as hee would desire and yet this man wicked and losing his soul hee is a most miserable man Now this is the thing that I have to do to shew unto you what a poor gain a man hath that is wicked though hee hath got the world when hee hath cast up all his reckonings it may bee said of him as wee usually say of men that have got little They may put all their gain in their eye and never see the worse So certainly if thou hast sought after gain in this world in such a way as thou hast not provided for thine own soul when thou comest to summe up all thine accounts thou wilt see that very little is got There are many waies whereby a man may come to see all the glory in the world to bee but darkness By seeing the glory of God the glory of Christ and the infinite consequence of an eternal estate those three things make the spiritual man to look upon all the glittering vanities of this world but as meer darkness and as nothing But now there bee three other things that may help a natural man to see the things of the world to bee as nothing and the gains of it to bee very poor gain I mean one that is not sanctified that hath no grace The first is If God do but please to wound his conscience and terrifie him hee will see all things to bee poor things indeed Or secondly When God laies his hand upon him in afflicting of him upon his sick-bed or upon his death-bed It is reported of Musculus that when hee lay upon his death-bed and his friends coming about him and seeing what a poor condition hee was in that had been an eminent worthy Instrument of God and an excellent Preacher in his time and they mourning for the sad condition they saw him to bee in O quid sumus say they as hee lay in his bed hee over-heard them Fumus said hee that is O what are wee smoak Many a carnal man in the time of his sickness and apprehension of death will say that all this world it is as nothing A third thing that may make even a carnal heart to see all the things of this world to bee as nothing It is strength of Reason though there should not bee terrour of conscience nor any afflictions yet strength of reason may discover the gain of this world to bee as nothing in comparing of it unto the soul and this strength of reason God is pleased sometimes to sanctifie by his Spirit when it is helped by the Word by the sanctified reason that there is in the Word I say when it is helped by that then God blesses it so as to work off the heart from the world to the things that concern the everlasting good of the soul And it is that that I shall speak to at this time to convince you what a poor thing the gain of the world is even by strength of reason and yet such reason as is founded upon the Scripture I have already shewn you the things that may make a spiritual heart see a vanity in all things in the world as the excellency of God and of Christ and the consequences of eternity Now the other two terrour of conscience and afflictions they are Gods work and God when hee pleaseth to shew the vanity of the World â—oth ordinarily bring them upon the creature but now for the third way of God to discover to the creature by the sanctified saving work of his Spirit the vanity of all things I shall indeavour to shew it you by strength of Argument and Reason out of the Word As First Surely though thou shouldest gain the world and yet bee a man that art like to perish at last thou hast gotten but little and it appears first in this that all those that ever came to have true wisdome and that are in Scripture commended for men of true wisdome they have lookt upon all the things of the world as very poor things First What do you think of him that was the wisest man upon Earth meer man even Solomon that had the greatest experience that ever man had of what good the honours or pleasures or profits of the world could do and yet after all his experience see his testimony of all in Eccles 1.2 Vanity of vanity saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanity Observe these five things in it First The things of this world are not onely vain but vanity in the abstract Secondly They are an excessive vanity vanity of vanities Thirdly A heap of vanity vanity of vanities Fourthly All is vanity Fifthly Hee adds his name to this Saith the Preacher Now the word that is translated here Preacher in the Hebrew as those that know the tongue know it signifies one gathered and it is in the feminine gender and so some think it notes the soul of Solomon that gathered wisdome after hee had
lest hee should have his portion in these outward things and here should bee all hee breaks forth in this expression fearing lest God should give him his portion here I did saith hee protest to God with all my power and strength that hee should not put mee off so with these things hee would not bee content with them that is the first Use Little cause to envy at the men of the world for the truth is it is but a poor pittance they have and they have made a most miserable bargain If you should see one that professes himself to be a Merchant and hee should venture many thousand pounds but bring home nothing but a fair painted bauble for children to play with would you envy it to him Just thus it is with the men of the world they flatter and please themselves with their baubles but their souls are gone in the mean time Secondly Wherefore in the second place let all those that do seek to get the world in those waies wherein they are like to lose their souls let them lay this Scripture to heart and O that God would settle it upon their spirits that you might when you awake in the night season think of it when you walk up and down when you are in your shops in your business think but of this Text I remember I told you in the beginning of one that counselled one of the Kings of Portugal to think of this Text a quarter of an hour every day O that you would every time you awake especially you that have been seeking after much of the world think seriously of this Scripture Am not I the man or woman that have hazarded my soul for seeking after somewhat of the world hast thou never sought to gain any thing of the world in a way of sin and to this day thy heart not thorowly humbled for it nor repented it may bee not to this day made restitution hath not the eager pursuit after the things of this world taken thy heart up so much that thou hast not favoured the things of God and eternal life thou lookest upon the things of the world as if they were the onely realities but for spiritual things they are imaginations have not the things of this world so taken up thy spirit as made thee to have sleight thoughts of spiritual and heavenly things hast not thou blest thy self in the injoyment of these things though in the mean time God hath not made known to thee the riches of his Kingdome yet thou hast thought thy self to have enough in the enjoyment of what thou hast hast not thou often when thou hast been at the Word had thy thoughts and spirits about the things of the world as the things suitable to thee but the things of the Word thou hast not relisht yea and any thing in the Word that hath come close to that covetous corruption of thine thy heart hath secretly derided it there are no men in the world that do more secretly condemn and deride the things of God spiritual things than worldly-minded men In Luk. 16.14 wee read that Christ preaching to the Pharisees against their covetousness and telling them That no man could serve two Masters but either hee will hate the one and love the other or else hee will hold to the one and despise the other yee cannot serve God and Mammon saith Christ You cannot think to have your hearts set upon the world and your gain and yet serve the Lord but if your hearts bee set so upon your estates you will make bold with God you will venture upon the waies of sin for the gaining of the things of this world but mark The Pharisees also who were covetous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heard all these things and they derided him the word in the Greek is They blew their noses at him as a man when hee scorns and derides another hee will sâ—ew it by his nose so they in a kinde of speaking in their nose in a jeering scorning way they derided Jesus Christ that talk'd after this fashion What that a man cannot serve God and Mammon too that a man cannot look after the things of the world and the things of God too Carnal hearts they do hear things in Religion as unsavoury things whose hearts are after the things of the world And so not onely for Riches but for thy Credit Hast thou not often ventured to lye to save thy credit in something and hast been more troubled when thou hast been discovered in any thing that makes against thy credit and esteem than in the sin that thou hast committed against God Now by such kinde of evidences it is clear that men injoy the world in such a way as wherein they are like to lose their souls to all eternity and now Oh do but look upon your estates that you have and do but think what they cost you and little comfort you will have in them It is observed of David when hee did long for the waters of the Well of Bethlehem and there were men ventured their lives to get him the water when it came to him hee would not drink of it Oh it is the price of blood so when thou lookest upon thy estate and fittest at thy table and seest that thou hast more there than other men and lookest into thy Chest and there thou hast plenty of Garments and thy children are fine and brave and the like these are pretty things for a while to please the fancy with I but what do they cost as hee that would reckon his cloath hee reckons that the dying and the spinning it cost him so much I but what cost the wooll why that was his own and hee accounted nothing of that So such and such things that thou hast what do they cost they cost thus much and thus much I but hath not thy soul gone into the bargain and canst thou have pleasure in it when it cost thee so dear as it hath Psal 31.6 the spirit of holy David rises up in indignation against such men as these are I have hated them that regard lying vanities My spirit cannot but with indignation and abomination rise up against them what that men should follow after vanity when there are such glorious things to bee followed after when there is the blessed God and the glorious Riches of Grace and Salvation that are revealed in his Word that may take the hearts of the children of men and yet they follow after vain things men that have immortal souls capable of eternal communion with the Lord in the highest Heavens for them to follow after vanity and satisfie themselves in such things I hate them saith David certainly it is the curse of God that is upon the hearts of men that suffers them to follow after such things and especially in the times of the Gospel when such glorious things are revealed to their souls I say the curse of God is upon them Isa 44.20
Collins of Norwich The sum of practical Divinity or the grounds of Religion in a Catechistical way by Master Christopher Love late Minister of the Gospel an useful piece Heaven and Earth shaken a Treatise shewing how Kings and Princes and all other Governments are turned and changed by J. Davis Minister in Dover admirably useful and seriously to be considered in these times The Treasure of the Soul wherein wee are taught by dying to sin to attain to the perfect love of God A Treatise of Contentation fit for these sad and troublesome times by J. Hall Bishop of Norwich Select thoughts or choice helps for a pious Spirit beholding the excellency of her Lord Jesus by J. Hall Bishop of Norwich The holy Order or Fraternity of Mourners in Zion to which is added songs in the night or chearfulness under afflictions by J. Hall Bishop of Norwich The Celestial Lamp enlightning every distressed soul from the depth of everlasting darkness by T. Fetisplace Excellent 〈…〉 Mathematicks Geometry of Arithmetick 〈…〉 â—nd other Arts or Mechanicks The incomparablâ—â—â—â—atise of Tactometria sâ—â— Tetagmenometria or the Geometry of Regulars practically proposed after a new and most expeditious manner together with the Natural or Vulgar by way of Mensural comparison and in the Solids not onely in respect of Magnitude or Demension but also of Gravity or Ponderosity according to any Metal assigned together with useful experiments of Measures and Weights observations on gauging useful for those that are practised in the Art Metricald by T. Wybard Tectonicon shewing the exact measuring of all manner of Land Squares Timber Stones Steeples Pillars Globes as also the making and use of the Carpenters Rule c. fit to be known by all Surveyors Land-meters Joyners Carpenters and Masons by L. Diggs The unparallel'd work for ease and expedition entituled the Exact Surveyor or the whole Art of Surveying of Land shewing how to plot all manner of Grounds whether small Inclosures Champian Plain Wood-lands or Mountains by the plain Table as also how to finde the Area or Content of any Land to Protect Reduce or Divide the same as also to take the Plot or Chart to make a Map of any Mannor whether according to Rathburn or any other eminent Surveyors Method a Book excellently useful for those that sell purchase or are otherwise employed about buildings by J. Eyre The Golden Treatise of Arithmetick Natural and Artificial or Decimals the Theory and Practice united in a sympathetical proportion betwixt Lines and Numbers in their Quantities and Qualities as in respect of Form Figure Magnitude and Affection demonstrated by Geometry illustrated by Calculations and confirmed with variety of Examples in every Species made compendious and easie for Merchants Citizens Sea-men Accomptants c. by Th. Wilsford Corrector of the last Edition of Record Semigraphy or the Art of Short-writing as it hath been proved by many hundreds in the 〈…〉 â—â—â—don and other places by them practised 〈◊〉 â—â—owledged to bee the easiest exactest and swiftest Method the meanest capacity by the help of this Book with a few hours practice may attain to a perfection in this Art by J. Rich Author and Teacher thereof dwelling in Swithins-lane in London Milk for Children a plain and easie Method teaching to read and write usefull for Schools and Families by J. Thomas D. D. The Painting of the Ancients the History of the beginning progress and consummaâ—ing of the practice of that noble Art of Painting by F. Junius Excellent and approved Treatises in Physick Chirurgery and other more familiar Experiments in Cookery Preserving c. Culpeper's Semiatica Vranica his Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the decumbiture of the sick much enlarged the way and manner of finding out the cause change and end of the Disease also whether the sick bee likely to live or die and the time when Recovery or Death is to bee expected according to the judgement of Hyppocrates and Hermes Trismegistus to which is added Mr. Culpeper's censure of Urines Culpeper's last Legacy left to his Wife for the publick good being the choicest and most profitable of those secrets in Physick and Chirurgery which whilest he lived were lockt up in his breast and resolved never to bee published till after his death The Yorkshire Spaw or the virtue and use of that Water in curing of desperate Diseases with directions and rules necessary to bee considered by all that repair thither Most approved Medicines and Remedies for the diseases in the body of man by A. Read Doctour in Physick The Art of simpling an Introduction to the knowledge of gathering of Plants wherein the definitions divisions places descriptions differences names virtues times of gathering temperatures of them are compendiously discoursed of also a discovery of the lesser World by W. Coles Adam in Eden or Natures Paradise the History of Plants Herbs and Flowers with their several original names the places where they grow their descriptions and kindes their times of flourishing and decreasing as also their several signatures anatomical appropriations and particular physical virtues with necessary Observations on the seasons of planting and gathering of our English plants A work admirable useful for Apothecaries Chirurgions and other ingenuous persons who may in this Herbal finde comprized all the English physical Simples that Gerard or Parkinson in their two voluminous Herbals have discoursed of even so as to bee on emergent occasions their own Physicians the Ingredients being to bee had in their own Fields and Gardens published for the general good by W. Coles M. D. The Compleat Midwives practice in the high and weighty concernments of the body of Mankinde the second Edition corrected and enlarged with a full supply of such most useful and admirable secrets which Master Nicholas Culpeper in his brief Treatise and other English Writers in the Art of Midwifry have hitherto wilfully passed by kept close to themselves or wholly omitted by T. Chamberlain M. P. illustrated with Copper-Figures The Queens Closet opened incomparable Secrets in Physick Chirurgery Preserving Candying and Cookery as they were presented to the Queen by the most experienced persons of our times many whereof were honoured with her own practice True History and Divine Poetry The Tears of the Indians the History of the bloody and most cruel proceedings of the Spaniards in the Island of Hispaniola Cuba Jamaica Mexico Peru and other places of the West-Indies in which to the life are discovered the tyrannies of the Spaniards as also the justness of our War so successfully managed against them Harvey's Divine Poems the History of Balaam of Jonah and of St. John the Evangelist Fons Lachrymarum or a Fountain of Tears the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah in Verse with an Elegy on Sir Charles Lucas by J. Quarles The Admirable ingenuous Satyr against Hypocrites Several other accurately ingenuous Treatises lately printed Themis Aurea The Laws of the Fraternity of the Rosie Cross in which the occult Secrets of their Philosophical Notions are brought