humane reason or wisdome without the love of God being in us how could it prove whether wee did love GOD or no if wee could finde out the fallacy of that deceit without love 2. In the 2d of Thessal 2. 10 11. God will send strong delusions that those which love not the truth be they never so learned shall not be able to know it for if so be it were said they should professe lyes it might be that they knew the truth though they professed the contrary but it is said they beleeved lyes Our saviour gives this reason why hee would manifest himselfe to his Disciples and not to the world viz. because the world did not love him John 14. 22 23. For none will unbosome himselfe unto an Enemy nor mayst thou think to master God by thy Learning and know him whether he will or no for God must manifest himselfe or else thou canst never know him and he will not manifest himselfe to thee except thou love him though thou beest never so learned or great a Politician Mat. 11. 25. For you must understand it is not a speculative knowledge but a knowledge of acquaintance So in that sense is that saying of our Saviour verified Matth. 7. 23. And this knowledge of God is not got by study but by prayer and meditation by an inward strict communion with God and the friends of God the Saints but especially with Christ the Son of God for he is the expresse image of God the Father c. Can we be acquainted with a man whether he will or no nor can we be throughly acquainted with a wise holy man that is we cannot know his wisdome and holinesse without much observing and pondering his words and actions nor can we much observe and be acquainted with any with whom wee do not dwell and have private Conference Thou mayst know God to discourse of him and to write learned tracts yet if thou art not acquainted with God at the last day God will not know thee Therefore be much with God and to that purpose I have one humble and earnest request to you though I need not be very earnest to obtaine so small one it is that you would spend an hour every day in prayer meditation and searching out the inward spirituall corruptions of your owne heart and an impartiall examining what interest you have in Christ and such like spirituall exercises do not you say How can you prove that we are bound to spend one hour every day For 1. Suppose God when you goe to prayers should answer you so How can you prove that I am bound to give you such a mercy Thou mayst cause God to carry himselfe as froward by this froward answer for it is said With the froward he will shew frowardnesse 2. How wilt thou spend eternity in the admirings adoreings and praysings of God if an hour spent so is now so irksome to thee how shall it then be thine Heaven if it be now thine hell 3. Is it a friendly answer If a friend should come to desire a courtesie of you do you so answer him how can you prove that I am bound to do it 4. Consider This is the question of a slave to ask What must I do but the question of a friend and a child is What may I doe to please my Father or my friend 5. Keepe this answer untill the World or the Flesh come unto thee give this answer to those thine enemies and not to thy God 6. Dost thou stand out Shall the great and holy God be ready and willing to meet thee and have communion with thee as often and as long as thou pleasest and shalt thou refuse It should be his part one would think to be hard to be intreatted not thine Shall he account it his riches to bestow mercies on thee and thou account it thy trouble to receive them 7. Do but doe that which thou art bound to do viz. Love God with all thy soul with all thy minde and with all thy strength and then thou wilt ask not Why so much but Why no more And indeed when once thou hast found the sweetnesse and profit thouthy self wilt not onely continue but increase these holy duties and that is the reason why I propose no more time because I suppose this being spiritually spent more will follow of it self David wisheth us to taste and see how gracious the Lord is not because he would not have us feed on him but because if wee once taste how good he is hee supposeth it needless to wish us to feed on him 8. if thy friend comes to visit thee thou wilt afford him an hour with thanks he comes in his own name but I come unto thee in my fathers desiring thee to afford God as much if thou deniest that saying of our Saviour belongs unto thee John 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not if another come in his owne name him ye will receive To conclude I desire to speak one word more as to humane Learning which I account of singular use for the understandiug of the word of God and have doted on it as much as any and love it still as much as I dare for I account the love of it dangerous the use of it very advantageous and could I set down how far I have gone in it with the same spirit that Saint Paul doth set down Phil. 3. his excellencies in leg all priviledges and righteousnesse I would but I account it safer for me to be thought wholly ignorant then to venture priding my self of that small knowledge I have yet thus much I conceive of humane Learning that besides the incertainty of it there are many inconveniences incident to it 1. Our thoughts are wholly taken up with it when wee are studying of it which are not necessarily so in other employments for one may buy and sell and yet have our mindes often upon GOD even in the very midst of those employments 2. Men generally judge of the truths and wayes of Gods Worship according to that way of Learning wherein they excell Those who excell in the Fathers and Church Histories are subject to admit of the Truths and Wayes of GOD's Worship because they are attested and warranted by them Those who most excell in Phylosophy and Schoole Divinity they make Reason the touchstone to try even Gospell truths by yet I doe much esteem of these Egyptian Jewells so wee make not an Idoll of them and fall downe and worship them 3. And lastly I finde it as hard a thing to deny humane Learning as to get it Moses is much to be admired who being brought up in all the Learning of the Egyptians yet preached so plainely as you may see in Deuteronomy and Paul who preached so very plaine that his adversaries objected it against him Consider what is said and the Lord give you understanding in all things Your Servant in the Lord THOMAS WHITE A
the sins of the wicked there is a book of remembrance writ of all thy good words and there is a bottle to bottle up all thy teares now how easie is it for thee to cast into this treasury a thousand holy thoughts a day to what a numberlesse number would they arise to in few years and by these not any businesse is hindred thou mayest ride thou mayest eat and drink thou mayest sell and buy thou mayest walk for all them now if every holy thought do adde something to thy grace here and to thy glory hereafter and since they do not hinder but sweeten and sanctifie all imployments why doest thou not treasure up these against the day of the Lord 5. Consid. Fifthly Consider seriously the excellencies of the Scriptures for we are not sensible enough of their worth nor do we firmly nor feelingly enough believe that they are the Word of God Suppose that by some infallible arguments it might be demonstrated that there were a Prophet now in England with what extraordinary care and observation would you observe his words that he spake in the Name of the Lord if when thou werâ— pouring out thy soul before God humbly begging of him that he would discover to thee more the things that belong to thy peace and thou shouldest have an Angel from Heaven coming unto thee as one did to Cornelius or that our Saviour should himselfe speak to thee from Heaven as he did to Paul when thou shalt say as he did Lord what would'st thou have me to do With what reverence and attention would'st thou observe and what obedience to a tittle would'st thou give to such Messages Wouldest thou not mark every word and every syllable and wouldest not vary from them one jot Well thou shouldest give no lesse reverence nor obedience unto the Word of God then unto them If thy friend speaks to thee or writes to thee so thou art sure that it is his hand they are both of equal authority with thee and why should not the word of God immediately spoken from Heaven or written be so too of equall authority with thee to have an Angel from heaven to tel thee what thou should'st do is a stronger temptation to pride but there is no more of reality in it to move thee to obedience then there is in the written word nay may I not say lesse for the word of God is the rule by which we must judg their Messages and not their Messages the rule by which we must judg the Word of God for if an Angel from Heaven should preach another doctrine let him be accursed Now there is no reason thou believing the Bible to be the Word of God which we all professe but thou shouldest with as much care endeavour to understand and practise what therein is written If wee will do but as Luther did that hee might understand Rom. 3. 25 26. fast and pray when wee finde any place of Scripture too difficult to be understood or when we found our corruptions so strong that wee obeyed not when it is understood If wee sought the Lord by prayer and fasting a duty generally neglected and by some condemned though by the Apostles commended and practised surely wee should both understand more of the minde of God and live more sutable to what what wee know 6. Considerat Sixthly Consider that howsoever we esteem it it matters not without question the enjoyment of God is infinite happinesse for doe but truly and really consider wherein doth the happinesse of Angels consist Doth it not consist in the vision fruition and union with God Is not God their all and shall he not be ours when we come thither How comes it to passe that it is not so now Nay it is so but how comes it to passe that it is not so to us Either the Angels are deceived in making of it their happinesse or wee must be deceived in not making of it ours we cannot have the face to say That if the Angels knew what pleasure there were in eating and drinking and other vain and wicked pleasures of the word they would never spend their eternity in singing the praises in beholding the face and admiring the excellency of God yet though we are ashamed to say thus yet by our lives we generally hold forth this blasphemy and proclaime it to the whole world nay let me raise this one step higher the blessednesse of God wherein doth it consist the creature is not his happinesse but himselfe and if God be enough for himselfe shall be not be enough for thee of dust and ashes his enjoyment of himself is his happinesse how comes it to passe that it is not thine God doth command invite thee entreat thee to enjoy him nay indeed what is it that God requires of thee but this even to admire love and enjoy him in the secret of thy soul thou wilt not thou preferrest every trifle before him thou wilt go and see a carnall friend for carnall ends rather then spend thy time in the enjoyment of him who is the praise and above the praise of men and Angels to all eternity pray to him who onely can discover his love and excellencies to thee that he would make thee taste of this hidden Manna that he would draw away the vail before thine eyes that thou mayst be no longer ignorant of this truth that he would purge out those corruptions out of thy heart that thou mayst relish and experiment the sweetnesse of it 7. Consid. Seventhly Consider that we have three enemies the world the flesh and the Divel Consider this I say fully and feelingly for few there are that live so much as a tittle of this truth or who lives as if the World was his implacable enemie for do we not generally into all our actions put something of that poysonous ingredient viz. a desire to please men and to get their good word and will Wee ought not to scandalize any one as much as in us lies we ought to be all things to all men but it is that we may gain them to God not to our selves If this truth was ingraven on our hearts That it is as possible to go to heaven and please the Divel as go to heaven and please the world I say if we were fully perswaded in our hearts of that Truth we would neither wonder the World hates us nor endeavour that it should love us we should not endeavour nor cast away our pains to do that which is absolutely impossible So then if we resolve to be Christians wee must neither fear nor care what the World can say of or do unto us And we should in all our actions of Religion not so much as once bring it into our consideration to think what men will say or do unto us if we do so or so except it be by their dislike to help our selves to know what is right for though it is not an absolute rule yet it is a generall
and of things he delights not in and for his advise in spirituall matters it must needs be very imperfect for thousand cases may happen of which books speak nothing and having no other way to understand them and direct thee he will be at a losse as one that travels by a Map and hath no other way to guide himselfe he will meet with many turnings that put him to a non-plus which way to take whereas he that hath often travelled that way is a farr safer guide the truth is we have no knowledge of God or no saving knowledge of him but what is by experience To conclude therefore if thou wilt choose a spiritual friend choose such an one as magnifies Christ and the spirit of God and his teachings and the word of God and inward mortifications above outward and that is an experienced wise and humble Christian and thou shalt get a world of good by the converse of such an one for in doubts his wisdom and experience wil direct thee in thy distresses hee will comfort thee when thou art spiritually cold his example and carriage in the performance of holy duties his discourses of heavenly things and the flames of his love wil set thee on fire 3. Adv The third is diurnal examination every night strictly to examine what thou hast done that day we read of God himselfe that every day he looked over his works surely God hath no need to examine his works but it is writ for our instruction and doubtlesse the benefit and necessity of this examination are very great First We should find out our sins before they come to be customary when they are but a day old and before they have taken root in us and so they will easily be pull'd up and by faith repentance prayer and resolutions against them we shall easily get the victory over them and through the help of God who makes us more then conquerours it is very likely by the blessing of God if David had not neglected the examining of his soul that day when he defiled Bathsheba he would have discovered that abomination and he would never have gone fo farre as to have added bloud and the rest of his abominations to his uncleannesse and he would have watered hâ—s couch with his teares which he had defiled with his adultery The second advantage is that we shall never lie in any sin unrepented of and there be many other inconveniences besides bringing it to a custome that come by sin lying on our souls unrepented of for it deads our prayers cools our love hardens our heart makes us that we cannot come to God with that joy with that freedome of spirit as when one hath done ones friend an injury one is loth to see him The third advantage is by dividing this great work of giving up our account and making all even betwixt God and our selves the work will be very easie which if we shall not doe it but at our death or only yearly it would be exceeding difficult and almost impossible as if some Merchant who had very great trading should ballast his accounts of debts receipts of disbursements c. but once in seven years it would be an intollerable burden besides many things would be forgotten whereas it being done daily his accounts are perfected with more ease and fewer defaults The fourth advantage is that at thy death thou wilt have a world of comfort by taking this course for besides thou art eased of that burthen of having all the accounts of thy life to make up then thou hast a clear way to answer Satan when he shall lay to thy charge any sins of thy former life for if he shall accuse thee and say do'st not thou remember that such a year and such a day thou didst commit such a sin thou mayest answer him and say it is true that such a day I did commit such a sin but then that very night I mourned for it and went not to bed before I had my pardon sealed with the bloud of Christ to my soul and when Satan shall not be able to lay to thy charge any debt of which thou hast not had an accquittance nor any sin for which thou hast not had a pardon from the Lord such fiery darts will have no power to wound thee and this examination thou mayest make thus Consider all the severall hours of the day and how thou hast spent them when thou didst first awake what didst thou think of when thou wert asleep and thoughtest not of thy selfe God thought on thee and thou wert safe under the shadow of his wings When I awake thou art with me sayes David was not God with David when he was asleep yes surely for his being with him when he was awake shewed that he was there before for it is not said When I awake thou comest to me but art with me Well but what are thy thoughts when thou first wakest are they of God or of the World Thou shalt much discover the temper of thy heart by this those that are our very familiar acquaintance we suffer them to come into our chamber before we are up surely God is a stranger to thee if thou thinkest not of him nor seekest him on thy bed then as the Apostle sayes If the first fruits are holy the whole lump is holy so generally as thy first thoughts are such art thou all the day after in the morning thou sayest it will be foule weather sayes our Saviour for the skie is red and lowring so we may say of the day in respect of spirituall matters if thy morning thoughts be red and lowring it will be foule weather in thy soule that day and when thou readest over thy diary thou shalt finde that those dayes when that thy waking and morning thoughts were full of God that all the duties of that day whether of thy generall or particulat calling were full of God also Well what didst thou think of afterwards didst thou keep thy thoughts close to God untill thy morning exercise didst thou dresse thy soul as thou didst dresse thy body Well after that what didst thou doe such an hour and such and hour c Or to help thee in this duty something more examine at night thy works words thoughts what they were every houre of the day For thy works consider what thy religious works the works of thy particular calling and thy recreations were For thy prayers hast thou not oomitted thy seven times a day if thou hast attained with David to that number or how often soever thy set times are hast thou not omitted them for I dare not discourage any one in observing set times as if that could not be don lawfully Wel how hast thou prayed hast thou performed that duty as a task or as a means hast thou bound up thy devotion to such a number of times of going to God or hast thou given God those prayers as a composition or as the rent of
place of Scripture are obvious in another Secondly Because when the braine is much imployed the heart lyes dead without affections Thirdly Because that time thou spendest in finding out curious observations may be farre more profitably spent in working thy heart to holy affections and resolutions from some other truth that will presently occur from the words Lastly It shewes that there is not so great spirituall hunger after righteousness as there should be for hungry men do not use to stand and pick bones when they have meat enough to eat Seventhly When thou hast raised any observation from the words then thou art to put one of these three questions to thy selfe Do I thus Is it thus with me and believe I thus One or two or all of these will belong to every Text some to all and all to some as Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good will to give you the Kingdom Do I thus that is for the first branch Fear not do I fear Then Is it thus with me am I little in mine own eyes am I one of Christ's flock am I one of that small number that shall be saved Lastly Do I believe this that God will give the Kingdom of Heaven to such Eighthly If thou doest find that thou art doest or believest as the Word requires give God the praise humbly acknowledging that it is not thy doing at all either that thou art or doest or believest what thou shouldest and if thou findest that thou pridest thy selfe in stead of being thankfull as if they were from thy selfe or that by any of them as thine act thou mayest be justified then doe but think in how many other things thou failest and how even in these very particulars if thou considerest either the measure manner ground and end thou shalt find them all to be defective and thy best righteousnesse not onely to be ragged but filthy too Ninthly If thou findest that either it is not with thee or that thou dost not or beleevest not as the Word requires then First Humble thy self before the Lord and desire pardon and help for the future Secondly Seriously consider what is the reason if it be that thou beleevest not why thou art not established in that truth say to thy self O my soul God can neither be deceived nor deceive and that this is his word that we now read and meditate on is more certain then any reason that can possibly be brought against it consider that generally the howe 's and whyes of Gods truths and works are the things that stumble us as how can there be three persons and yet but one God and why should God hate Esau and love Jacob in those cases say to thy selfe that for the whys and howe 's of Gods word and truths it is curiosity and pride to enquire of them except God does reveal them and we ought to mortifie our desire of knowing them as that of our Saviour takes place in this case Blessed are they that beleeve and see not Thirdly Think with thy self if thou canst remember any other place or places that confirms the truth that thou doubts of Fourthly Know that that which thou art mainly to enquire of is of the meaning of the Word of God not of the truth of it for we are seriously to consider whether such a place holds forth such a point not it appearing to be the plaine meaning of the Text whether it be true or no if it be a thing that thou doest not which thou shouldst do or doest which thou shouldst not do then seriously consider what are the reasons and grounds of thy disobedience and thou shalt find them to be either the pleasure profit or honour of the world and say alas O my soul can we be so deceived as to be put off with vanities such as by experience we have known to be vanities and by faith much more Shall we leave an Heaven of joys the God of mercies shall we leave Christ who hath so loved us that he left all even the bosome of his Father and emptied himself of all his glory and filled himselfe with our misery shall we leave all these for these vanities which we must leave and will leave us Consider the impediments that hinder thee from doing thy duty consider the temptations and occasions of thy sin consider the means and motives to avoyd it remove the impediments avoyd the occasions use the means and think of the motives to do that which the Lord commandeth but thou must neither think to find out these nor to use the means or avoyd the occasions c. without imploring humbly and earnestly the direction and assistance of the Spirit of God to assist and direct thee in the premisses for you must know that you must find out and use spirituall Motives or else thy very avoyding of sin is sin when it is done upon carnall grounds or sinfull motives Tenthly When thou hast finished all thy Meditations First Thou art to entreat the Lord that hee would work all these truths upon thy heart and fasten them as a nail in a sure place that his Word may not be a dry brest unto thee nor thou a barren wildernesse unto it Secondly Thou art to blesse God for any spirituall frame of heart that is either wrought or discovered in thee by this Exercise Lastly Chuse some speciall truth or point in which thou are either most defective or wherein thou hast found most relish which thou hast most occasion to make use of that day and keep it by thee to think of and do as those that walk in a garden of fragrant flowers if one may have leave generally hee takes some along with him to smell to the rest of the day do thou binde up some spirituall truths out of thy Meditation and do likewise Last Adv. The last great Advice and that which must serve for an Antidote lest all the other Cautions and Advices being observed they should be turned into poyson to us is that we should often meditate and never be satisfied in our souls until we come to a cleer Gospel experimental knowledg of Christ without which indeed we are not worthy of the name of Christians for are wee not call'd Christians from the very name And doubtles if we have not a right knowledg of Christ we shall make up a Christ to our selves of our prayers and fastings and almes and repentance and woe be to that soul that at the last day shall have nothing to trust to but his graces and duties which will accuse him in stead of pleading his cause and two things especially we should endeavour to know of Christ first the excellency of the person and mysteries of Christ Secondly the love of Christ First For the excellency of his person though to say he was both God and man is indeed to include all yet some few things I shall speak to manifest this point First That all his people do receive