Spirit in him poured out in the Name of Christ and according to his will for being truly sensible of his sins and wants â—e chiefly prayes for the pardon of sinne the effusion of grace and for the assistance of Gods Spirit that he may more firmly beleeve more soundly repent more zealously do more patiently suffer and more constantly persevere in the practice and profession of every duty Nor does he for the most part fall into prayer without meditation and preparation nor utter words without devâ—â—on and affection nor without some assurance and perswasion that God will hear and grant his requests yea he mostly takes noâ—ice of his enlargements in prayer and of the successe afterwards and is accordingly thankfull or humbled not that he measureth Gods hearing his suit by his present answer or his present answer by his own sense he will pray at least in some poor measure at all times striving against deadnesse of spirit and distractions as an heavy burthen 2. He hears the Word with attention mindes observes and remembers it carefully receives and applies whatsoever precept or promise is spoken out of the Word as spoken by God to himself in particular is astonished at the â—eepnesse of Gods wisedom power and goodnesse seriously meditating upon the the Nature Attributes Word and Works of God he layes it up in his heart ponders on it in his mind and practiseth it in his life neither will he approach unto the Lords Table without due examination and preparation 3. He is enligtned with the saving knowledge and hid things of the Gospel and to see truth from error good from evil together with his own wretched nesle by sinne and the riches of Gods free grace and mercy in Christ towards his own soul he is not ignorant of the Principles of Religion as most aged people are but is able and ready to give a reason of the hope that is in him 4. He loves and longs after a powerfull and searching Ministry above all earthly treasures as finding a greater necessity of spirituall then corporall food and therefore will take any pains or be at any cost or suffer any disgrace to injoy it 5. He is never offended at any wholsome truth be it never so untoothsome but affects that Ministry most which most layes open and rebukes his own sinne even therefore coming to the light that his deeds may be made manifest When he hears his own sins spoken against he does not apply the same unto others as is the manner of too many nor is he wise to defend the evil he does but loves to be admonished nor will he after warning and conviction from the Word go on in an evil way because his principall care is to be saved 6. He will not mock his admonisher scoff at the means to be saved nor make himself merry with his own damnation as the desperately wicked do He turns not his back upon any truth nor flies from any instruction he hateth not the light yea he loves that Minister best that most makes manifest the secrets of his heart as knowing that God is in him of a truth He will not refuse a Pardon because he dislikes the Messenger Indeed he least regards those Ministers that the world admires as well weighing what St Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 4. They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of errour ver. 5 6. 7. He will not plead against God nor ask a reason of his actions if he meets with hard Scriptures he runs not into errour not is offended but suspends his judgement and blames his own blindnes you may know him from an unbeleever by this he is wise to defend the truth when he hears it spoken against but never argues against it whereas the unbeleever being prompted by Satan can most subtilly argue against the truth though he hath not a word to speak for it yea he thinks it religion enough if he can but dispute against the religious which is a manifest signe of a wicked man Briefly he neither carps nor frets against a faithfull Minister nor seeks to intrap him or pervert what he delivers but prayes for him and is ready to speak in his defence 8. He hath an high estimation of the Ministers and means by which he was converted and findes more sweetnesse in the Gospel then in any thing else in the world 9. Spirituall judgements as a famine of the Word the blindnesse of mens mindes hardnesse of their hearts c. he accounts more wofull then any judgement the world can be sensible of 10. He is not of a reprobate judgement in thinking good evil and evil good neither hath he a base esteem of Gods people and their wayes as it fares with our scoffing adversaries who look upon zeal and holinesse with the devils spectacles nor so farre from being holy himself that he hates holinesse in others or so stupidly sottish as the rude rabble who will profesâ—e that they love Christ yet hate all such as any way resemble him He will take heed of persecuting the godly either with hand or tongue and as he will not condemn the jâ—st so he will not justifie the wicked nor favour them 11. He is so farre from taking offence when none is given that he will not be offended when offences come as at the scandalous lives of professors or at the multitude of heresies that are daily broached though they grieve his very soul but when strange things happen he makes a wholsome construction thereof CHAP. V. 1. HE prayes for the enlargement and rejoyces at the progresse of the Gospel and in the common good of the Church and so at the graces or good successe of any member in particular and will be some way instrumentall for Christ praying for and earnestly desiring the salvation of others and likewise endeavouring to win all he can to Christ rejoycing no lesse when any good thing is done by others then if himself did it He highly respects all such as any way promote the Gospel and is thankfull to them 2. He is willing to be at cost to serve the Lord will freely administer carnall things where he partaketh of spirituall things and counts the same as a due not as a benevolence yea he thinks it most just that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel and that as freely as men of other Callings which signe or character shews a world of men that professe themselves Christians to be but counterfeits 3. He beleeves impartially the whole Word of God threats and precepts as well as promises and things above the reach of reason as well as what experience hath made plain to him he feels the power and efficacy of Gods Word and Spirit perswading his conscience that his sins are pardoned in Christ and he in
prophane and vain bablings all foolish and unlearned questions which are endlesse all strife about words which is to no profit all Jewish fables and commandments of men and genealogies which breed vain janglings rather then godly edification which is by faith all brawlings and contentions about the Law as being unprofitable and vain He will not be spoyled through Philosophy or great shewes of learning He doteth not about froward disputations and things that ingender unto more ungodlinesse as well knowing that the words of these false Apostles and teachers of lyes fret like a Canker poyson mens judgements and pervert their simple and superstitious hearers but rather studies to have a good conscience and faith unfained Whereas it is the portion of all rotten hearted and hypocriticall Professors to be given up ro errour and to beleeve lyes In brief he will entertain nothing which is contrary to wholsome Doctrine and nâ—t according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God Yea if there be any that erre concerning the truth or having a shew of gâ—dlinesse deny the power of it he turns away from such Again he is not for Paul nor Apollos nor Câ—phas but for all that bring the Word for their warrant And those who will not suffer wholsome Doctrine but having their ears itching do after their own lusts get them an heap of Teachers turning their ears from the truth being given unto fables are farre from being of his minde He is none of those that creep into housâ—s and lead captive simple women laden with sins and led away with divers lusts that subvert whole families by walking in craftinesse and handling the Word deceitfully and that teach things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake even delighting themselves in their deceivings that beguile unstable souls by promising them liberty and are themselves the servants of corruption being men of câ—rrupt mindes that resist the truth and are reprobate concerning the faith He will reject him that is an Heretick after once or twice admonition knowing that he who is such is perverted and sinneth being damned of his own self He is no causer of division or dissention in the Church CHAP. XIV 1. BUt he wins many to the truth for he is charitable wisâ—es all good and happy like himself and accordingly proves a means of bringing many to Heaven and that two wayes First whereas others by their evil example are a means to destroy many he by his good example is a means to save many For he is upright and sincere hearted to God and man He is none of those that professe God with their words and with their works deny him He is not double-tongued but as he thinks in his heart so he speaks with his mouth and as he is led by his conscience so his conscience is led by truth In fine he is known from another man only by the holinesse and uprightnesse of his life and conversation Yea all may read in his life that he beleeves in his heart and are forced to say This is a good God whose servant is so good or This is a good holy and operative Religion that this changes and transforms men into new Creatures For his life is like a precious and sweet perfume whose savour spreads it self and is pleasant to all that come near Yea he sowes those good works that remain to posterity and are reaped by succession and he shall be happy in making others so But secondly as the wicked draw all they can to Hell by their allurements and subtill perswasions so he drawes all he can to Heaven by his admonitions and sweet compellations He loves the soul of his Neighbour and therefore he will tell him of his faults and the Judgements of God due unto the same Yea rather then let one go headlong to destruction he will violently pluck him out of the fire for he hath not only zeal but courage to do good tâ— he is not lukewarm nor will he suffer discretion to eat up his devotion as it fares with common professors For he had rather hazzard the censure of some then hindeâ— the good of others Yea rather then be guilty of other mens sins by his cowardly silence he can afford to be despised and thought out of his wits by the world reputed a fool and pointed at in the streets For he prefers Gods favour before all the worlds and his glory before his own credit Not that he wants wit or deserves contempt for his zeal is mixed with discretion and he makes knowledge the pilot of his devotion but his love to God is such as he cannot bear with them that are evil His righteous soul is vexed with seeing and hearing the uncleanly conversation of their unlawfull deeds Yea it cuts his very heart to hear Christ so wounded with oathes blasphemies and reproaches who is the life of his life and soul of his soul And his love to sinners also for his zeal against them is a sweet compound of love and anger for though he hates the vices of a wicked man yet he loves his person he can chide him sharply and yet at the same time pray for him heartily Whereby he not seldom saveâ— his brother for he findes favour in the sight of God and prevails with him for things hard to be obtained As when â—tevens prayer prevailed for persecuting Paul and our Saviours prayer for his murtherers 2. He hath low and mean thoughts of himself therefore the Lord makes him excell and shews his strength by him He abhors to think himself better then others because God blesseth him more with outward blessings or hath bestowed more inward gifts and graces upon him then upon others well knowing that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble He is not lifted up nor cast down with mens flatteries or slanders He forgets his good deeds and therefore God remembers them he remembers his evil deeds therefore God forgets them He is not envious nor given to striâ—e but of a meek and quiet spirit peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated He affects rather plainnesse then pomp and will rather refuse places of honour then eagerly pursue after them He never stands so secure but he will take heed least he fall and prefers an humble fear before a presumptuous confidence He makes conscience of small sins least they should prove wedges to greater When he is tempted to evil the fear of God keeps him innocent And it is alwaiâ—â— in his minde that God seeth all things and is ever beholding him He will neither deny nor deminish nor justifie his sinne nor shift it off to others If he havâ— falne inâ—o an evil he will beware of doing it the second time well knowing that there is no laying hold of the Promises without making conscience of and obeying the Precepts CHAP. XV 1. SO you have in part seen how he loves and fears and serves the Lord and seeks his glâ—ry and the good of others but which is
like the needle touched with the loadstone which ever stands quivering and trembling untill it enjoyes the full and direct aspect of the Northern pole But more particularly 5. How does the assurance of the pardon of sinne alone clear and calm all storms of the mind making any condition comfortable and the worst and greatest misery to be no misery To be delivered of a Child is no small joy to the mother but to be delivered from sin is a far greater joy to the soul But to this we may adde the joy of the Holy Ghost and the peace of conscience otherwise called the peace of God which passeth all understanding These are priviledges that make Paul happier in his chain of Iron then Agrippa in his chain of gold and Peter more merry under stripes then Caiaphaâ— upon the Iudgement seat And Stephen the like under that shower of stones Pleasures are ours if we be Christs Whence those expressionâ— of the Holy Ghost The Lord hath done great things for us wheâ—â—of we rejoyce Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Let all that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them even shout for joy Rejoyce evermore and again I say rejoyce rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience Your hearts shall rejoyce and your Ioy shall no man take from you c. So that it is a shame for the faithfull not to be joyful and they sin if they rejoyce not whatever their condition be The Eunuch no sooner felt the pardon of sin upon his being baptized into the faith of Christ but he went on his way rejoycing Act. 8. 39. He then found more sollid joy then ever he had done in his riches honours and great Places under Candises Queen of the Ethiopians At the same time when the Disciples were persecuted they are said to be filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost Act. 13. 52. And as their afflictions do abound so their consolation abounds also 2 Cor. 1. 5. For theâ—e are comforts that will support and refresh a Child of God in the veâ—y midst of the flames as the Martyrs found for mauger all their persecutors could do their peace and joy did exceed their pain as many of them manifested to all that saw them suffer 6. Now as the Priests of Mercury when they eat their figgs and honey cryed out O how sweet is truth so if the worst of a Believers life in this world be so sweet how sweet shall his life be in that Heavenly Ierusalem and holy City where God himself dwelleth And where we shall reign with Christ our Bridegroom and be the Lambs wife which City is of pure gold like unto clear glasse the walls of Iasper having twelve foundations garnished with all manner of pretious stones the first foundation being Iasper the second Saphir the third a Calsedony the fourth an Emerald the fifth a Sardonix the sixth a Sardius the seventh a Chrisolite the eight a Beril the ninth a Topas the tenth a Chrisophrasus the eleventh a Iacinth the twelâ—th an Amathist having twelve Gates of twelve pearls the street thereof of pure gold as it were transparant glasse In the midst of which City is a pure River of the water of life clear as Christal and of either side the Tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits yeelding her fruit every moneth the leaves whereof serve to heal the Nations Where is the Throne of God and of the Lambe whom we his servants shall for ever serve and see his face and have his Name written in our foreheads And there shall be no night neither is there need of the sun neither of the noon to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Into which nothing that defileth shall enter but they alone which are written in the Lambes Book of life As is exprest Revel. 21. 22. Chapters The holy Ghost speaking after the manner of men and according to our slender capacity for otherwise no words can in any measure expresse the transcendency of that place of pleasure Only here we have a taste or earnest penny one drop of those divine dainties of those spiritual supernatural and divine pleasures reserved for the Citizens of that Heavenly Ierusalem some small smack whereof we have even in the barren desert of this perilous peregrination God letting out as it were a certain kind of Manna which in some sort refresheth his thirsty people in this wildernesse as with most sweet honey or water distilled from out the Rock As what else are those Jubilees of the heart those secret and inward joyes which proceed from a good conscience grounded upon a confident hope of future salvation As what else do these great clusters of grapes signifie but the fertility of the future Land of Promise 7. True it is none can know the spiritual joy and comfort of a Christian but he that lives the life of a Christian Joh. 7. 17. as none could learn the Virgins song but they that sang it Rev. 14. 3. No man can know the peace of a good conscience but he that keeps a good conscience no man knowes the hid manna and white stone with a new name written in it but they that receive the same Rev. 2. 17. The world can see a Christians outside but the raptures of his soul the ravishing delights of the inward man and joy of his spirit for the remission of his sins and the infusion of grace with such like spiritual priviledges more glorious then the States of Kingdomes are as a covered messe to men of the world But I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted the powers of the world to come To him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost in whose soul the light of grace shines whether his whole life be not a perpetual halelujah in comparison of his natural condition Whether he finds not his joy to be like the joy of Harvest or as men rejoyee when they divide a spoyl Isa. 9. 3. Whether he finds not more joy in goodnesse then worldlings can do when their wheat wine and oyl aboundeth Psal. 4. 7. 53. 17. Yea he can speak it out of experience that as in prophane joy even in laughter the heart is sorrowful so in godly sorrow even in weeping the heart is light and cheerful The face may be pale yet the heart may be calm and quiet So S. Paul as sorrowing and yet alwaies rejoycing 2 Cor. 6. 10. Our cheeks may run down with teaâ—es and yet our mouthes sing forth praises And so on the contrary Where O God there wants thy grace Mirth is onely in the face 2 Cor. 5. 12. Well may a carelesse worlding laugh more as what will sooner make a man laugh then a
of money and their hearts to be riveted to the earth to be so inslaved to their lust to make gold their god and commodity the stern of their consciences For else the one would fly from present sinful pleasures with as great zeal as now they seek after them Neither would the other like Iudas sell Christ for thirty pence who is not to be valued with many millions of worlds did they but seriously think of those treasures of wisdom and riches Col. 2. 3. that will never fade those comforts that are everlasting They would not be such fooles as to better their estates by making themselves worse nor impoverish their soules to inrich their bodies Much lesse would they sell both soul and body to purchase a great estate which when gotten they have not power to partake of For such is their sottishnesse they never think that dear which stands them in no lesse price then their own soules For in them is that fulfilled Nihil cuique se vilius the vilest basest and cheapest thing we have we hold our selves 15. Yet no wonder for this is the misery that notwithstanding God hath set life and death Heaven and Hell before us and given us our choyce Offering Heaven to all that will confide in serve and obey him threatned Hell in case we forsake him to serve sin and Satan few men have faith to believe either Yea being fleshly not having the spirit they can believe nothing but that they are led to by sense Otherwise did men but really believe either of these they would not instead of obeying Christs Gospel make the World only their god and pleasure or profit alone their Religion Men fear a Iayl more then they fear Hell and stand more upon their silver or sides smarting then upon their soules and regard more the blasts of mens breath then the fire of Gods wrath and tremble more at the thought of a Sergeant or Baily then of Satan and everlasting perdition Else they would not be hired with all the worlds wealth multiplyed as many times as there be sands on the Sea shore to hazard in the least the losse of those everlasting joyes before spoken of Or to purchase and plunge themselves into those caselesse and everlasting flames of fire and brimstone in Hell there to try body and soul where shall be an inumerable company of devils and damned spirits to affright and torment them but not one to comfort or pity them 16. But O the madnesse of these men that cannot be hired to hold their finger for one minute in the weak flame of a farthing Candle and yet for trifles will plunge themselves body and soul into those endlesse and infinitely scorching flames of Hell fire If a King but threatens a Malefactour to the Dungeon to the Rack to the wheel his bones tremble a terrible palsie runs through all his joynts but let God threaten the unsufferable tortures of burning Topheth we stand unmoved undaunted And what makes the difference the one we believe as present the other is as they think uncertain and long before it comes if ever it do come Otherwise it could not be since the soul of all sufferings are the sufferings of the soul Since as painted fire is to material such is material to Hell fire And yet if fire be but cryed in the streets we run and bestir our selves how to quench it or at least how to avoid it O that men would believe the God of truth that cannot lye touching spiritual and eternal things but as they do these temporary and transitory O that thou who art the sacred Monarch of this mighty frame wouldest give them hearts to believe at least thus much That things themselves are in the invisible World in the World visible but their shadowes onely And that whatsoever wicked men injoy here it is but as in a dream their plenty is but like a drop of pleasure before a River of sorrow and displeasure And whatsoever the godly feel but as a drop of misery before a River of mercy and glory That though thou the great and just Iudge of all the world comest slowly to Judgment yet thou wilt come surely As the Clock comes slowly and by minutes to the sâ—râ—ak yet it strikes at last That those are onely true riches which being once had can never be lost That Heaven is a Treasure worthy our hearts a purchase worth our lives That when all is done how to be saved is the best plot That there is not mention of one in the whole Bible that ever sinned without repentance but he was punished without mercy For then there would not be a Fornicator or Prophane person as Esau who for a portion of meat sold his inheritance Heb. 12. 16. Then they would not be of the number of those that so doted upon purchases and Farmes and Oxen that they made light of going to the Lords Supper Luke 14. 18 19 20. Nor of the Gadarens mind who preferred their Hogs before Christ Then would they know it better to want all things then that one needful thing whereas now they desire all other things and neglect that one thing which is so needful They would hold it far better and in good sadnesse to be saved with a few as Noah war in the Ark then in good fellowship with the multitude to be drowned in sin and damned for company Nor would they think it any disparagement to their wisdomes to change their minds and be of another judgment to what they are 17. Wherefore my Brethren let me beseech you not to be such Atheists and fooles as to fall into hell before you will fear it when by fearing it you may avoid it and by neglecting it you cannot but fall into it What though it be usual with men to have no sense of their souls till they must leave their bodies yet do not you therefore leap into Hell to keep them company But be perswaded to bethink your selves now rather then when it will be too late when the Draw-Bridge will be taken up and when it will vex every vein of your hearts that you had no more care of your soules CHAP. XXII 1. FOurthly and lastly these things being so how doth it concern all to see that they are Believers Wouldest thou then have it fare so with thee Wouldest thou have thy very poysons turned into cordials thy terrours changed into pleasures and thy greatest evils made beneficial unto thee Wouldest thou be loosed from the chains of thy sins and delivered from the chains of plagues Wouldest thou have the same Christ with his precious Blood to free thee that shall with his Word sentence others As who would not except Satan hath strangely bewitcht him If thou wouldest I say then learn of this Believer imitate him in what hath been declared and what I shall further rehearse touching his knowledge belief and life for I have onely brake the thred of my Discourse to let in this use in way of