tryed the Experiment of all things Sublunary that they are but vexation of Spirit and a very Vanity And will a man fill his Belly with the East-wind The most refined Spirits and artificial Extracts of natures fullness hath no more fitness and congruity to satisfy a Soul than Chaff or Sand hath to nourish a humane Body Nor did Nebuchadnezar eat Grass with the Oxen until his heart was made like the Beasts Moreover the Glory of all things transitory hath not the Civility to see the Soul to its rest But serve it like wicked Companions who have debauched a man all the day and leave him to dry a Kennel at night O when the Soul shall run out into Eternity and Death shall draw the Courtain upon all things Worldly Then it shall be seen that the things that are seen are but Temporal And then if the Soul would return to call but for a cup of cold water of all its sensual Pleasures it cannot have passage For there is a great Gulf fixed betwixt So that they who would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence Luk. 16. 26 To close this consideration Remember that the wise God called him a fool a great fool a rich fool Who for that his Barns were full would say to his Soul Soul thou hast much good laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry Luke 12. 19 20. But O! the revenue of Godliness God and the Light of his countenance Christ and his Merits the Holy Ghost with his Comforts and Graces the Justification of Faith the Peace of God the Joy of the Holy Ghost the hope of Glory are things of great Beauty to please our Souls withall 3. The Consolations Joyes Pleasures and Delights of Godliness are the choicest of any For however as the Proverb is a small thing will make fool fain and as little makes him sad Yet the Delights of a Wise-man are such as are the things he delighteth in Ps. 4. 7. Thou thorough the light of by countenance hast put gladness in my Heart more â—â—an in the time when their Corn and their Wine inâ—eased O Lord I am as far above the envy of the ungodly as they are below mine The Worlds great prejudice against Godliness is that they fancy it an unpleasant thing void of delight But â—â—tum est in organo And no doubt if men found that delight in Holiness which they do in wickedness we should quickly have the World a Proâ—lyte to Godliness O then that my Words were weighed and that the World would give me a air hearing but in this one consideration no doubt I had then gained Delight is a very alluring thing and trahit sua quemque voluptas every one follows whither his I leasure and Delight â—ads him Nor is it any wonder that so it be â—r Delight and Pleasure is the very flower and â—ossome of Happiness the accomplishment and â—st act of Blessedness differing from Vertue and Godliness as the Flourish from the Tree the Rose â—â—m the Bush. The Scripture placeth the Saints â—lessedness both in the Estate of Grace and Glory Pleasure and Delight That Delight is a mans â—lessedness in the state of Grace see the Command Psal. 37. 4. the Promise Isai. 64 5. the â—â—ints professed practice of whom Christ is the chief and chiefly meant Psal. 40. 8. The Motive given by the Spirit of God Prov. 3. 17. And that Delight hath the same place in Glory if any that have heard of such a thing as Heaven did ever once doubt of it it is more than clear from Psal. 16. 11 Revel 21. 4. with many the like places If men knew to do the Epicureans right in their opinion of Felicity and could speak as Philosophers and not as taunting Satyricks I could rather be than be called an Epicurean For Imperious custom even like Diotrephes who in all things loveth the preheminency hath usurped sofar upon the World that she prevaileth equally in mens Words and practices calling things as she lists Whence a sensual Sow wallowing in the mire of Lust must bear the name of an Epicurean whercas in Truth an Epicurean is no other than a man placeing Happiness in rational Pleasures and intellectual Delights worthy of men Even as I according to the Scripture have placed it in those Delights that are Spiritual and becoming a Saint The cutting off of a Member deserves not the name of a Cure but is the Uncomfortable result of the desperate wits of Extremity and Necessity in a deplorable Case and an expedient intending the preservation of the whole with the loss of the part For better it is to go to Heaven with one Eye Hand or Foot than to be cast into Hell with two The Stoical Apathetick method if the Stoick be not as much wronged as the Epicurean is but a pitiful cutting at best a curb no wayes a Cure of a corrupt World A man will suffer much before he suffer the loss of his Limbs and he hath wrought but an undesirable Cure that by cutting off of a Member hath made a man creple or maim The World will want much before they want their Pleasures and Delights And indeed who would choose to be miserable Wherefore the only expedient method in this case will be diversion whereby men may save their Members the World may enjoy Delights and Pleasures for measure as much greater as for quality better than formerly in their courses of Iniquity only they must not run any more in the Channel of Sensuality but in the vein of Religion and Spirituality Consider then the Delights and Pleasures of Godliness and then let reason say who hath the sweetest Life the Saint or the Bruit 1. For their nature they are unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. the Word is significant in its own Language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a glorifyed â—oy a very Heaven upon Earth A Joy of the same Nature though not to the same degree with that in Heaven The Saints Delights in Earth are a cup of the same Wine for kind which they shall drink in the Kingdom of their Father though it be not of so high a colour nor of so rich a relish to us here in the Cellar as it is to them at the Kings Table Holiness is much mistaken in the World and so is Heaven and Happiness which is no other than the top and upper â—nd of Holiness or Holiness in its Holy-dayes Cloathes If men would consider this I suppose some should be as afraid of Heaven as they are of Holiness Yea I am really of the mind if God should open a door in Heaven to a Prophane Liver and say Come up hither that he should not dare to enter The Beauty and Light of that Glory so contrary to Darkness would dazle and confound and utterly undoe him If a man should be permitted yea commanded to throw himself into a burning Fiery Furnace like that of
mend Why then sayes Eliphaz he doth marvelous things Yea but God's wonders are not his every-dayes work but they are a few rare pieces of his kindness shewed to eminent Saints and great favourities And we are not obliged to expect wonders Yet I hope you are obliged to believe Gods word that he doth such things and those too without number and you are obliged to obey Gods voice to seek unto him and unto him to commit your cause and you are obliged to give God his own latitude and as well not to limit him if he will do wonders as not to tempt him to wait for wonders And Psal. 88. 10. wilt thou shew wonders to the dead makes it clear that God will turn the course of nature upside down and make the World Reel as we see Psal. 18. at length And will do wonders to purpose that even the dead shall be witnesses of before that his beloved be not delivered Now to descend into the particular grounds of the cures of Saints cases were to go through all the Attributes of God all the offices of Christ all the promises of the Gospel and Articles of the Covenant of Grace which are the substantial Lincaments of that well contrived piece the Word of God which is so well illumnated with the lively colours of examples sufficient and those so well mixed and so justly distinguished one having what another wants and the other having what it wanted and wanting what it had that it speaks the finger of God to have done it and leaves a defiance to nature and Art once to come near it In the Fourth place I offer this to be considered by the Soul distempered that is like to fall unkind with the Word of God thorow an apprehension That all the threatnings of the Word are directly against it That all the most peremptory and seere threatnings of the Word are to be understood and qualified with the exception of Repentance This is clear 1. from Christs express Word Luke 13. 3. 5. except ye repent ye shall all perish â—â— from the account of events wherein we see â—â—at the most peremptory threatnings have been â—iverted and their execution prevented by Repentance witness with many others the cases of Hezekiah and the Ninevits 3. From the exhortations and Expostulations annexed to â—reatnings with a Solemn Declaration of the â—ords Gracious dislike of mens Misery whereof â—e Scripture is full In a word the humble peniâ—â—nt is worse Feared than hurt with threatnings And even as a plentiful rain quenches thunders alwayes the violence of Storms and Tempests and â—oth tempers and calms the Air So the Tears of â—odly Repentance compose the Thunder-and â—eather-beaten Soul that is tossed with the Temâ—ests of Thundering threatnings In the 32 Psalm â—ere was a great Storme in Davia's Conscience He â—ared all day long c. But a free work of sincere repentance Calmes all and leavs the Soul quiet â—â—d serene David takes a House upon his head refuges himself in God by faith and then let it â—t the unhappiest Thou art my hiding place thou â—â—t preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass â—e about with Songs of deliverance Selah Verse 7. By this time I hope it doth in some measure â—â—pear that the Scriptures are not wanting in the performance of all offices of kindness that can Rationally be required in the most unpromising cases And that they are much to be blamed who upon any of the foresaid pretences would pick quarrel against the Scriptures But such deal not fairly neither are their wayes equal and I may we say to them is this your kindness to your freind sure the Scriptures have not deserved any such service of your hands Now to the Soul that would keep up kindness with the Scriptures and so would be mighty in the Scriptures I leave these Directions in shâ—â— words 1. Acquaint thy self with the whole Scripture and all Scripture both in its letter and meaning for that is to know the Scriptures Otherway it is but an unknown Tongue to him that is â—â—naquainted either with the phrase or meaning of iâ— The Soul that is thus acquainted with all Scriptures if one Scripture bind it another will loose iâ— if one wound it another will heal it if one caâ— it down another will comfort it 2. Be a careful keeper of the word of God iâ— practice David felt and every Soul that had their Senses exercised will feel their Affection to and proficiency in the Scriptures grow according to their practice of the Scriptures Psal. 1 9. 5 This I had because I kept thy Precepts And Christ teacheth plainly that he that is a doer of the will of God is fairest to know the Doctrine that is of God I know no such way to be a good Scholar as to be a good Christian. 3. Intertain the Spirit of God if you would â—ave either comfort or profit of the word Isai 59 1. the Spirit and the Word are promised together â—ohn 6. 63. Christ tells us that his Words are spirit â—â—d life 1 Cor. 2 10. and foreward it is the Spirit that doth all by the Word and 1. Iohn 2 27. â—â— is the anointing that teacheth all things One â—yes well of Paul's Epistles that no man can understand them without Paul's Spirit And so may be â—â—id of all Scripture Sight is as needful as light â—s blind men might judge of Colours And if the â—pirit were not as needful as the Word of Faith â—en blind sense and hasty unbelief would not and to say that all men are Lyars and that God's Truth failes for ever The material Doctrines â—nd objective Revelations of the Word and Spirit â—e ever the same And a Spirit clashing with the Word is surely a Ghost and an evil Spirit But â—â—e Word and Spirit in the conveyance and deliver of the self-same Revelations are oftimes sepaâ—t in their influences for sometimes the Word â—â—mes alone without the Spirit to those who have â—es and see not c. Sometimes again the Spirit â—â—mes with a discovery of the same Truth that in the Word without the help of the Word as Infants deaf Persons and even others at age â—â—d having the use of their ears but being not â—ell versed in the Scriptures yet desiring to how and do the will of God are oftimes no â—oubt by a secret immediate instinct of the Spirit God without the actual remembrance and â—â—lp of the Word of God taught and instructed acccording to the Word for God leads the blind by a way that they know not And the Apostle 1 Pet 3. 1. tells us that some men at age by good example may be won without the Word Why then may not the Spirit of God do what the example of a Christian woman can do But that it concerns all that would converse comfortable with the Scriptures to call the Spirit of God to their assistance is manifest from this That therâ— are many and those the most concerning Questions that fall
that make the true use of every dispensation that it requires that lament when the Lord Mournes that dance when he Pipes that tremble when he Roares that hearken when he teaches that answer when he calls and thus every Godly Soul is an Eccho to the voice of God The spirit says come and the Bride says come The Lord says return and the sinner says behod we come He says seek ye my face and the Soul says thy face will I seek O Lord. But as Christ says it is only he that hath an ear who will hear and as the Prophet Micah says it is only the man of wisdom that will see Gods name and hear the Rod. And I take him to have a bad ear and little skill in discerning voices that cannot give the Tune of God's present dispensations to his People in these Nations But it will appertain to the answer of the next question to give the particular notes of this tune and to hold forth the proper uses of present dispensations to the Church and Saints of God The 2d Question proponed was how are we to observe the Works and dispensations of God To the Question I answer that we are to observe the dispensations of God 1. with selfdenyal and humble diffidence of our own wisdom and understanding There is 1. so much of mystery in thâ— dispensations of God Verily thou art a good that hâ—est thy self O God the Saviour of Israel Isai 42 15 And 2dly So many even good observers Godly men have verily mistaken so far in their apprehensions of Divine dispensations Witness Job and his freinds who darkned counsel by words without knowledge Iob 38. 2. and 42 3. whereupon the Lord poses â—ob in the former place and which he freely confesses in the latter That it is needful in this point if in any to hearken to instruction Prov 3 5 7. lean not to thine own understanding be no wise in thine own eyes Humble David though wise David who for his discerning was as an Angel â—â— God 2 Sam 14. 17. would not exercise himself â—â— matter too high for him Psal 131 1. whereof the dispensations of God are a high part which hâ— acknowledges to be too hard for him to understand Psal. 73. 16. And his Son Solomon whose wisdom is so renowned taxes all rash and unadvised inquiry into the works of God Eccles. 7 10. There is no safe nor true discovery of the Works of God but through the prospect of his Word Psaâ— 73. 17. We must â—o to the sanctuary with Gods Works the Word will let us see that wicked men are seâ— upon slippery places even when they seem to stand surest Psal. 73. 18. And when their roots are wrapped about the earth and they see the place oâ— Stones while they lean upon their House and holy it fast While they are in their greenness they are cut down and as the rush they wither before any other herb Iob. 8. 11. and foreward Yea whilst the Saints look not upon their own state and Gods dispensations to them according to the Word they are ready to mistake right far I said in my prosperity my mountain stands strong and I shall never be moved thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And upon the other hand when I said my foot slippeth Thy mercy Lord it held me up Wherefore let us ay be ready to hearken to better information in our apprehensions of Divine dispensations and particular events remembring that all men are lyars But for the general issue of things we may be well assured without all fear of mistake That it shall be well with the righteous and ill with the wicked for this is the sure word of Prophesie Isai 3. 10. 11. Yea not only shall it be well with the Righteous in the end but every thing how cross soever in the way shall conduce and concurr to work his wellfare And this is a truth that shall never fail and wherein there is no fear of mistake Rom. 8. 28. And the Scripture abounds with Noble instances of this truth But by the contrary all things how prosperous soever that fall to the wicked in his way shall in the end redound to his woe and turn to his greater misery of this likewise there are in Scripture instances not a few Learn we then to observe dispensations of particular events with humility and submission to a better Judgment 2dly We must observe the works of God with Patience if we would know the Lords going forth we must follow on to know Hosea 6. 3. In our observation of dispensations we must not conclude at a view nor upon their first appearance There is I so much of surprisal in many dispensations that often they escape our first thoughts verily says Jacob God was in this place and I knew it not Genes 28 16. when the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion sayes the Church we were as men that dreame Psal. 116 1 When the Angel delivered Peter he wist not whether that it was true that was done but thought he saw a vision Act. 12 9. There is 2 oft times much Error in our first thoughts of things that needs to be corrected by second thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 second thoughts are the wiser I say ays David I am cut off from thine eyes but I said it over soon I said it in my haste I took no leasure throughly to consider the matter And therefore I will look again toward thy Holy temple I looked but I must look again I said but I must say again The Scriptures gives many instances of the Saints mistaks and errors in the first thoughts of Gods dispensations and in these patâ—untur aliquid humani they are but like men Somtimes again 3 the Lord goes thorow in his dispensations by a method of contraries he brings his People into the dark before he cause light shine out of darkness he brings them as the Text says into the driery Wilderness and there he comforts them he wounds before he heal he kills before he make alive he casts down before he raise up And therefore there is need of Patience to observe the whole course of dispensations and their connexion for if we look upon them by parts we will readily mistake in our Observation I find likwise 4. In many Dispensations a reserve the Lord keeping up his mind as it were to bait and allure his People to observe Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God the Saviour of Israel Isai 45. 14. O Lord we cannot see what thou wouldst be at what I do thou knowest not now sayes Christ but thou shalt know afterwards Like a man if he see his hearers slack their attention to a serious discourse he breaks off and pauses a little to reduce them to a serious attention so does God in his works to gain us to a diligent Observation Threfore in our Observation of Dispensations we would be like Abraham's Godly servant Genes 24 21.
says O â—ut I love the house of God well And O when shall I come and appear there before God! for the â—ay was when I saw the Lords Glory and his power in â—â— sanctuary Psal. 63 2. And O when shall I see â—e like again O how shall that be Then make â—e of thy Memory and remember that David â—â—m the Wilderness returned and dwelt in the â—use of the Lord all the days of his life Remember likewise Isai 64. 3. that God did for his People terrible things which they looked not for â—he came down and the mountains flowed down at his presence and this they build their hope upon in their present case Conclude thou then with David 2 Sam. 15 25. That if thou hast found favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring thee again and shew the both his Ark and his Habitation This Scripture hath long lodged in my thoughts and while minâ— own heart like Sarah behind the Tent door laught and says shall these things be In reproach â—â— scornful unbelief I thus both use and please to reason Those who find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring them again and shew them both his Ark and his Habitation to wit the Sanctuary But the many wandering Saints and out-cast Ministers and People of these Nations find favour in the eyes of the Lord Therefore they shall be brought back to see the Ark of the Lord and his Habitation Let unbelief answer the first proposition Leâ— even their enemies answer the second and theâ—â— who shall deny the Conclusion 7. We would observe the Works of God and his Dispensations with Use the useful Observe is the good Observer of divine Dispensations anâ— this is that which before in Scripture phrase wâ—â— called a harkening to the Lords Voice in his Dispensations and a discerning of their Tune There no Work of God but it hath a Voice and it hath a Use and the Works of God are of so universal â—â— that hardly is their any truth in the Word of God but we are taught it by some Work of God It â—t pertinent nor take I pleasure here to enlarge general of the proper uses of the several â—orks of God But having above supposed as â—e truth is that to any who hath an ear to discern The voice of present dispensations to the â—hurch in these Nations is beyond all dispute a â—urnful one I shall therefore shortly hint at the â—oper uses of such Mournful Dispensations and shall direct them all from the third chapter of the Lmentations The first Use of present Dispensations is for Lamentation Verses 48 49 51. Mine eye â—ine eye mine eye mine eye runneth down with â—vers of Waters Mine eye trickleth down and â—â—seth not without any intermission mine eye affectâ—â— mine heart O Call all that are skilful to Mourn and let them raise up a Lamentation But â—hough neither our Eyes weep nor our Voice Laâ—ent yet even our Condition it self doth weep and Mourn to God Jer. 12. 10 11. Many Pastors have destroyed my vtneyard they have troden my portion unâ—â—r foot they have made my pleasant portion a desolate Wilderness they have made it desolate and being desoâ—â—e it Mourneth unto me the whole land is made deâ—â—ate and no man layeth it to heart Come then and â—â—t up a Lamentation together all that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assemblies Lament smitten â—epherds Lament scattered flocks Lament hungry and thristy Souls Lament desolate Congregations Lament poor doubting disconsolate Christians Lament closed Churches Lament empty â—â—ulpits Lament silent Sabbaths turn your joy into Mourning O our blessed Communion-time Lament Cities Lament Burrows Lament ye dâ— Villages and my soul shall Mourn in secret places cause the Lords flock is carryed away Jer. 13. 17. say it is a Lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation We never saw the like since Popish â—â—terdictions so many Glorious lights obscured these Nations And if an enemy had done thâ— then might we have born it if Pope if Turk Pagan But thou O a friend a Protestant Prince of the Covenant What thing shall I taâ—â— to Witness for this But because the Apostle bids us Mourn as those thâ— have hope The 2d Use of present Dispensations shâ— be to Hope verse 21. This I recal to my mâ—â— therefore have I hope verse 24. in him will I hope verse 26. it is good that a man should both hopâ— and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord Isai 8. 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hides his face from the house of Jacob and I will looâ— for him It is wonderful to see how contrarâ— conclusions Faith and Unbelief will draw from the same premisses The Lord is wroth and hides hâ—â— face then say believing Isai and Jeremy we wiâ—â— hope in him and wait for him yea but set unbelieving Joram to it and he will tell you shortly why should I wait any longer for him 2 Kings 〈◊〉 32. And if he must know why Jeremy Lament 3. 26. can tell him it is good and if he ask what good is in it Isai will tell him more particularly Chap. 30. 18. The Lord is a God of iudgment 〈◊〉 blessed are all they that wait for him Psal. 52 9. will wait on thy name for it is good before thy Saints â—here we see it is the judgment of all the Saints â—at it is still good to wait on God O then let us â—ait on him that hideth his face from the house 〈◊〉 Jacob for surely there is hope But where is â—ur hope our hope is in God that saveth the upâ—â—ght he is the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereâ—â— in time of trouble Jer. 14 8. So long as he is God 〈◊〉 long is their hope and to say there were no hope were to say there were no God and they â—ob God of his Glory and Title who fail in their hope The 3d Use of present Dispensations is Submission verses 27 28 29 30. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him he puteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope he gives his cheeks to him that smiteth him he is filled with reproach and verse 39. wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins What ever be the Lords Dispensations is our part to submit And because Submission 〈◊〉 Gods Dispensations is a hard duty to our Rebellious corrupt hearts I find the lamenting Prophet tacitly insisting to perswade submission upon â—hese grounds 1. From the mitigation of Dispensations the Lord punishes not as we deserve â—â—e are living men and are not consumed and that â—his mercy renewed every morning And indeed that is less than Hell to a sinner is mercy unâ—â—served verse 22 23 2dly from the good that may be expected of the saddest Dispensations verse 27. It is good that a man bear the yoke in hâ—