of prayer Sometimes Gods no is no negative God may delay long and deny often yet grant at last Deliverance Many injoy deliverance from God who yet do not injoy God in the deliverance Men are sometimes delivered up to Satan that they may be delivered from Satan 1 Cor. 5. 5. Self-Denial A Saint should so deny himself as to be nothing at all that Christ might be all in all They that deny not themselves and their own ends for Christ will deny Christ for their own ends and will wo unto them themselves be denied by Christ in the end Deceiving They that think as all hypocrites do to deceive God will find that they deceive themselves Desert He that deserves nothing should be content with any thing Desire They can never want much who desire but a little nor they ever have enough whose desires are unbounded There will be no end of desiring till we desire that which hath no end Lesse than one of these two desires granted either that he may be with God in heaven or that God will be with him on earth will not satisfie a gratious heart Despair None should despair because God can help them and none should presume because God can cross them Destruction It usually falls out that they who seek others destruction find their own Diligent A diligent hand cannot make rich without God and God doth seldome make rich without a diligent hand Disputing The great end of disputations should be either to convince others or to be convinced by others of the truth Many men while they spend their time in disputing what they should do do too too often neglect to do the things which are without dispute Doctrine and Life When there is no Doctrine in the Life there is but little life in the Doctâ—ine Doing Let Christians do their best and then let the world do their worst That cannot be done too soon which should be alwayes a doing as serving of God yet better doing late than never for 't is never too late Most mens doings turn most to their undoing A Christian should do no more than he may lawfully do and he should not do all that he may do lawfully Some men undo themselves by doing and some are made by being undone A man may do the things which please God and yet not please God in doing the things He that will forbear at no time to do something which he may lawfully do will 't is ten to one at some time or other do something which he may not lawfully do A Christian loves God and fears God he fears to do any thing against him because he loves him and he loves not to do any thing against him because he fears him Rather fear to do ill than to suffer for thy ill doing There is little difference between not doing what thou shouldest and not doing it as thou shouldest for to do thy duty onely in shew or onely for a shew is to do thy duty and be still undutiful To dislike what God doth is to do what God dislikes A double ball A Christian should do nothing to which he would willingly desire Gods absence or upon which he may not ask a blessing and assistance from God nor as neer as he can any thing for which he should need to ask his pardon A man should do nothing which should not be imitated and a man should imitate nothing which should not be done If that which thou dost be right and the mind with which thou dost it be not so all is wrong and a man forfeits the acceptation of what was good by the ill performance Be careful to do nothing that deserves to be ill spoken of and then thou needest not care if thou be undeservedly spoken ill of 'T is the height of wickedness to do ill and think it well done Drunkenness When men are drunk with wine wherein there is excess the wine doth not so much abuse the men as the men do abuse the wine Duties Priviledges annexed to any duties or graces are made good by God when the graces are acted and the duties performed by us so that God is not behind-hand with us in performance of promises if we be not behind-hand with God in performance of duties Free-grace calls for full duty Duties done for God are no hinderance to duties to be done to God All the duty of men the duty of all men is comprised in this Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole of men this is a mans all the rest being but vanity and vexation of Spirit Many men please themselves in the duties they have done though in doing of them they have not pleased God but we should not take content in any duty wherein we do not give God content They that are most full of duty are not alwayes most dutifull We should be willing to be like them on earth in duty whom we would be like in heaven in glory if Abraham's bosom be desirable why should not Abraham's faith and obedience seeing unless we be faithful though not so full of faith as Abraham we are not like to be glorified as Abraham E Earthly things Earthly things are such as the worst of men may have and the best of men may be without yet he that hath them not may be happy without them and he that hath them may be miserable with them Election Calling Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret election and a fore-runner of our glorification and is the very voice of God fore-telling us that he will save us Our election doth not depend upon our faith but faith depends upon election nor justification upon works but works upon justification We are not elected because we are holy but we are elected that we may be holy Enjoyment of God The enjoyment of God is the joy of our life and the life of our joy whatever our fare be that alone is our chear how well soever we fare that alone is our welfare Some men have not leisure to enjoy what they have yea they forget what they have for getting of more Enjoyning They that forbid what God enjoynes and they that enjoyn what God forbids are both an abomination Error There is a great deal of difference betwixt an error of love and the love of an error Estates If we cannot raise our estates to our mind we should stoop our minds to our estates Evill good Evill things work together for good to them that love God but good things work together for evill to them that hate God Though a man should take more care not to be evill than not to appear to be so yet he should take care to abstain from appearing and from the appearances of evil Exalting God exalts some men to cast them down and God casts some men down to exalt them Excellency 'T is not excellency in any man to be ignorant of his excellency but this is a mans excellency that though he know himself so
yet he is not proud of it Excepâ—ions 'T is a wonder to see how many exceptions the Christian makes againsâ—â—imself and how few exceptions God makes against the Christian A man should not willingly give nor easily take exceptions F Faith 'T is not the work Faith nor the work of Faith but a working Faith or rather he who works faith by which we are justified As without faith 't is impossible for works to please God so 't is impossible for faith without works to please God There are many poor in this world rich in faith and many rich in this world poor in faith Faith gets most humility keeps most and love doth most The more full of faith and the more painful men are the more they please God Though Abraham's faith were not a faith of miracles yet it was the more miraculous for it was a miracle of faith Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Many mens faith is but fancy and many men will fancy their faith to be but so Faith glorified God hath in this world glorified faith most above all other graces and above all other graces faith glorifies God most in this world Faithfulness Though our faithfulness to God doth often fail yet Gods faithfulness to us doth never fail Faults finding We should take care that that which we find fault with in others should not in others be found to be our fault Some men will be finding fault when and where there 's no fault to be found The reason why Christians do find so much fault with themselves is because they find themselves so much in fault or because they find so many faults within themselves Flesh Spirit Though the Saints live in the flesh yet they are not flesh for that which is born as the Saint is of the Spirit is Spirit and walketh in the Spirit As it sads the Saints to find the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the law of the members warring against the law of the mind so it glads him to find the Spirit lusting against the flesh and the law of his mind warring against the law of his members Failing Falling Saints may fail and fall in the way but Saints cannot fall away Though Saints are not preserved from failing no nor altogether from falling yet they are preserved from falling altogether They may part with Christ for a time but shall not depart from Christ for ever Fool. He is not so much a fool who hath no wit to use as he that doth not use the wit he hath or he that abuseth it by playing the fool in wit A fool speaks with an open mouth but a wise man openeth his mouth and speakes Forgiveness God promiseth forgiveness of sins to all that repent but God doth not promise repentance to all or any that sin It s a greater vertue to forgive one injury than to do many curtesies because its harder and harder because more against nature for many a man will do for another that will not suffer for him Fear God To fear God and keep his Commandement is all that we have to do and that we all have to do Freinds He is happy that finds a true friend in extremity but he is happier that knows no such extremity wherein to try his friend Though we prize our freinds much we should praise them but little and to their faces not at all Find See Heaven Following God Many men follow God for the worlds sake but few men follow the world for Gods sake Food Man turns natural food into his nature but spiritual food turns man into its nature Fortunes High fortunes are the way to high minds and high minds are the high-way to great fortunes for pride goeth before but not far before a fall Freedom by Christ Jesus Christ hath delivered us from this present evill world though we are not at present delivered from the evill of this world Friendship That freindship will not indure to the end which is begun for an end Fulness The wicked in the fulness of their sufficiency are in straits but the godly in the fulness of their straits have a sufficiency G Getting Gain All that a man gets is not gain few men get profit by their getting they will have but a bad bargain that get the world and loose their souls Gain Loss Men gain most by loosing and they loose most by gaining Mat. 16. 25. Gifts All the gifts and graces which God laies in our souls should not be laid up as in a napkin but laid out for Gods glory and others good Hypocrites are apt to think that they have grace because they have gifts and Saints are many times thinking that they have no grace because they have no gifts No gift coming from God is so mean as to be despised nor is there any so great as to be gloried in God good God is good to us when he sends us evill because he sends us evil for our good If God be good to them that seek him what is he then to them that find him Oh how good God may as soon cease to be God as cease to be good as soon cease to live as cease to love Gods indearing This indears God to a Saint and makes him pretious in his eyes that he is so dear and pretious in the eyes of God God lovely God is lovely in all his Creatures more lovely in his Ordinances but most of all lovely in Christ who is altogether lovely 'T is not mans loveliness but Gods lovingness that engageth God to love and save him God loves his people when he strikes them as well as when he stroaks them God resting God rested not till he had made man like himself and man should not rest till he be made like God or partaker of the divine nature God giving God is a giving and a forgiving an open-handed and open-hearted God open-handed in giving to us and open-hearted in forgiving of us Gods putting down God usually puts down that which man exalts because what man exalts doth usually tend to the putting down of God All the world cannot put down an humble man because God will exalt him and all the world cannot exalt a proud man because God will pull him down Men Gods The Heathen made Gods of men and men of their Gods attributing divine vertues to men and humane vices to their Gods Good He that thinks he was ever good was never good He was never so good as he should be that doth not strive to be better than he is It s a good proof that a man is good when he labours to approve himself good to God and to men and yet approves of himself more according to Gods approbation than mans approbation of him As we must not attribute to God the ill that proceeds from man so we must not attribute to man the good which proceeds from God Some men are unwillingly willing to do good thats's bad others are willingly
desperate danger testified with feasting before God with joy and gladness sending Presents to our friends and Portions to the needy 1 Chron. 16. 8 Chap. 29. 10 11. Neh. 8 10. Hest 9. 22. G God is a Spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth Iohn 4. 24. Iob 11. 7 8 9. Psal 90. 2. Ia. 1. 17. Exod. 3. 14. Psal 147. 5. Revel 4. 8. Chap. 15. 4. Ex. 34. 6 7. H Holy Ghost is a true and co-eternal God with the eternal Father and the Son and is given to me to make me through a true faith partaker of Christ and all his benefits to comfort me and to abide nigh me for ever Phil. 5. 7. Gen. 1. 2. Is 48. 16. 1 Cor. 3 26. Chap. 6. 19. Acts 5. 34. Gal. 4. 6. Mal. 23. 19 20. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Gal. 3 14. Acts 9. 31. Iohn 14. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 14. Iohn 15. 26. I Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who in time became Man for his Elect Gal. 4. 4. Institution is an Act of Gods free Grace wherein he pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in his sight onely for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone Rom. 3. 24 25. Chap 4. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 21. Rom. 5. 17 18 19. Gal. 2. 16. Phil. 3. 9. M Mortification is that grace whereby our natural corruption is subdued and vivification or quickning is that grace too wherby inherent holiness is renewed in us Ephe. 4. 22 23. Rom. 6. 4. 11. 13. Col 2. 12. O Obedience now is a careful endeavour to give unfeigned obedience to all Gods commands according to that measure of strength wherewith God doth enable us Luke 16. 74 75. 1 Pet. 4. 2. 5. 1 Iohn 3. 3. Ch. 5. 3. P Petition is a prayer wherein we desire the preventing or removing things hurtful and the obtaining of things needful either for this life or that which is to come Isa 37. 20. Mat. 6. 13. Psal 6. 1. to 5. Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies Psal 62. 8. 1 Io. 5. 14. Io. 10 23. Psal 32. 5 6. Dan. 9. 4. Phil. 4. 6. Gods Providence is his most wise holy and powerful preserving and governing of all his creatures and all their actions Psal 145. 17. Psal 104. 24 Isa 28. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Psal 103. 19. Matt. 10. 29. to 31. R Reconciliation is that grace whereby we are freed from Gods curse and restored to his fatherly favour Rom 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Eph. 2 16. Col. 2. 21. Repentance is a saving grace whereby a sinner out of a true sence of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience Acts 11. 18. Ch. 2. 37 38. Icel 2. 12 Ier. 3. 32. Ch. 31. 18. 19. Ezek. 36. 31. 1 Cor. 7. 11. Isa 1. 16 17. S A Sacrament is an holy Ordinance instituted by Christ wherein by sensible signs Christ and the benifits of the new Covenant are represented sealed and applied to believers Gen. 17. 7. 10. Exod. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 23. 26. Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God 1 Iohn 3. 4. The Soul is the inward and spiritual part of Man which is mortal and never can dye Eccle. 12. 7. Mat. 10. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Revel 6. 9. The Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine according to Christs appointment his death is shewed forth and the worthy receivers are not after of a corporal and carnal manner but by faith made partakers of his body and blood with all his benefits to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace 1 Cor. 11. 23. to 27. Ch. 10. 16. Sanctification is the work of Gods free Grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness 2 Th. 2. 13. Eph. 4. 23 24. Rom. 6. 4. 6. T Thanksgiving is a prayer wherein we render thanks to God for his general goodness and particular favours 1 Sam. 2. 1 Psal 136. 1. Psal 103. 1. to 6. V A Vow religious is a solem promise unto God made by a fit person of some lawfull thing which is in his choice to restifie his love and thankfulness Deut. 23. 21 22. Psal 116. 12. W The word of God is the holy Scriptures imediatly inspired which is contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament 2 Tim. 3. 16. FINIS THE Faithful SHEP HEARD Guiding his Flock in a way of walking with God dayly CHAP. I. INdeavour to be sensible of thy original corruption dayly how it inclines thee to evill and indisposeth thee to good groan under it and bewail it as Paul did Rom. 7 24. tkâ—e special notice of your actual sins or dayly infirmities in thought word and deed Indeavour to make your peace with God for them two waies I. By repenting them and confessing them to God working your heart to grieve for them by some melting considerations as of Gods goodness to you thy unreasonableness and unprofitableness of sin the prejudice and damage thereof to the soul 1 Iohn 1. 9. II. By believing or casting your self wholly on Christs righteousness for the remission therof and reconciliation with God Rom. 3. 22 to 26. Cleaving to Gods promises of pardon and peace Isa 43. 25. Rom. 5. 1. waiting til the Lord shal speak to you Psal 85. 8. CHAP. II. GEt your union with and interest in Christ cleared and confirmed to you dayly more and more that you are a branch in his vine a member in his body 2 Cor. 13. 5. This may be done three waies I. By the dayly renewal of your faith in Christ especially of that act of faith whereby the soul knits or ties it self unto Christ casts or roules it self upon Christ for salvation Cause your heart in a solemn manner every day to act this part or put forth this primitive act of faith in view of the whole soul The dayly exercise hereof will increase and strengthen the divine habit of faith in the soul and make the soul sensible of the very act of it by frequent believing you shall feel at your very heart that you do believe so shall you have a witness in your self that you are in Christ 1 Iohn 5. 10. II. By examining your heart upon what grounds you take Christ to be yours and they are five 1. A fight and sence of your sins of the guilt power and punishment of them of your misery by them Matt. 9. 13. 2. Your want of Christ seen and felt at your very heart to justifie sanctifie redeem and save
cross Psal 50 15. and together with the thing cast all your care fear sorrow and trouble of mind about it wholly upon the Lord Matt 6 31. 1 Pet 5 7 Psal 55 22. IV. Renew your faith in those promises every day which most concerns your present state As 1. In promises of supplyes if you be in want Psal 34 8. Psal 37 3. Ps 84 11. Matt 6 30. 2 Of direction if in doubts Iam 1 5. 3. Of deliverance if in trouble Iob 5. 19. Of a good end and ductified use of all Deut 8 16. James 5 11. Rom 8 28. Heb 12 10. V. Lastly labour to see Gods hand Psal 34 9. Believe Gods love Heb 12 6. Rev 3 19. and with all meekness patience to resign up your self wholly to Gods will in every affliction Maâ—t 2â— 39. CHAP. VII GEt and keep a savory relish continually of your Christian priviledges wherewith you are invested as you are new creatures in Christ more especially of these six I. Of your dignity that you are Gods Sons 1 Iohn 3 1 2. Christs brethren Heb 2 11. Heavens heirs Iohn 20 17. Partakers of an high and heavenly calling Iam. 2 5. II. Of your liberty that you are the Lords free men Phil. 3 14. delivered out of the hands of all enemies 1 Cor. 7 22. 2 Kings 17 39. III. Of your victory that you are through Christ more than Conquerors over all the world of creatures Rom. 8 37 38. 1 Iohn 5 4. of evils temptations persecutions IV. Of your safety that you have an almighty God for your place of refuge Psal 18 2. an hedg of providence Iâ—h 1 10. a guard of Angels Psal 91 11. an inclosure of mercy Psaâ— 32 10. and Gods promise as a writ of protection for defence Heb 13 5. 6. V. Of your riches as durable substance in heaven Heb 10 34 an incorruptible inheritance 1 Pet 1. 4. a kingdom of glory Luke 12 32. and a crown of life Rev 2 10. for you are heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ VI. Of your joy and pleasure pretious for kind and plentiful for measure Psal 16 11. peace unconceivable Phil 4 7. joy unspeakable 1 Pet 1 8. the Masters joy O get your hearts affected with all these as being yours Chew and suck them by serious meditation work and warm them upon your hearts by close applycation rubbing them into your affections Oppose these your spiritual priviledges to your temporal pressures setting the one against the other as your heavenly friends to your earthly foes your high dignity in Christ to your meanness in outward condition your wealth above to your want below your future joy and rest to your present troubles and sorrows This will not onely make you patient under your afflictions in this life Rom 12 11. but joyful in them Rom 5 3. and triumphant over them 1 Cor 15 55. Thus did Paul Rom 8 18. 2 Cor 4 17. Chap 6 8 9 10. These will provoke to duty 1 Pet 2 9 11 12. and preserve from fainting 2 Cor 4 16 17. and from trouble of heart Iohn 14 1 2. CHAP. VIII SAnctifie God in your hearts dayly 1 Pet 3 15. make him your fear Ps 37 4. To this end do these four things I. Have often high and honourable thoughts of God serious meditations of his glorious attributes as his wisdom power mercy justice c. and work them upon your hearts that they may eccho to thee with pure and melting affections this will encrease and nourish up the divine nature fast in you 2 Pet 1 4. II. Labour to be affected with all the works of God As 1. To behold and admire the works of God Iob 37 14. in the Creatures Psal 136 5. 2. To see and tast Gods goodness in every mercy Psal 34. 8. 3. To take notice of and tremble at the anger and displeasure of God in every affliction or judgment Ps 119 120. Hab 3 16. That so you might answer the dispensations of Gods providence with suitable despositions your hearts carrying a countenance in affection to all Gods actions Isa 26 8. III. Wrestle with God by praying and believing for an heart of flesh Eze 36 26. which will receive impression from the very thoughts of God in the mind IV. Apply promises to particular affections as 1. Of love Deut 30 6. 2. of fear Ier 32. 40. 3. of delight Isa 58 14. There is heat and life in these promises sufficient to quicken and warm thy dead and frozen affections CHAP. IX GEt a publick spirit to mind things of Jesus Christ as rationally as if they were your own things Phil 2 30 31. to look on the things of others prefer Jerusalems welfare before your chiefest joy Ps 137 5 6 the Gospels liberty before your own as Paul did Acts 21 13. To mourn for the sins of the times as the godly in Jerusalem did Ezek 9 4. Especially lay to heatt I. The Churches misery when Gods ordinance go down and herisie and superstition go up when any thing fals out which gives a blow to Religion or prove an impediment to the Gospel If the Ark be taken call your comforts Icabods 1 Sam 4 21. II. The afflictions of Joseph Amos 6 6. the sufferings of Gods servants ' whether Magistrates Ministers or people O simpathize with them Heb 13 3. Nehe 1 4. labour to feel their troubles and sorrows at your very hearts and pray earnestly for them as the Church did for Peter Acts 12 5. III. The signs of the times which Hipocrites cannot discern though they be well verst in the face of the sky h. e. The sad simptomes and presages of approaching judgments as these seven following signifies 1. The commonness of sin for all sorts transgress in all kind of open sinfulness with an high hand against light and nature and meanes of grace Gen 15 15. Ezek 12 3. Chap 22 4. 2. Contempt of Gods ordinances misusing of his Ministers 2 Chron 36 16. 3. The departure of Gods glory from his house Ezek 9 3. 4. Incorrisibleness after former and under present judgments Levit 26 15. 5. The death of many righteous men Isa 57 1. The carrying away of others to hiding places 6. The Vials of Gods wrath powred upon the Churches beyond the Seas Ier 17 12 14. 7. An Inundation of spiritual judgements as a spirit of error Appostacy superstition c. which do commonly conclude and end in temporal plagues Isa 6 10 11. Now O Christian the Holy Ghost is a publick spirit breathing and acting in all the members of the body mistical pray for it Luke 11 13. believe for it Gal 3 14. CHAP. X. LAstly get your heart renewed from the world and from those creature comforts in it which are dearest and sweetest to you wife children friends goods liberty house life this Christ requires of those that follow him Luke 14 26 27. Mark 10 29 30. This will prepare you either to suffer or to die elther of which may put you upon it to love all To this consider seriously these four things As I. All the world and all Creature comforts cannot satisfie the heart when thou hast injoyed them to the full Eccl 1 8. Chap 5 9 10. you soon grow weary of them or glutted with them so that you desire some new delights or more of the old or some over again II. Nor can they sastisfie you but expose oft to many lusts 1 Tim 6 9 10. temptations destractions to a spirit of the world and they hinder from following Jesus Christ Matt 19 22. III. Nor can they save you from Gods wrath from death or judgment Prov 11 4. The wicked whose portion is onely here oft have the greatest share of them Psal 17 14. Iob 21 7 to 14. IV. They serve onely for this life whil'st we are on this side of the grave they shall not be the least ingredients into our celestial happiness O Christians when we come to be happy in heaven we shall stand in no need of food raiment physick marriage Matt 22 30. for we shall be like the Angels of God in heaven we shall then hunger no more nor thirst any more Revel 7 16. we shall then and there live by the alsufficient spirit of God which needs no refreshing we shall be cloathed then with long white robes of immortality Revel 7 9. To Conclude when we come to heaven the place of Gods habitation we shall enjoy the face and beatifical presence of the most glorious Jehovah blessed for ever as an object wherein all the powers of our souls will be satisfied with ineffable delight and everlastingness God will be to us all in all 1 Cor 15 28. O come LORD JESUS Revel 22 20. FINIS