God and secur'd your All in his hands Rule 3. Thirdly Keep your earthly business within the bounds of due time He that hath allotted you your work hath allotted you your time for it it consists not with man's state relation and interest to be arbitrary in any thing but to walk by rule There is a time for every thing under the Sun Eccles 3. 1. A time for every purpose and for every work verse 17. Job 7. 1. As there is an appointed time to man on earth so there is an appointed time to man for earthly things He that hath set bounds to the world hath not left worldly employments without bounds but hath fixed mens earthly affairs within their proper season Psal 104. 23. Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening The Psalmist acknowledges here the power and providence of God in setting bounds to his creatures bounds to the Sun and Moon Verse 19. He appointed the Moon for seasons and the Sun knoweth his going down Bounds to the day and night Verse 20. Thou makest darkness and it is night he limits the labours of wild beasts and men the beasts have their preyingtime confined to the night Verse 20. 22. And it is night wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth the Sun riseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens Men have their working-time allotted in the day Man goeth forth to his work and labour until the evening that is to the end of their working-day which consisted among the Jews of twelve hours John 11. 9. Are there not twelve hours in the day the usual time for men to dispatch their earthly work in The Lord would not p Providentia ergo Dei noluit sic prolixam operandi continuationem ut hominum vires nimium atteret sed modum constituit saith Musculus have mens labours drawn out so far as to wear out their strength but hath set bounds to it As the Lord would not have the world to take up mens hearts so he would not have it to eat out their time or encroach on these seasons that are due to greater concerns God Nature Grace thy own soul and the spiritual good of others have their claims as well as thy earthly calings to this little inch of this time O consume not thy precious day on things that are temporal and neglect thy opportunities for things eternal do not enslave thy body beyond thy beasts which have their times of rest nor exhaust that strength which better things call for upon an empty perishing world Excessive labours beyond their due time do argue either too much desire of these things or too little faith in God and are reprov'd by the Lord as the vanity and practice of them who are not his beloved ones Psal 127. 2. 'T is lamentable to see such as would be thought the heirs of Heaven so excessively taken up in enlarging their possessions on earth engrossing all their time early and late about their earthly affairs leaving nothing but a few unserviceable minutes for God and their souls O Christians Keep the stream of your earthly affections and labours within the banks of allowed time rob not God of his time of special service nor nature of her time of needful rest and refreshment nor thy own or others souls of time for their spiritual concerns for such poor perishing things Shew charity to thy redeemed body make it not a drudge to thy earthly lusts Man is too noble a creature to be a vassal to this world 'T is a sad spectacle to see the Nazarites of Heaven like Sampson with their heads shaven and their eyes pluckt out to grind in the world's mill till they pluck down the house about their ears Judg. 16. 21. How do men macerate their bodies and starve their souls onely to help them with supplies in their passage to the grave and all the while neglect the work of God and their souls leaving the reliques of their wasted strength and the world's refuse for the service of an immortal God This is not to follow earthly things by heavenly Rule Rule 4. Fourthly Be diligent in the use of your working time take heed you waste it not upon impertinencies or by needless diversions or by idleness and unfaithfulness in your work this is a sin against both Law and Gospel which requires diligence and faithfulness in mens earthly callings Labour and calling-work was man's duty before his fall Gen. 2. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it And after the fall painful labour was injoyn'd and inflicted as a punishment of his sin Gen. 3. 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread until thou return to the ground This duty of bodily labour in mens Callings is of equal sanction and regard with the duties of Gods Worship being inserted in a positive Law and as that which is necessary to the sanctifying of God in Sabbaths Exod. 29. 9 10 Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work The injunction of working in six days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Mayer is given in the same commanding terms in the Original that the injunction of not working in the seventh is and the same reason is given for both the one is taken from Gods resting on the seventh day and the other from his working the six days So that not to labour faithfully in thy Calling the six days is a breach of the fourth command as well as the working on the Sabbath-day Not as if the six days labour were to exclude all religious Worship of God on either of these days when the Lord calls to it by extraordinary Providences as to mourning or rejoycing or by ordinary tenders of Gospel-mercy in Week-day Lectures or the like for this would cross his other commands Preaching in season and out of season and labouring for the bread that endures to eternal life This diligent labour doth not exclude private worship every day and publick worship on week-days so far as it consists with faithfulness in mens Callings for which time must be redeemed Eph. 5. 16. but it requires diligent attendance on mens Callings on the week-days as opposed to sloath and sinful waste of time without which God is not duely served on the Sabbath This diligence in mens Callings is also required in the Gospel 1 Thess 3. 10. Idleness is a Gospel-scandal and renders Christians worthy to be abstained from as not obeying the Word of God and such must not eat 1 Thess 4. 11. such are unprofitable servants who improve not their talents for God and the good of others Matth. 25. 30. and are worse than Infidels who do not by diligence in their Calling provide for their own 1 Tim. 5. 8. Rule 5. Fifthly while your hands
of his mouth more than your necessary food Can you be content to let your own things sit that you may seek the things that are Christ's and sit at his feet when others are in the market-place and abroad in the croud of their earthly affairs Are you alone with Christ in a corner If so your Mercy is singular and your Obligations strong to be entirely the Lords to be no more your own but wholly devoted to his fear to live a life of praise and welpleasingness uno God to think well of Christ and bear his pleasure to be patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer to long for the Well-head of your mercies and to be beginning a life of glory while you are here in a life of grace I shall close up this Discourse with a few words of general Advice to you all First lay the foundation sure on which you build all your Temporary labours and your Eternal hopes You cannot be too certain in that on which depends your all Consider how often Satan hath battered down yea your own hearts have disputed away those Evidences on which you could sometimes have adventured your Souls and yet the strongest Assaults are to come and the greatest Forces of Hell reserved for the last Battel Bottom not your hopes on any thing short of a Crucified Christ not on your Frames but on his Favour not upon your Duties but his Righteousness nor upon any kindnesses received from him short of a saving union with him rest not till your Convictions be clear deep and distressing such as discover sin to be the greatest evil in its nature and fruits and its residence and indwelling in you a burden intolerable such Convictions as will not admit of after favour or reconciliation to the least known or most beloved sin that can make your heart to bleed afresh upon every new touch of it and never at rest till the whole kind of it be destroyed out of your Souls Labour to see such a Beauty in Christ as may render all Created Glory as dross and dung in your Eye stop not till you come to the Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Lord till you can discern such a worth in the Person as well as Purchase of Christ as will make you content to throw all over board to take in him and be sick of love till you enjoy him be sure your close with Christ be right with his whole Person Will and Designs to be one with him upon all his own terms And that this union be not in Judgment and Consent onely but in Heart and Will from your whole Souls finding an inward likeness and love to him in your renewed nature 2ly Go on towards perfection press after nearer and more compleat Conformity to the Nature and Will of Christ every day Think how short your highest measures do come of perfect holiness in the sight of God set the Pattern before you every day that you may be the more ashamed at your present attainments in Grace and more provoked to higher Aims and Atchievements compare your selves with them that are above you with the Rule of Righteousness and with all your Obligations Time Means and Mercies to keep you humble in your own eyes look upon your Wants as well as Enjoyments that you may be as poor in spirit as in condition that which is wanting in you cannot be numbred Who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort 1 Chron. 19. 14. Keep low thoughts in your selves under the greatest services you do for God and the highest honour you receive from God Alas said the Lord Du-Plessis to one that commended him for the improvemt of his Talent What is there of mine in that Work say not that it was I but God in me I know more saith another by my self to abase me than any man could know to extol me So much humility a man hath so much grace he hath and worth and no more Dr. Har. 3ly Keep up a life of faith upon Christ in the promises As the first quickening of a Christian is by faith so his whole life is maintained by believing no longer than you believe can you live Gal. 2. 20. Your life is hid with Christ in God Draw fresh Influence thence by faith upon your Hopes Comforts and Graces under every want fears and deaths within you make not your graces or duties the grounds of believing but encouragements to Faith study more the nature freeness fulness and unchangeableness of redemption grace and get acquaintance with the promise and perswasions of the truth of them in Christ To live onely by faith saith Dr. Harris and a bare Promise without a pawn and to give all to free grace and to Christ alone are mighty works and some of those things he found most difficult 4ly Walk in Love as Christ hath loved you This is the life of Heaven and beginning of that Excellent glory which shall never be removed there is nothing does make thee more like to God more near and dear to him and more fit for his use than this Grace of Love Let your Affections be extended as large as the objects of them unto God his Word Ways and People love God to obey him his Ways to walk in them his People to delight in them to sympathize with them to mourn over them in their sufferings to help them in their necessities to rejoyce with them in their consolations counting their mercies your own which is no easie part of your duty It is far harder saith one to adopt anothers Comforts than his Sorrows and to hold ones self exalted in anothers exaltation 5ly In the enjoyment of the World get above it and while you live in it be daily dying to it so much as you get above the World so near are you to God and Glory and no nearer Covet not anothers Goods the World is none of your Portion if God be your part Oh how much beneath the Extraction Dignity and Duty of Saints is the love to and life upon this low and dirty World leave not Childrens bread to feed on such Carrion doggs-meat and filthy excrements with which Satan feeds his Labourers But having spoke largely of this matter in the Book I advise your Eye and Heart thither for Conviction and Counsel herein 6ly Make much of the Time and Means of Grace while you have them your Glass runs your Sun hastens and the Wind blows when and where it listeth O make use of Time while you have it God who made nothing in vain hath work for every hour of your short Day work as hard as you can you will find something to do when you come to die Loss of time saith Dr. Harris on his Death-bed sits very near upon me work work apace assure your selves nothing will more trouble you when you come to die than that you have done no more for that God which hath
his servants In this life in the Court of Conscience and in the Judgment-Day at the bar of God In the first your present peace and soul comfort is much concerned and your eternal welfare in the last Alas how will you answer conscience now when that book is opened and the Lord Jesus brings in his bill of so many mercies expended with skill and capacity to improve them and such a charge of debt issuing thence So much due for such goods and for other wares for Sermons Sacraments Graces Comforts Frames Prayer Returns Gracious Providences and Protections so many personal mercies so many family mercies so many bodily mercies so many soul mercies so many Church mercies so many National mercies sick-bed mercies health mercies journey mercies habitation mercies caring mercies sparing mercies giving mercies forgiving mercies seen mercies unseen mercies and little or no return yet made for all these How can the conscience stand up under such a charge or lift up his face without spot when it sees its guilt in all and cannot answer one of a thousand How shall man be just with God if he contend with him How shall he answer him one of a thousand And if you cannot carry it in the Court of Conscience here where God reckons by a Proxy and it may be doth give but a general charge what will you do at the bar of God where the Lord will judge righteous judgment and determine your eternal state as you are approved or disapproved in that day What think you souls will not so much neglect of duty such decaies of grace so frequent breach of Covenants so great unfaithfulness in your places and relations so many daies and weeks and not a stroke of work for God so much bad work so much waste of goods will not all this look wistly upon you and without repentance and a sealed acquittance render your case dangerous at the judgment seat And if so is it not matter of lamentation O lay this to heart VSE III. Thirdly If the Heavenly Trade be the best Trade then this reproves mens too greedy and inordinate pursuit of their earthly Trades and Interests to the great prejudice and hinderance of this Heavenly Trade And oh that I could here dip my Pen in tears as well as gall and not onely write against but weep over this earthly spiritedness the great the common the uncur'd disease of men almost of all men of good men this day With what earnestness strength of affection and indefatigable labours do men pursue after the things of this world as if all their pleasure happiness yea life and eternal welfare lay wrapt up in these things Jehu did not more furiously drive after a Crown then men do this day after crumbs There was a time to some when godliness was counted gain but now gain is valued beyond godliness Trade is the great Diana to which most men sacrifice Profit the wheel within the wheel which sets all a going The salt that seasons all things nothing savours well that hath not this in it Advantage in the world is like the blood in mens veins the soul in the body that quickens their desires puts life into their dead hopes makes the blind to see the lame to leap and run the deaf to hear the lips of them that are asleep to speak Gain is the whetstone to mens wits the loadstone to their affections the spur to their actions this is the object of mens quickest senses the center of their liveliest motions O! the projects cares tuggings sweats rowings ridings restless labours that are engag'd about this enquiry Who will shew us any good Quest But how may we know when men do inordinately pursue their earthly business and concerns Answ 1. First When they engross too much of their time this was Israel's sin saying When will the New-Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. They were not contented with their own time but they must entrench on God's time al 's they thought the time long till they were at their worldly work and hoped to get advantage from God's institutions for their earthly interests and that the jubilee-Jubilee-Sabbath when men must cease from tillage would help to heighten the price of things and so further their advantage therefore the Lord reproves them for their undue diligence about the World a Frustra illos mane ob vile lucellum expergisci ad opus c. It is in vain for you to rise up early and to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows for so he giveth his beloved sleep Psal 127. Here saith Piscator he doth by this sudden Apostrophe inveigh against those covetous Tradesmen and Merchants telling them b Artifices qui diluculo ad labores evigilant Rab. Solo. 'T is in vain for them to rise up so early to their work and sit up so late in their shops for such poor and contemptible gain So Rabbi Solomon renders it for Artificers who rise early to their labours Excessive pursuits of the World in point of time are here reprov'd as vain and sinful while hereby they deprive themselves of time for God and their Souls Secondly when they lay out their Hearts on the World If riches encrease set not your hearts on them Psal 62. 10. The danger of a disease lies in its seisure on the heart Earthly things under the hand are a duty but in the heart a disease The heart is Christ's Royal Fort to which the Devil the World and Flesh lay siege and if that be taken all is gone Earthly things are briars and thorns and therefore dangerous to come near the heart the least prick at the heart is mortal the heart is Christ's nuptial-bed into which Christ retires the World is the Saint's servant now to admit a servant into the Lord's bed is adulterous the heart is God's Seat Pavilion and Throne into which none must come but himself like the gates of the Sanctuary into which none must enter but God himself This gate shall be shut it shall not be opened and no man shall enter into it because the Lord the God of Israel hath entred into it therefore it shall be shut Ezek. 44. 2. Such is the heart of Believers to be kept for God only to take in creatures into God's room is intolerable boldness to let out thy heart to the World Trade Interest Creatures is to invert the order of nature as well as grace In creation God sets man uppermost and puts all things under his feet Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thine hands thou hast put all things under his feet Psal 8. 6. Now to place those things over thy heart which God hath set under thy feet is to turn the World upside down and to overturn the whole course of nature This is the great sin of this day mens letting out their hearts on the things of this World were persons but serious
that is dear to them Men promise one thing and do another affirm a thing that is not and this undoes many the unfaithfulness of those they deal with but it is not so with Christ you may trust on his fidelity Heaven and Earth shall sooner fail than one tittle of all that he hath spoken And therefore excellent is that Trade which is carried on with so excellent a Jesus Reas 3. Thirdly Weigh the terms on which this Trade is offered unto souls and it will appear to be incomparably the best Trade For to such as will set upon this Trade 1 Goods to trade upon shall be freely given 2 Wisdome to manage them shall be fully imparted 3 A blessing on the due improvement of them shall be ensured 4 To him shall the glory of all be rendred First Wisdome's wares are freely tendered to all that will receive them without money and without price Come buy wine and milk without money and without price Isa 55. 1. To him that is a thirst will I give to drink of the waters of life freely Rev. 21. 6. Here Merchants cannot get or put off goods at that rate there 's no going to the world's markets without money or credit they that will have mens goods must pay for them and many times have deat bargains but the Lord Jesus imparts his treasures freely he paid dear for them they cost his heart blood but he spares them freely no silver or gold will pass in those bargains Simon Magus had his offered gold for the Holy Ghost thrown back with detestation and destruction to boot Acts 8. 18 19 20. The terms on which this trade is driven are free it cannot stand with the design of redemption grace which is to advance the praise of the glory of grace and to cut off all boasting that every mouth may be stopped to admit of any thing from fallen man that might look like a compensation of salvation mercies neither is there any thing beneath Christ's merits that can equalize the worth of heavenly things and alas what have they to part with who have lost themselves and to give to God who have nothing but what they receive from him It must needs therefore be altogether freely given whatever is received in order to salvation O blessed news to poor traders that their poverty is no bar to this employment the poorest may receive of Wisdome's wares as well as the rich seeing it is a free trade and whatever makes a difference on the creatures part is laid aside in the dispensation of spiritual mercies Here are no Monopolies or hard impositions upon this trade no restraint from setting up or selling out of Wisdome's goods in any parts of the world Cities have their enclosures Corporations their bars to keep out strangers from their priviledges but in this trade all persons be they who they will that will come over to Wisdome's Merchandise have right to carry on this work of godliness in all places whereever they are The heavenly trade is a free trade goods freely given and liberty to set up in all places and to all persons Secondly As goods to trade upon are freely given so wisdome to manage them shall be fully imparted This is a priviledge which sellers on earth will not afford you may have their goods at their price but not instructions how to dispose them to your advantage but this great Merchant in Heaven with his wares gives skill to use them I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way thou shouldest go Isa 48. 17. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God For the Lord giveth wisdome out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding He layeth up sound wisdome for the righteous Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgement and equity yea every good path Prov. 2. 4 5 6 9. The soul that seeketh for Wisdome's wares shall with it find instruction how to use them I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shouldest go I will guide thee with my eyes Psal 32. 8. He will be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame Job 29. 15. The Lord Jesus will find all in this heavenly trade goods and tools and skill and strength and all Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Thirdly A blessing on the due improvement of these shall be ensured to all his traders The wayfaring man shall not erre Isa 35. 8. His workmen shall not labour in vain 1 Cor. 15. 58. For his blessing is upon his people Psal 3. 8. Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and the light shall shine upon thy waies Job 22. 28. The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein this is the heavenly trade to fulfill after God and such shall prosper for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Josh 1. 8. No Merchant will undertake to make their dealers prosperous they must trade at great uncertainties and run the adventure as to the issue of all Blessings come not out of earthly shops but from a divine hand let come what will in the way Blessings will surely come at the end to those that cast out at Christ's biding and trade by his instruction in Wisdome's Merchandise let men curse let devils vex let North-winds blow and blow down too their earthly comforts yet God will bless them that fear him every one Psal 115. 13. He will bless them in life and bless them in death and is not this good trading to be sure of blessings in the way and blessedness at the end 1 Pet. 1. 9. Fourthly Another Condition in this Trade is That God shall have all the glory but they that trade with and for him shall have all the good that comes by it This is the head Rent which the great Lord reserves to himself and will not part with to another My glory will I not give to another Isa 48. 11. This is his great design in all works of his hands and gifts of grace that he may be glorified The people shall be all righteous the branch of my planting the work of my hand that I may be glorified This is God's great end in bestowing redemption mercies to have all the glory to himself who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will that we should be to the praise of his glory Ephes 1. 12. Christians the Rent must be the Lords the fruit shall be yours Whose keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof Prov. 27. 18. All the sweetness of the Vine is for those that possess it and the herbs of the earth for them by whom it is
troubles them but to be something though never so little satisfieth them and if this be Popery to rest in the work done how many Papists have we amongst us this day Certainly Professors are generally asleep or slumbering they do their work so badly and heartlesly their work falls out of their hand as things do from men asleep active for the world as if they could never do enough but soon tyr'd in the work of God dispatch but little of heavenly work from day to day from one Sabbath to another little heart-searching soul-watching work is done little in-door employment is carried on the exercise of faith hope humility patience zeal self-denial seems a stranger to a great many this day not for want of occasions or encouragements to work the Lord is still calling upon his Labourers to make haste but for want of hearts to work And this spiritual sloth proves that the Heavenly Trade is much lost Fourthly The poverty of Traders plainly shews Trading is not good when a Trade doth not maintain the Trader but he still goes back and becomes poorer then surely trading is not good The diligent hand makes rich Prov. 10. 4. When trading is good Traders usually thrive and live well upon it but when they waste and become poor then trading decaies So is it with Heavenly Traders when they drive a good Trade for Heaven they grow rich apace towards God and in their own souls Wisdom's wares are soul-enriching wares My fruit is better than gold yea than fine gold and my revenue than choice silver Prov. 8. 19. Men account those to be rich who have much of gold and silver but Wisdom's fruit is better than gold and therefore must needs be enriching they that have this gold cannot be poor Hence it is Christ counsels Laodicea to buy of him gold tryed in the fire that she might be rich Rev. 3. 1. But alas how poor in spirituals are persons generally this day Therefore I said Sur ly these are poor they are foolish for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgement of their God Jer. 5. 4. Unacquaintedness with the way of God when men walk wide from Religion and lose their strict and close walking with God they soon become poor and foolish And this is the case of many every where they give a carnal liberty to themselves and indulge a freedom to walk after the fight of their own eyes and not by rule and where this is there is soul-poverty which is too visible in most this day Christians do but observe your own hearts and others and you will find this spiritual poverty abounding every where Little thrivings appear under the best of means choicest Priviledges do little more than keep up a name to live they convey but little quickenings to the soul A shew of Religion and a meer skeleton of profession is the common fruit of Ordinances in most places whereas all the while decaies are on the vitals of Christianity abatements in grace appear every day and a visible alteration in the whole frame and internal vigour of the soul faith love humility patience self-denyal and every grace becomes weaker every day Former daies were better than now Eccles 7. 10. Speak Christian are not matters worse with thy soul than they were and abatements appear in every part There was a time when thy mind was beam'd over with Divine Light the Candle of the Lord did shine in thy tabernacle Thy eye was quick to discern good and evil thou couldest once see an excellency in the knowledge of Christ O how choice were sermons priviledges were to thee the uncasking of Jewels and the opening of hidden glory thou did'st dwell in the Land of Visions and still some new discoveries of light and grace did meet thee in thy affectionate attendance upon God But now it is not so thy Candle burns dimly and thy right eye is darkened now thou seest but little beauty in grace or desireableness in truth things under thy feet th' other day that seem'd nothing compar'd with Christ now through the multiplying-glass of thy deceived mind seem great and lovely Formerly thy affections were warm and lively after God his word and ways O! how precious were his appointed Feasts and his Tabernacles amiable thou couldst delight in approaching to God and talk of a blessedness in his presence O the pleasure sweetness and joy thy heart did find in thy Closet in spiritual Converses and Duties and publick Ordinances thou couldst weep over sin and bedew thy prayers with tears and find thy heart burn within thee while Christ was speaking and melted under the warm beams of divine love But alas now it is not so now thy affections are dead thy heart as cold as a stone all the while thou art speaking to God in Prayer or God speaking to thee in his Word thou findest no more savour in Ordinances Duties and Christian Converses than in the white of an Egg Job 6. 16. Thou findest not that delight in God as formerly and the night of thy pleasure is turned to fear unto thee Isa 21. 4. This is Soul-poverty Again there was a time also when thy Will like the great Wheel in the Clock could move regularly after God thou couldst choose God for thy chiefest interest and Christ for thy only treasure preferring an interest in him above ten thousand Worlds thou couldst have voted for communion with God before thy meat and drink and one hours fellowship with Christ beyond all the delights on Earth thou couldst choose the things that please God and deny thy own pleasure to give content to him thou couldst once stick to thy first choice and find the purpose of thy heart cleaving to God Act. 11. 23. Thou couldst once resolve and keep thy resolutions 't was easier to take thy heart out of thy body than to gain thy consent to part with Christ his presence and ways But now thy will is hardly drawn after pure and constant enjoyments of God in his ways O! how difficult a thing is it to perswade thy will to let go all for Christ to leave every thing to attend on God to part with the world and self to wait on God to throw all over-board to take in Christ How hard is it now to consent that Christ shall have all the command of thy Soul and dispose of thy dearest interests now thou findest it a work above thee to keep thy heart in order one hour or to perform the purposes of thy Soul to God and Godliness thou resolvest and changest every day thou vowest and breakest thy vows continually there is no stedfastness in thy spirit this also bespeaks thy Soul-poverty There was a time also when thy Conscience was tender thy heart could smite thee for the least sin thy Conscience could hold thee to the greatest duty and bind thee to thy good behaviour thou could'st not go against the light and checks of thy regulated Conscience were it to gain the whole
and prepared b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fashioned as a Vessel the meaning is saith Dr. Preston that then a man is good when his heart is fitted to good works to every good work 2 Tim. 2. 21. Labour to get your natures changed and hearts quickened you must be born again or cannot see the Kingdom of God Be looking to Jesus to create in you a new heart a renewed mind will and affections to have a saving principle put into your hearts and a disposition of Soul towards the whole will of God Cry mightily for the Spirit and wait for his movings upon the face of Sanctuary-waters and for a mighty power of God in the Gospel upon your Souls Get under the healing-wings of Christ and rest not looking unto Jesus till virtue go out from him to heal your Souls If this be thy restless desire thou can'st not let Christ alone running after him crying Jesu thou Son of David have mercy upon me he will turn again and have compassion and give the holy Spirit to them that unfeignedly and incessantly ask him Mark 10. 47 48 49. Luke 11. 13. Direct 2. Secondly cease from your own works Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy The first step in returning to God is departing from sin and self c Nihil nobis cum Deo esse potest nisi a nobis discedamus Calv. Neither can we saith Calvin hold converse with a holy God till we be estranged from our unholy self When the Apostle advises the Ephesians to put on the new man Eph. 4. 24. He first exhorts them to put off the old with his whole conversation vers 22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt Grace builds not on an old foundation neither does it adorn but reform the former conversation of called Saints there is no cloathing upon in regeneration-work the old garments must off before the new will come on Religion is not a covering for but a stripping off a sinful life neither can you be free to set on God's work till you leave your old works Rom. 6. 20. For when you were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness You had nothing to do with holiness you had no freedom to do God's work while you were Sins servants He speaks of their actual liberty from grace not their legal freedom d Libertas hic de facto non de jure intelligatur saith Paraeus you are not at liberty to do the work of holiness while under the command of sin No man can serve two Masters Mat. 6. 24. that is two contrary Lords How can the same man e Quomodo poterit unus idemque homo pietati se quantum opus est impendere simul circa divitias quaerendas servandasque perpetua solicitudine distrahi Grot. saith Grotius follow godliness as his work and at the same time be distracted with cares about getting and keeping earthly things 'T is a vanity for persons to dream of a compliance between sin and holiness whose work is too inconsistent for one Soul at one time ruling iniquity and grace are two contrary states which cannot meet in one person and time Never think of setting up on the Heavenly Trade till you are freed from hellish servitude and invested with the liberty of the Sons of God a freedom from the love and service of every sin Godliness calls for the whole of a man's heart strength and time and requires a person void of any inconsistent obligations resolve to break from every way of death if ever you think to enter into the way of life Direct 3. Thirdly Make over your selves to the Lord in an Everlasting Covenant they that will be Masters of a Trade must first be bound to the service of it and resign up their persons wills capacities and time to the instruction and government of another in order to their fitness for such a calling And so must souls that will learn Wisdom's Merchandise they must bind themselves to the Trade and make over themselves and their all to God in Christ to be taught and enabled to set up this excellent work Jer. 50. 5. They shall ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that cannot be forgotten Sin had made a separation between their God and them and brought a death upon their mercies and Templeenjoyments but now the Spirit of Prophecy breathing on these dry bones moves them to a vital union with the fountain of life the onely regular way to their new work and mercies they must first be joyned to the Lord before they can be rejoyned to one another and re-enjoy their lost priviledges and this union lies in a hearty acceptance of offered grace a taking hold of God in Christ and a Covenant-surrender of the whole soul and its All to him again O for arms to embrace him saith Mr. Rutherford This is called a giving up of ones self to the Lord 2 Corinth 8. 5. But this they did not as we hoped but first gave themselves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God They exceeded our hope We onely expected some part of what was theirs but they gave themselves first to God and to us to be directed and governed by the will of God to be placed in the fellowship of his Gospel as well as their interests to the service of his people 'T is also a giving away of ones self to the Lord wholly unreservedly and perpetually to be no more his own 1 Cor. 6. 19. And ye are not your own This surrender of your selves to God souls must be in judgment understandingly and ariseth freely on choice universally without the least reservation absolutely without any limitation or conditions of our own eternally without any expiration and term of this grant and to be attested by all overt acts within your power Isa 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord's another shall call himself by the name of Jacob another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Jacob. Whatever may most fully ensure and express an absolute devotedness unto God must be done by those that ever expect to thrive in grace and godliness Verse 3 4. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grass as willows by the water-courses When once this implantation into Christ is dispatched then will the Lord give prosperity to that soul then are you in a sure way to success in all your holy undertakings and like to speed well in this Heavenly Trade when you become entirely the Lord 's in order to it O be not
without works and love without labours will signifie nothing towards salvation Will Opinion make a man an Artist or imagination enrich him or hunger fill him or reading the way to a place bring him thither No more will affection knowledge and profession help men to Heaven unless they work out their salvation and carry on the duties of Religion that lead to it Phil. 2. 12. First Consider a Christian hath much work and a little time great work and small strength necessary work and many diversions excellent work none like it persons that set about salvation in earnest will find much to do and the farther they go in Religion the more busie their employment will be every day brings its work with it new instructions new mercies new afflictions and temptations every day which calls for much exercised grace and duty A child of God hath no time for idleness or impertinent business O the many things that must be dispatched within the compass of this little inch of time for eternity Soul if thou diest and thy work undone when thou diest thy soul 's undone there 's no rising from thy grave to do neglected work or dispensation at the Bar of God for the omission of Salvation-duties This work is necessary also as well as great some duties are necessary to secure thy salvation all duties are necessary to maintain thy comforts and greaten thy glory Men plead necessity for this and th' other thing to do this work and take that journey to omit this duty and absent from such a priviledge but who is sensible of the necessity of working the work of God and attending soul-concerns It may not be necessary you should have peace credit plenty riches comforts that you should have so much estate preferment and contentment in the world but 't is absolutely necessary thy soul should be saved and that God should be obeyed that spiritual concerns should be attended whatever is neglected that thy debts should be paid thy peace with God obtained thy hungry soul be fed and refreshed thy title to Heaven clear'd the presence of God enjoy'd and thy seed-time for glory improv'd 'T is promised-work too and that makes it necessary you have engag'd to be the Lord's if you are Christians and have given up your selves to be his and not your own your time is his your capacities his 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. what you are and have is from him and for him this you have devoted to the use and service of God when you took him to be your God 2 Cor. 8. 5. and many a time since you have engag'd to obedience of his commands There are sick-bed-vows affliction-promises engagements under conscience-troubles yea every day and in every duty you tell God you will mend your waies redeem your time do him more and better work and how can you stand before him with such flattery and dissimulation and under the guilt of so much falshood and treachery while your work lies still undone Yea your work Christians is excellent work also above all the employments of the world 't is supernatural work yea Angelical work yea such work as Angels cannot do to believe in love converse with and obey Christ as your Redeemer and Saviour Phil. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 7 8 9 12. to suffer for Christ and be baptized into a conformity with his death and resurrection 'T is suitable work also you are called to in this Heavenly Trade work suited to your natures If you are Saints you have received a heavenly spirit and are partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. 'T is as natural for you to do heavenly work if you are Christians as for the world to do earthly work there being a disposition and propensity put into your renewed natures to new and heavenly work as there is a disposition in the seed to its proper fruit 1 Joh. 3. 9. For his seed remaineth in him 'T is work suited to your hopes which are laid up in Heaven Col. 1. 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven whereof you have heard before in the word of Truth That is the blessedness those great and glorious things you hope for which are laid up for you in Heaven as a Treasure safely kept for you Called hope by an Antonomasia saith Davenant a Beatitudo promissa dicitur spes nostra id est illâ—â— quod speramas per Antonomasiam neque hoc praemium dicitur tantum oblatum nobis propositum nam hâ—c spem nostram infirmaret si certitudo rerum speratarum penderet ex nobis dispositione nostra ita ut vel daretur nobis vel negaretur promerito operum nostrorum sed dicitur se positum nobis id est quasi in deposito reconditum apud Deum Patrem nostrum Daven This reward is not said to be onely offered and proposed to us for that would weaken our hope if the certainty of those things hoped for did depend on us and our disposition so that it should be given or denied us according to the worth of our works graces and duties but 't is said to be laid aside for us as that which is deposited and safely laid up in God our Father for us A Christian's choicest Treasures lie in hope not in hand beyond their present view and enjoyment and yet secured to their use and propriety 1 Pet. 1. 4. Reserved in Heaven for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kept as it were in custody and with watch and ward for you sure and certain on which the hopes of Believers are firmly laid and to which their present work is suited heavenly work bears a proportion and agreement in its nature though not in worth to heavenly and eternal things 't is work suited to your inheritance and wages in its kind though not in degree and that 's excellent work which is of the same nature with your eternal blessedness Suited also to your present priviledges who sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 6. Gracious souls though in habitation they are on the Earth yet in point of priviledge they sit in Heaven Through their union with Christ they may be said b Sedere fecit nos in coelestibus in persona Christi inque novam vitam excitavit ut Spiritu in coelis versemur efficit Zanch. saith Zanchy to sit where he sits as a husband or Brother absent from his Wife and Brethren doth possess a Kingdom for them they though absent may be truly said relatively to possess it in him as members in the head they sit in Heaven in the person of Christ and as the lump is sanctified in the first fruits Neither do they sit onely relatively through their union with Christ but spiritually through their communion with him In that sense saith Bucer as the Apostle speaks Phil. 3. 20. They have their conversation in Heaven This is a glorious priviledge the Saints onely enjoy in this life to converse in Heaven and to
mercies are new every morning and so must your praises be also Lam. 3. 23. He keeps you day and night Isa 27. 3. And 't is but reasonable you should give him his morning and evening sacrifice you depend upon him for the mercies of every day and he expects from you the duties of every day which is reasonable service Rom. 12. 1. You have daily necessities difficulties trials dangers and duties in which you need his help and is it not your concern to be daily at his feet and seeking his favour counsel strength and blessing Herein lies your professed subjection to God also slight religious duties and you reject God from being your God This very reason doth Moses give why Israel should serve the Lord and cleave to him and swear by his name and give him all religious worship Deut. 19. 20 21. He is thy praise and he is thy God who hath done for thee these great and terrible things which thine eyes have seen Dan. 6. 16. Thy God whom thou servest continually he will deliver thee 'T is a contradiction to say that God is your God and yet with-hold his service from him As soon as ever God had a people in the World he had service from them Gen. 4. 26. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord No sooner had Seth who was the other seed which the Lord appropriated to himself in the room of Abel a Son and Family but they had peculiar worship for God and were distinguished from the Family of Cain by this that they did serve God This is the work of God that every Soul is bound to dispatch every day in Closet and Family in Spirit and Truth with a pure heart fervently This also is the best part of your work in the world to attend on God all other service is but drudgery compared with your serving God and transacting the great matters of your Souls and your everlasting concern This is your interest also to maintain nearness to God who is the life of your souls the length of your days and fountain of all your supplies there 's no such pleasure as in the ways of God nor profit as in keeping his commands O the blessedness of converse with God and maintaining a daily entercourse with the Father of Spirits 't is the priviledg of Angels and of glorified Saints to be always beholding his face 1 Thes 4. 17. Mat. 18. 10. And the peculiar honour of the upright to dwell in his presence Psal 140. 12. There is no such advantage also as to be much with God every day Psal 73. 28. 'T is good for me to draw near to God Often journeys to Heaven bring in much profit 't was this way David did thrive so much in wisdom grace and experience out-shining all the men of that age and serving his generation by the will of God his being much with God Psal 139. 18. When I awake I am still with thee By this nearness to the Son of righteousness did Enoch so soon ripen for Heaven and by his constant walks with God did he so timely get to his journeys end Of all that generation we find none so soon sent for home and translated to his rest as holy Enoch for whereas the rest lived nine hundred eight hundred seven hundred years only he lived three hundred sixty and five years and that which so quickned his fitness for rest was his activity in heavenly work Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him Gen. 5. 23. He kept his constant turns with God in his Garden and Gallery-walks and then went in with him into his Presence-Chamber there to sit down with him for ever This also will make you thrive in your own work if you are faithful and diligent in God's work mind his concerns and he will care for yours Deut. 30. 9. Obey the voice of the Lord and do all his commandments and the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every good work of thy hand He shall make thee to abound in the work of thy hand as 't is in the Hebrew * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faciet superesse te 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excellentem efficiet te bonis to have more than enough as Montanus renders it He will bless thee in every work of thine hand according to the Septuagint other Copies have it He will have a great deal of care of thee c. He will make thee excellent with good things saith Junius He will make thee to enjoy good in every work of c. saith Symmachus He shall prosper the work of thy hand It shall go well with such Deut. 4. 40. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes and his commandments which I command thee this day that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee Gen. 42. 18. 'T was piety made Joseph so prosperous in all he did he feared God Do this and live for I fear God and God was with him and made all he did to prosper in his hand Gen. 39. 3. Whatsoever he doth shall prosper Psal 1. 3. The blessing of the Lord shall be on the head and hands of such let their condition be what it will in the world yet it shall be well with such as fear the Lord if he be afflicted yet his afflictions shall turn to his good and be part of his prosperity 2 Chron. 31. 21. And in every work he began in the service of the House of God and in the Law and in the Commandment to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered The way to true prosperity leads by Heaven-gates Christians if ever you will thrive in your own work be sure to carry on God's work begin with God every day the first fruits are his Dispatch religious worship in your Closets and Families before you enter on your earthly business Close up every day with him he is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and end and must have the issue as well as entrances of every day The morning and evening sacrifice are his 1 Chron. 16. 40. 2 Chron. 13. 11. Psal 55. 17. Give God his due before you render to Nature its dues Psal 61. 8. Pay your vows to God every evening before you run on score for new mercies See all things secured in everlasting Arms before you lie down to rest put thy Soul and thy All into the hands of Christ by solemn devotion and resignation every night get the watch set and all things safe before thou exposest thy self to the hazards of the night and enterest upon an incapacity to secure thy self from the least danger O precious souls lye not down as dogs and swine who when they have filled their bellies get to their styes and kennels Secondly carry on all that work daily which hath a more special respect to your own selves and leads to the sanctifying comforting strengthning edifying saving of your precious souls Next to the
cleanse his heart Jer. 4. 14. The heart is the nest where these Wasps fly out and trouble the soul the root that feeds these luxuriant branches briars and thorns that wound the conscience and the strong fort of Sion where these Jebusites hide themselves and issue out to prey upon the gracious soul Till these nests be spoiled the Ax laid to the root of the tree and this strong Tower attach'd and these blind and lame removed souls will never be freed from irruptions of sin in their thoughts and conversations This Christian is busie and hard work and part of thy daily employment in this Heavenly Trade to sweep wash drain and cleanse thy filthy heart by sound repentance and faith in the promises death and blood of Christ Heart-quickening work The heart is the primum mobile the great wheel in the watch that sets all a going if that stop all faculties are still A lively heart makes a diligent hand to rid away soul-work and a nimble foot to run in the waies of God's commands when the heart is quickened then every duty inward outward publick private goes on such a soul needs no spur to quicken it nor pully to draw it to its duties O what a burden are some to their Christian friends to keep them up and draw them on in the way of God and all because their hearts are dead and that liveliness which once seem'd to be in them is departed The spring that at first made them so active is weakened or broken the waters that set their Mills a going fail and that temporary love and common grace like standing pools having no fountain to maintain them are dried up by consuming lusts and scorching temptations so that now they wither in all their branches and become weak cold and indisposed to every work of God and their souls Some of these dangerous symptoms of decayed grace are found also in sincere souls for not looking after their hearts betimes and keeping them close to a quickening Jesus by a lively faith in the promises Christian mind this also every day to maintain thy spiritual life by fresh quickenings and reviving influences from the fountain of life on thy weak and dying heart making use of all instituted helps for soul-strengthening as hearing reading meditation holy conference and the like Heart-teaching and enlightening work A light head and a dark heart may dwell together and it seems to be the condition of too many under the Gospel this day A spiritual eye to look into the mystery of truth and believing affectionate discerning of excellent things is not easily found even while Christ is read a veil is on mens minds and their foolish heart is darkened And this is one reason souls walk not as children of light 't is because they are not light in the Lord Psal 40. 8. The Law of God is not within their hearts they have no inclination or power upon their hearts to do the will of God they know for want of this heart-knowledge Be earnest with God to beam over your hearts to make that the Hemisphere where the Sun of Righteousness may daily arise with healing in his wings Cry with David Psal 119. 36. Incline my heart to thy Law Let my heart lean and stay upon thy Law as a man doth upon a staff tobear him up Get a greater nearness in your hearts to truth that the Word may be wrought in and incorporated into your hearts that it may be a Goshen a Land of Vision and full of the understanding of the Lord. Heart-keeping and Heart-watching work The heart is bent to backsliding if it be not kept and held fast to the Lord and his waies 't is still turning aside and winding off from its proper duty The Lord complains of Israel Psal 78. 8. They did not set their heart aright and their spirit was not stedfast with God They did not prepare adapt dispose their heart to God neither was it constant and stedfast with him but on every occasion did start aside So false a thing is man's heart if not under a watchful eye and strong hand holding it fast to God Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence Keep it as under lock and key bolted against sin and bound by cords of love to every duty And what a hard province is this O the work that a child of God hath to keep his heart in order one moment to keep down sin to keep it from the power of corruption and prevalency of temptation to keep up grace in the heart to maintain its desires after God and things that are excellent to preserve its affections to things above to hold the thoughts on God and things eternal that they start not away to continue its integrity to perform its purposes to secure its frames experiences and enjoyments And he that will thus keep his heart must watch it constantly never have his eye off from it or suffer his jealousie concerning it to cease He must be alwaies making it over to the Lord Jesus for security and be still imploring help from Heaven faithfully following all the instructions he gives towards its securing This is heart-work and the first part of this heavenly work that concerns your selves Secondly You must carry on mortification-work every day Col. 3. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry The Apostle having assur'd the believing Colossians of their future happiness doth thence infer their duty and necessity to press after utmost holiness here as the way to this blessedness The first part of which holiness lies in this great work of mortification there is no greater motive for Believers putting off sin than well-grounded hopes of interest in Christ and glory if Heaven be yours hereafter holiness must be yours now There is no place for sin in Heaven nor unclean thing can enter there Then hasten away sin now that 's his Argument Mortify your members Get your selves rid of sin put to death weaken and destroy the whole body of sin with all the parts and issues of it the head and ruling power of sin had its mortal wound before vers 3. Ye are dead habitually dead to sin the world and self they have got their deaths-wound the stab is at the heart and can never be healed more but they are not actually dead more blood must run and spirits be spent and this monster be weakned every day Practical mortification is wanting and must be promoted daily This spiritual death to sin a Mors naturalis est pura privatio nec admittit in subjecto aliquid contrarii sed mortificatio spiritualis non est pura privatio nam dum corpus hoc mortale gestamus relinquitur aliquid de contrario fomite quod oppugnandum magis magisque mortificandum est Daven saith Davenant is not as the natural death for that 's a pure privation and admits of nothing
sin the transcendent glory of Christ is his grace and the glory of the Saints is to be like him Joh. 1. 14. which is obtained through the immediate views of him 1 Joh. 3. 2. When he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The hope of which sight and glory is soul-purifying now ver 3. And every man that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure No sooner had the Apostles a sight of Christ's glorious grace but the next thing was a receiving from his fulness grace for grace Joh. 1. 14. 16. Fourthly A sensible sight of the exceeding sinfulness and evil of sin will help to loosen this conjunction between the heart and sin when once Paul came to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin and felt the killing fruits of it in his soul his heart presently came to be loosened from the ruling power of it Rom. 7. 11. 13. That which I do I allow not what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. The sense of the shameful fruits of sin was influential on the believing Romans towards their freedom from sin Rom. 6. 21. 22. Christians get your eye more intently fix'd on the cursed nature of sin how contrary to God how like to Devils how filthy loathsome and abominable look upon the certain dreadful effects of sin here and to all eternity if not removed it hath brought death on the Son of God and destruction on the Sons of Men bondage on the creatures a curse on every thing men do and enjoy enmity against God alienation from God robbing him of his glory crossing his will spoiling his works grieving his spirit hindering the soul in duty depriving it of mercy exposing it to judgment necessitating it to evil weakning his hopes breaking his peace opposing his grace and endangering either the loss or lessening of his glory with other innumerable mischiefs injuries cruelty and miseries that follow the heels of it with the great difficulty in its removal I say be more in the heart-affecting consideration of these things and you cannot choose but with Paul be weary of sin loath it and long for a separation from it Rom. 7. 24. How can ye love that knife that hath stabb'd your dearest Friend Father Husband yea your own soul How can you like that cloud and veil which stands between you and the Son of righteousness and keeps these quickning warming beams from you which would have cleared and strengthned your heart How can you hug the fetters kiss the walls and doors that imprison your souls in bondage and keep you from your beloved and from the glorious liberty of the Sons of God what pleasure can you take in that Thief which stole your richest Jewels and hath brought you to a morsel of bread 5ly Apprehension of that high dignity and honorable state to which grace hath advanc'd you those peculiar glorious priviledges which you are now invested with hath a mighty influence on a gracious heart towards the abhorring of sin 1 Joh. 3. 1 2 3. Oh how unsutable are works of darkness to the children of light how unbecoming is vile rayment to them that dwell in Kings Houses A Swine's snout to a Saint's eye thick clay and defiling dirt on the hands face and heart of the heirs of glory and children of the Kingdom what an unlovely sight is it to see Kings wallow in the mire as Swine and such who enjoy the priviledges of Angels to do the work of Devils Remember that thou art Son to a King said one to Antigonus and that will keep thee from base courses O Christians work in these thoughts upon the heart and see whether there can be any room left for the works of the flesh or affections thereof Sixthly Expectations of future glory will help you to despise that abominable thing sin Can you rationally look for a Throne with your Beloved hereafter and lodge in the bosome of your Idols and adulterous Lovers now How can you think that head shall wear a Crown of glory with Christ who is always plotting to put Crowns of Thorns on Christ's head now To reap life everlasting then who sow to the flesh now Do you hope for that time when you shall be uncloath'd of sin and can you make it your present work to put on sin hold fast sin how inconsistent are desires of sin with hopes of freedom Christians don't deceive your souls you cannot have sure grounds of fellowship with God hereafter and allow the least communion between your hearts and sin now Seventhly Maintained union and communion with Christ will break heart-union and fellowship with sin As heart-union with sin will not admit of union and communion with God Hos 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone I will have no more to do with him I 'll leave and remove from him So union and communion with God in Christ will not bear union with sin Hos 2. 2. The Lord would not say Israel was his Wife until her Whoredoms were put out of her sight and her Adulteries from between her breasts and no sooner did she return to a believing sight of and affectionate union with him but she presently cries out What have I to do with Idols any more Hos 14. 8 Contraries oppose and weaken each other Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two Masters either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon Union with God is of an incorporating nature 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit and cannot subsist without heart-separation from sin 2 Cor 6. 16 17. I will dwell in them and walk in them wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord. Cleaving to Christ by Faith is the best way to the relinquishment of sin The soul that hath constant fellowship with Christ will not care for other Lovers Phil. 3. 8. That 's the third Direction Get the union between thy heart and sin broken Direct 4. Fourthly If you would mortifie sin strike at the root of it and get the body of this death destroyed The life of the tree lies in the root lop off all the branches yet if the root be sound the tree lives and the branches will sprout out again Job 14. 7 8 9. But if once the root be cut off the whole tree dies and ceases from bringing forth fruit So 't is with sin if you set against this or that particular corruption and let the body of death alone not using means to weaken that you will make but little of all your endeavours when you have quieted one lust another rises 'T is but to little purpose to lade away waters out of a ship unless you stop the leak that feeds them while there is water in the Sea it will be
Christian get if he did but follow his victory over his corruptions and not suffer them to recruit and gather strength again Give no rest to thy lusts nor space for reviving no not for a moment but keep up thy warfare every day Sixthly If you would further the death of sin keep up the life of grace As the life of sin weakens grace so the life of grace keeps down and weakens sin Gal. 5. 16. Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Keep up grace and sin will down As when the house of David waxed stronger the house of Saul waxed weaker 2 Sam. 3. 1. 'T is written of Ephrem Syrus that though he was a man much given to passion in his youth yet after he entered into a strict course of life he was never seen to be angry with any man As you cannot get power over sin but by the Spirit of Grace so you cannot keep the head over sin but by the Life of Grace Get your graces strengthened and you will find your corruptions weakened Thirdly You must carry on Renovation in grace and the inward work of Sanctification every day Ephes 3. 23 24. And be renewed in the spirit of your minds And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schol. After the work of Mortification the Apostle presses Christians to this work of Renovation or Internal Holiness be renewed in the spirit of your minds i. e. in your minds by the Holy Spirit the mind being put for the whole man and internal faculties of the soul both understanding will affections and conscience all must be renewed by the Spirit called the New Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. or Workmanship of Christ transformed after his own Image in righteousness and true holiness and renewed in knowledge Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. When the soul is truly regenerated there is the stamp or eexmplar of Christ's holiness placed in the whole soul in truth but in weak measures at first which must be renewed or enlarged in the soul till it comes to the fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ Christians at the first change are compar'd to new born babes 2 Pet. 2. 2. weak in grace but under a natural disposition and obligations to growth and encreases in this grace of God both intensively and extensively This is a Christian's duty by divine command and comports with the appointment of God in order to it 2 Pet. 3. v. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Ephes 4. 11 12 13. 'T is the way by which grace becomes glory and is greatly necessary to perfect a soul's holiness that so he might come to his full stature and conformity to Christ Ephes 4. 16. Rom. 8. 29. And by the encreases of grace may be enabled to dispatch all his duties bear his burdens and bear up under his temptations that he might be capable to enjoy all his mercies to glorifie the God of grace and to be made meet for the enjoyment of God in glory On all which accounts it becomes the Christian 's great concern to press after larger measures of grace every day to grow up into him in faith and love who is the head in all things Ephes 4. 15. To grow downward in humility and self-denial to grow extensively in every part of holiness and greater enlargements in every grace to wax stronger and stronger in the grace that is in Christ Jesus Perfecting holiness in the sight of God and pressing more and more after the price of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus The want of which encreases of the Spirit doth much obscure the glory of Christ in Believers cloud their evidences and render them too weak for their corruptions their growing tryals and duties Christians content not your selves with the truth of grace without daily growth in grace Improve your interest in the Resurrection of Christ by believing for the dailing quickening of your hearts and raising of your affections to things above and attracting your desires and whole souls after God grace and glory Be much in internal soul-work of heart searching soul watching divine contemplation secret ejaculations and soul breathings after God and higher manifestations of his light life and love Be constant in every appointment of God publick and private of prayer reading hearing holy conference that you may get nourishment thereby administred to your souls Get under all the dews and showres of grace for your fruitfulness Be spiritual as well as frequent in exercising grace under the means of Grace without this you cannot serve God acceptably Heb. 12. 28. or receive from him who is the head nourishment to your souls but by these bands and joynts of faith and love Col. 2. 19. Formality eats out that sap which should make you green and flourishing A dead cold heart under the Word can no more digest it to nutriment than a dead body can concoct natural food Maintain hungring desires after the word of grace and appointed means to your spiritual growth 1 Pet. 2. 3. Hungring after food argues a good digestion and a sound concoction furthers nourishment Keep up warm affection to every way of God living on Christ for all the good and blessing of them Psal 84. 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them who passing through the Valley of Baca make it a Well the rain also filleth the Pools they go from strength to strength every one in Sion appearing before God When Jehoshaphat's heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord 't is said he waxed great exceedingly 2 Chron. 17. 6. 12. Heart-enlargement in the ways of God is a notable help to soul-thrivings Take this one thing more be poor in spirit if you would be rich in grace Such are under the promise of being satisfied of being guided in judgment of encreasing their joy to such he will give grace and revivings Humble souls a Reyner Excellency of Grace saith one are empty vessels which God will fill are low plants which God will make to grow To be nothing in our own eyes is the way to receive all good things even grace in abundance from God Psal 22. 26. and 25. 9. Isa 29. 19. Prov. 3. 34. Isa 57. 15. Fourthly To keep your evidences for Heaven fair and legible is another part of your salvation-Salvation-work this will abundantly comfort you under all your tribulations quicken you to a lively dispatch of your duties give you a humble boldness in your approaches to God arm you against the fears of death and administer to you an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Beware of quenching and grieving the Spirit of grace by which its sealing-work is hindered Take heed of laying blots upon your evidences by any allowed iniquity in your hearts or unpurged defilement in your hands which will weaken
are waies of pleasantness and all her paths are peace The Word of God yields out but half its sweetness until it becomes the way and walks of men Psal 10. 11. In keeping them there is great reward My witness is in Heaven saith Mr. William Cooper upon his death-bed That the love of Jesus and his peoples souls made preaching my pleasure and I had no such joy as in doing God's work They are blessed that do his Commandment not onely in that they have right to the tree of life but in that they eat the pleasant fruits of it and feed upon that hidden Manna unto which bare hearers are strangers Thirdly Get all the good you can from Providences from favourable Providences and from frowning Providences These are the North and the South winds which the Beloved causes to blow upon his garden Cant. 4. 16. that the spices might flow forth Providences whether prosperous or afflictive are to saved souls but the fulfilling of Divine Purposes and the accomplishment of precious promise which are designed for the good of Believers Observe the Providences of God if you would get good from thence Observable things saith worthy Mr. Blair do follow them that are given to observation Doth God bring thee under smiling Providences get some good from them In these the Lord writes legible characters of his Covenant-love to his people O read the tenderness love bounty and faithfulness of God in them and be affected Get thy heart to write back letters of love and thankfulness to God again entertain giving Providences with thanksgiving hearts and the sacrifice of praise 2 Chron. 29. 31. Let the Lord communicate with you concerning receiving as well as giving Phil. 4. 15. If left-hand mercies flow in upon you take heed lest those floods break their bounds and carry away the banks of your affections and circumspection Christians 't is a safe rule to fear your mercies as well as afflictions There is usually less fear and therefore more danger of professing friends than professed enemies 'T was the prayer of Queen Elizabeth To be delivered from her friends as for her enemies she would take care of them Further if you have now a spring-tide of outward mercies prepare for low-waters The comforts of this world are not standing pools but running streams and rolling Seas that ebb and flow expect not too much from them entertain your comming mercies as strangers who have their time to go as well as come The Lord gives and the Lord takes Job 1. 21. Get good also from taking as well as giving Providences be blessing God for them There is more self-denial and pure love to God expressed in such acknowledgments than in praises for bestowing mercy Job 1. 2. Besides divine grace runs as well through the empty chanels as broad streams of outward comforts 'T is the same hand of the Father that uncloaths which dresses his children the Fork as well as the Rake belongs to the Covenant of Grace and Peace neither is love or hatred known by these things Eccles 9. 1. Some have never found more than when they have lost all The Lord oft-times makes mens losses their gains and their gain of earthly things their losses Saul lost his Asses and found a Kingdom Shimei found his servants and lost his life Place not then your happiness no nor your comforts in these things How many prick their fingers to get a few fading Roses which as soon wither as they are pluck'd Think well of God under scattering Providences and believe he loves you as much when he removes your mercies as when he gives them Look to God in Providences see whence those winds come that blow down your houses and scatter your comforts enquire wherefore God contends with you Job 10. 2. Doth not that worm which devours your gourd breed in your security pride unthankfulness and abuse of them while you had them search out the cause of God's displeasure justifie God in it and bear his indignation humbly come down at his feet kiss his rod and hear the voice of it This is to get good from the worst of Providences Fourthly Get good from the world and things thereof by seeing its wiles and deceitfulness its vanity and emptiness Mark 4. 19. The world is a fading thing the fashion of it passeth away and it is gone Trades-men care not for over-much of those goods that are soon out of fashion Eccles 1. 2. O care not for the world the fashion whereof soon passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 31. The world is a dirty thing 't is hard to touch it and not be defiled Christians be not like Swine who love to run into the dirt and if you would keep your selves unspotted take heed of the world The world is a heavy ponderous thing by faith make it portable and more easie to be born 2 Cor. 4. 17. that it may not clog your feet and stop your race towards glory Faith will soon lessen your burden and mend your pace it will turn brass yea clay into gold and make it light in carriage The world is a strange Countrey to the Citizens of Heaven get good from it by living as strangers in the world by making you long the more for your own home by converting it to the service of your souls and interest in glory The Scorpions in Caria when they sting kill home-bred people not strangers Apollon Be a stranger to the world and it will not hurt thee The world is a subtle Strumpet shun her embraces lye not in her bosom stop your ears against her charms and shut your eyes from her allurements The world is an enemy beware of it when it promises believe it not when it kisses you take heed of the sword in its hand 2 Sam. 20. 9 10. when it cries peace peace then fear swift destruction set thy feet on its fair neck to keep it down get it nailed to the Cross of Christ and pierced to death with the sword and spear of the Spirit Get good from every state and condition God puts you into whether high or low rich or poor If you are above others in place be above them in grace if you enjoy more than others labour to do more than others Matth. 5. 47. The higher you are in the world be so much the lower in your own eyes The tallest Cedars bow most Ships of the greatest burden draw most water and go deepest Exalted Angels rejoyce to be ministring spirits Yea the Son of God delighted in being the servant of men Israel was a Prince and prevailed with God and yet counted himself beneath the least of all God's mercies Gen. 32. 10. By how much the greater I am saith Maximinus so much the more I labour and the more I labour the greater I am Paul the chiefest Apostle and yet in his own eyes less than the least of all Saints Ephes 3. 8. Humble your selves when God exalts you and when you humble your selves God will exalt you Have you
sight having a warrant for every action you perform both civil and religious this will be your comfort now and your peace in the day of your accounts Thirdly Drive on his interest not your own Rom. 14. 7. For none of us liveth to himself God can more justly say what Laban did to Jacob concerning his children and goods These daughters are my daughters and these children are my children and these cattel are my cattel and all that thou seest is mine Gen. 31. 43. The cattel on a thousand hills are his Psal 50. 10. with the corn wine wooll and flax Hos 2. 9. Both the improvement as well as principal are his Mat. 25. 27. He hath right to the exercise and fruit of your graces and duties with all that you enjoy and do Put Christ's mark on all your goods whatever you gain by his talents put on his account and let your disbursments be expended to his use Seek not your own things your credit peace comfort interest but in subordination to him If the Lord by his Word calls for any of your enjoyments you must let them go If by his Providence he takes off any comfort murmure not say 't is the Lord Let him do what he will with his own Mat. 20. verse 15. Advice 5. Fifthly Follow your Trade better than you have done remember how former carelesness formality sloth hypocrisie have undone you and amend The slothful soul is as the door on his hinges Prov. 26. 14. that never makes any progress in Religion or comes to any excellency in grace No Christian saith Mr. Sedgwick is so able in the habits of grace as he who is conscienciously frequent in the practice or exercise of grace Christ's Counsel to his languishing Church Would you recover your state and come to any eminency in godliness then make Religion your business That sleightiness of spirit in the way of God which lost you at first will never restore you The recovery of a faint soul saith the same Author will never be effected by faint workings You did fall into your decayed state by remissive actings and think you that which was not able to keep up your graces from sinking can now quicken and raise them being sunk Christ's Counsel to his languishing Church p. 148. If negligence did cast you back diligence must help to recover you Take more pains with your hearts follow your work of godliness every day and in every place Be early and late in your shops of duty and in the warehouse of your hearts Beware of spiritual sloth and soul-losses take heed of unfaithfulness with God conscience or others keep touch with your Creditour be tender of your vows to God and men keep from prodigality live not above your condition waste not precious time parts and grace in vain walk strictly in the whole course of your life keeping your selves from iniquity and in the Love of God Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Jude v. 21. Tit. 2. 13. 5th Branch of Exhortation to good Traders in Religion Lastly You whoever you are that drive on this Heavenly Merchandise and have any good Trading in Religion be you exhorted Advice 1. First To bless God for good trading Is it well with your souls Doth the South-wind blow upon your Garden and the Spices flow out Cant. 4. 16. Doth the Fig-tree put forth her green Figs and the Vine with the tender Grape give a good smell Cant. 2. 13. What reason have you then to be always giving thanks you whose trading turns to any spiritual advantage thou canst say 'T is good to draw nigh to God in keeping his commands is great reward The Lord is not a barren wilderness to thy soul but peace is within thy Walls and prosperity within thy Palaces Psal 122. 7. Thy glory is fresh in thee and thy bow renewed in thy hand thy root spreadeth out by the waters and the dew lying all night between thy branches Job 29. 19 His ways are pleasantness and his steps drop fatness to thy soul and he commands his blessing upon thee and thy faith and love do grow Is it thus in any measure with thee O then bless the Lord with thy soul let all that is within thee bless his holy Name Make the Lord thy glory and triumphing praise Thou hast abundant reason to be admiring grace and exalting divine glory Because First Soul-thriving is a great mercy at all times a little spiritual goods is beyond all the World's treasure one piece of Christ's tried Gold weighs down all the Pearls and Diamonds on earth and whatever can be found below grace cannot be compar'd with it Job 28. 11 12 16. or named the same day with it The light of God's countenance pardon of sin participation of the spirit fulfilling of Promises fellowship with the Father Son and Spirit heart-breathings after love to and delight in God are things of inestimable worth if you weigh them in themselves or with other things or if you consider the grace from whence they come or price which they cost Spiritual thrivings are an evidence of sincere love to God Judg. 5. 31. Let them that love thy Name be as the Sun that goeth forth in his might and of special love in God to that soul Tit. 3. 4 6. Eph. 1. 3 5 7. God may prosper in the World those he hates Esau had his fat things here but grace and peace are new-covenant-blessings which spring from eternal love in the heart of God to that soul Heb. 8. 10. Zech. 8. 11 12 15. Secondly 'T is a singular mercy at this time a mercy that few enjoy in the day we live in What a rare thing is it in this long winter to see a green Olive a tender Grape appear or Pomgranate bud Cant. 7. 6. or one Berry in the uppermost branch Isa 24. 13. It was a peculiar glory put upon the head of Thyatira that she was thriving when other Churches were decaying She had works and works and the last were more than the first Rev. 2. 19. Ephesus had lost her first love Sardis had decayed and wasted her first strength and was ready to die Laodicea was luke-warm ready to be spued out by the Lord Jesus Rev. 3. 1 8 16. only Thyatira flourished exceedingly and grew in the winter and this honour she had to have it recorded by the Spirit for a monument in after-ages 'T is not the lot of every one to thrive in evil times few Thessalonians whose faith and love did grow 2 Thes 1. 3. A single Timothy who had flourishing affections to the things of Christ I have no man like minded Phil. 2. 20. One Gaius whose soul out-prospered his body 3 Ep. Joh. v. 2. A flourishing Christian this day is like a flower in winter an Apple-tree amongst the trees of the wood Surely if there be a Soul who this day flourishes to any heighth of Christianity who lives in intimacy with
God fares deliciously in his soul feeding on marrow and hidden manna that he or she is greatly beloved of God Thy lot O soul is fal'n in a peculiar plot of mercies ground and should not the Lord Jesus be admir'd of such a one seeing he is come to him in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel O bless God for this unspeakable gift Thirdly 'T is an earnest of eternal mercy They that sow to the spirit shall reap life everlasting Gal. 6. 8. And such as abound in holiness shall have an abundant entrance administred to them into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour 2 Tet. 1. 11. God will never throw away savoury salt to the dunghil nor burn up fruitful branches Trees full of sap are the Lord's trees which he will transplant into his Paradise above Psal 104. 16. The Lord 's ripe fruit shall be gathered not shaken on the ground and safely hous'd in Heaven Grace is too precious seed to be lost Such as sow it now though in tears shall surely come again and bring their sheaves with them Psal 126. 5. Poor troubled Soul God will not despise the day of thy small things much less thy soulenlargements after him he will be tender of thy smallest blossoms and secure them into fruit much more shall thy encreases arrive to the fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ Eph. 4. 15. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shewn towards his name Heb. 6. 10. It may be thou hast forgotten many a duty and hearty testimony of thy love to Christ his name people and ways and canst see nothing in all thou hast done but art ready to say on every turn When saw I thee an hunger'd and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink when saw I thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee or sick and in prison and came to thee Matth. 25. 35. But God cannot be so unrighteous to forget it or let it pass so but keeps a record of all thy meanest duties and will make the most of them in the day of righteous judgment I know thy works and thy labours and thy patience c. Rev. 2. 2. When thou wast under the Fig-tree I saw thee Joh. 1. 48. He takes notice of a Daniel by the river Hiddekel of a Peter on the house-top of Elijah under the Juniper-tree 1 King 19. 4 5. yea of what was but in David's heart to do and requites it 8 King 8. 18. Will not an Ahasuerus let the good deeds of Mordecai go unrewarded and shall not the Judg of all the Earth do right and crown the works of his own hands Your labours shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. O then be blessing God for the least good he hath wrought in you and for you for any prosperity in your souls There are no offerings come up with that acceptance on God's Altar as thanksgiving-offerings Psal 69. 30 31. What a delightful remark did the Lord Jesus put upon the Lepers return to praise him for cleansing Luke 17. 18. the more spiritual the more rejoyeing Isa 52. 8. No such thriving souls as God-praising souls Jer. 31. 12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the heighth of Sion and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Wine and for Oil and their soul shall be as a watred Garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all Quest How might I know whether I have good trading in Spirituals or no that I might have ground for rejoycing in God Could I find this soul-welfare you speak of I should bless God with my whole soul but I fear 't is otherwise that I am one of those who fall back and decay in my heavenly Trade Sol. There are seven signs of good Trading especially in evil times which men usually reckon to be discoveries of a thriving Trade First When men go not back in the World but hold their own they lose nothing 'T is much in bad times to keep ones ground to be savers in such a season is a piece of gain Try in this how 't is with you do not you go back in your spiritual estate is it not worse with you than heretofore Is not your faith love humility patience less than heretofore If you go not back in grace you go forward there 's no standing at a stay in Religion men go forward or backward in the way of Vertue they that do not decay do thrive in Spirituals Job proves his good estate by his standing fast in shaking times Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lip I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined Job 23. 10 11 12. and thence concludes a gainful issue When he hath tried me I shall come forth as Gold And the Apostle reckons it good profit in soul-conflicts to stand ones ground if he cannot gain yet not to lose But having done all to stand is victory Eph. 6. 13. Christians have their winter-seasons when growing is not visible then to keep alive is commendable Do you hold fast your integrity and keep your garments on Do you preserve your conscience pure from the defilements and temptations of the day and place you live in and your hearts unspotted from the World your desires as warm your purposes of cleaving to God as firm and your feet as quick to run the way of God's commandments as heretofore then have you good trading considering the times you live in which is an hour of temptation and an evening of darkness Secondly If wares go off well 't is good trading when goods vend at a good rate men count it thriving Is it so with your souls do your prayers come up to God with acceptance do duties turn to any profit to you what returns have you of your religious services do hearing prayer conference bring you any soul-advantage do not goods lie by you undisposed of but your graces are exercised your talents gifts opportunities improv'd then 't is good Trading If the Lord give you light you lay it out for the good of others if he restore to you the joy of his salvation and uphold you with his free Spirit you teach transgressours his waies and endeavour to convert sinners to him Psal 51. 12 13. When God drops in comfort to you you pour it forth to others that they may be comforted also with the same comforts wherewith you are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. When you are come to duties publick or private do graces go out in them you shew parts it may be but do you lay out grace as well as gifts spiritual as well as natural affections Do you pray with the Spirit and hear with Faith do hope fear humility holy fervency heavenly breathings sincerity go off in your religions duties
such a pitch of light grace and comfort as will secure their salvation and present welfare they sit down and go no further this makes formalists and starvelings in Religion Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward Exod. 14. 15. is God's charge on his people in their passage to the heavenly Canaan Be adding to your faith vertue c 1 Pet. 1. 5. The greatest skill in this holy Arithmetick lies in Addition and Multiplication Be still enlarging your store get in more choice of heavenly wares greater quantities and more costly goods and be putting off more and more goods as you have opportunity seeing great is not only your present advantage but your reward in Heaven also Mat. 5. 12. Advice 3. Thirdly You that have good times for trading now make provision for bad times Lay in for changes be not like the Grashopper that spends her All in Summer and when the Winter comes starves Every Summer hath its Winter North-winds have their season to blow on Christ's Garden as well as the South Cant. 4. 16. Good and evil have their turns with Christians in this life 'T is only the Diveses that have their good things in this life here have the Saints no continuing City Heb. 13. 4. Created comforts whether spiritual or carnal have their shakings and removes Heb. 12. 27. And this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain The life of Believers is made up of vicissitudes with Naomi now full then empty Ruth 1. 21. like Ships in their passage to their Port now they have calms then storms none but wicked and they not always neither are exempted from their changes in this life Psal 55. 19. 'T was an error in David's apprehensions which he soon saw to his cost that his mountain was made so strong it should not be moved Psal 30. 6. I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou did'st hide thy face and I was troubled Prosperity and affliction have their different saies and thoughts think of thy most promising state here though this be a beautiful structure yet 't is but a tabernacle Sin puts wheels on every condition below and makes them moveable What that Ambassador said to the Romans who boasted of the heighth and strength of their Walls they were not so high but sin could bring them down may be said of the most flourishing condition of Saints in this World Is thy store full now a spending time may come Dionysius the second had four hundred Ships an Army of one hundred thousand foot nine thousand horse and the richest Magazine of any Prince and yet lived to lose all Christians have their spending as well as getting times and should lay in for times of need There are four special seasons when gracious souls will have need of all their store to relieve them Times of Temptation Times of Desertion Times of Affliction And The time of Death First Times of Temptation are spending times and call for great succours to be laid in against such seasons First Because such times are certain to Believers they will come Psal 11. 5. The Lord tryeth the righteous There 's never a gracious soul but some time or other the Lord trieth it either immediately by his Spirit or mediately by afflictions or temptations from men or devils The Apostle tells us every man is tempted James 1. 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed The best of men saith one are tempted and that when they are at the best Capell of Temptation Adam in Paradise Gen. 3. 6. Solomon after God had twice appeared to him 1 King 11. 9. Job after the evidences of his uprightness before God and religious duties Job 1. 1 5. Peter after he had made a confession of Christ and entered into covenant never to be offended at him Mat. 26. 33. Yea Christ himself after his Baptism and the Spirit 's resting on him as a Dove and the Father's owning of him by an audible voice from Heaven Matth. 3. 17. chap. 4. 1. He saith the former Author that thinks he is so good that he ought not to be tempted and so strong that he need not fear to be tempted hath need of a temptation that by experience in himself he might prove what he ought to have found in the Word that of our selves we have no strength Capell Four things make temptations unavoidable to gracious souls 1 God's good Pleasure 2 Satan's Rage 3 The Saints Corruptions 4 And their Profit First 'T is God's good Pleasure to have them tryed The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is 1 Cor. 3. 13. whether it will bear the fire or no hereby the excellency of his work the greatness of his power appears in the enduring graces of the Saints and their standing after all By this the Lord will confute the slanders of men and devils who are still charging his people with hypocrisie and falling away when tryal comes Doth Job fear God for naught Job 1. 9. Put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and flesh and he will curse thee to thy face Job 2. 5. This is the usual calumny of the Saints enemies to confute which and prove them lyars doth the Lord suffer his people to be tempted 'T is his will and purpose that all his people should be tryed and therefore 't is unavoidable Secondly Such is Satan's Rage he cannot alwaies keep his fingers from them if he lets them alone 't is but for a season Luke 4. 13. When the Devil had ended all the temptations he departed from him for a season Is Satan busie then his work is not done hast thou any rest 't is because his tempting-time is not come he is a roaring Lion and cannot rest from seeking to devour though he forbears attempting to devour for a season when it makes to his greater advantage Never expect freedom from temptation till Satan's chain be shortened or thy remove without his reach obtained Rev. 20. 2 3. Thirdly The Saints corruptions expose them to temptations Where the carkass is there the Eagles resort Mat. 24. 28. While the Saints have gall'd backs they can expect no freedom from flies If Sampson be bound the Philistines will be upon him The cause of those sins is in us whereof the occasion is from Satan Capell Till the fire of Hell be out in the Saints the Devil will not lay down his bellows where there is no sin there is no matter for temptation to work on as where there is no morbid matter there contagion cannot so easily fasten corruption keeps open the door for Satan never look for silence from Satan till you find cessation from sin Fourthly The profit and good of gracious souls do necessitate it By this means they come
shall see clearly things it never knew As 't is said of the Mole that it is blind all its time till it comes to die and then it sees So they that would not see shall then see and be ashamed then shall souls see things as they are and find that to be evil which they thought good and that to be good which they thought to be evil Death is the greatest informer and makes the largest discovery of things that ever was it brings to light the hidden things of darkness sins the world never knew and sins it may be the soul it self never saw or thought it self guilty of then will the least flaw error unsoundness neglect failing be fully seen then the things that now seem to be small will then appear to be great and those things that were taken for mountains will be less than one single grain of dust Death is a time also when conscience hath its quickest senses and liveliest acts when it sees hears feels fears all things as they are and without any other witness becomes both Accuser and Judge then Judas needed no Accuser to charge him or Judge to condemn him but his own conscience nor Executioner to dispatch him but his own hand What 's the matter man said Mr. Perkins to a Malefactor going up the ladder and his countenance shewing the inward terrors of his soul art thou afraid to die O no Sir said he but of a worse matter So another upon her death-bed and under a terrible sight of her wicked life when one that was by offered something to comfort her against the fear of death replied Were it but to die it were nothing A world said another upon the border of eternity and under conscienceaffrightings for one inch of time O give me one inch of time Luther speaks of an Eremite who a little before his death stood very sad never stirring out of his place for three days having his eyes fixt towards Heaven and being ask'd the reason of this posture answered he was afraid to die His Scholars began to comfort him telling him he need not to fear death who had been so holy in his life but he replies 't is true I have lived well and been obedient but God's judgments are otherwise than Man's judgment Tom. 4. fol. 50. The time of death is a time of great temptation also then Satan usually brings forth his chiefest strength to weaken the soul's faith 't is his last onset and that is the hottest as men that storm a Garrison in their last assault they usually put forth their utmost strength Then he opposeth us with most armed force In this last assault Å¿ Instructissimis copiis nos impugnat ipsam resistentiam aggreditur de certamine certamen est bellum alio bello defendendum hic pugnandum ut pugnare liceat resistendum ei qui resistere dissuadet Luth. saith Luther 't is not as in other temptations where faith and hope doth fight for here he sets upon the very resistance and the strife is about striving and the war is maintain'd by another war Here the fight is that it may be lawful to fight and to resist him whose greatest policy is then to disswade from resisting laughing at our hope as if it were already vanquished and it were to no purpose to resist This is a critical time and hard to stand the last enemy is death when the soul must have the whole armour of God and be found not in his own righteousness but take sanctuary in the grace of God the righteousness and faithfulness of Christ Death is somewhat driery saith Mr. Cooper and the streams of that Jordan between us and our Canaan run furiously but they stand still when the Ark comes let your anchor be cast within the veil and fastned on the rock Jesus let the end of the threefold cord be buckled to the heart so shall ye go through t Claude oculos nihil responde commenda causam Deo Idem When thou art tempted saith Luther and seest no way to escape shut thine eye answer nothing and commit the cause to God This saith he is the chiefest wisdom we should attend to in the hour of death This was Bernard's course and comfort when on the point of death I have lived wickedly saith he but thou Lord Jesus Christ enjoyest Heaven by a double right first because thou art the Son of God then because by thy death and passion thou hast obtained it u Hoc servas pro te jure nativitatis illud largiris mihi non jure operum sed gratiae thou keepest the first thy self by thy birth-right the last thou bestowest on me not for my works but of thy grace Christians you had need be well furnish'd for the hour of death your greatest and most difficult hour laying in all the provisions you can for a sure and comfortable passage to glory Thus you see Wisdom's Merchants have more to do than keep up present life and comfort they must lay in for times to come for times of temptation desertion affliction and the hour of death Advice 4. Fourthly If you have good trading with God then lay out for God This is reasonable work pleasing work honourable work profitable work First 'T is reasonable work to lay out for God he deserves it 't is his due all your mercies are his interest I will return and take away my corn in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof I will recover my wooll and my flax given to cover her nakedness Hos 2. 9. Though God gives his people the use of mercy yet he keeps the propriety in his own hand God is the Alpha and should be the Omega the Authour and 't is reasonable he should be the end of all our mercies James 1. 17. Every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights And as beams from the Sun is derived from his bounty as his peculiar off-spring w Bona mea dona tua Omne bonum nostrum vel ipse vel ab ipso Aug. My goods are thy gifts saith Augustine All our good is either himself or what comes from him Both trading and thriving are from him and should also be for him both principle and interest are God's own Mat. 25. 27. If you lay not out your mercies for God you rob him of his due Your mercies are the Lords not onely by that interest he reserves in them but by your resignation of them unto him Christians when you gave up your selves to the Lord you gave up all your interests and capacities also 2 Cor. 5. 8. To keep back any part of your All from God is to lye to the Holy Ghost Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the Land No lower terms will pass in reconcillation with God than what Ahab yielded to Benhadad 1 Kings 20. 4. My Lord
chargeable not only for violating the royal righteous law of Christ but for being guilty of subverting his Government Crown and Dignity and endeavouring in his measure the ruining his interest of hindering the conversion and edification of souls and whatever damage hereby comes to the spiritual or eternal welfare of souls it will be laid on their heads in the day of the righteous judgment of Christ Another greatly concerning duty contain'd in this Scripture is charitable communications feed the poor feed the hungry clothe the naked relieve the oppressed Bede Alapid This is to honour God with your substance not to spend it on your lusts to live high to fare deliciously to build your nests on high but to make your abundance a supply for the good of those that are in wants 2 Cor. 8. 14. Isa 58. 7. 10. Mat. 5. 42. Jam. 1. 27. Heb. 13. 16. Luke 14. 12 13. Otherwise First All your Religion is in vain James 1. v. 26 27. Your knowledge desires affections frames tasts enjoyments marks experiences seeming graces duties are all nothing and can never prove the truth of your grace the safety of your estates and goodness of your religion if you are found defective in this great duty of Charity Psal 112. 4 5. Vnto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous A good man sheweth favour and lendeth Let men say what they will if they be covetous hard-hearted have no compassion to them that are in wants have no heart to give or lend to needy ones they have no true grace in them Verse 9. He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousness endureth for ever Men may talk and pray and seem to be eminent Christians profess love to God and their neighbours and yet all the while be deceived and have not a jot of grace in them while their hearts are cruel their hands shut to their poor Brethren Remember the young man in the Gospel and fear thine own estate if thy heart be glued to thy possessions How dwelleth the Love of God in him 1 Joh. 3. 17. He loves not God and God loves not him that shuts up the bowels of his compassion from his poor and afflicted Brother That 's pure Religion and undefiled before God to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Jam. 1. 27. Shew me thy faith by thy works Jam. 2. 18. Religion saith one is not onely contemplative but the greatest part of it like the Mathematick's bargains how will they stand for a penny in chacharity how cold are they how hard is it to screw an alms out of their hands if this be Religion the Lord keep me from such Religon This begets an odium in the men of the world against Religion and the waies of God But woe to that man by whom offences come it had been better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drown'd in the midst of the Sea Mat. 18. 6 7. Fourthly Acts of Charity purely done will evidence your right to glory Mat. 25. 34 35. 36. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came to me The enquiry in that great day will not be after mens profession light frames and duties of Worship but after the fruits of their faith and love as evidential not causal of their right to glory Here is held out saith one not the b Non causa salutis sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testimonium credentius his verbis innuitur cause of their salvation but the sign and testimony of them that believe c. c Opera quae Christus praedicaturus est non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectu fidei finis ejus vitae aeternae Glass The Kingdom is obtained by way of Inheritance Come inherit the Kingdom aad prepared for them as a portion for children not purchased by them as the procurements of their works The reward is freely bestowed on all interested in Adoption-grace of which title the bearing proof in that day will be the fruits of love to those that are Christ's words will not be sufficient to demonstrate this love then it will not serve mens turn to say they loved Saints except it were extended to all yea the least of Saints and proved by acts of love and communications to all their necessities and that not some small pittance of their abundance which they valued not but it must be such portions and kinds of relief which their necessities call for in visiting feeding cloathing owning comforting receiving into their houses and whatever help they were capable to express and this as readily and heartily expended to them as they would lay them out to themselves and theirs that being the rule of Charity Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Matt. 22. 39. The want of this evidence whatever else may be pretended will finally and eternally cast souls in that last and terrible day Mat. 25. 41. to the end Do not deceive thy soul with false hopes of glory not one mark will pass for Heaven where there is a hard heart and close hands towards poor and distressed Saints For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2. 13. There is no room for you in Divine bowels if you shut up your own bowels against them that are in misery See in that Parable Mat. 18. 33 34 35. the dreadful end of those who are any way cruel to their fellow-servants having themselves tasted the mercy of their Lord. The liberal distributions of your estates to the poor is the onely way to make them truly serviceable to your souls whiles this becomes the occasion of your reception into everlasting habitations Luke 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations d Opus hoc receptionis in aeterna habitacula solius Dei est tribuitur autem pauperibus quia ipsi sententiam Christi Judicis de salvatione piorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approbabunt beneficentiae quae fidei fructus est testes erunt Glas The mammon or riches of this world is called the riches of unrighteousness because they are unrighteously gotten or unrighteously kept to the detriment of those that need them or unrighteously spent to the hurt of those that have them but the way to change their nature and to make them profitable is to lay them out to the poor who will receive you or witness for you in that day to prove the truth of your love by
marriage-day must be delayed till you come to a full age The Saints must be as a shock of corn that cometh in in its season Job 5. 25. Ripen a pace in your graces if you would get to glory Get your faith hope patience and every grace encreased daily especially your love to God that 's the grace shall abide in glory 1 Cor. 13. 8. Faith and Hope are the soul's helps and companions in the way but Love will be an eternal inhabitant with you Get purer deeper rooted stronger more enlarged love to Jesus Christ every day till you be downright sick for him this will make your life a death without his presence here and your death to be life in being with him for ever 'T was love to Christ made Ignatius so dead to all things below a Vita sine Christo mors est Ignat. and so longing to be with Christ 'T is storied of him that when he was dead and his heart taken out they saw the name of Jesus written in it in letters of Gold The more love to God the more fit for God for God is love b Non est in me incendium quidpiam amans D. Ludov. Rub. Thirdly Get and keep the testimony of a good conscience that may witness for you in the day of Christ when you die you are to have a trial for your life your inheritance your All and you had need have your witness firm and ready Now there are two great witnesses you will need in that day to clear your title the witness of Conscience and the Spirit have the one on your side and you will not want the other Get your consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ and purged from dead works by the Spirit of Christ that it may be able to appear for you in that day The blood of Christ will put words into the mouth of conscience for you to plead the general issue and the benefit of pardoning grace wherein you have been transgressors enlightned conscience will accuse you that you have sinned and besprinkled conscience will plead for you that you are pardoned and purged conscience will testify for you that you are changed and that you hate the evil you have done and love the holiness you have neglected O of what wonderful use will the testimony of a good conscience be when you stand at the Bar of God! Get it true to you now and sure for you then Fourthly Maintain more constant walks with God daily this will fit you for your eternal fellowship with him Converse with God is begun acquaintance here and in Heaven is perfect friendship and perpetual fellowship It will much fit you for Heaven hereafter to begin the work of Heaven here which lies in maintain'd intercourse with him Through these gallery-walks with God do the Saints pass into the Presence-Chamber and sit down with him for ever Communion with God now is Heaven begun such are fittest for his presence in glory who are train'd up in his company here Fifthly If you would prepare for Heaven dispatch your work on Earth Heaven is a state of rest and rest follows the finishing of labour Heb. 4. 9. Rev. 4. 13. Paul must end his fight finish his course and keep the faith before he can reach the Crown 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. In the grave there 's no wisdom device or work this is your only time for labour while you are in the Vineyard O how much work is behind with most which will make a departure terrible to an awakened conscience Haste about your neglected work you have it may be much work to do with others in your families with your relations possibly there are some souls in their graves and you have not done what you might to bring them forth dead Husband Wife Children Servants for whom you must do more or cannot comfortably appear before God O hasten about this work that you may give up your account with joy There 's soul-work to be done to get corruptions subdued graces strengthned your accounts stated evidences cleared and lamps trimmed which must be attended with utmost vigour If you would get home finish your work Lastly Be alwaies ready waiting for the coming of the Lord Luke 12. 35 36. Let your loins be girt about and your lights burning and ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the Wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open to him immediately 2 Pet. 3. 12. Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God Not only be waiting for your change but longing after it as persons that are ready for a desired journey think the time long ere they go Why are the wheels of his Chariot so long a coming Judg. 5. 28. The Spirit and the Bride say come Rev. 22. 17. With the Virgins go out to meet him Mat. 25. 1. If you knew the welcome that abideth for you when you come home ye would hasten your pace Rutherf The more ready you are for the coming of Christ the more will you long for his appearance and the more grateful will his approach be The uncertainty of that time when the Lord Jesus shall appear and the unseasonableness of that surprisal for preparation-work should put Christians on continual readiness lest coming in an hour they know not of they be found unfit to enter in and the door be shut Mat. 25. 10. O how dreadful will a miscarriage be at last All the hopes labours and comfort of your life depend upon your final safety and happy conclusion of your day 'T is a great thing to live a sanctified and die a saved soul O how few imagine the difficulty of being a Christian indeed and the infinite concern of securing an immortal soul and a sure title to the unsearchable riches of the other world O the folly and madness of rational creatures to make every thing sure but salvation and to spend their time and strength about the many things of a perishing life and lose the better part Whoever thou art that castest thine eye upon this discourse thou wilt one day find Religion to be thy chiefest interest when thou comest to take thy farewel of a vain deceitful world and seest all thy Lovers for whom thou hast sleighted thy precious soul thy Soverign Lord and dying Redeemer to prove miserable comforters not able to afford one drop of balm to heal or cordial to chear thy fainting heart and affrighted conscience When thou seest pale death deliver thee a summons to appear before the holy God and to give an account of thy Stewardship when thou seest the Books opened and such a fearful charge against thy guilty conscience which thou canst not deny or answer then wilt thou find godliness in the power of it to be the greatest gain and would'st give ten thousand worlds for such an evidence as Hezekiah and Paul had when within view of death and eternity And is not Religion as
the heir of heaven are you married to Christ or no 151 Que. What are those Evidences that will assure this Conjugal Vnion with Christ Answ Five things prove Marriage to the Lord Jesus 1 Peculiar acquaintance with Christ such as no stranger hath they know his secrets and have intimate converse with him 156 2 Conjugal love to Christ 158 3 A soul espoused to Christ will leave all for Christ ibid. 4 A soul married to Christ stays and lives on Christ 164 5 Fruitfulness to Christ proves Marriage to him 166 2 Your interest in heavenly treasures is known by the naturalness and supremacy of your love to them 167 3 By your care for and pursuit of them 169 4 If heavenly treasures be yours you 'll find your spirits suited to them 170 3 Another thing wherein this heavenly trade lies is in getting in of heavenly goods and what they are and how to be obtained 171 Que. How may I do to get my soul furnished with heavenly goods Answ 1. Maintain a sense of your own wants 187 2 Get a believing sight of Christs fulness 188 Que. What ground may I have for hope that Christ will supply me Answ This is fully spoken to pag. 190 191. Another part of this heavenly trade is to carry on heavenly work ibid. Four Motives perswading to it and what they are 192 to 203 Que. What is this heavenly work that Christians must do in this trade of godliness Answ 1. All that work which is of a heavenly nature matter manner and end 203 1 All that work which has God for its Author as acts of Religious Worship ibid. 2 All that work which hath more especial respect to your selves as 209 1 Heart-work ibid. to 216 2 Mortification work 217 Que. How shall I do to get sin mortified I am convinced 't is my duty but find it not my capacity Dir. 1. Do nothing that may strengthen it 221 Eight things help to strengthen sin 222 to 227 Dir. 2. Go not out in your own strength against sin ibid. Not in the strength of your purposes nor of your frames nor in the strength of your duties nor in the strength of your graces 228 Dir. 3. Get the Vnion between your heart and sin broken 229 There are seven things that help to break the hearts union with sin ibid. Dir. 4. Strike at the root of sin 234 Four helps towards it 236 Dir. 5. Give no place to the least motions of sin 238 2 Helps towards it ibid. Dir. 6. Keep up the life of grace 239 3 Carry on Renovation work some helps towards it 240 4 Keep your Evidences for heaven fair 243 3 Carry on all those natural moral and religious duties that concern others in your house in the house of God in your callings and dealings with men 244 2 Another part of your heavenly work is to do earthly things in an heavenly manner 247 This lies in three things 1 To do earthly things by heavenly rule 2 With heavenly hearts 248 3 To heavenly ends Ten Rules about doing of earthly things Rule 1. Be sure the matter of your imployment be good that your callings and recreations be according to the Will of God 249 Rule 2. Set on earthly things in their proper place and order 251 Rule 3. Keep your earthly business within the bounds of due time 252 Rule 4. Be diligent in the use of your working time 255 Rule 5. While your hands are about the world set a guard about your hearts 257 Rule 6. Attend your earthly affairs with a calm and quiet spirit ibid. Rule 7. Follow your duty but cast your care on God 261 Rule 8. In all your labours pray for a blessing 262 Rule 9. Though you live in the world yet be dead to the world 10. Do all your work in the view of Death Judgment and Eternity 263 264 2 Then do you earthly work in a heavenly manner when you do it with a heavenly heart 266 Que. How may I know when my heart is heavenly in my earthly work Answ 1. A heavenly heart is enlightned to see heavenly things 267 2 A heavenly heart savours heavenly things 268 3 A heavenly heart desires and longs after heavenly things 269 4 A heavenly heart has heavenly thoughts 270 5 A heavenly heart will be full of heavenly projects ibid. 6 A heavenly heart is acted and influenced by heavenly motives 271 7 A heavenly heart lives upon heavenly things 272 5 Another part of this heavenly trade lies in keeping up heavenly thoughts 274 6 If you would drive on the heavenly trade keep up heavenly converses 278 7 Then do you carry on this heavenly trade when you improve every thing to heavenly advantages There are nine things especially that Christians should improve to heavenly advantage 1 Priviledges 2 Ordinances 3 Providence 4 The World and things thereof 5 Your Callings 6 Your Company 7 Your Retirements 8 Occasional Objects 9 Your falls and miscarriages 1 Get good from your priviledges 1 Natural Priviledges 283 2 Providential 285 3 Spiritual 287 2 Get good from Ordinances 4 helps towards it 288 1 Preparation before you come to them 489 2 Attention 290 3 Retention 291 4 Obedience ibid. 3 Get all the good you can from Providences from smiling Providences and from frowning from giving and taking Providences 292 293 4 Get good from the World and the things thereof 294 5 Get good from your Callings and Imployments 297 6 Get good from your Company 299 7 Get good from your Retirements 303 8 Get good from occasional objects and occurrences of Providence 307 9 Get good from your falls and miscarriages 309 Ob. If souls may get good from their sins then why should persons be troubled for sin or watch against it Answ In two particulars 1 They that are dead to sin cannot live any longer therein proved by four Reasons 310 3 They ought not to commit sin 1 'T is slavish work 2 It has bitter fruit 3 It has doleful wages 312 3 Branch of Exhort To earthly traders who meet with breaches and discouragements in their earthly trades counselling them Coun. 1. To be hereby convinced of the excellency of the heavenly trade which is not liable to such disappointments 313 314 Coun. 2. See God in your afflictions 311 Coun. 3. Search out the cause of them 316 Probable Reasons of breaches on mens earthly trades and interests 1 Letting down of Religion and decay in the heavenly trade 317 2 Declensions in the Worship of God ibid. 4 Withholding their interests from God 319 5 Greedy desires after the world 320 6 God doth it to bring men down to his feet and to bring them back to himself 324 Coun. 4. Get the breach between God and your souls composed 326 Coun. 5. Get advantage from earthly decays to further your heavenly trade Four advantages hence to your heavenly trade 1 It helps to convince you of the vanity and uncertainty of all things below God 327 2 It helps to
discover those sins that procure these wastes 328 3 By this you come to see a necessity of pursuing and securing better treasure 329 4 It helps through grace to loosen the heart from things below 330 5 It tends to the furtherance of Soul-inlargements ibid. 6 It makes heavenly things relish the sweeter 331 4 Branch of Exhort To such as have begun this heavenly trade but are fallen back this advises them Advice 1. To be deeply affected with their evil case 333 Considerations to further it 1 Think on the change thy decays have brought upon thee 333 2 What an unlovely and displeasing object thou art hereby become in the eyes of God 334 3 It makes thee little desirable in the eyes of men ib. 4 Thou art the greatest loser of any thy case is dangerous and thy recovery difficult such are hardly recovered 335 336 Que. I fear this is my cause I am fallen back in grace and fear I shall never recover How may I know whether my back-slidings shall be healed Answ There are six signs of back-slidings that shall be healed 1 When thy back slidings are not upon choice but against thy judgment and consent 336 2 When they become thy Soul-trouble and hearts burden 337 3 When they are after thy effectual calling and sincere choice of God 337 4 When thou art restless until the Lord doth heal thee 338 5 When thy vitals are still sound ibid. 6 When under all thy back-slidings thou findest a humble and contrite heart 339 5 Dangerous symptoms of falling back that shall hardly be restored 1 If thy falling back be before thy falling in with Christ 339 2 A falling off from the foundations 340 3 A making Merchandise of the truth selling themselves to work wickedness ibid. 4 Back-slidings in heart shall not be cured 341 5 When persons are prejudiced against the means of recovery ibid. Adv. 2. Search out the causes of thy Souls decay and get them removed 342 Caus 1. Entrance upon this heavenly trade without a stock to set up ibid. 2 Setting upon this trade and having no skill to mannage it 344 3 Want of diligence in following it 345 4 Great and frequent losses in thy spiritual interests 346 5 Great wastes and needless expences 347 6 Great debts are breaking 350 Adv. 3. Compound with your Creditor Adv. 4. Set up no more for your selves but enter your selves Factors for Christ 352 Three things required in a Factor which must be followed by those that will thrive in this heavenly trade 1 To trade upon anothers stock 353 2 To be regulated by anothers advice 356 3 To drive on anothers interest 358 Adv. 5. Follow your trade better than you have done ibid. 5 Branch of Exhort To such as have good trading in Religion be you exhorted 1 To bless God for good trading 360 1 This is a great mercy at all times ibid. 2 A singular mercy at this time 361 3 An earnest of eternal mercy ibid. Qu. How may I know whether I have good trading in spirituals Sol. There are seven signs of good trading in evil times 364 1 When men go not back ibid. 2 If Wares go off well 365 3 When men are richer in stock 366 4 Are you less in debt 368 5 Have you more owed you and is it sure 367 6 That is good trading when the present incomes maintain the trader 369 7 Laying up as well as laying out bespeaks good trading 371 Complaint This is my case I see I am this languishing soul what shall I do to get my condition mended and my languishing soul revived and attain unto true thrivings in this holy Calling Sol. There are six things that help to thrive in their trading 1 A provident care 373 2 A diligent hand 375 3 Driving a secret trade 376 4 The blessing of God on mens labours ibid. 5 There are also prospering graces to be kept up 1 Faith is a Soul-prospering grace 377 2 Love to God his name and ways 379 3 Humiltty is a Soul-thriving grace ibid. 4 Sincerity is a Soul-thriving fruit of the Spirit 381 6 Take prospering courses 382 There are four Soul-thriving courses 1 Keep up Self-examination ibid. 2 Be much with God in prayer 383 3 Ingage God with you in all your undertakings 385 4 Follow Divine Counsel in all you do 386 Ob. My fear still remains that I am a barren soul and shall perish at last 388 Sol. 1. Thou mayst thrive in Religion and not know it ibid. Try thy change ibid. Ob. But may not a hypocrite go so far and all this but change from darkness to conscience light and from sin to common grace 389 Sol. This is answered in four particulars ib. to p. 391 Ob. But change from nature to grace is not growth in grace I may have the first fruits though not the after-fruits of the Spirit 391 Sol. This is answered in three particulars 391 to 393 Advice 2. Inlarge your trade Nine Motives to ingage Christians to Soul inlargements 393 to 399 Advice 3. Lay in for bad times 402 There are four seasons when Christians will need all their store 1 Times of temptation 403 Mat. 2. 1. Cause they are certain they will come 403 2 They are shaking when they are come 407 2 Times of desertion 408 3 Times of great affliction 410 4 The time of death 413 Advice 4. Lay out for God this is 1 Reasonable work 417 2 Pleasing work 419 3 Honourable work 420 4 Profitable work ibid. 5 'T is a proof of your love to God 422 Dir. 1. Lay out your time for God Mot. 1. Your time is not yours but Gods Mot. 2. Much of your time is lost already 424 Mot. 3. Your time is short and uncertain ibid. Mot. 4. You can't put it to better profit 425 5 You must give an account of your time 426 6 How can you bethink a little time for God who hath not thought an eternity of mercy too much for you 427 2 Lay out your strength for God ibid. 3 Lay out your gifts and graces for God 428 4 Lay out your earthly interests for God 430 1 Else all your Religion is vain 432 2 Acts of charity are parts of Religious worship 433 3 God is much glorified by duties of charity 434 4 Sincere charity will evidence your right to glory 435 5 'T is the sure way to blessings here 437 Coun. 5. Lay up for glory 440 1 Lay up sound hopes for glory 441 With Motives thereto ibid. Que. What are these sure hopes of glory Sol. 1. They issue from saving Vnion with Christ 445 2 They are the fruits of true grace 447 3 There will be a mortifiedness to this world 448 4 Right hopes are active hopes 449 5 Then will your conversation be in heaven 454 2 Lay up desires for glory 455 3 Lay up all the treasures you can to greater glory 457 Several things tend to greater glory 458 Lay up preparations for glory for which 461 1 Get your hearts more loose from the world 462 2 Press after more maturity in your graces 463 3 Get and keep the testimony of a good Conscience ibid. 4 Maintain walks with God daily 464 5 Dispatch your work on earth 465 Lastly Be always ready for the coming of the Lord ibid. FINIS
Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 5 What strivings have some to obtain a Crown that is corruptible and shall I be weary that am in pursuit of one that is incorruptible 1 Cor. 9. 25. without labour no rest without bearing the heat and burden of the day when called thereto no penny at the end Matt. 20. 12 13. without striving lawfully no crowning 2 Tim. 2. 5. without doing the commandment no eating of the tree of life Rev. 22. 14. without enduring to the end no salvation Mark 13. 13. comfort your selves with this that Heaven will make amends for all when your wet and weary sowings shall end in a pleasant and eternal harvest Gal. 16. 9. Let us not be weary in well doing for you shall reap in due time if ye faint not Be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. Direct 7. Lastly What you do do quickly Time waits not your leisure There are but twelve hours in the day and how many of them have been slept and sinned away and how few of them may be before you who knows What if your Sun should set at noon day or a summons meet you in the midst of your work Give account of thy Stewardship for thou shalt be no longer Steward Luke 16. 2. What will you then do Some of you are in your afternoon what time is that to set forth such a long journey as the way to Heaven is and yet will you gain by your delays some of this time also for the Devil World and Flesh others of you are in your morning the best time to put forth in your travel towards glory O! lose not your season for eternity Make much of time saith Aquinas especially in the weighty matter of Salvation O! how much would they that now lie frying in Hell rejoyce if they might have the least minute of time wherein they might get God's favour the young man hath death at his back the old man before his eyes and that 's the more dangerous enemy that pursues thee than that which marches up to thy face Christ's work admits of no delays his injunction allows not of too morrow but while 't is called to day Heb. 3. 7. To day if you will hear his voice vers 13. To day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Seek the Lord while he may be found Isa 55. 6. Haste haste the tide will not bide Rutherford 'T is now or never while the Light shines the Lord knocks the Angel moves on the waters while the Lord delays his coming Salvation-work is quick work God's racers must run his Doves must fly his Servants be diligent that they may be found of him in peace 1 Cor. 9. 26. Isa 60. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 14. You that have stood idle in the market-place all your day hitherto hasten into the Lord's Vineyard Matt. 20. 6. Love is sick to hear tell of to morrow Mr. Rutherford What Jonathan said to his Lad when David's life was in danger let me advise you And Jonathan cried after the Lad make speed haste stay not 1 Sam. 20. 38. I rue nothing said precious Mr. The fulfilling of the Scriptures Welch when on his sick-bed but that I was so long in beginning O saith David that I had wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind and Tempest Psal 55. 6 8. Sinners you are in danger of stormy tempests while in your unchanged state O hasten to your strong holds ye prisoners of hope When Brentius was like to be given up to the enemy one writes him this note Fuge Brenti cito citius citissime Fly Brentius quickly more quickly most speedily Souls 't is for your lives make all possible haste about the work of your Salvation And you that are entred on this heavenly work double your diligence that you may finish your course before God finishes your time methinks the word of God and his providences this day yea every thing seems to thrust you forward and do to you as Pharaoh's Task-masters did to Israel Exod. 5. 13. And the Task-masters hasted them saying fulfil your work To Professors Counsel 2. Secondly if the Heavenly Trade be the best Trade then you that profess this Calling be you exhorted to follow it keep up and improve your Trade for Heaven what 's an employment without improvement the most profitable Calling not followed turns to little advantage The day we live in gives men sensible experience of this truth that they who intend to live in the World must attend their employments The idle person suffers hunger they must be careful and diligent in their business that think to make any thing of their earthly interests and so 't is in this Trade of godliness they that will be saved must work out their Salvation A Trade is a man's business and course of life which he pursues and carries on from day to day 't is the subject of his thoughts counsels and considerations of his time and strength and daily work where he ends one day he begins the next and contributes his utmost wisdom parts and labours to the most vigorous prosecution of it And so must it be in this Heavenly Trade Christians it must be the impending business and principal concern of your whole life that which commands your thoughts purposes and capacities which engrosses your time care and strength and to which every other business must give way and every occasion and occurrence must be subservient it must be followed and driven on every day in every thing place and company what-ever is neglected that must go on and give no place to intermissions no not for a moment You must not say to godliness as Felix did to Paul Go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient season I will send for thee Acts 24. 25. Stops in the way of God are not easily recovered one days neglect brings all out of order Prosperity in Religion admits of no Parenthesis in its work or consists with allowed interruptions Piety must be as the blood that runs through every vein of your life and affair in the World In eating drinking talking thinking buying selling you must be still driving on Wisdom's Merchandise Christians follow your work or lay down your Trade 't is vanity yea the way to beggery to profess a Calling and not pusue it Quest But wherein lies this Heavenly Trade which I must so make my business what do you drive at by all these Arguments for Heavenly Trading What I intend by this metaphor I shall open to you under these seven general Heads as the main duty of a Christian and to be carried on in the whole course of his life 1 To have and keep up a heavenly spirit 2 To secure your interest in heavenly things 3 To get in more
and more of heavenly Goods 4 Every day to drive on heavenly work 5 To be heavenly in your thoughts and meditations daily 6 To keep up heavenly converses every day 7 To improve every thing you have meet with and do to heavenly ends and advantages First If you will drive on this heavenly Trade you must have and maintain a heavenly spirit this is the spring of all heavenly actions as is a man's spirit so will his thoughts words and conversation be look what way the spirit of a man goes that way the man goes They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh and they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit That is they that are altogether a Carnis auctum sequentes led by their carnal affections saith Willet following the ducture of the flesh saith Paraeus who are govern'd by a carnal spirit they mind and pursue carnal things and they that are after the spirit who are under the rule and government b Qui se spiritui regendos dedunt Parae of the spirit who are spiritually minded these do savour and make after spiritual things What the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of the motion of second causes according to the direction and influence of the first cause Ezek. 1. 20. Whithersoever the spirit was to go they went that is the wheels for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels The same may be said of the actions of men that they are according to the motion of that ruling spirit that is in them they that live in the spirit walk in the spirit Gal. 5. 25. Caleb's fulfilling after God was the fruit of that other spirit he received Numb 14. 24. 'T is said of those that builded the house of God Ezra 1. 5. that God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had raised up their spirits to the work as birds stir up their young to fly Then rose up the chief of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the Priests and Levites with all those whose spirit God had raised up to go up to build the House of the Lord which is in Jerusalem They that set about the work of Religion must be persons of raised spirits capable of ascending to things above The reason why no more do set upon this Heavenly Trade is because they want this heavenly spirit their spirit is earthly and that as leaven seasons their whole souls and makes their conversations earthly 'T is contrary to nature for a carnal mind to savour spiritual things Such are not subject to the Spirit of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. 'T is as natural for the stone to ascend and waters to run back as for an earthly heart to love and pursue heavenly things A heavenly spirit sutes heavenly things and does as naturally incline the soul to things above as the fire moves upward and the water carries all that is in it to the Ocean A heavenly spirit savours heavenly things and stirs up heavenly desires and motions to divine things A heavenly spirit conveys out heavenly influences and strength to the soul and is as good blood and spirits that strengthen the body A heavenly spirit is influenced by heavenly arguments and prevailed with by heavenly motives taken from the love of God the excellency of Christ the sutableness and advantage of spiritual things to the nature of the soul the pleasing and glorifying of God all which signifies nothing to an earthly and carnal heart which only understands savours and is acted by carnal reasons and considerations 'T is therefore a principal part of a Christian's business in this Heavenly Trade and that which is leading to all other duties to take heed to his spirit Mai. 2. 15. to get and keep that pure and heavenly If the fountain be corrupt the streams cannot be good Get your minds beam'd over with heavenly light to discern heavenly things their nature and worth this Paul begs for the Saints at Ephesus Eph. 1. 17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your understanding being enlighten'd that you may know what is the hope of his Calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints There are great hopes and glorious riches made over to Believers in the Gospel the knowledg of which is necessary to chear the heart and engage the soul with all its strength to make out after them One thought of Christ saith Mr. Ball reaching the heart is more to be valued than all Creature-contentments whatsoever though they should be enjoyed in their fulness for a thousand years without interruption 'T was this kept alive the Apostles hearts under the dyings of the Lord Jesus in their bodies and fill'd them with such courage joy that they had an eye to see glorious and eternal things 2 Cor. 4. 10. 13. 16. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal And this was their great work by the Gospel to make men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the World was hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 9. And having got this spiritual eye a Christian's duty is to keep it open and fixt on things above to preserve it from the injury of Sin and Satan to take heed of the vapours of a carnal heart and the dusty motes of this lower World that they fall not in and weaken this sight to get eye-salve from Christ and pure annointings of the spirit on it every day that they may see things invisible and those great things of the other World they are engag'd about The most discerning eye on this side the everlasting Hills sees but darkly through a glass and knows but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. 12. How carnal are the minds of most Christians in this World the very Disciples though their eyes were blessed with peculiar sights Mat. 13. 16. yet had carnal apprehensions of spiritual things even after the Lord Jesus had spent all his pains about them Acts 1. 6. Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom unto Israel knowing souls have sometimes their eyes held that they cannot see Jesus Luke 24. 16. nor bear discoveries of his glorious truth Joh. 16. 12. that the Lord Jesus may say to all in this life O fools and slow of heart to believe Luke 24. 28. David after he had been long a learner yea after he was wiser than his teachers yet cries out for more light Psal 143. 8. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk Psal 119. 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law We may sail here saith Mr. Hooker in