his Will Worship and Waies is preserved and propagated to wit the holy Scriptures Isa 8. 20. to the Law and to the Testimonies c. 2. Fixed Officers To interpret expound and give the sense of the Word and to publish and preach it to the World Nehem. 8. 4. 8. Mal. 2. 7. 3. Fixed Ordinances Wherein the Lord is to be solemnly worshiped the Observing and keeping pure and entire whereof is required as in many positive Precepts so also in all those Scriptures which forbid Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship 4. A fixed time for instruction in the Law of God and for his more solemn Worship This fixed time is the Sabbath day Isa 66. 23. c. The Adversaries of Religion have attempted its destruction by heaving at these Pillars npon which it is supported and the opposition which hath been made against them hath been carried on some part of it at least much after the same way The Authority of the Scriptures hath been inunded by pretences to other rules besides to be added to them as unwritten Traditions or enthusiastical Revelations Ordinances have been assaulted by the addition of humane Inventions to Divine Institutions The destruction of the Ministry hath been by some of its Adversaries attempted by making all Teachers and Sabbaths have been undermined by others by pleading for an every day Sabbath First enclosing the six daies to the Lord and thereby at length laying the Sabbath in common to the World Upon these four pillars is Religion upheld let these be removed and what becomes of it and the destruction of this one this fixed time how greatly will it endanger all the rest An every-day Sabbath will soon bring us to no Sabbath and from no Sabbath we shall quickly come to no Ordinances no Ministery and from no Ministery how long will it be ere we arrive at No Scriptures no Religion no God But whatever the adversaries of Religion and their waies to supplant it be that which makes them adversaries and engages them in this wicked design are the lusts of this World Religion levels at the flesh its affections and interest and these set themselves to make their batteries upon Religion and all its supports and foundations Keep up Sabbaths and you are like to keep up Scriptures Ministery Ordinances Religion keep up Religion and the World falls under you But the more immediate influence the due sanctification of the Sabbath will have upon the conquering the World will appear if you consider that this day is 1. A day of separation for God 2. A day for special communion with God 3. A day of special provision for souls 1. A day of separation for God The people of God as such are a separated people separated from the lusts of men to the Law of their God Neh. 10. 28. Ezra 6. 21. In their first day their day of Grace they separate themselves from the evils of the World in this day they are to separate themselves from the affairs yea and the thoughts of the World Isa 58. 13. This day is an Hallowed day sanctified by God and to be sanctified by his Saints Gods sanctifying it is his setting apart the day for an holy use our sanctifying it is our setting our selves apart thereon for his holy service This day is a priviledged day nothing that 's common or unclean may encroach upon it The day of the Lord is as the house of the Lord a kind of meeting betwixt heaven and earth wherein God calls us up to the Mount and comes down to give us a meeting And as when he came down on Mount Sinai he required that his people who yet were to come no nearer him than the foot of the Mount should by washing their clothes and separating themselves from their Wives make ready against his comming down Exod. 19. 11 15. So doth he here give us as strict a charge Remember be ye also ready Be ye wash'd and be ye separate Wash your hearts empty your hands come in from your fields come out of your shops lay by your work leave this earth below come up to meer your God There are two things that give to objects their greatest efficacy and advantage upon us Their nearness to us and the remoteness of their contraries The World on this day loses both these advantages wherein we are called to stand aloof from it and to draw nigh to God We are then fairest for victory over the World when we are farthest off it 't is ill fighting a Cock on his own Dung-hill while the world is at our elbow there 's little like to be done against it whilst it is in our eye or our hand 't is not easie to keep it out of our heart when the Lord hath gotten our company alone and the World hath nothing not an Oxe nor an Ass not a business nor a pleasure to sollicit our love or labour When we are gotten out of sight and out of hearing of the wooings of this Harlot and its cries after us then is it most like to lose its hold of us The reason why we ordinarily make no more advantage of Sabbaths this way is because however we pretend to draw nigh unto God yet we do not with-draw from the World we come into the Sanctuary as Israel went out of Aegypt we carry not our Wives and our little ones only but our Flocks and our Herds and all our Substance we carry all we have with us when we come before the Lord. The lowing of the Oxen the bleating of the Sheep the sound of the Mill-stones is so still in our ears the Butter and the Hony the wine and the oyle the silver and the gold are so continually in our eye that we cannot hearken what the Lord God doth speak nor see his face Brethren who is there with you at this houre here you are before the Lord but who is there with you search every room look into every corner Is there none within that should not be there is there no messenger of Satan hath the World no agitatour now at work within you O behold whilest the Lord is a treating with our cares what a mixed multitude are there within cares and thoughts and lusts and projects for this world and what a stirr do they all make that God may not be regarded The Devil will be most most busy in such a time he doubts how matters might go with him if he now keep silence Doubtless many a Soul more might have been gain'd over to Christ had not Satan stood by and hindred and had those ever near us who forbad the match use to be alone with God out of the company and out of the noise of these harlots and then there 's hope the Lord may gain your love What wonder that that seed dies and becomes unfruitful that falls into a brake of thorns or amongst such birds as stand watching to catch it all away what hope that the counsel of the Lord be accepted of a
difficulty that 's all the doubt whether thou wilt or no as hard as the victory is if thou perish by the world at last thy destruction will be laid at thine own door 't is because thou wilt not accept of deliverance if thou wilt thou mayst 4. Is not victory over this enemy desirable Is not liberty desirable is not life desirable be an enemy and live the world kills none but its friends Would it not be well with you if this spirit of the world were cast out and God had given you another spirit would it not be a good exchange if for this carking caring anxious earthly greedy heart you had obtained a contented patient mortified spirit an heavenly mind would not the matter be well mended with you if for your treasure on earth you could make God your treasure could you not wish it were so Can you say I thank God I am yet a worldling I thank God my heart is still below I can mind my pleasures and gains I can satisfie my lust and take my liberty and follow my affairs without troubling my self about these higher matters that I know not Hitherto I thank God this world hath been too hard for the Gospel the devil hath kept possession and hath kept Christ out whilest others have puzled and amused themselves with their thoughts and hopes and fears about another world have made an adventure for the unknown riches have been filling their heads and perplexing their hearts with cares for hereafter and have neglected and straitned themselves here I thank God I have been no such fool While you may say I thank God I have an estate in the world I have friends in the world can you also say I thank God this is my treasure these are my delights I can never trouble my self with thinking of or serving any other God but these I can take these in exchange for my soul I thank God for that unrighteousness or that unmercifulness which he hath left me to and let me alone in whereby I have gotten me an estate and preserved it entire to me it had been worse with me then 't is if I could not have ly'd and defrauded if I had made Conscience of Sabbaths of praying and hearing and spending so much time this way as others do I had been a poor man had I taken this course but I thank God I was wiser then so Can you say thus Christians may and will say I thank God I am crucified to the world I thank God for Faith and Prayers and Sabbaths for a new heart and a new life blessed be God that hath chosen me out of this world and called me by his grace blessed be God for a part in Christ and hope towards God blessed be the day wherein my soul was divorced from this world and espoused to another Husband I would not be in bondage to this earth again I would not be a flesh pleaser a self-seeker again if the devil would hire me with all the Kingdomes of the world there is not a Christian in the world but will say thus But where is the worldling that dares deliberately to say I thank God I am a worldling still God hath dealt well with me that he hath left me out and let me alone to follow mine own heart Speak worldling had it not been well for thee if thou also hadst been brought in to Christ would it not be well for thee if yet thou mightest mightest cease from this earth and be a Candidate for heaven mightest cease to be a drudge and a slave and be delivered into the liberty of the Sons of God would it not be well with thee if thou wert would it not be well with thee if yet thou mightest dost thou never wish O that my soul were in such a case why then wilt thou not in this thy day 5. Can this victory be bought too dear There 's nothing in this world but may be over-bought An Army may be so weakned in the fight that victory will not repair it Crowns and Kingdomes may be bought too dear all the royalties and revenues of the world may be purchas'd at such a rate that they may not be a saving bargain But can redemption from the world be over-bought will not the salvation of thy soul pay all thy charges It s true thy rescuing from this enemy may not be without much damage and loss not only of the ship and the lading but of thy life when thou conquerest this enemy thou wilt loose a friend in thy conquering thou wilt purchase enmity therefore the world hateth you Thou wilt not only create thee enemies by thy Conquest but wants and straits and labours and cares when thou ceasest to be a servant to this world think not to have an easie idle life thou wilt have more and harder work then ever the pursuing thine enemy that he rally not again upon thee the watching thine heart the guarding thine eye the governing thine appetite that they run not again after it the pleasing and following thy Lord in all things that he commands thee what day thou breakest with the world and joynest thy self to the Lord this life of labour and care thou puttest thy self upon thou must no more thirst after thy stoln waters nor taste of thy forbidden pleasures thou must no more traverse thy most pleasant ways nor stick at the most painful duties nay not thine ease only or thy pleasure but thy life also and all that thou hast must go when ever thy Lord calls thee to it What course short of this will either obtain or secure thee the victory but how will such a life down with thee how will thy spirit bear it when thy faint heart shrinks from it when thy proud or stubborn heart swells against it when thy old pleasures and liberties when thine old friends and companions when thy silver and thy gold cry after thee canst thou leave us thus can thy soul part with us for ever thou wilt then find that this victory costs thee dear But is not thy soul more worth then all this wilt say Better I were damn'd then sav'd at such an hard rate hell rather then this way to heaven 'T is hard to be a Christian 't is true but blessed be God my soul is escaped my foot is gotten out of the snare liberty liberty is brought to this captive and the opening of the prison to the bound he whom I now serve how hard soever his work is is no hard mâ—ster he gives good wages were his work harder then 't is yet 't is not worthy to be laid in the balance with salvation I will not die for an easie life 6. What if this enemy should reign till death how do you think your worldly life will look when you come to die do you think you shall then say I have done well to be a worldling it may be if God should ask you now dost thou well to be covetous dost thou
mind prepossessed and actually stâ—ff'd with the cares of this life Intus existens prohibet alienum How canst thou ascend with thy burthen upon thy back unload unload lay aside every weight and then go up and prosper Say to all thou hast stay you here whilest I go and pray before the Lord let the night before each Sabbath be as the grave betwixt the two worlds there let thy dust be buried and thy Spirit fly naked to thy God Let that night which is the partition betwixt thine own dayes and the Lords be thy Souls taking its leave of all thou hast any sinful thoughts works or pleasures thy lusts and thy evil wayes give them an eternal burial Be gone see my face no more for ever and for matters lawful and honest that concern this earth charge them not to thrust in before the Lord go you also your way for this time and when I have a convenient season I will send for you and if from Sabbath to Sabbath thy feet stand thus on the mountain of the Lord thou mayst find them all the week long on the tops of the mountains of the earth Brethren where is our Sabbath separation Is there not a fault among us upon this account let him that heareth enquire How it is with me Am not I faulty what are my Sabbath thoughts what are my Sabbath discourses If I be better employed in the house of God what do I in mine own house what are my morning and evening and midday thoughts what is my table talk my chimney talk If business if bargains or journeys be not admitted are not visits or complements or vain stories or impertinent news suffered to fill up the time is it thus or not with thee Is it well that it is thus O clear your Sabbaths of such worldly encroachments or you 'l never clear your hearts drive all the world into Pathmos into banishment and be wholly in the spirit on the Lords day Be abstracted from earthly things and earthly thoughts bring them with you neither to the house nor to the day of the Lord let your own houses and your own tables be as the house and table of the Lord have nothing to do from morning to evening but to wait on God 2. It is a day for special Communion with God Tbe meeting of God with his people on that day is like unto that meeting which is promised to Moses Exod. 25. 22. before the mercy seat There will I meet thee and commune with thee there will I shew thee all my mind and hear all thy requests It is a day of blessing thither the tribes go up to bless the Lord and there he comes down to bless his people It 's said Gen. 2. and Exod. 20. that God blessed the Sabbath day Gods blessing the day makes it a day of blessing a good day to his Saints he then comes unto them in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel Those that question whether the first day of the week be the Christian Sabbath let them consider which of all the dayes of the week the Lord hath since the death of Christ so exalted above the rest of the dayes that they can with most confidence say This is the day which the Lord hath blessed on what day were the gates of death broken the Lord Jesus declared to be the son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead on which day was the spirit of God most signally shed abroad on the Apostles and primitive Christians in those extraordinary gifts whereby they were made more capable of publishing the blessed Gospel to the ends of the earth and in that special grace which seized three thousand Souls in one day Act. 2. What day is it that hath been honoured to be the birth day of the greatest number of Saints ever since that hath been their feast day wherein their Souls have been most sensibly nourish'd and they have been increas'd with the increasings of God what meals have they had to their Lords-day meals what joyes to their Lords-day joyes Surely if this may determine the question which day is the Sabbath of the Lord the day that of all others God hath blessed and made a good day the experiences of Christians in all ages would bring in their vote for the first day This is the day that God hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it this by the way This day as is said before is the rest of God a little Heaven let down to us on earth God calls us up hither as he called Moses up to Pisgah to give us a view of the promised land The Sabbath is Heaven opened we may give a guess at the glory to come by those glimses and tastes we have of it now It is the day of interview betwixt the bridegroom and the bride wherein he beholds our faces and shewes us his loves wherein he comes down into his garden to eat his pleasant fruits and we behold his goings the goings of God in his Sanctuary The business of this day is to look into the Ark of the Covenant to review and renew the Covenant transactions betwixt God and our Souls to search out contemplate and admire the mercies and lovingkindness of the Lord to receive the overflowing of his goodness and to pour forth our Souls as an offering to him in our prayers and praises to give and receive mutual tokens and pledges of Love and faithfulness to seal to our fidelity to him and to receive farther assurances of his grace and good will to our Souls to obtain help from God against our enemies whereby we may execute upon them the vengeance written and upon this mountain ordinarily is the victory obteined there breaks he the arrowes of the bow the sword the shield and the battel Christians have you ever experimented this Sabbath Communion hath the Lord God appear'd thus unto you have there been such friendly and familiar intercourses betwixt him and your Souls Oh how contemptibly hath the world look'd in that day But oh what dark and cloudy dayes are our Sabbaths ordinarily to us Sundayes per antiphrasin the Sun not once appearing it may be for many dayes together no wonder our Souls are so earth'd all the week when they are so seldom in Heaven on the day of the Lord what dry feasts are our Sabbath feasts rather fasts then feasts real Communion with God is a strange thing to us even in the day of God Heaven is opened but our eyes are shut God comes down to meet us and to bless us but our hearts are not there the breasts of consolation are full but we have no skill or no list to draw at the breasts we come to the well but we do not let down the bucket we stand by the pool where the Angel comes down but our creeple Souls put not in to the waters we stand without in the outer court of the Lords house our Sabbaths are to us but
figures of Sabbaths the ordinances of them are to us as wells without water lamps withoul Oyle meer shadows of good things we go up from week to week to meet one with another but how seldom do we see God in the company and hereupon Sabbaths come and goe and leave us still as we were the Devil may well enough trust us with such Sabbaths the world may give us leave to go thus before the Lord and be no looser by it Brethren get you into the inner court which on these dayes especially was to be set open Ezek. 46. 1. there is an entry through the house of the Lord that leads in to the heart of the most high get you into that sanctum sanctorum and there let be your rest as often as the morning of that blessed day looks forth upon you get your vessels ready and go you forth to meet the bridegroom open your eyes with these thoughts this is the day which the Lord hath made I will rejoyce and be glad in it climb up betimes and let every duty be a stair by which you ascend to your Lord let divine contemplation let prayers and praises c. be the whole work let the blessings of Divine Communion be the whole expectation of that day and when you find your hearts refreshed with his presence and filled with the company of your God and he sends you away laden with the tokens of his love and with the impress of his face upon your hearts and the relish of his goodness fresh upon your palats when you thus go hot out of the presence of the Lord then you will learn to despise that day of small things with which the World entertains you Shall I forsake my sweetness saith the figtree shall I forsake my fatness saith the Olive and become King over the trees let the bramble take that honour farewell dignities and dominions farewell pomps and pleasures farewell houses and lands I have enough I have seen the face of God 3. It is a day of special provision for Souls whereon the Lord brings forth out of his treasury his spiritual provisions to keep the Soul in heart Hunger-starv'd souldiers are but poor fighters they are the weak souls whom the World hath vanquished Sabbaths are the Souls Market dayes Men have their Markets whence to be supplied with necessaries for their bodies and on this day God keeps a Market for Souls He hath his Milk and his Honey his Wine and his Oyl his Bread and his Water of Life and on this day in special he makes Proclamation Ho every one that thirsteth come to the Waters and he that hath no money Come ye buy and eat yea buy Wine and Milk without money and without price The bread which comes down from Heaven though it be to be had every day our Week-dayes may in their measure be all Sabbaths yet on this day it falls more plentifully The Jews had their corporal Manna on the six dayes and none on the Sabbath but the hidden Manna falls more thin and more sparely on our other dayes and on this day more abundantly They were to gather double on the sixth day that they might have to supply them on the Sabbath but for the Spiritual Manna all our other dayes are to be supply'd from our Sabbath provision A Christian who is not fit to meet the Bridegroom is neither fit to meet his adversary without Oyl in his Lamp T is the great commodity that 's set to sale in this Market Oyle for our vessels Come bring your empty vessels here 's Oyl to fill them The Ordinances which are this day administred are the pipes opened those golden pipes by which the golden Oyl is emptied forth and conveyed down from the living Olive Zech. 4. T is no wonder that men hunger after this world who know no better feeding An Asses head or a kab of Doves dung are of great price when there is no bread 2 King 6. 25. T is for want of bread that worldlings can make such a feast of their Locusts and wild Honey Those that have eaten of the hidden Manna will not lust after Quails the Worlds dainties will come out at their nostrils whose bellies have been filled with this hid treasure Those whom God hath fed in his green Pastures those whom God hath led by his still waters they cannot live in these salt Marishes or stubble fields Those whose souls God hath made well watered Gardens will not need the Pools of the Wilderness It s no wonder that the World beats us when we go for many daies together without making one good meal When our souls are famished into weakness then are we our enemies prey they are the hunger starved sheep that are a prey to Crows and Kytes If Sathan can but keep us low if he can either keep the Manna from falling about our Camps or keep us idle when we should be gathering he may then lead us after his lure at pleasure T is not a little strength that will suffice us against his great temptations and t is not a little bread by which we are like to gather any great strength we had need feed well if we will be strong and we had need be strong or we shall never fight well A Soul that uses to come before the Lord with an appetite that feeds hungrily and is as the thirsty earth that drinks up the showers that come oft upon it whom the Lord satisfies with the fatness of his house you may turn him loose to the World flesh and Devil the life of God within him maintained by influences from above will much secure him against all their assaults Christians know your Sabbath priviledges the advantages of Sabbath separation Sabbath communion and Sabbath provision Understand your advantage and make your advantage of them Be ye seperate Remember your Creator and rest from your works as God did from his Remember your Redeemer and rise from your dust as Christ did from his Let this day of his Resurrection be the day of your Resurrection and Ascention Let Sabbaths be Sabbaths indeed holy to the Lord and wholly his Divide not the day betwixt flesh and Spirit God and Mammon but let it be entirely the Lords day Let every duty and Ordinance of this day be a Communion Prepare to meet your God and go up to meet him Seek his face in hope to see his face see and love see and rejoice see and admire and praise him in his excellent greatness Hearken what the Lord God will speak and let him hear your voice Confirm your friendshâ—p renew your acquaintance in Heaven repeat your Covenant transactions Have you chosen the Lord for your portion tell him you stand to your choice have you renounc'd your flesh and the World promise him not to return to folly Have you made the Lord your trust put forth fresh acts of faith upon him Look to him lean on him for his righteousness and strength Let such as these
let faith and love and hope and prayers and praises which are the stairs to the other World and your weapons against this be your Sabbath-work and delight Let not finer cloaths and better fare let not idleness and ease no nor filling up a place in the Congregation be the only difference betwixt Sabbaths and other daies but this better work and meat for souls Provide against the dayes of scarcity provide against the dayes of temptation Let not the Manna fall besides your vessels Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Catch at every word observe every look of your Lord upon you And whatever you receive lay up and ponder in your hearts Have you received a check or reproof lay up your reproof have you received a word of counsel or instruction lay up your instructions Hath he spoken peace to you lay up that word charily by you whatever transactions have passed betwixt the Lord and your Souls keep the records and when you go forth whither ever you go carry all this upon your hearts that whenever the World meets you again and tempts you again you may be thus well appointed and throughly furnished against its assaults Brethren put hard on every Sabbath for such an undisturbed attendance on the Lord single out the Lord for the object of your whole converse knit your hearts thus to him solace your selves thus in him get you thus elevated and raised in your spirits from earthly to heavenly and every inch of ground you get of your adversary maintain it carefully from Sabbath to Sabbath If this were seriously design'd and more generally attempted by Christians we should find both another face and another power of Christianity in the earth the children of the Kingdom would be more visibly differenced from the men of this World and both the guilt and reproach of earthliness and sensuality be wip'd off from the Professors and Profession of the Gospel 3. Improve Sacraments this way The advantage that we have in Sacraments against the World lies In our Preparation Participation 1. In our preparation One confessed preparatory duty is self-examination 1 Cor. 11. 28. A great security of this Idol is the secret of its tabernacle It s covert in which it lurks unseen Worldlings many of them if they knew what is within them their Conscience would so prick that they could have no rest or ease till this thorn were puld out but they are not aware that the World is within them Yet this enemy lies not so close but upon a privy search it may be discovered Sacramental trial should be close and thorow no corner within us should be left unransacked The reverence of this great Ordinance and the dreadful consequence of comming so solemnly before the Lord with a Traitor in our bosoms eating and drinking judgment will cry in our ears Make diligent search The evidence that this one thing an earthly mind carries in it of our treachery towards God is so notorious that he hath but little understanding in the matters of God that would not from this alone conclude himself an unworthy guest at the Table of the Lord were all things else never so specious and fair Dar'st thou say Surely the Lord will accept me for he hath but this one thing against me That I love the World more than I love God I can own his name and waies I join with the Assemblies of his people I can pray and hear and fast I am neither proud nor froward nor envious nor malicious there is no evil but this covetousness but I hope I can acquit my self of Dar'st thou say thus I am no drunkard I am no Adulterer I am no swearer I am nothing but an Idolater the Lord I hope will excuse me in this thing Dost think he will indeed And may it not be like enough that upon this diligent search thou mayst find this to be thy case Friends get the sense of these terrible truths upon your hearts He that eateth and drinketh unworthily is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself He that is an Idolater eateth and drinketh unworthily He that is covetous is an Idolater Let these things sink into your hearts and then see if you dare come without a narrow search make a narrow search and then you will see how great your unworthiness and danger is Certainly were there a due care taken of this duty it were not possible that men could go on from Sacrament to Sacrament under the power of their earthly hearts this would surely startle them This Ordinance would either make them afraid of their worldliness or this worldliness would make them afraid of Sacraments Worldly Professors what care is there ordinarily taken of this duty do you examine do you make diligent search do you make particular search for this evil It may be you enquire Am I in the faith am I in charity do I bear no malice hath no man a quarrel against me nay possibly you may go a little farther and ask Am I unjust am I an oppressor an extortioner have I done wrong to no man and if you can acquit your self here then an end But do you further ask Do I not love the world Is not mine heart too much upon it Am I not too busie for the world is not my time spent too much upon it are not duties neglected is not my soul or my families souls neglected for its sake am I not so bent upon growing rich in the world that I mind not how poverty grows upon my soul do I honor the Lord with my substance am I merciful am I bountiful do I seek no more nor no otherwise then God would have me seek do I aim at God do I entitle God to all I have do I know how to abound can I want if the Lord will have it so is God enough if I have nothing is not all the world enough if God be a stranger how can I bear crosses and disappointments in the world Speak friends are any of these things enquired after I doubt whether you be faithful in this matter oh might I prevail with you to put upon this closer and severer tryal you know not what it might gain you If you can but apprehend your Enemy at such a time as this when you are making this solemn approach to the Lord when it would be so dreadful to you to be found in league with it at what an advantage would you then have it Now is a time when if ever we are like to have you serious loose not the season beware of solemn triflings hide not now your eyes from seeing your disease beware of palliating and mincing be zealous to know the worst of your case put Conscience close to it what sayst thou Guilty or not guilty If Conscience plead Guilty then come before the Lord if thou darst without serious repentance and
THE VVorld Conquered OR A Believers Victory over THE WORLD Layd open in several Sermons on 1. John 5. 4. By R. A. LONDON Printed in the year 1668. The Contents THE Text opened Pag. 1. The main doctrine laid down p. 2. The doctrine explained and confirmed in the resolution of 5. queries I. Wherein the enmity of the world against Souls stands or discovers it self 4. Things premised to the answering this question p. 3. The Enmity of the world against Souls discovers it self 1. In withdrawing the Soul from God p. 4. 1. In withdrawing our affections from God as our portion Ibid. 2. In withdrawing us from our allegiance to God as our Soveraign p. 5. 2. In witholding it from Christ p. 6. 1. It holds us back from coming to Christ and this 1. By darkning our sight Ibid. 2. By deadning our sense p. 9. 3. By hanging upon our hearts and about our necks p. 12. 4. By furnishing us with excuses p. 16. 2. It hinders us from following of Christ p. 24. Particularly 1. It cuts Christ short of that service and of those fruits that he should reap from us p. 26. 2. It holds us short of that grace and true peace which we might receive from him p. 30. II. Wherein the strength of the world lies whereby it prevails upon so many Souls p. 32. The strength of the world lyes 1. In the Spirit of the world within us p. 35. 2. In the God of the world without us Satan who gives strength to and marshals the temptations of the world 1. By over rating the good things present and under rating the good things to come p. 44. 2. By sharpning the edge of present evils and blunting the edge of evils to come p. 47. 3. By an active stimulating and pressing us on whatever becomes of us hereafter to pursue the present good things and to prevent the present evil things p. 48. III. Wherein the strength of faith lies whereby it overcomes the world p. 56. Here 2. things 1. The strength of a Christian is his faith p. 57. 2. The strength of faith is Christ p. 61. There are two things in Christ which are the strength of faith his Power Ibid. Victory 64. IIII. The conflict of faith with the tempting world or the ways and means by which faith overcomes the world These are p. 66. 1. It gives a right judgment of the world p. 67. 2. By faith the Soul pitches upon an eternal inheritance p. 69. 3. By faith we understand that the good things present cannot further and the evil things present cannot hinder our eternal happiness p. 73. 4. By faith we understand that the design of temptations is to deprive us of our inheritance p. 77. 5. Faith makes experimental and fuller discoveries of the glory of that inheritance the Soul hath pitched upon p. 79. 6. Faith gives assurance of this better inheritance p. 91. V. The conquest of Faith over this conflicting world p. 95. Where 1. How far forth or in what sense every believer hath overcome the world answered in 4. particulars Ibid. 2. Wherein this victory stands p. 103. Answered 1. Negatively in 4. particulars Ibid. 2. Positively And thus our victory over the world stands in our having obtained I. A power to possess the things of the world without placing our happiness in them p. 105. II. A power to mannage our worldly affairs and businesses without the prejudice of our Souls p. 107. III. A power to use this worlds goods to their proper ends p. 124. IIII. A power to want the worlds good things and to suffer the worlds evil things and to keep our hearts and our way whether we prosper or suffer p. 133. Then are we eminently indued with this power when we have attained to 1. Selfdenyal under the greatest opportunities of self-seeking or self-satisfaction p. 135. 2. Contentment under the greatest straits p. 159. 3. Patience under the greatest pressures of Affliction p. 171. 4. Humility in the heighth of honour Ibid. 5. Magnanimity in the depth of danger or difficulty p. 174. 6. Aequanimity in the greatest turns and changes of our outward condition p. 192. V. A willingness to leave the world to be gone from this and to take our flight to the other world p. 203. 3. Grounds why worldly men are unwilling to dye p. 205. The Application USe 1. of Information and conviction learn hence 1. That every captive to the world is an unbeliever p. 213. 2. That where there is but little power over the world there is but little Faith Ibid. Use 2. Of Direction and exhortation p. 247. In Order to the obteining this victory Direct 1. Improve duties this way p. 248. Direct 2. Improve Sabbaths this way p. 253. Direct 3. Improve Sacraments this way p. 268. Direct 4. Improve worldly prosperity this way p. 297. Direct 5. Keep your thoughts affections and senses under constant government p. 312. 1. Keep your thoughts under government Ibid. 2. Keep your affections under government p. 317. 3. Keep a strict watch upon your senses p. 320. Direct 6. Make a solemn surrender of your selves and all that you have to the government and disposal of God p. 324. Arguments perswading to press on for this victory proposed in several questions 1. Are you for the saving of your Souls p. 328. 2. Is not the world an enemy to your salvation p. 329. 3. Is this enemy invincible p. 331. 4. Is not victory over the enemy desirable p. 333. 5. Can this victory be bought to dear p. 335. 6. What if this enemy should reign to death p. 337. 7. Will you now become enemies to the world p. 339. 1 JOHN 5. 4. This is the Victory that overcometh the world even our Faith IN this former part of the Chapter we have a double description of them that are born of God 1. A Priori from that which is the primum vivens the heart of the New Creature that 's faith v. 1. Whosoever believeth is born of God 2. A Posteriori from one special fruit of the New Birth Victory over the world v. 3. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world In this whole verse wherein the Text lies we have A Proposition It s Exposition 1. A Proposition Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world A Christian is a Conquerour a great Conquerour greater then he that for his Victories was sirnamed Magnus or The Great He hath conquered all the world 2. An Exposition of this Proposition But what is this Conquest of a Christian and how is it obtained why it is a spiritual Conquest and obtain'd by Faith This is the Victâ—ry that overcometh the world even our Faith For the opening of the words By the world understand whatsoever is in the world that hinders us in that Race which Christ hath set before us and holds us short of our Crown Those three things which the Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 2. 16. are in the world the lusts of the flesh the lust of the
eyes and the pride of life And also the objects of these lusts as they are such the pleasures the profits and the pomps of the world together with all worldly tribulations and afflictions By Faith understand a living saving Faith which unites to Christ and thereby engages him in our Combat with us This is the Victory even our Faith Faith is said to be our Victory 1. Formally The world hinders and holds us back from Christ Faith is our coming to Christ our coming to Christ is our Victory over all that which held us back 2. Instrumentally This is the Victory that is this is our arm or our hand this is the weapon of our warfare that hath gotten for us the Victory Divers observations lye in the words Doct. 1. The world is a Christians Enemy A Conquest supposes a Combat and a Combat supposes an Enemy Doct. 2. A Believer hath his Enemies under his feet even whilest he is in the fight He is a Souldier as soon as he is a Believer and he is a Conquerour as soon as ever he is a Souldier His very taking up Arms is his Victory Doct. 3. A Christian overcomes the world by his Faith In the prosecution of this third Doctrine whereon I intend to bottom the following discourse I shall shew 1. Wherein the enmity of the world against Souls stands 2. Wherein the strength of the world lies whereby it prevails against our Souls 3. Wherein the strength of faith lies whereby it overcomes the world 4. The conflict of faith with this warring world or the several ways in which faith so maintains the fight that it obtains the victory 5. The Conquest of Faith over the conflicting world or wherein this victory stands 1. Wherein the enmity of the world against souls stands or discovers it self The world is an Enemy as before It pretends to be a friend but its friendship is enmity enmity against God Jam. 4. 4. and therefore against souls its kindnesses are darts its kisses are swords and arrows its very peace is war against the soul But what is this Enmity or wherein is it discovered For the better understanding of this I shall premise these four things 1. Every creature of God is good The whole Creation in their Original were mans friends or servants there was nothing hurtful that was made 2. The enmity that is came in by sin Sin was the only Make-bate as betwixt God and Man so betwixt Man and the rest of the Creatures all the Enemies which man hath in Heaven or Earth he may thank his sin for 3. There is no malignity in the creature properly against man in his lapsed state They are yet all capable of being good and serviceable to him 1 Tim. 4. 4 5. Every creature of God is good it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer Riches are good yea and honors and pleasures may be good and useful to man 4. It is by accident and not from the nature of the things that the creatures are become enemies to us Sinful man is a distempered diseased creature distempered in his mind and hereupon he misapprehends and mistakes the world and looking for that good that is not in it he looses that which is making it his happiness it becomes his undoing He is distempered and diseased in his heart yea and his whole man And hereupon as in bodily diseases the best of creatures which would be nourishment to the healthy are to the sick the nourishment of their diseases and as such are apt to lust after those things which are most noxious so is it with diseased souls our appetites are vitiated and whilest we lust after either that which we should not or more then we should have those very things which are good in themselves become mischievous and hurtful to us the maintaining and encreasing our disease These things premised I shall now shew wherein the enmity of the world against our souls stands and that is in these two things especially 1. In withdrawing our souls from God Particularly 1. In withdrawing our affections from God as our Portion 2. In withdrawing us from our Allegiance to God as our Soveraign 1. In withdrawing our affections from God as our Portiâ—n The world by the advantage of our distempered minds and appetites sets up it self as our God as our happiness or chiefest good it proposes its self for a portion to us and that both as a richer portion and more suitable then God would be it perswades us to take our portion in hand and to take up with what 's before us as our happiness and not to be so unwise as to make an adventure for an unknown happiness with the hazard of that present felicity and contentment which we tast and see to be so good God calls Come unto me and I will give thee rest I will be thy portion and reward come up to the other world there 's an Inheritance for thee No no saith the world stay with me dwell here below thou seest what thine entertainment is here there thou knowest not what thou shalt find here thou hast substance here thou hast Sun-shine here thou hast hearts ease here thou art full and aboundedst thou hast thy house full and thy hands full and thy belly full and thy heart full thou knowest what thou hast thou canst tast thou canst see how good this world is the Treasures of the other world though they be called Treasures of Light yet to thee they are but Treasures of Darkness thou knowest not what they are be content dwell here below where thou art well 2. In withdrawing us from our Allegiance to God as our Soveraign When it hath once drawn away the heart it will with ease pull away the shoulder if Gods Crown be despised his Yoke will quickly be shaken off we break our faith with God when once we are fallen in love with the world if it become our treasure we yield our selves to it for servants the strength of its temptations lies in the esteem we have of it and the affection we bear it What will the Authority of the Lord do with us when he hath lost our hearts and we have chosen us another God! What cannot the world command us to if we have once set it before us as our Goal and Prize if it be our end it will appoint us our means and way no unrighteousness but will be right in our eyes that will serve our worldly designs farewell faith truth mercy honesty and all conscience of sin further then we can make a gain of godliness And by withdrawing us from our love and obedience to God to this I might add 3ly It exposes us to his wrath and displeasure when we will none of him he will none of us when he is forsaken by us he sets himself against us by despising the riches of his goodness we fall under his fury and fiery indignation This is the state into which the world is leading us 2. In
Field where Men are busy a plowing and sowing or reaping and there you may hear them enquiring how may I keep off the Birds or how may I keep out the Beasts from hurting my field when will it be rain or when will it be like to be fair weather Come into the Market where men are buying and selling and trading and there you may hear them asking how goes the price of Corn or of Cattel where are the best Commodities where is the best choice Come into the houses where they are eating and drinking or working and there you may hear them enquiring what must we have for the next meal what for to morrow c. But oh how seldom do we hear amongst them all any such questions How is my Soul provided for how how doth my soul prosper No no when the world is gotten into the heart there 's no sense of Souls or the concernment of them where the world is in the heart Death and Hell may be there too and never regarded Could we once make men deeply sensible how great their need of Christ is what they are without Christ in what slippery places they stand in what jeopardy they go daily what a dreadful gulf of woe and misery the wind and tide of their worldly prosperity are carrying them down into and how suddenly they may be swallowed up in perdition and destruction and what miserable comforts their past pleasures and plenty will then be to them were they sensible that nothing but Christ and a part in him would stand them in any stead to save them from that gulf that the casting anchor on that rock of ages would alone secure them from splitting on those fatal rocks from perishing by those tumbling waves and billows that are hurrying them down to the lake beneath were they sensible that t is Christ only that can secure them from these dangers their need would be argument enough to drive them to him But being drunken with the pleasures of sin whilest this wine is in the wits are out they will not consider they do not perceive the danger they are in When the Prodigal Luk. 15. had spent all that he had in his riotous living when his whole stock was wasted and not an husk left then he had time to consider and bethink himself what a case he was in and the pinching sence of his necessitous state to which his folly had reduced him this brings him to his wits again he comes to himself and then away he will to his father If you had met him a little before in his cups and amongst his whores if you had found him at his riotous table and in the heat of his lust and should there have preach'd to this Prodigal Friend this life will not last alwaies t will be thy wisest course to consider in time what thou dost Be sober be temperate run from these Harlots and return to thy Father how would he have laughed and scoffed at such a sermon at least the next cup would have wash'd it off his heart but when his hunger and thirst preach thus to him Get thee home to thy Father then away he goes 3. It hangs upon our hearts and about our necks The world hath gotten hold of our hearts and there it will keep its hold while it can It s gotten so much within us and hath so twisted and twined it self about our affections that it will be very hard getting it off We cannot close with Christ but we must break with the world we must be divorc'd from this ere we can be married to our second husband worldlings see what work Christ makes in those hearts where he gets possession he whips out the buyers and sellers and their merchandise out of his Temple he changes the customes and pleasures and business of the heart Its dealings and its delights Its love and its labour must be no longer bestow'd and consum'd upon meat and drink and money and mirth he hath other delights for it and other work to keep it doing These things must be minded in their place and in their season but they must keep their place Stand off Farms and Oxen stand off Lands and money keep your distance get you down and take the lower room give this man place who is more honourable then you all Christ and the world contend for the place which shall sit uppermost and go foremost in the soul Christ will not come in to be an Underling he will have the chief room the chief respect and esteem he will have the command of all that is in the house herein stands Christianity or our conversion to Christ in surrendring up the Throne to Christ 't is not the question whether thou canst find a corner in thine heart to entertain Christ in but who sits in the Throne who hath the government of thy soul who hath the right hand within thee Canst thou say to the Lord Jesus Sit thou on the right hand let all thy foes be made thy foot-stool All sinful pleasures all sinful gains must depart and come no more where Christ dwells and those which are lawful must come under and be brought into subjection to him no more sensuality or carnal mirth no more covetousness or oppression no more pride or self-exalting away with these cast them out and never take them in for ever if thou meanest that Christ shall take up his habitation in thee And no more zeal for the lawful concernments of this life no more pleading business against Religion no more pleading safety against duty no more pleading credit against conscience no more pleading gain against godliness preserve and improve thy estate maintain thy credit provide for thy safety follow thy business thou mayest and thou must but bring all under make all to stand aside and give place to Christianity and Conscience Christ will be no underling he resolves for the Throne where ever he dwells And the world that hath already gotten the Throne is loath to become the foot-stool 't is who shall be King 't is who shal be God that the great Contest is about and the world that hath King'd it so long knows not how to be content to be a subject it sees it must come down if Christ come in there cannot be two Kings in one Kingdome it must come down this pride must come down this credit these pleasures this carnal mirth this covetousness must be laid in the dust if Christ set footing here And therefore it does all it can to resist Christ stops the ears blinds the eye turns away the heart from hearkening to him Christ stands at the door and knocks Christ cryes and calls Come unto me open to me Christ promises and offers Come and I will receive you open and I will come in unto you and dwell with you If the soul begins to listen to the call of Christ the world steps in and objects What dost thou mean simple soul What art thou doing whither art
thou going hearken to Christ hearken to this Word hearken to this Conscience and what then shall become of me What shall become of thy estate what shall become of thy esteem what shall become of thy liberty what shall become of all thy love and friendship and pleasure thou hast in the world art willing to be poor art willing to be in bondage art willing to be in reproach and disgrace open that door once let Christ in have any thing to do with Conscience and thou art undone all that ever thou hast all that ever thou lovest in all the world must thenceforth become strangers to thee Hast thou not given me thy heart have not I lyen in thy bosome hast thou not cherished me and cared for me as thine own soul and have not I deserv'd thy care and respect have not I been thy food and thy rayment and thy joy and all the comfort of thy life What wilt thou be when I have left thee when thy estate hath left thee thy pleasures have left thee thy friends have left thee I know thou lovest me thou lovest to be rich and to be great and to be at thy ease and thy liberty as thou lovest thy life I know I have thy heart and thou art loath to leave me I but therefore consider and take heed if thou hearken to Christ once if thou meddle too far with Religion and wilt be dealing for another world once then farewell this But canst thou find in thine heart to leave me have I been a Wilderness to thee or a Land of darkness hath it not been well with thee hast thou wanted any thing hast thou not been full and abounded hast thou not flourished and prosper'd hast thou not had thy belly full of meat and thy belly full of mirth and thy bones full of rest and thy heart full of ease and content what hast thou wanted whilest thou imbracedst my love and canst thou now find in thine heart to part look to thy self what day thou strikest hands with Christ thou must shake hands with all the world Look for no more favour from me thou dost not know when thou art well when thou hast enough but henceforth if thou take this course thou shalt have little enough If Christ carry thee he shall carry thee naked thou shalt leave all thy good things behind thee and look for it I have not been so great a friend but now I 'le be as great an enemy I 'le persecute thee and plague thee and vex thee and if I may no longer sleep in thy bosome I 'le stick in thy sides if I may no longer be the treasure of thine heart I 'le be a dart in thy liver But consider be advised foolish soul let us not part thus stay stay with me go not after thou knowest not what forsake not an old friend for a new believe it the old is better if thou wilt be wise stay as thou art and mind thy present commodity lay by the thoughts of the other world let hereafter take care for it self never stand amuzing thy self about thou knowest not what I have not been so good to thee but I will be better to thee then ever come let 's take our fill of love eat drink and be merry gather keep lay up what 's before thee and cast away care And thus it wooes and flatters and bewitches it into a neglect of Christ so long till it hath smitten the soul under the fift rib and stab'd it to death and drown'd it in perdition and destruction 4. It will help men to excuses for their neglect of Christ Men are asham'd to play the Fools but they would have something to say for 't to stop mouths withall to stop the mouth of Conscience to stop the mouths of Men to stop the mouth of their Judge if it be possible Luk. 14. 18. Those that were invited to come to Christ it s said they all began to make excuses they were asham'd to say they would not come that had been too gross but they excuse themselves we cannot come Ruth 4. 6. The Kinsman of Ruth that had the offer of redeeming the Inheritance of his deceased Kinsman answered no I cannot redeem it lest I mar mine own Inheritance He would not say I will not redeem it no an excuse must be found out I cannot redeem it I should mar mine own Inheritance if I redeem my Brothers So these here they do not say I will not but I cannot come Why what 's the matter you cannot come to Christ what excuse have you whence have you your excuse Oh the world furnishes them with an excuse I have a Farm sayes one I have Oxen to look to sayes another I have a Wife to mind sayes a third I pray thee have me excused I cannot come Christians have your hearts never made this use of the world to make it your excuse for your neglecting Christ and your souls it hath hindred you many a time from coming to Christ and then excused you for not coming How many prayers hath it lost you how many Sabbaths hath it lost you the loss of these may be the loss of Christ the loss of your souls How much of these spiritual advantages hath the world lost you and when they are lost when you have lost a praying time or hearing time lost a Sabbath or a Sermon or a Sacrament this must serve for an excuse I was busie and could not come An excuse is a pretence or a shift that men find out to save themselves from blame for all their neglects of Christ and their souls as if they should say it s a shame for men to neglect Christ that have nothing else to mind in his stead it s a shame for men to neglect their souls that have nothing else to look to I have no mind to Christ and his wayes this looking after my soul and my Conscience and the matters of the other world are things that I like not and list not to be medling withall but what shall I say for my self if I neglect them I am asham'd to say I care not for Christ I care not for my soul I care not for heaven and everlasting glory I care not though I perish and die I dare not say thus and yet these things that Christ calls to me are so contrary to me that I have no mind to meddle with them But what shall I say for my self if I do not some excuse or other I must have what may be my excuse Why hast thou never a Farm to look to never a Wife nor Family to look after or hast thou not an house or an horse or a companion hast thou no sports nor pleasures no Hawks nor dogs to follow hast thou nothing to do hast thou nothing to say tell Christ tell Conscience thou hast other business to do thou hast thy friends or thy pleasures that call thee another way any thing may serve a bad excuse
is better then none An excuse is a pretence to have reason for what we do no man can have reason to neglect Christ no man can have reason to continue in sin and yet there are few cases wherein men will not pretend to have reason for it especially the worldling whoever wants he will be sure to find reason enough for his worldliness Though the Drunkard can hardly say I have reason to be drunk though the Adulterer can hardly say I have reason to follow Harlots though the Swearer can hardly say I have reason to swear or blaspheme though the Prodigal can hardly say I have reason to wast and spend my Estate yet the worldling will easily say I have reason to get an Estate to keep what I have reason to be a good Husband and to be provident who shall keep me when I am old who shall take care of my Family I have reason to take care for my self who will take care for me if I do not take care of my self And though this may be look'd on as a miserable Plea for the neglect of Christ I am following a Whore and I cannot come I must to the Ale-house or the Tavern and I cannot come yet this will pass for a fair excuse I have a Wife or a Family or a Farm and I cannot come I pray thee have me excused For what that thou dost not come to Christ and hearken to and follow him that is excuse me that I undo my self that I stab or drown or hang my self that I go to the Devil and damn my soul If I go to hell and there perish for ever I pray do not blame me for it I have reason for what I do I must take care of this world whatever becomes of me in the other world as for those that have nothing else to do but to mind Christ and Salvation if they neglect it let them answer for themselves if they can for my part I have reason enough to do as I do Hast thou reason to go to hell reason to be damn'd go then and bear thy burthen for ever till thy sense too late teach thee better reason Oh what wise men are the men of this world what very fools are the worldly wise they destroy their souls to please and provide for their carkasses they count the world their happiness and this their happiness must have the killing of them some mens businesses must have the killing of them some mens money must do it some mens pleasures must do it some mens friends must have the killing of their souls some are too rich some are too busie some are too merry some are too high some are too civil and courtly to come to Christ and save their souls Behold the wisdome of this world Consider this Brethren if some of you do not find it thus how is it with your souls in what case are your souls are you in Christ are you converted to God have you gotten any saving knowledge or any thing of the Grace of God in your hearts or are you not still without Christ without Grace without God in the world what is it that hath hindred you but your fleshly and worldly hearts which have held you under the power of these fleshly and worldly things it may be you might have had grace in your hearts if you had not had so much money in your purse if you had not had so much to do in this world you might have done more for the world to come whilest you have been busie here and there as the man in the Prophets Parable 1 King 20. 40. your souls are lost the Kingdome is lost if you had not had so many sheep and oxen and trades to be look'd after it may be your souls had been better look'd to if you had not had so many carnal friends about you it may be Christ had been entertained by you these are they which you have taken in exchange for Christ these are they for which you have sold the Gospel these are they for which you have sold your souls to the devil You wonder at those poor miserable creatures the Witches who for a little money or a few years pleasure do by express bargain and sale make over their souls to the devil and yet will do the same things your selves Where are your souls in whose hands are they who hath the possession who hath the dominion of them are they with Christ doth he govern doth he rule them hath he taken possession of them do you think he hath indeed are the ignorant the idle the simple the sensual the earthly the careless the barren souls of the world are these the possession of Christ would Christ have left you in such a carnal sensless state if you had ever come into his hands do ye think he would who are they that are without Christ if you are in Christ who are the sinners if you are the Saints who are the children of this world if you be the children of the Kingdome are you they whom God hath chosen out of this world to be a peculiar people to himself are you they that have forsaken all for Christ who have forsaken Christ for this world are you the Châ—ldren of Light Vessels of Honor the Images of God his mortified ones his crucified ones his sanctified ones Will Christ leave his chosen vessels to be such wooden and iron and earthen vessels as your Souls are at this day What a poor and low and miserable thing do you make of Christianity if this be it which you have attain'd to look to it if you have any such thought sure you have deceived your selves to this day Are you not in Christ what is it that hath hindred you Christ hath invited you in the Gospel of Christ hath been preach'd to you the everlasting door hath been set open to you the servants have been sent out among you to call you and compel you to come in but the world hath kept you back your friends have hung about you your business have lyen upon you your estates have call'd you another way and would not suffer you to enter in And that these are they that have done it it is apparent since these are they that must serve you for an excuse I have had so many encumbrances and entanglements and diversions every day that I could not doe for my Soul as others may And oh how glad have you often been of an excuse that you have had something to say for your self and to silence Conscience under the neglect of Christ more glad of an hindrance then of an opportunity there is such an ungratefulness and unpleasingness of Christ and his wayes to carnal hearts that when Christ hath been dealing with them and perswading and awakening them to look after them the world seems to do them a kindness in stepping in and calling their hearts back and putting all out of mind When Christ calls to a duty to an
ordinance to bring us near to him that he might deal with us and treat with us about the matters of eternity whilest some rejoyce to come in to appear in his presence to hear his voice to pour out their Souls to him in prayer or fasting c. Others are glad that they have something to say that they could not be there glad of a business or of a friend that kept them off glad of a temptation that the Devil laid a block in their way that the world cal'd them out another way not considering what an eternal losse they may have hereby sustain'd Behold now the friend of sinners the Idol the god whom they serve this present world this is your beloved this is your friend But what is its friendship to you what kindness hath this world for you you love it and seek it and serve it and work for it it hath your time and your strength and your hearts bestow'd upon it for this you live and labour and sweat and toyl out all your dayes but when all is done what kindness doth it shew you what reward have you it feeds you and cloaths you and pleases and pampers your flesh but it kills your Souls It blinds it hardens it holds you in a sottish sensless carnal state and course keeps Christ and your hearts apart holds your Souls in death and shuts you out from the kingdom of God This is your God whom you hugge and worship and bless your selves in and busy your selves for this is your beloved here is the kindness of your friend and is not this friendship of the world enmity What can the Devil do more then keep you from Christ and what doth the world do less hitherto it hath kept you off and when do you think if you hearken to it will it give you leave to go over to him when will it say unto you thou hast served me long enough thou hast serv'd thy pleasures and thy estate and thy friends long enough now go thy way and serve thy God now go to Christ and look after thy Soul how how long will it be ere the world will thus give thee leave or if it will not give thee leave how long will it be ere thou take thy leave Be not deceived that which hath hindred doth hinder and will hinder thee from ever making a saving close with Christ till thy Soul and it be parted Depart depart depart from your worldly wayes depart from your worldly pleasures and let a worldly heart depart from you and then welcome Christ and his Gospel then welcome Grace and Holiness then welcome God and the everlasting kingdome 2. The enmity of the world shewes it self in hindering the Soul from following of Christ If it cannot quite keep us off from Christ it will hold us back that Christ shall have but little service of us 2 Tim. 2. 4. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier Christs servants are all Souldiers and the world is one special enemy we are to fight against there 's like to be but heartless fighting where we are in league with the enemy whilest we should be charging it we shall be like enough to be treating for peace if not quite to forsake our colours and run over to the enemies camp Christ entertains none but those that are free and disengaged persons and by how much the more free by so much the more fit for his service no man that warreth entangleth himself a Souldier that fights in fetters fights thereafter we must put off our fetters if we will put on our armour In the affairs of this life the work that Christ hath to put his servants upon lyes in the affairs of the other life he that is intangled in the affairs of this will do little about the affairs of the other life That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier The servant must so serve his master as to please him he that is Christs servant must devote himself to the pleasing of his Lord he must not please men he must not please himself his appetite his pride his covetousness is this thy pleasing of Christ to be serving his enemies If you be Christs indeed you herein displease your selves in being self pleasers He that is not angry with himself for his flesh pleasing he that can humour and favour and gratifie his earthly and sensual heart and be pleased with himself and be patient with himself for so doing Christ hath little in that man and if your pleasing your self cannot stand with the pleasing of your Souls which have devoted themselves to Christ much less will it stand with the pleasing of your Lord who hath chosen you for his Souldiers But more particularly the world discovers its enmity here 1. In cutting Christ short of that service and those fruits which he should reap from us 2. In cutting us short of that service and peace that we might receive from him 1. The world cutts Christ short of that service and those fruits which he should reap from us Hos 10. 1. Israel is an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit to himself Israel is an empty vine that is to his Lord t is but a poor vintage little or no fruit he brings forth to God he is his vine he hath planted he hath watered and he hath fenced him and he looks for grapes but finds none why what 's the reason of it Oh he hath brought forth all his fruits to himself he hath store of fruit but no such fruit as God looks for he brought forth so much to his flesh that ther 's none for his God Phil. 2. 2. All seek their own and not the things of Christ Here 's little seeking of Christ among you saith the Apostle the worship and service of Christ the honour and interest of Christ is little regarded there 's a general neglect of him None that is there are scarce any among you none in comparison that mind the things of Christ but why is Christ so neglected Why because every man is for himself and all seek their own that is their outward and earthly things Their own things Why are not the things of Christ so much thine own as the things of the world are thy carnal friends more thine then Christ is thine are thy earthly possessions thy earthly pleasures thy meat and thy drink and thy money the things of thy body more thine then thy Soul and the concernments of it thou art a pitiful Christian if the things of Christ be not more thine then the things of this world if the things of Christ and thine own things be not the very same but yet thus our fleshly hearts count our carnal things are our own things and the more we seek our own the less the things of Christ the most careful Worldling is the most careless Christian Brethren how little
is there done for Christ how little is Christ serv'd or sought Judge ye every one in your own selves how little hath been done for Christ or is now a doing look back and summe up all that you have done and gather together all concerning which you can say this hath been done for Christ this day or this houre was spent in seeking of Christ and see into what a narrow room all will be brought look into your hearts and see how many shops and feilds you may find there to one sanctuary how how many Markets and Fairs have been kept there to on Sabbath how many servants hath Christ at work for him within you all that is within you have the name of the servants of Christ every faculty is his servant your thoughts affections understandings consciences every member your hands eyes tongues have all the name of the servants of Christ but are these at work for Christ are your understandings veiwing Christ are your thoughts searching after Christ are your affections working up towards Christ are your consciences pleading for Christ are your tongues speaking for Christ are your hands laying up or laying out for Christ the Devil hath his servants busy a working for him our carnal thoughts our fleshly lusts our earthly affections all our earthly members are hard at work for the Devil to harden us against Christ to entice us from Christ to defile and destroy our Souls but how little is done for Christ t would make our hearts to tremble if we did consider how little may be there may be divers of our souls in which there hath not been one stroke of work done for Christ since they had a being and in whom there 's any thing done oh how little is it What footing hath Christ gotten in your hearts what faith or love or fear or honor hath he in you how goes his sanctifying work his mortifying work on in you how fares it with his enemies in you your lusts and passions and carnal affections are not these still Lording it in his room Oh how little is it that is yet done for Christ within us how little power and authority hath he in us how low is it with us both in point of grace and peace how little is he minded or lov'd or prais'd in us how little pleasure or delight do we take in him how little care take we for him any little good thing that he hath committed to us how hath it been cherish'd and nourish'd and improv'd doth it not languish and pine away whilest our faces shine our flesh flourishes our outward man thrives in what a withering perishing case is our inner man Think with your selves are matters with you within as you could wish they were is it with your souls as Christ would have it do you think he will say to you in the case you are in well done thou hast been a faithful servant a good Steward of my manifold graces how is it without you what are your duties what are your wayes what praying or hearing or walking oh what shuffling over duties what halting in your goings what do you more then others are you not carnal and vain as others are you not proud and froward as others are you not unsavoury and unprofitable as others of what use are you to those you walk amongst what examples are you to them wherein are they the better for you does your light shine do ye provoke them to love and good works what do you for your Relations for your friends for your families or any of the members of Christ What mourning is there under the dishonor of Christ what sense of the sufferings of Christ doth not Christ suffer much in the world in his Ministers in his Members in his Worship in his Sabbaths and Ordinances how fares it abroad with Christ how fares it with his Gospel with his Saints is all well is it peace doth the Church prosper doth Religion flourish or doth it not suffer and mourn and bleed and is even ready to vanish away and yet who is there almost that cares for any of these things how few are there that lay them to heart where are the hearts that tremble for the Ark of God that ask how fares it with the Israel of God Oh Brethren its lamentable to see how little upon any account whatsoever the things of Christ are any where minded But what 's the reason why look abroad every where in the world and you may see reason enough what is there a doing every where go into one Town go into another go into one house and another and another and what are they doing how busie are we in buying and selling and building and planting ploughing and sowing marrying and giving in marriage this is it we are so busie for this world that Christ and the things of Christ are little regarded by us 2. It holds us short of that grace and true peace which we might receive from him The cares of this world choak the Word that it cannot prosper in such souls that it can neither quicken us nor comfort us Grace is a flower that will grow best in those Gardens where it hath least of earth A worldly-minded Christian a worldly-minded Professor will never be but a Dwarf will be but an Infant in Religion at forty years old How many may we see among us that have liv'd many years under the profession of Religion and have had some hope towards God and some confidence that Christ is in them of a truth who if they should take an account of themselves what increase have I made in the grace of God all this while What hath been added to me to my faith or love or zeal of God to my knowledge of God to my acquaintance with mine own heart how much humility spirituality mortification what power over my corruptions my pride my passion my peevishness my fleshliness have I obtained what evidences have I gotten for heaven what clearness and grounded confidence and assurance am I grown up to now more then I was seven or ten or twenty years agone what have I gotten how much and wherein have I improv'd in all this time Oh how may most of us sadly answer What have I gotten how have I grown oh the Lord he merciful to me have I not lost have I not sunk and decayed is it not worse with me now then many years ago my faith grown my love grown my holiness and my hope grown my comfort and my confidence grown the Lord help me rather my fears and my doubts my darkness and my deadness and my sins are grown upon me I have less life and less love and less joy and less peace then when I first look'd after Christ Let worldly-minded Professors prove and consider themselves narrowly if this such a lean starveling lifeless state of soul be not all the kindness they are beholding to their worldliness for it hath built you houses and bought you Lands
once found out she quickly spoil'd him of it and delivered him a captive to his enemies find out the strength of the World what it is and wherein it lyes and then you will understand your way to the conquering of it But where lyes this strength of the World I answer In The Spirit of the World within us In the God of the World without us 1. In the spirit of the world within the world hath a strong party within man which sides with it 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God we have not we who have that spirit of God in us have not received the spirit of this world but all others have no other spirit In the whole generation of worldly men there is the same spirit as in the whole generation of the Saints there is the same divine spirit the same spirit of grace the same spirit of faith the same spirit of love the same holy spirit So in all the men of this world there is the same worldly spirit The spirit of this world is an earthly Spirit 1 Cor. 15. 47. the first man is of the earth earthy in his creation he had an earthy body and by sin he is come to have an earthy Soul Sin was his fall from Heaven to Earth as in his choice he made for himself he chose an earthly inheritance so in his temper and disposition and tendency his very nature now inclines and bends towards earthly things his Soul as well as his Body lusts after and feeds upon dust The spirit of the World is a short sighted spirit it cannot see afarr off 2 Pet. 19. Heavenly things are too far distant to be discerned by it it loves and gapes for and grasps things present things to come are far out of its sight The spirit of the world is a low and narrow spirit these poor and beggerly things that this earth affords are the highest of its ambition Seekest thou great things for thy self Yes I do what worldly greatness are these the great things thou seekest a great name a great estate great possessions thou mistakest thy self man these great things are but small things below the spirit of a man below a divine and immortal Soul meat and drink and mirth and money are these the best things thou findest for thy heart to be set upon for thy soul to take pleasure in sure thou hast changed Souls with the bruits that canst take up with such things as these The Spirit of the World is an homebred spirit it hath never been abroad but hath been born and bred in this worldly region it hath never set foot nor been acquainted in a better land the spirit which is of God carries up to the upper regions the regions of light and life and glory and immortality where it hath made discoveries of other manner of treasures and joyes and glories then are here to be found but the spirit of the world hath ever dwelt at home the souls of worldlings dwell in their houses of clay and never travail farther then they can with the snail carry their houses upon their heads their Souls travail no farther then their carkases This Spirit of the World by what hath been hinted of the make and temper of it you see hath a suitableness to worldly things and this is the great advantage the World hath upon us it tempts us to that we love and like all that the World perswades us to is to seek what we have a mind to to do what we have a mind to to follow our natures and dispositions to find out what will best please us and there to take our fill The difficulty of Christs victory over Souls lyes in this that he calls and commands them to things and to wayes contrary to their natures not to please but to deny themselves to kill their Flesh to cross their appetites to contradict their own mind to pursue an happiness which is so sublime and spiritual and so unsuitable to their carnal natures that it is altogether unsavory to them and hereupon he hath hard work to prevail and t is but here and there one amongst many that will be prevailed upon to hearken to him to how many houses may we come to how many souls may we bring the everlasting Gospel ere one will open and accept how many are call'd to Christ to one that comes O brethren you are witness how hardly any of your souls were perswaded to come along with Christ and may be some of you stand off and hang back and will not be perswaded to come fully in to this day What 's the reason of this Oh carnal men think that Christ calls them to their loss perswades them to their hurt that they have a better being whilest they are wallowing in their riches and their pleasures then ever they should find in following of Christ But now the advantage that the world hath on Souls is that it tempts them to things pleasing to them their natures joyn with the world and draw them the same way Whilest Christ calls if any man will be my disciple let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me this is all the world requires if any man will be my servant let him seek himself and shift for himself and please himself and shun the cross and follow his own heart and what great difficulty is there to perswade men to follow their own minds when worldly temptations meet with worldly spirits when temptations to pride meet with proud hearts when temptations to pleasure meet with flesh-pleasing hearts when temptations to vanity meet with vain hearts when temptations to covetousness meet with covetous hearts how mightily must they needs prevail From this suitableness of the spirit to worldly things it doth Readily take in of the World Greedily make out after the World 1. It doth readily take in of the World the world never knocks but the heart opens the world never offers but the hand is ready to receive yea though the terms upon which we must have it be never so unreasonable though for every draught of pleasure they must after drink the double in wormwood though with the gains of the world they must drink in a curse yet like men in a dropsie though to drink will be death their thirst must be quenched It may be when the world is a tempting the Soul conscience stands by and gives it warning take heed of these pleasures ther 's poyson in that cup or ther 's wormwood at the bottome take heed of these deceitful riches ther 's a snare lies under there 's a curse cleaves to them look to thy self Soul the world is but a playing the Devil with thee these pleasures and these riches it hath sent to fetch away thy Soul it holds thee so busy about thine earthly affairs that thou mayest the mean while loose the opportunity of making Christ thine of making the
other world sure to thee look to it thou wilt never have any part in Christ thou wilt never have any hope towards God if thou be tampering thus and trading thus greedily for this present world it may be Conscience doth thus stand by and give warning to the worldly heart but all 's one for that come what will come the heart is so set upon it that it will not be warned 2. Hence it is that they so greedily make out after the world Oh what hast doe they make to be rich how doe their Souls hunger after worldly greatness they covet greedily all the day long Prov. 21. 26. They enlarge their desire as Hell and are as death and cannot be satisfied as it was said of the Caldean Hâ—b 2. 5. they enlarge their desire as Hell of which t is said he hath made it deep and large they have deep desires the bottom of their Soul comes up they have large desires they never have enough Ezek. 33. 31. Their heart goeth after their covetousness that is either after those earthly things which are the objects of their covetousness or after the ductus or leading of their covetousness their covetousness leads on and their heart follows their heart goes yea it runs after it their heart out runs their feet their heart out works their hands when I awake I am still with thee saith the Psalmist and when the worlding awakes where is his heart presently in the field in the shop in the market his heart is there before his body can get there it may be that must stay a time in the house after he awakes and put on his clothes or take his breakfast or may be to make a short prayer for a fashion but his heart goes presently abroad as soon as ever he awakes and leaves only his tongue behind to pray But whence is this eagerness this hungring and riding post after the world why t is his love to the world that makes him gape so wide after it he loves to be rich he loves give ye Christ is propos'd and set before his eyes the bread of life the water of life the windows of Heaven are opened the fountains above are broken up the durable riches the everlasting pleasures life and peace and rest and joy and glory are sett forth in open sight before the world and as Psal 14. 2. God looks down to see if any would understand and seek God to see who amongst all the world had a mind to his riches to his treasures who was for Christ who was for Grace who was for Heaven but behold they are all running another way there 's none that understands none that will seek God every door is shut every heart 's asleep when God passeth by If he should never give till many ask if he should stay till they seek him how long might he stay he must come and call and knock and break open their doors and pour into their mouths and t is well if Heaven will down with any at last whilest full tables and full draughts of this world will down and never stick now and then a crumb now and then a drop from above is all that will be taken in Oh this agrees not with our stomack t is the world that is our favoury meat Oh what abundant proof is there brethren of this difference of our appetites to things spiritual and things carnal Oh what thriving and what grown Christians had we been had we been as hungry after grace as after greatness in this world had there been so much craving and catching after God as after Mammon had there been such good husbandry among us for things to come as for things presen What 's the reason that our Souls are such dwarfs and babes and starvlings Are they not so is it not very poor and very low with us what treasures have you gotten how little knowledge or Faith or love or power or vigour of spirit have you attain'd how is death still feeding upon us Death in our understandings Death in our affections Death in our Consciences Death in our duties we walk up and down more like the Ghosts of Christians then like living Christians pale and wan and weak and cold mere carkases of Christianity when the Soul and Spirit of religion is not Look about enquire among you and see how many such dead carkases there are to one living lively Soul how many empty caskes that make a little sound to one full vessel The Lord be merciful to us though the name and shell of Religion be among us and upon us yet the spirit and kernel of it seems to be almost quite vanished out of the earth It was once said Revel 3. 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments But oh may it not be said thou hast but a few names neither in Sardis not Thiatira nor Philadelphia nor any where among all the Churches thou hast but a few names any where that have any more then a name that they live Brethren how is it with us who are here before the Lord turn in every one his eye upon his heart goe down and ask every one of you Soul how fares it with thee how art thou fed oh my Soul how art thou clothed what hast thou by thee what what grace what peace what hope to comfort thee who is there within thee is Christ there is the holy spirit there quickning thee and cleansing thee or is not the world there preying upon thee and consuming thee Ask your Souls art thou in health O my Soul dost thou live and thrive and hold up thy head and hold on thy way and thy work or art thou not sick head sick and heart sick and weak and poor and blind and naked look in each one of you step down and take an account of your state If you would do so I doubt there are few of us but would find all within in a very pitiful and lamentable case What 's the reason of all this the Lord God hath offered to feed us and nourish us and nurse up these languishing Souls the Lord God hath stood among us with his baskets of bread and his bottles of wine hath put such meat to our mouths that would have nourished us up from babes to be men from such weaklings to be strong in the Lord but there is such an unsuitableness betwixt the things of God and our carnal hearts that we have no appetite to them and so they will not down whereas the things of the world do find such a Spirit of the world in us that of any thing that it hath to offer us nothing comes amiss we not only readily take it in but greedily hunger and make out after it By the way Christians learn that if ever you would get victory over the world you must first get you another spirit in vain do you think to live other then a worldly life whilest the spirit
not let the Devil preach of Tribulation and Persecution for righteousness sake and how are they frighted Let the Word declare unto them with never so much plainness and power He that believeth not shall be damned If you live after the flesh you shall dye The Wrath of God shall be revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his Power And how little is this regarded who doth believe this report how few are convinced how few are awakened so much as to consider how they may escape How weak are all those Arguments which are either fetch'd down from above or fetch'd up from the deep and how little will they work On the other side let men be told He that departs from evil makes himself a prey All those that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Ye shall be reproached reviled and cast out of men made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things Ye shall be as Sheep among Wolves as Lilles among Thorns The Devil shall cast you into Prison You shall be as Signs and Wonders in Israel Many are the troubles of the Righceous c. Let the Devil take such Texts as these and preach to them and how deep does his word go If this be the portion of Christians if this be the wages of Righteousness and the fruit of Holiness let me take heed of Christ and his waies A mocking Ishmael a cursing Shimei a rayling Rabshakeh will do more to fright them off from holiness than the Worm than the Fire than all the Vipers and Scorpions and Stings and Torments beneath will do to drive them back from Sin They dare not be Saints for fear of the barking of Dogs but they dare be Sinners notwithstanding the roaring of Lyons The Devil hath made such fools of them that a few grains laid on them at present seem more heavy than those Talents that the Almighty is casting down upon them 3. By an active stimulating and pressing them on what ever becomes of them hereafter to pursue the present good things and to prevent the present evil things If the Devil can but make the Premises take with them That the good things present are so good that there 's nothing better That the evil things present are so evil that there are none greater then hee 'l easily gain the Conclusion Therefore it 's the best and wisest cours per fas aut nefas to secure the one and escape the other But more particularly the Devil manages and quickens the temptations of the World By proposing of Objects By provoking the Appetite 1. By proposing of Objects He brings the World in sight Sometimes he presents it immediately to the fancy he raises great thoughts of heart about it he calls the thoughts abroad with him to take a view of the glory and the riches and the pleasures of his Kingdom sets men a thinking on the pomps and fashions or the sports and pleasures of the world a rolling over in their minds the gains and sweetnesses of a worldly life Sometimes he presents it to the Eye There is a quick passage from the eye to the heart If the Devil can but turn the eyes to behold vanity by the eye he will easily infect the heart The Devil presents Objects to the eye leading men up and down where his baits and snares do lye 2 Tim. 3. 6. Sinners are said to be lead about by divers Lusts The Devil leads Lust and Lust hath the leading of the Man But whither do mens Lusts lead them Why every where up and down where the Devil hath laid his baits to take them Some mens Lusts lead them to their Companions to their sports and pastimes to the Ale-house to the Tavern other mens Lusts carry them into the City or into the Field over Sea and Land to find them out wealth and substance Some mens Lusts lead them to the Courts of Princes to the Palaces of Nobles to see fashions to get favour and to climb up into dignities and high places Men need consider whither they go and what their call is thither the Devil hath oftner an hand in the leading us up and down than we are aware of and he that goes whither the Devil leads him 't is ten to one but he 's in the Net before he returns We are never more secure than when we keep aloof from temptations when the Devils baits are out of sight We are never in more danger than when the hook is out of fight and the bait is in sight that 's Satan's course as to hide the hook so to shew the bait He turn'd Eve's eye to the Apple Achan's eye to the wedge of Gold Ahab's eye to Naboth's Vineyard and then what work did he make with them 2. By provoking the Appetite And this he doth not onely by propounding of Objects at all adventures but such objects as are most suitable and taking with those he has to deal Satan is a skilful Philosopher he understands our natures and complexions and the several inclinations that flow from them Satan is a cunning Fisher and knows at what baits every kind of Fish will bite and accordingly angles for them Some men he observes are naturally of a sensual heart given to the pleasures of the flesh for these he hath sports and pastimes Mirth and Jollity Wine Beauty c. Look thee here saith the Devil what a life thou maist live if thou wilt Arise take and eat here 's meat thou lovest take thy fill and make thee an happy man if thou meddle too far with the Scriptures or hearken to these Preachers what a sad Soul wilt thou become a sowr unpleasant and morose spirit thou wilt be even eaten up of thy melancholick dumps thou must cross thy self and be ever vexing thine heart with intollerable severities if thou wilt hearken to them let them alone let them Preach to whom they will run not after them hearken not to their words beleive thy senses taste what I set before thee taste if it be not good Others he observes to be of earthly minds gaping after wealth and riches t is not mirth and jollity and pleasures and such like trash and chaffe that will take with these they must have substance and for these he hath money and lands fields and farms and oxen Wilt thou be a rich man wilt thou be a wealthy man wilt thou increase thy stock and thy store wilt thou enlarge thy possession hearken to me be a good husband wa st not thy time about impertinencies reading hearing praying c. Mind thy business and thine interest set thine heart upon thy work let this be the one thing thou mindest Nourish not needless scruples this is a forbidden course this ought not to be done away with such fears the more free thou art to venture on any thing the greater will thy
her Foundations Is it not a strong City walk through the midst of her behold the Tree of Life bearing all manner of fruits of which whosoever eats shall live forever Behold the River those streams of everlasting pleasures that run through the City of God of which whosoever drinks shall never die Behold the Palms and the Robes and the Crowns the rest the joy and the glory of the Inhabitants of this City God is in the midst of her the all-blessed all-glorious all-sufficient God he is their light and their life there shall be no Clouds nor storms no night nor darkness no wants nor fears no sorrow nor complaining in her street everlasting joy shall be upon their heads and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Look towards this holy City live in the view and contemplation of the glory to come and then look down and see what a dark Mist will becloud the worlds most glorious Sun-shine And then demand Now soul which wilt thou chuse where wilt thou pitch both Lands are before thee which shall be thine Inheritance art thou for God or the world for heaven or earth What shall I say I wot not what I shall chuse why is the choice so hard Is it such a difficulty to determine whether light or darkness joy or sorrow life or death be the better choice Well jacta est alea the lot is cast God shall be my portion and the lot of mine inheritance O my God wilt thou be mine shall my dwelling be with thee The matter is ended the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place and I have a goodly Heritage Remember me O Lord with the favour thou bearest to thy children and visit me with thy salvation let me see the good of thy chosen let me rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation let me glory with thine Inheritance and I have no more to ask Brethren when once you have by Faith made this choice there 's an end of the Devils hopes Look up therefore look up to that blessed Country cry unto God Lord open mine eyes and let me see Lord reach down thine hand and help me up take up this heart to thee and there let it fix Oh what clods of earth what dead lumps of flesh are these hearts that do not yet begin to rise Lord let this flesh become Spirit let our ashes flame and ascend to thee once for all let us come to thee and never return to this dust again 3. By Faith we understand that the good things present cannot further and the evil things present cannot hinder our eternal happiness We are apt either to be pleas'd or distasted with the various objects and occurrences we meet withall according as they serve or cross our end He that hath made God his end and Eternal Glory his end doth value all things according to their tendency thitherward as any thing hinders or helps heaven-ward so is it regarded 'T is a sign thou hast made thy flesh thy end when flesh-pleasing objects and courses are the taking things with thee and every thing is a cross that touches upon thy fleshly interest what is a furtherance to thy soul thou canst want it what is an hindrance to thy soul thou canst bear it and find no trouble but what serves or disserves thy flesh these are the things that move thee Let such souls never talk of making God their end If God be your end indeed if you be for heaven in earnest 't is what will please God and what leads heavenwards that are the only considerable things Now by Faith we understand that the things of the world in themselves make neither one way nor other as to our future happiness The good things of the world cannot further our happiness there 's no man the nearer heaven for being rich or honourable the Palaces of Princes are not the porch to glory Believe it Christians to be rich in this world and to be rich towards God are two things the favour of Princes is no mark of divine honour nor medium to it the pleasures of the flesh are not of kin to the pleasures above nor subservient to them These things may undo us our gold may sink us we may break our necks from our high mountains our temporal prosperities and advantages may shut us out from the everlasting Kingdom Matth. 19. may be the death and damnation of souls and do they not often prove so but never their salvation And so on the other side The troubles and afflictions of this world cannot hinder or happiness Faith sees as open and near a way to heaven from the dunghill as from the Pinacle of the Temple from the Prison as from the Palace from the Cross as from the Crown The gate of heaven shall never be shut against any because he is poor or persecuted 't is not a Purple Robe or a Gold Ring that shall procure entrance nor are they rags or sores or reproaches that shall shut the door We read Jam. 2. 2 3. that there was such a practise among men If any one come into your assembly with a gold ring or goodly apparel or in a poor habit and vile rayment they were entertain'd thereafter they had their different respect according to the pomp of the one or the poverty of the other But ' will not be so in the great Assembly above 'T will never be demanded when you knock for entrance into glory what Estate have you gotten in the world in what honor and grandieur did you live where are your Bags and your Barns your Mansions and Mannors that you have gotten Will the Lord think you ever say to him that comes and knocks and calls Lord Lord open to me will he ever say No friend you are a poor man here 's no place for you you were so greedy after grace and holiness that you never minded the getting an estate in the world you have wasted your time in reading and praying and fasting you have wasted your Estate in giving and lending in feeding and cloathing others you are a poor man away from me here 's no place for thee will the Lord ever say thus at last Men covet and labour and hoard up these earthly things as if this were the condition of everlasting blessedness as if their souls and eternal life lay on them men shift and shun affliction as if these were the way to the Pit But Faith sees that these things will not be so No man shall be disowned because he bears in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus Well may the Cross be a Ladder by which we may ascend into glory but it shall never be a clog to detain us from ascending These things being by Faith understood the world looses a believers heart the good below he can spare and the evil below he will not fear There 's the same ground why believers sit so loose from the world and the things thereof as there is why unbelievers sit
or Devils Oh bless God for Faith even ye of little Faith at its first entrance it gives your soul a lift from heaven to earth There it lists your names no longer men of this world but henceforth Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God there it hath laid you up an Inheritance and thence it brings you your maintenance thither it turns your eyes and all your streams it shews you what you have there and by those beams it draws you up thither Those to whom it shews the least of that glory it shews enough to disgrace the glory of the world and as this Sun-light grows so doth all the beauty of the world fade and vanish out of sight By Faith our conversation is in heaven Now by how much the more our conversation is in heaven by so much the more our hearts are there by how much the more our hearts are in heaven by so much the less on earth and when once the world hath lost our love it hath lost its power over us 1. By how much the more our conversation is in heaven by so much the more our hearts and affections are there we ordinarily love to be where we use to be No such damp grows upon affection as by distance and estrangement when we loose our acquaintance we loose our delight in God Acquaint thy self with him and be at peace Joh 22. 21. Acquaint thy self with him and be in love there wants nothing to fix our affections on heaven but being better acquainted there Intimacy begets dearness Do you not love God t is a sign you have had little to do with him Is not your delight in Heaven t is a sign you are seldome there Is prayer and holy meditation and exercising your selves in the Scriptures and attendance on ordinances a weariness and altogether unpleasant to you sure you have little known what the spirit of Prayer and Communion with God in his word and ordinances mean those whose Souls dwell by the wells of salvation and often let down the bucket do taste that the waters thereof are sweet they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thine house and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. Those that walking closely with God do dwell in the secret of his presence under the sweet dewes and influences of his grace the business of whose life is to behold and love and serve the Lord their hearts have found such rest there that they can find no rest elswhere 2. By how much the more our hearts are in Heaven by so much the less are they on earth worldly professours have all their religion in their mouths there 's little within whatever they talk If any man love the world the love of the father is not in aim If any man love the Father the love of the world ceases Heaven and Hell may meet as well as Heaven and Earth in the same heart Set your affections on things above and not on the earth on both you cannot your bodies as easily as your Souls may dwell in Heaven and Earth together You use to say I cannot be here and there too no sure enough you cannot whilest your Souls are the inhabitants of this they are exiles from the other world and when they have their dwelling in Heaven they are but strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth this world hath lost your hearts when God hath gain'd them 3. When once the world hath lost our hearts it hath lost its power over us who will be entic'd by what he hates or slights God and the world rule both by love If God hath our love he hath the command of all that ever we have if we love the world what can it not do with us whither can it not lead us If the world hath lost our love it were even as good lay down its weapons and let us alone let them follow God let them be holy let them to Heaven their hearts are gone and there 's no holding them back It may still hang in their heels and retard their motion Heaven-ward but their hearts being gone thither their main course will bend it self 6. Faith gives assurance of this better inheritance Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen It is an evidence not only that there is another world and a better world then this and that this better state may be obbtaind that there is an entrance into the everlasting Kingdom possible that these mortals may be clothed with immortality that these corruptibles may put on incorruption and these poor worms that creep on the dust may get them wings and fly away hence into everlasting bliss but it is also an evidence that all this shall be that there shall be a performance of all those glorious things which God hath spoken concerning his Saints Blessed is he that hath believed for there shall be a performance of all that hath been told him Luk. 1. 45. Faith hath taken bond for performance The Almighty God hath bound himself to us and lest through unbelief we should stick at taking his single bond he hath given security hath brought in his Son and heir the Lord Jesus Christ to stand bound with him Faith hath taken this bond and having it self sealed to the Articles or conditions on our parts upon the performance whereof the inheritance stands sure to us upon the greatest security that Heaven and Earth can give it keeps it by it and hath it ready to produce upon all occasions to stop the clamours of unbelief The Covenant of God that 's our security The Almighties bond and articles wherein he hath made over all that ever he hath by an immutable and irrevocable deed to his Saints Heb. 6. 17 18. Nay more Faith will shew a believer his own name in this deed If it can but shew it self to us can make it evident that it is what it is the Faith of Gods elect if it does but once appear that we do sincerely believe it therein shews us our names in the promise of God To say to any one that knows he believes to say to him He that believeth shall be saved is fully as much as if it had been said to him by name Thou O man even thou shalt be saved thy name is written in the book of life Unbelief will be staggering at the promise and will call in question all that the Lord God hath said And when this world comes upon us and tempts us opens its pack and shews us its wares and offers us our choice of whatsoever will please us Take it saies unbelief make sure of something let not go such penniworths they may be the best thou art ever like to have Mayst thou be rich mayst thou live in pleasure and in honour here Be not such a fool as to neglect thy self for a conceit of some strange
many projects is he ever loaden withall he never rests his hands are ever full his thoughts are ever busie whatever he hath done or gotten already yet there 's still more work coming in more load laying on tother house or tother field is in his eye tother groat or tother peny more to be gotten the Ephah is not yet full his large heart that daughter of the Horse-leech is still a crying upon him Get get Gather gather But whilest thou hast been so busie here and there what 's done for thy soul how does that work prosper what trade has been driven for Eternity O the Lord forgive me I never thought of that I had so many other things to do that I had no time to mind it But who set thee on work about these other things who hath hired thee oh my necessities have hired me my back and my belly and the necessities of my family God hath set me on work I but consider art thou not mistaken it may be 't is the Devil that hath set thee on work thy pride or thy covetousness that hath put thee upon this busie life all the while But now a Christian resolves I will hearken what the Lord God will speak when he sayes go I will go when he sayes do this I will do it I will have nothing to do but what I may answer for it this is that which the Lord would have done God sayes Look diligently to thy soul Deut. 4. 9. God sayes What will it profit a man to win the whole world and to loose his own soul Matth. 16. 26. God sayes Lay up in store for thy self a good foundation against the time to come Provide thee bags that wax not old a treasure in heaven that faileth not God sayes Mat. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto thee God never said first seek food and rayment and the Kingdome of heaven shall be added to thee Christ shall be added righteousness shall be added salvation shall be added to thee but first make sure the principal and the appurtenances shall be cast in And hereupon a Christian will do accordingly will look to the main whatever become of any thing else and will not engage further in any other affairs then will consist with the securing his great concernment whatever business he hath he must have room for duty he must have his praying times and reading times and hearing times he must have his daily seasons for special converse with God for communing with his own heart he must duly set his watch and walk the rounds through his thoughts affections conscience and all the powers of his soul and finding so much work and of so great consequence of this kind whatever wants this must have his daily attendance I must have bread I must have cloaths I must not starve I and I must have Christ I must have grace whether I have bread or no cloaths or no whether I starve or no I must not be damn'd a praying time is more necessary then an eating or drinking or sleeping time and therefore much more then a working time 'T is not the least part of a Christians Victory over the world to have the command of himself in his lawful affairs and businesses In licitis perimus omnes When he hath such power over himself that he can assign to every thing their proper places measures and seasons then he is Conquerour Christians how sadly doth this speak concerning many of you what say you Conquerours or Captives Let your care of duty speak Do not your oppressed and curtail'd duties cry out We are beaten we are beaten we are beaten out of the field we are not regarded when the world hath any work to be done Is this your care of the main Believe it Brethren when business gets the upperhand of duty the world hath gotten the upperhand of the soul Consider therefore how is it with you Do you allow duties their proper time and place Do you first seek the Kingdome of God Is the world made to give place to prayer or is prayer ordinarily made to give place to the world Do you set your times for daily duty and do you allow sufficient time do you not put the Lord off with short and hasty duties and then tell him Lord this is all the time I can spare thee Soul this is all the time I can allow thee Hasty duties are next to none Do you allow your souls room to make the best of their suits room for enlargement and importunity or are they not mostly forc'd to shuffle over and shut up almost as soon as they have begun Is there not too great a fault among Professors on this account do not their businesses borrow of their duties borrow but never pay Conscience I pray thee lend me this praying hour Soul I pray thee spare me this reading time I want time to dispatch my business hereafter I 'le pay it again How little of your time must ordinarily serve the turn for your attendance on God a short prayer short meditations are all you will allow and your souls ordinarily fare thereafter you are too much in hast to speed well God will be waited on and wrestled with ere he will hear We read Gen. 34. 26. when Jacob was wrestling with God he held at it so long that God said Let me go enough Jacob let me go for the day breaketh but he resolv'd I will not let thee go unless thou bless me But is it not with us the quite contrary By that we have been at it a little while Let me go Lord I must be gone Whether thou hear me or not whether thou bless me or not let me go I am in hast and must be gone give me leave quietly to depart and that shall serve for this time instead of a blessing Oh Brethren if we would trace our selves into our Closets and observe our short stay there the slight and hasty work we make before the Lord and our quick returns we make to the world sure methinks it should make us say I am afraid this world is still too hard for me I am afraid it hath me still under its dominion it will not trust me to be long alone with my God it s presently calling me off and when it calls once I must presently take my leave away I must Consider this Brethren do you allow your selves sufficient time for duty If you have appointed your set times and sufficient time do you keep your times does not the world ordinarily steal away your hours of prayer when the time draws nigh for the worship of God does not the world use to step in But I must be first serv'd my Cattle must be first serv'd my Customers must be first serv'd I have a friend that must be first waited on and when one business is dispatch'd another falls in and another and another till it be too
wares to lye on his hands then say they are good he that had rather have no blessing in his hand then no bowels to lay it out for God He that however he hath this world about him has an estate houses lands money in greatest abundance he that however he labours in all fair and innocent wayes to preserve and improve what he has yet chooses rather to be poor then not to be honest to have nothing then not to be a good steward of what he has he that will not be tempted to be false unrighteous or unmerciful for the getting or saving an estate the world hath not much in the heart of that man Oh brethren if this be to overcome the world then how many more captives hath it still then the most are aware of what trade is there driven almost any where in the world wherein the trade of lying hath not a great stock going Are there not even among men pretending to religion too many found who instead of using the Psalmists prayer Keep me from the way of lying will rather content themselves with the Syrians prayer The Lord pardon me in this thing the Lord forgive me I know not how to help it It 's true that men of great dealings have great temptations to it and is it not as true that they are taking temptations But how can you then take your selves to be any of Christs disciples or how can you stand here praying with the same mouth that it may be within a day or two will be found in the market lying Can the same fountain send forth sweet water and bitter Jam. 3. 11. Deceive not your selves you do but lye unto God in your duties that make it your practise to lye unto men in your dealings If any man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue from lying as well as other ill language that mans religion is in vain Jam. 1. 26. And as little truth as there is in mens words is there not as little righteousness in their wayes the lying tongue and the oppressing hand are animated from the same heart How very few are there that weigh their actions on that unerring beam Do unto others as you would they should do unto you Wouldst thou be oppressed thou wouldst not why then doest thou oppress wouldst thou not be defrauded why then dost thou defraud wouldst thou not over-buy nor undersel why dost thou then in the same kinds go about to over-reach thy brother Brethren you do not know your own generation you live in if you do not understand how commonly and how greedily men are every where heaping up to themselves the gains of unrighteousness and for mercy there 's little hope of finding that where righteousness is departed And now Soul where is thy victory over the world thou pretendest to Christ takest thy self to be a beleiver and hopest thou hast chosen God for thy portion and renounced this present world what and yet lye for a little worldly advantage be unrighteous that thou mayst be rich sell thy conscience for a penny and bless thy self in thy good bargain Hath the world such power of thee that for its sake thou wilt be thus false and deceitful and cruel and yet hast thou overcome it Is this thy Faith is this your Christianity to be disciples of Christ so far as it may be for your profit was there any such reserve in your engagement to be the Lords I le be thine so thou wilt abate me lying I will serve thee in any thing so thou wilt allow me the gain of unrighteousness I le profess thy name and I le pray and I le hear and I le be godly in all things wherein my gain is not concerned In these things the Lord pardon thy servant in these things let me have the liberty to be as other men and in any thing else command me what thou wilt Brethren be plain hearted throughout be able to say with the Apostle Heb. 13. 18. We trust that we have a good conscience willing to live honestly in all things convince the world that you are none of theirs but are come out from among them and are of Christ indeed by being in all things as he was in the world who did no sin neither was any guil found in his mouth 3. Victory over the world stands in a power to use our worldly goods to their proper ends What is there on this side Hell sin onely excepted but being well us'd will prove our blessing Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God What is there on this side Heaven grace only excepted but being ill used may degenerate into a curse Psal 69. 22. Let their table be made a snare and that which was given to them for their wealth be an occasion of falling All things in the world as they have their various particular uses and intermediate ends so they have but one common end in which they all concenter God who made man hath made all things else also for himself and man only of all these lower creatures is made capable both of understanding the end to which all things are and of directing them to it and accordingly is oblig'd so to do Then only may we be truly said to enjoy what we have and are secur'd from the mischiefs of it when we have so much power over it as to use it aright he that hath not an heart to use what he hath and to use it well is rather possess'd by it then the possessour of it upon this account are worldly men the worlds servants servants of their estates rather then the masters of them will you call him a master that is under the command of his servant that cannot govern nor order nor dispose of himself and what he has but is alwaies governed by it when the world saies go he must go when this saies come he must come when it saies work he must work and till it saies sit still he must not rest who must neither eat nor drink nor give nor lend but where the world gives him leave who is a slave if this be a freeman He that understanding his dominion of all that is in his hand and his way to use it aright accordingly exercises his dominion this man is Lord and the world his servant Now as I hinted but now the proper end to which all we have should be lastly directed is God God made all things for himself and he hath put us in possession that we may use them for him for whom they are made All we have are our talents intrusted in our hands by our Lord with this charge Occupie till I come Luk. 19. 13. Occupie till I come as those that must give an account to me when I come that I may receive mine own with advantage v. 23. t will be but a lame account we shall give of what we have received if we bring not in every talent employed
in the case of the Apostles Acts 5. When the Priests and Rulers forbad them a boldness to be holy and upright and not to sin against God as in the case of Job chap. 1. When the Devil afflicted him for it a boldness to confess Christ before men both in our ordinary conversation and in special when called before rulers bearing witness both by word and works against all the sins the prophaness the Atheism the Idolatries and Apostacies of the world a boldness to suffer rather then sin against God This is Christian fortitude and is then the clearer proof of our victory over the world 1. When we follow God and keep his way with the contempt of the greatest advantages on the one hand and the sharpest sufferings on the other when the highest price that the World can give cannot entice us and the greatest mischief that the World can do cannot force us to unfaithfulness when its best and worst are contemned in comparison of a good conscience towards God Wilt thou mind and serve and follow me saith the World why what reward wilt thou give me Thou shalt have wealth what nothing else yes thou shalt have pleasure what no more yes thou shalt have honours and preferments thou shalt be a great man and exalted in the earth and what more canst thou desire And if thou wilt not hearken if thou wilt forsake me why what then look for all the mischiefs I can do thee look for reproach and scorn if that will not do look for hunger and thirst if yet it be not enough look for stripes and bonds and prisons and torments and death Well is this all that thou canst give is this the worst thou canst do Away from me I neither love nor fear thee I will keep the Commandments of my God there 's a bold Soul one of Christs worthies 2. When we choose the greatest of sufferings rather then little sins May be thou wouldst be afraid to run upon horrid sins If these were the terms that were given thee Curse God and live Renounce thy part in Christ forswear thy Lord blaspheme and live These horrid wickednesses have too ghastly a face these look too much like Hell thou darest not buy thy liberty or thy life at so dear a rate But mayst thou escape by Zoar will some little sin secure thee some little sinful shift a little complyance or that which hath but the appearance of evil what sayest thou now If thou canst not drink down a full draught of the cup of fornication canst thou not sip of the cup or so much as put to it thy mouth canst thou not kiss the cup no no every drop is poyson and a drop of poyson is deadly every little sin is the price of bloud the very appearance of evil will be a blot on my holy profession 1 Cor. 9. 13. I had rather dye then that any should make my glorying void Not only what 's unjust or impure or dishonest but what 's dishonourable what ever hath an evil face or an evil sound my life shall go rather then I will redeem it by any such unworthy way 3. When we refuse the greatest advantages rather then neglect the least of duties When we can resolve from love what Balaam did for fear Numb 22. 18. If Balak would give me an house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to do less or more I will not willingly fail of a tittle of all that the Lord requires me I will not be bought out of my duty weigh me my price whatever can be given houses or mountains of gold and silver they will be contemned in comparison of faithfulness to God I will not be hired not only to a total neglect of God but not to do less then he requires I can make no abatements I will not keep back part there is unfaithfulness in the least the whole World shall not hire me to be unfaithful If God saies Keep thy self pure keep thy self unspotted of the World If God saies Be faithful be circumspect be zealous If God saies Hold fast that which thou hast Hold forth the word of life be not asham'd to confess me before men be harmless be blameless in the midst and in the sight of a crooked generation endure hardness deny thy self take up thy cross and follow me without turning aside either to the right hand or to the left As the Lord liveth as I will not go beyond so neither will I take up short of the word of the Lord to do less or more It may be if the profane World say let all alone give up all thy religion have done with this praying and hearing yea and this professing of religion scrape out all prints and raze out all principles of righteousness and holiness and prostitute thy self with us to all manner of licentiousness possibly thou wilt not dare to do thus But if thy carnal friends say at least be wise be not righteous over much be not fondly precise remit of thy heat abate of thy zeal conceal thy self Hast thou faith have it to thy self Hast thou conscience have it to thy self If thou wilt follow Christ still yet walk no more openly with him thou mayst be a Disciple and no body the wiser if thou wilt be a little more moderate and wary What sayst thou to this no if all the friends I have in the World should thus plead with me even in this I cannot hearken What Christ saith is over much shall be abated when Christ saith be less precise be not so zealous keep thy religion to thy self keep thy conscience to thy self I will hearken What Christ calls discretion and moderation I will embrace what Christ calls pride and fondness and nicety I will avoid where Christ saies be sober be wary hide thy self I will obey but beyond the word of the Lord I will not go to do less or more I will not be rash or heady I will not be wilful or obstinate I will not be turbulent or contentious I will not contend for any thing as religion which Christ hath not call'd so nor for that which is farther or otherwise then he hath required me Christian wisdom and moderation and meekness and gentleness and condescention and peaceableness I will embrace and follow after with all men for this is the will of my Lord. But say no more to me be less holy be less zealous for righteousness and holiness I cannot be righteous overmuch and I will not be wicked in a little If you ask further what are the properties of this godly boldness I answer it is 1. An humble boldness that does not make a noise that does not boast and bluster nor shew it self in uncomely heats and animosities that hath firmness and undauntedness but joyn'd with lowliness and meekness 2. A prudent boldness that doth not espouse needless controversies that is wary of mistaking matters or measures that doth not rashly and headily
the whole thus far forth every Believer is willing to die though he still feel a natural dread of death though by reason of the remainders of flesh he be too much taken with the pleasure of an earthly life and being at some uncertainty and under some doubts what his future estate after death may be he may linger and hang back yet were these doubts removed and were he grown to an assurance that whenever his soul looses from this body it should immediately be received into the Paradise of God he so much prefers a life with God in perfect holiness and blessedness above the most prosperous worldly life that though his flesh could wish a longer stay yet his spirit would be willing when ever the Lord calls to depart and be with Christ which is far better And according as the mortification of his flesh his Crucifixion to the world and his assurance of salvation grow more compleat and clear so is his willingness heightned into more earnest desires and longings Come Lord Jesus why doth my Lord delay his coming when Lord when shall this dust return to the earth and this spirit to God that gave it make haste my beloved and come away Oh Brethren what an argument is here to press you to put hard for this Victory over the World when the World is Conquered death is Conquered the fear of death ceases Would you be delivered from this fear would you not count it a mercy better then life to be bold to die arise then and buckle on your armour treat this world no longer as a friend but deal with it as an enemy watch against it fight against it and what day you prevail over it you have both won the field of all your doubts and fears Victory over this world is a sure evidence for heaven and got the Mastery of your carnal hearts which alone make death formidable or unwelcome Brethren death comes you know and it may be upon you on a sudden do you not perceive its approaches do we not some of us already feel our Tabernacles to totter do not the walls moulder the windows grow dim do not our pillars shake and grow weak under us you that are youngest and strongest do you not know that death may be at the door do you know what a day or a night may bring forth are you ready to be gone are you bold to go forth and meet this last Enemy or do you not shake and shrink at the very mention of it Be mortified once and then let death do its worst Give the Word leave to kill this world give the spirit leave to kill this flesh and then you may give death leave to do its office Consider whither ever you go you carry your life in your hand and know not whether ever you shall bring it back O think with your selves when you are going forth into the field think with your selves I carry my life in my hand and God knows whether ever I may return with it whether ever I may come home alive when you go into the house think with thy self God knows whether ever I may come abroad when you arise in the morning God knows whether my next lodging may not be in the dust when you lye down in the evening God knows where my soul may be before morning I may awaken in another world and what if I should awaken in flames and feel this soul wrapp'd up in a winding sheet of fire Is there no fear it may be so Hath this world kept me from Christ all my life long and will it let me to heaven at last hath it held me in Chains all my time here how will it use me when it carries me hence Are you ready to die how shall I die when this earth is still my treasure take away my Gods and what have I more How shall I die when my soul hangs in doubt whither must I when I go hence can I follow this grisly Messenger when I know not whither he will lead me let mine Enemy die first let sin and the World die let mine Enemy be dead and let him that liveth be my friend let me cease from this earth and let heaven be my treasure and then I shall be willing to be gone Be it thus with you Friends and then you will be ready to be offered up Whatever Executioner be now sent to take away your life if old age be sent if a disease a Fever or Consumption if a distast a fall or a fire or any the like casualties if a son of violence a thief or a murtherer whatever Executioner be sent to take away your life and when ever he comes whether in the first second or third Watch you will say with the Apostle The time of my departure is at hand I am ready to be offered up I desire to depart and to be with Christ Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation And now at length Behold the man Here is the Conquerour and this is his Victory He that is come unto Christ to whom the world hath ceased to be his treasure and he hath accepted of God as his happiness and Heritage the moderation of whose affections to things earthly doth evidence that they are now only his means not his end He that can mannage his worldly affairs without the prejudice of his soul that whatever his hand finds to do hath still an eye to the main that overcharges not with business but makes business leave room for duty that so cares for the Oxen and the Asses that he neglect not the souls of his sons or servants that in all his dealings hath a due respect to truth righteousness and mercy that will be true though to his own hindrance that will be poor rather then dishonest or unmerciful whom the whole world cannot hire to lye or be unrighteous He that can use the world to its proper end all for God he that can want the worlds good things or suffer the worlds evil things and can keep his heart and his way whether he prosper or suffer that can deny his flesh when he hath to satisfie it that can want and be content suffer and be patient that is humble in the height of honour magnanimous in the depth of danger and difficulty that keeps in an even equal poise sober temperate serious in all the turns and changes of his life He that can thus live in the world and can die out of the world that is willing to be gone this is the Conquerour and here is his victory Use 1. The application that I shall make of the whole shall be by way of Information and Conviction Direction and Exhortation 1. By way of Information and Conviction Learn from what hath been said 1. That every Captive to the World is an unbeliever 2. That where there is but little power over the World there is but little Faith 1. Every Captive to
the World is an unbeliever without Christ and in the state of damnation Oh think not light of your worldliness 't is a death token upon you and such as marks you up with those that perish that this is certainly so that every worldling is an unbeliever and unconverted I shall make evident by these infallible demonstrations 1. Can that man be a believer who is a lover of the world more then a lover of God Art thou a believer who lovest not canst thou say thou lovest God when the better part of thine heart is with the world will this be accepted when thou canst only say Lord I bring thee half mine heart and but the least half neither here 't is divided let the world I pray thee have the first choice and take thou all that the world leaves give me leave first to mind my earthly things and next to these God shall be regarded Speak Conscience will God accept such a gift such a little piece of a soul when the main is bestowed on another Will God say Surely this is my Child surely this is my Servant next to the world he loves me best of all Do ye think he will what saith the Scripture Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother mâ—re then me is not worthy of me he that loveth Son or Daughter more then me is unworthy of me Find if you can a more convincing argument of an unbeliever then that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 4. A lover of pleasure more then a lover of God He that loveth the world more then God is none of his that cannot be deny'd And art thou not the man dost thou love God as thou lovest the world let thy life speak what seekest thou whom servest thou where dost thou bestow thy self in whom dost thou bless thy self what is the chief pleasure and comfort of thy life Is God he Is it God whom thou seekest and servest and blessest thy self in does not thine heart know that thy Mammon is the God whom thou servest that thou lovest to be rich and to prosper in the world more then ever thou lovedst to be holy and righteous before God Dost thou love God where are thy labours of love what hast thou done for God ever since thou wert born where are thy fruits thou hast brought forth unto the Lord hast thou been serving God all thy daies and yet hast nothing to shew of all that thou hast done thou hast son ething to shew for thy serving the world this house thou hast gotten or that Farm or these Sheep and Oxen or this stock of money something thou hast to shew to prove thee a servant of the world but hast thou been serving God all thy time and hast nothing to shew for it Sure Brethren worldly men are either very fools or very false to themselves if they do not condemn themselves here I confess I have done little for God all my time I have been busie for this world but I confess I have but loytered and neglected the things of the other world I must never lye for the matter mine own Conscience tells me 't is thus Foolish soul Hast thou serv'd the world more then God and canst thou yet make thy self believe thou lovest God more then the world to say thou lovest God above all though thou hast but little sought or serv'd him is to say I love him above all but I care not much for him if another man should have said so would not thine own heart have laugh'd at him for a fool or condemn'd him for a lyar Tremble Worldling and hear this first evidence against thee thy whole life tells thee thou lovest the world more then thou lovest God and God himself tells thee that he that loveth the world more then God is none of his 2. Is he a believer that is not come to Christ Coming to Christ and believing in Christ are the same Joh. 6. 35. Art thou come unto Christ whence art thou come from the world what and yet thine heart still in the world art thou come to Christ who art still where thou wert when thou wert without Christ canst thou be here and there too deceive not thy self thou mayst as well be at once in heaven and hell as thine heart be in Christ and in the world Are Christ and the world friends are God and Mammon become but one Master are the two kingdomes united and may the same persons at once be subjects of them both Hath Christ ever said be mine and then stay where thou art list thy name under me for a Disciple and then go and serve the world still be proud be covetous be sensual be in all things as the men of this world are only be my Disciple Is not the renouncing of the world included in our coming to Christ doth not he that saith to thee Come first say depart and is not thy comming to Christ in the very nature of it a departing from the world thy choosing of him a refusing of it when Christ and the world are offered to thy choice canst thou choose both must thou not necessarily take to the one and let the other go And hast thou renounc'd the world who art stil a worldling what hast thou renounc'd of it or how far forth hast thou renounc'd it Is it not thy treasure still is it not thy Lord still Is not this it which thou still takest as thy governour and reward Doest thou love it as thy God and serve it as thy God and hold it fast as thy God and yet hast thou renounc'd it does every one that knows thee point with the finger at thee there goes an earth-worm there goes a Mammonist there lives a true drudge to the world and wilt thou yet say I have done with the world Is thy lust and thine appetite after more as greedy and insatiable as ever is thy love and delight and rest in what thou hast as great as ever is it so hard to get any thing out of thine hand for God so that that little which comes must be wrung as so many drops of bloud from thine heart art thou so pinching and sparing that scarce any without thine own belly is ever the better for thee and hast thou yet renounc'd the world Art thou so crucified and vexed and tormented when thou art cross'd or miscarriest in any little of thy worldly interest and canst thou yet say I am crucified to the world Can the world make thee lye and dissemble and play the knave when t is for thy advantage can it command thy conscience and thy religion and thy hopes to do obeysance to it can it keep thee out of thy closet out of the Church must prayers and sabbaths and sermons and Sacraments be neglected when the world hath any business for thee and hath it still so much business for thee that thou canst scarce have one prayer or one sabbath clear of its encroachment doth it follow thee
into thy closet and follow thee into the congregation and so fill thine head and take away thine heart that thou canst make nothing of thy religion or whatsoever transactions there have been sometimes betwixt the Lord and thy Soul doth the World still meet thee at the door and make all void and null Hath it held thee in such ignorance and Atheism that under all the means of knowledge and grace thou still livest without God in the World and canst thou yet say thou hast shaken off its yoke Stand worldling and hear this farther evidence Thy greediness thy penuriousness thy lying and defrauding thy neglected duties thy neglected sabbaths thy neglected Soul and all upon the Worlds account these will tell thee thou hast not renounc'd the World and that will convict thee that thou art not come unto Christ nor hast be lieved on him 3. Is he a believer who hath absolutely chosen this world and hath onely conditionally chosen Christ who will first seek his own things and in the second place the things of Christ who will model his christianity into a consistency with his carnal interest Is he a believer who will have both if it may be Christ and this World too but if he cannot have both will let Christ go Is he a christian that sayes I 'le serve Christ though it cost me nothing I 'le be for him when I have nothing else to do he shall have all my spare hours if that will content him is this to give Chhrist the preheminence or is he a Christian that will take in Christ to be an underling to the world What are the terms on which Christ is offered hath he given thee leave to make thine own terms or must thou not stand to his what are Christs terms but that thou take him absolutely that is purely on his own terms without putting in any of thine Dost thou understand what his conditions are Is it only that he shall be second in the kingdom that he shall be obeyed in all things provided the world do not contradict it Is this Christianity that the world should be suffered to give check to the authority and interest of Christ And is not this all thy Christianity thou saiest indeed thou hast chosen Christ absolutely God forbid that I should prefer any thing before Christ that I should mind any thing more then Christ I mind the World t is true and I ought so to do but Christ hath my heart and I had rather loose all that ever I have then at last be found out of Christ But consider thou mayst best judge of thine heart by thy life as I said before so I demand of thee again whither does the course of thy life mainly bend what art thou doing all the year round what proportion hath Christ of thy daily care and labour speak truth would not thine heart tell thee thou lyest if thou say thou art more earnestly and more constantly caring for the things of Christ then of the world Again thou mayst best Judge of thy choice by observing thy critical hours How is it ordinarily with thee when Christ and the World stand in competition when it comes to be a case that one of the two must be neglected which of the two then use to carry thee Thou knowest thou hast often neglected Christ for the world thou knowest that thy businesses or thy pleasures or thy companions have often lost thee a prayer or a sabbath or a sermon thou wouldst have pray'd oftner or heard oftner but thou couldst not have leisure thou knowest it hath been too often thus and consider if it be not commonly thus How seldom is it that thou canst remember that thou hast carried thy self as a Christian to thy loss that thou hast followed Christ in any duties when thou knewest it would have been more to thy profit to have put Christ off to another time Many a time have thy gains or thy friends or thy pleasures lost thee thy conscience but how often couldst thou ever say My conscience hath lost me a friend my conscience hath lost me a good bargain Whatever Christ hath at any time call'd thee to If thou couldst say it is not for mine ease it is not for my credit it is nof for my safety to hearken hath not this been counted argument enough to hold thee back and excuse sufficient to save thee from blame And wilt thou yer say thou hast chosen Christ absolutely or canst thou think thy self a true believer who hast chosen him only conditionally Is this the Christianity on which thou wilt venture thy Soul I will be for Christ as far as the world and this flesh or which is all one as far as the Devil will give me leave I have known some poor ignorant wretches whom when I have been pressing to a serious minding of God and their eternal concernment they have answered me why I do as far as God will give me leave No no wretch thou mistakest t is onely as far as the Devil will give thee leave and this is the common case of Worldlings thou that wilt be a Christian no farther then the World will give thee leave wilt be such no farther then the Devil will give thee leave and sure thou that wilt be a Christian no farther then the Divel will give thee leave when he will give thee leave thou shalt to Heaven Wanton when wilt thou be chast when my flesh will give me leave Drunkard when wilt thou be sober when my companions will give me leave Earthworm when wilt thou to Christ when the World will give me leave how much of Christianity wilt thou take up what the world will allow me how much is that as much as please the Devil But when wilt thou to Heaven then why when the flesh and the World and the Devil are all agreed to send me thither Stand Worldling this once more stand and hear thy whole evidence Thou art a lover of the world more then a lover of God thou art not come unto Christ or if thou seem to be come thou hast accepted of him only on condition that though thou be his Disciple yet thou mayst still continue a servant to this world Surely if the God of this world who hath blinded thy mind that thou believe not had not so blinded thee that thou canst not see thine unbelief thine own heart would condemn thee and thine own hand would subscribe thy sentence and this is thy sentence That thou art yet under the dominion and therefore under the damnation of the world Thy soul abideth in death and the wrath of God abideth on thee Thou art a man of this world thou hast taken thy portion in this life and art like to have no better then thou hast chosen If thy day run out thus thy word at last will be that which was the rich mans Luke 16. Son remember thou hast received thy good things Oh what 's the meaning of that word why
this flesh I am sick of this World these briars and thorns yea and these Lillies and Roses are a grief of mind to me I must have them out ere I can be at rest Make these thorns to scratch me these flowers to stink in my nostrils Beg a new heart beg a better spirit that may neither find pleasure nor so much as ease in such things as these Oh for mortification oh for a more raised spirit where is the life of faith where is the power of the Spirit help Lord help Lord a renewed heart a chaste spirit when shall it once be let not my soul be held any longer an adulteress from thee let not these husks be my meat these ashes be my bread this earth be my treasure while God stands by Let not Christ and my soul be kept strangers whilest I am the familiar of this flesh and the servant of vanity Plead with the Lord for relief Plead with him upon his own interest Who is it O Lord that 's must wronged whose right is it that 's most invaded whose am I Am I not thine Lord Is not my love and my labour and my strength and my time and my body and my soul is it not all thy right shall thine enemy command and carry away that which is thine recover recover thy due Take this heart and all that I have take possession Lord set thy name upon my door and suffer not these strangers to enter or encroach upon thy right Plead with him upon the bloud of his Covenant Whence is the Covenanted Redemption is it only from Hell is it not from lust also can it be from one if it be not from both a total redemption Lord an universal redemption from every Plague from every enemy I cannot escape the pit if I be held in the snare if I break not this outer I shall fall also into the inner Prison by the bloud of the Covenant send forth thy Prisoner out of this Prison What doth this bloud speak Doth it only say Deliver them from the pit for thou hast found a ransome Doth it not also say Whilest thou keepest them in the World keep them from the evil and will not God hear the cry of such bloud Cry unto the Lord. Be instant be importunate with him Try the strength of Prayer Be uncessant resolve against denyals Cry unto him day and night avenge me of mine adversary Rid my soul out of thraldom whilest thou livest give not over if thou wilt not thou shalt not be denyed Has thou gotten a little ground take the same way to maintain what thou hast gotten Does the Conquered World rally upon thee and do thy affections begin to stoop to it Pray them up again Doth thine heart begin again to wander after it Pray it in again Do thy corruptions and temptations begin to get head again and to prevail Pray them down again meet them with a Prayer at every turn The Lord rebuke thee false heart The Lord rebuke thee deceitful World The Lord uphold thee oppressed Soul Beloved your Victory over the World can neither be gotten nor maintained but by power from above T is God only that 's able to give battel to the flesh In vain do you engage unless he engage with you Prayer will set faith on work and faith will engage the promise and the promise will engage Christ with you and Christ will engage the Father to your help If Heaven be too hard for earth the World shall fall before a Praying soul Brethren will you take this counsel put it thus into every Prayer you make and if you find this to be your Great enemy Bend the main force of every Prayer against it Fight neither against small nor great in comparison but against this King of Evils This is the great Thief Lord that meets me at every turn and is robbing me every day that robs the Lord of his due and my Soul of its peace this is the Moth that eats out all my Strength this is the Murtherer that kills my Soul O let this Strong be bowed down this is the Heir kill him and the Inheritance shall be mine And when ever you have made your prayer judge of the acceptance of it by the success it hath on this Adversary When at any time you have found your souls most melted and inlarged in prayer and greatliest refreshed by sensible illapses and incoms from above at such a time presently return into your heart and demand But how goes it now with the interest of the World in me How stands my heart now affected to my carnal things am I weaned Is my clog fallen off What hath my flesh lost by what my spirit seems to have gained What hath my earthly-mindedness my covetousness lost in this prayer Can I now go away and be contented and be patient in any condition hath this Divine warmth left a chill upon my fleshly appetite can I the better want the Quails now I have tasted of the Manna am I less careful and less concerned which way the World goes with me or can I go down presently into my shop or forth into my fields and be as hungry and as much swallowed up of my earthly cares and delights as if I had never tasted any thing of God Can I so Oh this is not the Prayer I took it to be I may not sit down by this I must to my knees again to my God again and again while I live I will not give over thus I will wrestle I will wait I will enquire to day to morrow next day after every prayer Is it yet better yet more mortified yet more weaned Yet more humble and contented I can never I will never satisfie my self with any praying with any answer whilst my flesh thus holds up its head This is the first Direction the stress whereof I lay upon these two things Bend the main force if every Prayer against this evil level your Arrow against the face of this enemy And then judge of the acceptableness of your prayer by the success it hath upon it 2. Improve Sabbaths this way The Sabbath is the test of God Heb. 4. Our holy keeping of Sabbaths is our entring into his Rest our recess from the World and our retiring to the Lord to take our Rest with him The end of the Sabbath is the preservation and propagation of Religion it is for the continuing in memory the Redemption of Christ for the more abundant diffusion and shedding abroad of the Spirit of Christ for the more solemn Celebration of his Worship and so consequently for the maintaining the power of Holiness all which the World would destroy and bury with him in his Grave aud roll it self as a stone upon it all that it might never be remembred There are four special means by which Religion is kept up in the World and transmitted from Generation to Generation 1. A fixed Rule or Standard of Religion whereby the knowledge of God
heart ever bear the watchings the fastings the labours together with the distresses and afflictions of this warfare I shall surely perish one day or other by the hand of this Enemy Discourage not thy self thus what cannot God do what will not God do who hath said who hath seal'd to it I will never fail thee nor forsake thee Behold his Seal Is it not in thine hand and in thy mouth Trust in God set to thy Seal that God is true and then say Though my flesh and my heart fail God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever I will go in the strength of the Lord through him I shall do valiantly he shall tread down mine enemies and my difficulties 2. Our Seal engages us on Hast thou sealed to the Lord and not bound thy self to him Hast thou set thy seal to a blank hast thou engaged thy self to be the Lords and not therein to be no longer the worlds Canst thou serve these two Masters Is not thy renouncing the world necessarily included in thy Covenant Obligation Brethren that the tye may the more sensibly lie upon you I advise that as often as you come before the Lord in this Ordinance you put this expresly into your engagement Father I am sensible of the plague of this earthly heart and of the tyranny of these worldly lusts how impetuously they set upon me and how imperiously they lead me on after them how false and unfaithful have they made me to my God how ordinarily am I led away by them against my Covenant and my conscience But I here bewail it I detest it it is my grief and my shame that ever I have been so false and unworthy Behold now again in thy fear I open my mouth to the Lord I take hold of thy word I hang upon thy help let the Lord my righteousness be my strength and in his Name I again lift up mine hand to the most High solemnly protesting before the Lord that I so avouch thee to be my God and so entirely and unreservedly make over my self unto thee that through the grace of God with me I will henceforth and while I live be the avowed enemy of a worldly heart and life I will use all thy means for the overcoming of it I will study I will watch I will pray against I will rate and check and restrain and resist all the motions lustings and temptations by which I have been so often led aside and overcome I give my self my estate my strength my parts my time all that I have unto the Lord Lord take me at my word and all that I have for thy servants I am thine save me Thou that knowest all things knowest that I would not lye unto God but that I sincerely intend in thy strength to stand to this word in testimony whereof I here take this holy Sacrament from thine hands I have opened my mouth to the Lord help me and I will not go back And now O my soul look to thy self Shall I again break my Covenant shall I wickedly repent and alter the word that is gone out of my lips shall I any longer walk after the course and in the lusts of this world fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of my mind shall mine heart still go after my covetousness shall I study and project and plot and prog for this flesh at that rate as if the world were still my God shall it climb up from the footstool to the Throne shall it again give Laws to my heart and set limits to my Religion shall interest Lord it over Conscience and carnal inclination bear down devotion shall I suffer this Robber to break in again into the Sanctuary of the Lord shall it eat up my Sacrifices steal away my Sabbaths curtail my duties and enervate Ordinances shall the Lord have no more of me then the world will spare him shall business be ever again pleaded against duty or gain against godliness shall my soul take up its dwelling in my shop or in my fields and only give some short visits to heaven at its leisure But oh shall lying and promise breaking shall fraud and oppression shall unrighteousness or unmercifulness be nothing with me or but excusable failings Are these things according to the vows of God that are upon me Look to thy self O my soul be not found a lyar against God O Brethren were there this solemn and express transaction betwixt our souls and the Lord at every Sacrament and did we thus live in the conscience of this Obligation and the dread of being found false to God from Sacrament to Sacrament what might it not bring forth what a wound would be given to the head of this deadly Enemy 3. The Sacrament is the New Testament blessings exhibited The new wine broached this Conduit runs with Gospel Wine Our partaking in the Sacrament is our coming into the Garden of our Lord to eat his pleasant fruits We read Cant. 2. 3. I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste I shall stay a while here and shall gather a bundle of these fruits and present them to your eye I shall in short shew 1. What the special fruits of Christ are 2. That these fruits are sweet and pleasant and then I shall add 3. That these fruits are exhibited in the Sacrament 4. The advantages we hence have against the world 1. What the special fruits of Christ are which I shall reduce to these two heads The fruits of His Bloud His Spirit 1. The fruits of his Bloud These are especially two in which all others are comprized Viz. Righseousness Peace 1. Righteousness He is therefore called the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. Joh. 16. 8. He shall convince the world of righteousness that is of the righteousness of Christ he shall evidence and make manifest unto the world who all lye in wickedness that in him there is righteousness not only that he is righteous as an individual person but as a publick person that he hath in the name and on the behalf of all those that believe on him fulfilled all righteousness and hath hereby a stock and treasure of righteousness to bestow and wherewith to cloath all those that come unto God by him to whom he is made wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Beloved are there any guilty souls among you any unrighteous ones do you know what 't is to be guilty do you know the dread and terrour of the Lord do you consider what the face of a righteous incensed God will be to an unrighteous soul do you understand how naked you lye and open before everlasting vengeance how can you endure or how can you escape the wrath to come righteousness of your own you have none and that which you seem to have is not your righteousness But behold here 's righteousness for you come to Christ put in here dip you
thy love I am he whom when thou calledst I would not come whom thou wouldst have turned but I would not turn when thou wouldst have pardoned and healed me I sold thy pardon and refused to be healed and wilt thou not plead for such a one as I I have chosen this world for my portion I have lov'd it and serv'd it and when I should have been praying or hearing minding my soul and laying up treasure in heaven I was loath to be such a bad husband I was busie in following my affairs looking to my Corn and my Cattel and my Trade and here I have gotten money and Lands and will not these plead for me Is not a rich mans Plea good will not my gold and my silver my honors or my ornaments get entrance into thy Kingdome if not Lord this is all I have to say for my self if this will not do who shall plead for me O Brethren if you would be perswaded to sit down daily and to think over some such thoughts as these then there would be hope If we could but preach you upon this thinking there would be hope that you might think you into Christ 2. Hold your affections under government Prov. 16. 32. He that ruleth his spirit is better then he that taketh a City and no wonder for he hath taken the whole world captive All victories imaginanable are summ'd up in this one victory the conquest of the heart By spirit we are here to understand the passions or affections the spirit of man is as the Apostle saies Jam. 3. the tongue of man is an unruly evil impatient of subjection and pressing for dominion God hath placed our affections under government under the government of our reason and those principles of heavenly wisdom faith righteousness and holiness which we are indowed with but these like an unbroken horse that will not go whither the rider but whither it self listeth do rise up and rebel against reason and will be the leaders and not followers and this unruliness of the passions is the root of the distempers and disorders of the life when men surrender up themselves to be lead by affection whither doth it carry them reason leads us up to God It is the Candle of the Lord that lights us our way to him our affections are blind guides love is blind desires are blind and whether will the blind lead us If we could live by faith nay if we could but live more by reason by right reason we should get us up out of this earthly country even reason will tell us that God is better then creatures and that the inordinate following of creatures is the forsaking of God For the better holding your affections right take these two directions 1. Keep your selves in the love of God 2. Whatever you love in the world let it be also your fear 1. Keep your selves in the love of God let affection follow the conduct of reason to Heaven and there let it dwell but till reason lead it down again keep your selves in the love of God Jude 21. keep up a right understanding of God and that will keep up your affections keep up your affections to God and that will keep them off from the world the heart will ever be in love and till it find a better this harlot must be its beloved deformity is as beauty whilest beauty is out of sight He saies in vain set not your affections on the earth that does not first say set your affections on things above He that saies set your affections on things above and not on the earth if he be heard in the first will not be denyed in the second keep you in the love of God and you keep you clear of the love of the world 2. What ever you love in the world let it be also your fear fear will be loves bridle and reason would teach you to fear what ever you love here nothing hath such an advantage upon us to steal away our hearts from God as the things we love The Lord is seldom such a looser as by his bounty when he lets down his silver cords of love to draw up our hearts we make chains of them to fetter us here below His gold and his Jewels his bracelets and earrings which he sends us to allure our love are often molten into an Idol and engross our hearts to them Whatever thou lovest in all the world hast thou a wife or a child that thou lovest hast thou a friend or companion that thou lovest hast thou an house a pleasant habitation hast thou gardens or orchards fields or vineyards that thine heart is pleas'd withall O be jealous of them Keep your distance come not too near thou commest for my Soul my child my house my mony my friends I must have an eye to you you come to steal away mine heart What a sad requital and yet how commonly is this the requital which we make for bounty and kindness I should have lov'd God better if he had not been so good to me I should have lov'd God better if he had not given me so good a wife so dear a child so fair an estate so many friends wilt thou fear such unworthiness then fear whatever thou lovest If what you love be not also your fear it 's like to be your loss and sorrow If Sampson had fear'd his Delilah whom he so loved he had sav'd his locks his God and his life his love to that harlot did him more mischief then all the armies of the Philistimes Solomons wives became his tears fondling children often revenge their parents dotage by becoming thorns in their sides and swords in their hearts whatever thou overlovest look for it to find it thy cross or thy curse what will thy friends or thy mony be when either thou hast lost them or thy soul by them what ever thou overlovest God will tear it from thine heart if ever he mean thee good he will touch thee in the apple of thine eye he will try thee in thine Isaac he will tear off that Jewel that entices thy Soul from him what thou canst not part with look for it that must go or thy soul 3. Set a strict watch upon your senses By these 't is that Satan with all his temptations hath such an easy passage to our hearts our senses are the doors of our hearts the outlets of corruption and the inlets of temptation they bring the outward objects and the inward lusts together when the fuel and the fire are layd together then there is a flame Both the Evil and the Good that is in us came in much by this way How came Sin and Death into this world and all the plagues and miseries we are labouring under or lyable to which way came they in By the eye they came in when the woman saw the fatal apple then she lusted and tasted Gen. 3. How came life and immortality grace and peace and all our
glorious hopes in again By the Ear they came in By this the promise entred by this Faith entred Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing Nihil est intellectu quod non fuit prius in sensu saith the Philosopher there 's nothing in our understandings and as little in our affections whether good or evil but what made its way by our senses If God hath our eye and our ear he hath our heart if the Devil have gotten these once 't is not like to be long ere he be possessour of all of such mighty consequence is the keeping our senses as Heaven and Hell amount to Our senses are now vitiated and corrupted pre-occupated by sin and the Devil shut against God and open to iniquity Sin hath gotten the start of grace and having gotten possession of the house makes good the doors for it self and friends whatever knocks for entrance the word presently is who comes there and if it be a friend a friend of sin there 's free admission So that now in pleasing our senses or leaving them at liberty to please themselves we betray our Souls to the hands of Hell to be a Sensualist is next to being a Devil to leave our senses unguarded is to leave open the floudgates of Hell the Devil could not wish our Souls in other hands then to be given up to our senses neither Devil or World need doubt of entrance while they have a friend at the door these earthen gates like that iron gate will open of their own accord to them when ever they come Our depraved senses are the great adversaries to Christianity whatever is said of the enmity of the world of it's gains and fashions its pomps and pleasures all lyes upon this score as they are the objects that tickle and please the senses and by these deprave the mind and turn away the heart What is it that lyes in the way of the Gospel that obstructs it's passage and hinders it's work upon Souls why is it that Christ is not more gladly and generally receiv'd O this is it that hinders 't would deprive us of many a sweet morsell of many a pleasant draught 't would pull off our vain habits and wanton fashions 't would pare off our fleshly pleasures no more indulging to appetite no more pleasing our eyes and ears and palates if Christ be once entertained now we can take our liberty to make provision for the flesh and let the flesh take it's fill we can feed our selves with the finest cloath our selves with the best we can soke our selves in all sorts of sensualities we can fetch in load upon load and make the best of what 's before us we can milk every dug we can suck every bottel we can dig in every mine we can plough and reap in every field that the world hath there 's nothing but Christ can hinder us once give ear to him and that will spoil all our mirth and marre all our markets then we must keep within bounds and neither get nor spend more then he allows us we must keep to our allowance and but a short allowance neither such as will be too strait for flesh and bloud to submit to And hereupon our eyes and ears which are so open upon the World and it's vanities do as it were invite and call in all the help the world can make to resist Christ and his work do call in all the baits and temptations that the whole world is furnished with to divert and turn aside the heart from hearkning to Christ Help World help O my carnal friends help O my fleshly pleasures help O my house and money Christ is come for mine heart I am loath it should go there can you do nothing to stay it with you help or it 's gone Friends would you not that the world keep Christ out or draw you aside from him shut the doors against it make a covenant with your eyes and ears set a watch upon them put a bridle upon your appetite and keep the door of your lips shut the world out be deaf to it's flattery be blind to it's glory wink it into darkness shut the doors and keep the world out and then Christ will be the better accepted Live above the pleasures of sense What have you no higher pleasures no Nobler delights have you not a God to delight you in have you no soul delights or are these they wherein the Bruits have as great a share as you Is meat and drink and cloaths and sports the food of souls your heart delights must your immortal part live at the Trough and feed on swill and husks where is peace with God where is the fellowship of the spirit where is the joy of the Holy Ghost and the hope of glory where is the sweetness of sincerity and the peace of conscience are there no such things or is there no pleasure in them Are you content to take up with this mud whilest those pure streams run by or must you have both Is it not enough that your souls may rejoyce that your hearts may feast and sing unless your flesh also may frisk and frolick it out in it's brutish mirth and pleasure Go taste and see how good the Lord is drink of his rivers acquaint your selves with his pleasures and then see if an Heaven satiated soul can envy the brutes the pleasures of sense Lastly Make a solemn surrender of your selves and ull that you have to the government and disposal of God lay down all at his feet and resolve to take up nothing but with his leave and for his use Let the Lord have the whole ordering of you for your Getting Keeping Using 1. Seek no other things nor any greater abundance of them then God allows you to seek Buy not an house nor a field or a living but make God the purchaser go not into the fair or the market into the shop or over the seas but when God sends you drive not that trade or that bargain concerning which you cannot say I am herein trading for God let the Lord appoint you your work and your rest your labour and your profit be content with what comes in Seek not great things for your selves and quarrel not with providence if by all your seeking you get nothing Seek no more nor no other things then God would have you and seek them no otherwise then in Gods way and order God hath other works then these for you to do God hath other things then these for you to seek God saies seek my face seek my Kingdom first seek my kingdom and the righteousness thereof what is this done Is God sure Is the kingdom sure have you grace have you peace have you enough of these have you wrought your selves out of work here is there no more to be done no more to be gotten is there never a gulf yet fixed betwixt you and glory that needs your care how to get over are you past all danger of
in the joy of the Lord or in the terrours of the Lord What shall be your sentence Come or depart come ye blessed or depart ye cursed inherit the kingdom or away into the fire what say you consider and speak will you be damned or are you for the saving of your Souls If you say you are for salvation then let me farther ask you 2. Is not the world an enemy to your salvation Is salvation possible without a victory over it Is it not against the declared will and purpose of God Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified whom he justified them he also glorified who are the justified and glorified is it not onely the called is there ever another man of the number And who are the called of God is it all those that are bid to come is he of them that makes light of it that saies I cannot come that saies no Lord I pray thee call some other guests and let me alone as I am to follow my oxen and my farm and my wife I pray thee have me excused is this one of the called of God If not what hope of his salvation will God change his purpose and baulk his way to gratify thy carnal mind and reconcile lust and eternal life Is there not an inconsistency in the nature of the things to be saved and left under the power of the world is to be saved and yet left under the power of the Devil to be saved and yet left unsanctified to be made free and yet left in bonds Doth it not enervate and resist all the means of salvation Doth not the world hinder the word that that cannot prosper with you is not this it the lusts and love and cares of this life that choke the word that it becomes unfruitful Math. 13. 22. Hath not the world hitherto dealt by you as in the beginning of this discourse I told you it would darkned your eye that you could not see deadned your sense that you could not fear hung upon your hearts and about your necks that you could not come to Christ Have you seen have you feard are you come to Christ or are you not yet in your sins why what is it that hath hindred you and kept you back from Christ hitherto but either the cares of this life or the deceitfulness of riches or the pleasures and lusts of this present world Doth not the world hinder prayer hold you back from going to God to seek your lives at his hands while you should be with God to seek your lives the world calls you abroad to seek your livings a little praying must suffice a worldly heart when the tribes go up to pray before the Lord how often is the worldlings place empty If I were to go in search for a worldlings heart I would seek all the places of the earth first ere I would seek him before the throne of grace he is so seldom there that you may as well seek an idle shepherd in the pulpit as a worldly heart in the closet O if worldly men did no more diligently seek the world then they use to seek God what poor men would they be Get you asunder worldlings let your Souls and this harlot part that Satan tempt you not for your incontinence that your prayers be not hindred what praying whilst the world is still with you and what hope of salvation whilest no praying 3. Is this enemy invincible Is not victory over it possible is it not possible for thee to become an enemy to this world if thou art an enemy thou art a conquerour It 's true thou hast an hard field to fight and there 's great hazard thou mayst be eternally lost by it It hath slain so many Souls and laid them up in everlasting chains there have been so very few have escaped with their lives that it 's a great question whether thy life may not also go Thou hast been so long a captive that it is much to be doubted whether ever thou mayst be set at liberty Thou bearest such a love to the world thou wilt so hardly be perswaded that 't is thine enemy and art so apt to take it to be a better friend then God is to thee thou art so hardly perswaded that he is a friend to thee that doth but tell thee the world is an enemy and art so angry at any that offers to assist thee against it or but perswades thee to take heed of it thou art so apt to take all the counsels warnings reproofs that are given thee to put thee upon thy watch against it to be injuries unkindnesses that it 's much to be feared how it may go with thee There have been so many charges made against it without success the axe hath been so often layd at the root of this tree God hath been hewing at it conscience hath been hewing at it may be all thy life long the word hath been fighting against it prayer hath been wrestling with it meditation hath been considering about it Thou hast been so often warned Take heed and beware of covetousness Love not the world nor the things of the world mortify thy members which are upon the earth Flee youthful lusts Get thee up from the tents of these men set not thine affections on the earth Thou hast been so often told That the fashion of this world passeth away those that will be rich fall into a snare the friendship of the world is enmity against God and after all this there is so little done thy heart is so much upon it still it holds to this day so strong an hand over thee thou art still siding with it and taking its part against God and thine own Soul thou art so loath to hear that 't is a sin to be worldly minded or to be convinced that thou art a worldling that I must tell thee 't will be hard work for thee to obtain the victory and to escape with thy Soul Look to it such a disease which hath been so long rooted in thy nature such an enemy that hath so long lien in thy bosome that thou wilt not be perswaded that 't is thy disease that 't is thine enemy such a disease will hardly be cured such an enemy will hardly be conquered But yet is not a victory possible Is this disease unto death and is there no remedy Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there Is the field lost and is there no recovery who is it that hath bid thee fight against this enemy Is it one that had a mind to mock thee Look upon the Captain of thy Salvation hath not he overcome the world Hath not he said Be of good comfort look unto me and be saved come unto me and ye shall have rest Doth he not call to thee Wilt thou not be made clean wilt thou not be made free If thou wilt thou mayst there lies all the
well to be a self-seeker you would answer him as Jonah did Jonah 4. 9. when God ask'd him Dost thou well to be angry it may be you would answer as he yes I do well to be angry I do well to be covetous or proud or sensual but do ye think you shall say thus at death shall you then think you say I have done well I have done wisely for my self I have coveted a good covetousness 't is well for me that I did not hearken to these preachers that I have lived in pleasure that I have heaped up treasure for these last daies if I were to begin the world again and were to live over my life the second time I would take the same course I have taken and I could wish every friend I have in the world every companion I have every child I have to take example by me and to live as I have lived would you say thus would you wish thus in that day Sometimes we hear a dying Worldling to wish all his friends Take warning by me O take heed as you love your souls that you spend not your daies as I have done but do you ever hear them say Take example from me follow my steps now I find the comfort of my earthly-mindedness now I find the comfort of my lusts and pleasures O that you might all have the comfort at your dying day wherewith I am now comforted when did you hear of such an instance Speak worldling let thy Conscience speak when death comes to arrest thy soul and to carry it hence immediately before thy Judg there to receive thy sentence according to what thou hast done in the body is this the state thou wouldst be found in reeking in thy worldly lusts soaked in sensuality eaten out of worldly cares loaden with worldly goods and as empty of the knowledg and grace of God as thou art at this day wouldst thou be content to say in respect of divine grace as thou must in respect of worldly goods Naked I came into this world and naked I must go out of the world would you that death should carry you thus before your Judg would you have that written on your forehead when you come to stand before that dreadful Tribunal which was written on the Tomb of that Edomite Psa 52. 7. Lo this is the man that took not God for his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness Do not your hearts tremble when ever you give them leave to think of that day do not the fore-views of death and those anticipations of Judgment you sometimes feel in the Court of Conscience use to shake you But how will it be when it comes when the pale horse comes to your door and you are just mounting for the other world when your Judge whose eyes are as flames of fire his feet as burning brass with his sharp two edged sword in his mouth when your Judge shall be set on the bench and your guilty Souls be brought to the Bar when he shall make inquisition for bloud for the bloud of Christ which hath been trampled under foot for the bloud of the poor which hath been suck'd out of their hearts for the bloud of your Souls which hath been sold and sacrificed to lust when all your oaths and lyes your frauds and oppressions your unrighteousness and unmercifulness when your profaned sabbaths your neglected duties your wasted consciences when either the rust and the canker of your riches which you have wickedly gotten or the wast and the ashes of them which you have as wickedly spent when the roul wherein all these things are written shall be spred and read before the Lord and your Souls struck dumb and speechless in his presence Judg Oh Judg what your thoughts will then be of your present wayes Lastly will you now become enemies to the world Be enemies and you are conquerours will you deal with the world as an enemy will you fear it as an enemy will you fly from it will you fight against it as an enemy shall the Lord be your God shall the Lord be your friend shall the Lord be your treasure will you cast away all your Idols and will you come and be reconciled to God what say you will you be crucified to this and make an adventure for the other world Now becavse this is so great a question and such as on the answering thereof the whole issue and success of all that hath been said depends I shall give you the opportunity to pause a while here and deliberate upon it ere you give in your answer Before you answer this question consider yet farther 1. Doth not God call you off from the world 2. What is there in your denyal 1. Doth not God call you off from the world who is it that said 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things of the world Consider and compare these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God and Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the world it enmity against God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God What is the errand upon which the Ministers of the Gospel are sent from the Lord unto you I it not to perswade you to be reconciled to God the word which they preach is therefore called the word of reconciliation Can you be reconciled to God whilest you hold in with the world Can any thing be spoken plainer then this He that will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God when we therefore warn you be ye reconciled to God do we not therein call you to make war with the world and doth not God himself call you by us warn you by us But besides the call of the word do not both the goodness and severity of God call upon you 1 Doth not the goodness the mercy and kindness of God call upon you Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and long suffering and forbearance not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Rom. 12. 1 2. I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service and be ye not cenformed to this world Worldly men mind worldly things having their conversation in the flâ—sh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind But will you be conform to them I beseech you be not I beseech you by the mercies of God be ye not conformed to this world If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercies be ye otherwise minded You profess that Christ is your consolation that the love of God is your comfort that the fellowship of the Spirit is your
rejoycing Are there any such things Is there any thing in them then let these suffice you will you have your conversation and take your portion with those who are strangers to Christ and the comforts of his Spirit I beseech you by the mercies of God that you do not Do you hope for mercy have you received mercy do you live upon mercy hath mercy pitied you spared you pardoned you doth mercy feed you cloath you and comfort you and will you not hearken to its beseechings Why what doth mercy speak is this it's word Continue in sin for grace hath abounded now follow thy pleasures and thy liberties God is reconciled thy sins are forgiven thy Soul is secure now thou mayst slight the Lord now thou mayst trample upon mercy now thou hast obtained it is this the lesson that mercy teaches or what doth it speak is not this the voice of all the kindnesses and compassions of the Lord come back from your vanities come away from following Idols he sacrifices to God and prostitute not your selves any longer to the lusts of your flesh come away for our sakes come as you love mercy come as you have received mercy come as you hope for mercy come Is not this the voice of mercy and shall it not prevail how shall mercy be heard when it pleads for you if it cannot be heard when it pleads thus with you Is this the rate and price you put upon the grace of God that you will deny it in those little things it demands of you not a carnal pleasure to be abated not a vain companion to be displeased not a few handfuls of earth to be troden under foot for its sake Doth all the interest that Christ and his grace hath in you come to no more then this Brethren where is ingenuity is not goodness obliging will you shew what power mercy hath with you how much you can do how much you can leave for love you at least that have obteined mercy methinks your hearts should be at your mouth ready to take their flight from this wilderness to the mountains of spices Hath God given himself hath God given me his Son and granted me mercy unto life now let him take all farmes and oxen silver and gold honours and pleasures let all go and thou O my Soul become a sacrifice to the most high my love where art thou my desires whither run you come back from these vanities and get you up to your God mercy hath descended let me ascend with it and no longer dwell in the dust 2. Do not the severities of God call you off what mean the Judgments of God which he executes on the earth but to drive us up from our cisterns to the fountain what mean the wormwood and the gall but to wean us from these dugs wherefore are our disappointments vexations distresses but to tell us this is not your rest what speak the winds and the storms the flouds and the fires the sword and the famine the thief and the moth but get you up get you up out of this place of what use is the cross but to crucifie to crucifie us to the world and to crucify the world unto us Brethren have we not sufficiently smarted for our folly what is it that makes us so many rods and makes the lashes of them to cut so deep but our unmortifiedness to this earth how easy would our crosses lye were we dead to the world That 's the voice of the cross Be mortified be crucified prevent the greater severities of God Be crucified or God will crucifie you Be crucified to the world or look to be crucified by the world Friends would you have but one cross in all your lives choose you whether you will have one or many get your earthly minds nayld to the cross of Christ and there 's an end of all your crosses every other cross that comes will thenceforth be so easy that it will even loose its nature 2. What is there in your denyal to hearken to these calls of God Is there any thing less in it then this I will not be reconciled to God! I choose rather that God be mine enemy then that the world be not my friend I had rather have the wormwood and the gall then not the milk and the honey God saies give me thine heart no he shall never have it I have bestowed it on the world and there let it go God saies Take me for thy portion no I will not let me have my portion in this life God saies take me for thy Lord no I will not I will not that God shall reign over me God saies as thou hopest for mercy hearken as thou hopest for mercy submit to me refuse at thy peril be a worldling at thy peril be a sensualist at thy peril well at my peril be it I will run the hazard of that mercy or no mercy I cannot hearken to that word which is so contrary to me Is not all this comprehended in your denyal to come off from the world O tremble and now at length come and give in your answer Are there any of you that will yet say to me as those Jews Jer. 44. 16. The word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not do or as those Jer. 2. 25. there is no hope as good hold thy peace speak no more to us about it for we will not hearken we have loved strangers and after them we will go we have loved our companions and after them we will go There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices we will walk after the imagination of our own evil heart Jer. 18. 12. Is there no hope indeed would you henceforth be given over as hopeless would you that the Ambassadours of the Lord keep silence and for ever give you over as lost men shall there be no more treaty with you about this thing would you that we should preach no more to you nor pray no more for you that you may be brought to a better mind May there not be yet hope concerning you may you not yet be convinced may you not yet be perswaded This once let me prevail with you Oh might we hear such a word from you We have done with all our Idols to the Moles and to the Batts with them all we have done with this vain earthly life no more such madness to venture eternity for minutes to stake the everlasting kingdom for pictures and shadows Come we will hearken to the Lord this day hitherto we have been written in the earth henceforth for the invisible world hitherto we have lived in pleasures we have been sowing to the flesh we have been labouring for the wind we have been laying up our treasure on earth we have been gathering in dirt and throwing away Manna we have fed upon ashes and trod upon pearls our life hath been either a meer play or a labour for bubles Henceforth for substance for the durable riches for the everlasting pleasures for the bags that wax not old the treasure in Heaven that faileth not What say you brethren shall this be your voice will you hearken to the Lord at length give in your answer will you now become enemies to the world will you indeed shall your Souls and it now be parted Then go and draw up a writing of divorcement carry it before the Lord and acknowledg it as your act and deed and giving your selves to him go presently and take your leave of all things under the Sun Bid farewell to those that are with you in the house farwel Father farewel Child farewel Husband farewel Wife Bid farewel to all within doors and without farewel Goods farewel Mony farewel Sheep and Oxen Lands and Livings farewel my pleasant habitation farewel my merry dayes and easy nights farewel my friends and dear acquaintance farewel love friendship credit in the world farewel liberty and life Go take your leave of all the world to day stay not till to morrow lest it again intangle you and bewitch you into another mind And this is the leave I would advise you to take of all you have Be able to say to them all I am none of yours you are none of mine I am none of yours I have given my self to the Lord you are none of mine with my self I have given away you all the Lord hath given you me and to him I return you and shall not henceforth count you any thing to me but what you are to him I have given him the right of you and when he calls for it I will give him possession I can enjoy you and I can want you I can be thankful for fruition and I can bear your loss with what I have I am content if I have not I will be patient whether I have or no I am still the same and henceforth I will seek you as if I sought you not I will use you as if I used you not while you are with me I will rejoyce as if I rejoyced not that I may weep as if I wept not when we must part and I must know you no more Go thus and take your leave to day or if you find it more then one dayes work as 't is like you may set to it every day let not your hearts be quiet till they and this world be thus parted And then arise put on thy sandals and after thy crucified Lord Deny thy self take up thy cross and follow him and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven FINIS